Chapter 2

Scalding soup splashed onto Zoe’s hand. The pain was instant—blisters bubbled across her pale skin, and she gasped, tears springing to her eyes. “I just…”

Dylan glanced at her injury, but his eyes barely lingered before he let out a cold, mocking laugh.

“Just what? Zoe, are you seriously this pathetic? After all these years, I’ve only ever treated you like a sister, and you went and drugged me to get into my bed?!”

His words struck like a whip.

“I’m telling you right now—I’d rather die than marry you. And that thing you're carrying? Get rid of it.

“You hurt Jenny. I’m going to make damn sure you suffer too.”

Every word landed like a blade, slicing straight through her. Zoe clenched her fists so hard her nails broke the skin in her palm. Blood welled up, but she didn’t feel it. All she felt was the past crashing back like a tidal wave.

She and Dylan had grown up together. After her parents passed away, the Xanders took her in, and from that point on, they were raised like siblings—half-related by circumstance, not by blood.

In her memories, Dylan had always been distant, proud, the kind of person who kept his emotions under lock and key.

And yet, even someone like him could fall to his knees for love.

Jenny Adams—his first love—was an intern at Xander Corporation. At the company’s annual gala, Dylan fell for her at first sight. After that, he chased her relentlessly.

Their back-and-forth dragged on for two years before they finally got together.

Zoe remembered the day they announced their relationship. She cried the entire night.

By morning, she had made up her mind to bury her feelings for him forever. She would keep her love silent and wish him well.

But fate had other plans.

At a party not long after, someone drugged Dylan’s drink. In his haze, he mistook Zoe for Jenny and forced himself on her.

When he came to the next day, he was terrifying.

All his usual restraint vanished. His eyes were bloodshot with fury.

“Zoe, are you really that desperate?!

“You knew I didn’t love you, so you drugged me?!”

After the anger came the breakdown. He curled up on the floor and sobbed like a child.

“Jenny… how could I betray you…”

But the truth was—Zoe hadn’t drugged him.

No matter how many times she tried to explain, he refused to believe her. From that day forward, he hated her.

“Zoe, what—cat got your tongue?!”

Her voice was barely a whisper, almost lost to the wind.

“I already scheduled the procedure.”

Dylan froze for a beat, thrown off by how calm she sounded.

Then he let out a sharp laugh. “So now you’re playing the sympathy card? Very clever. Got my parents wrapped around your little finger.

“But so what? Without love, marriage is just a piece of paper.”

“I’m serious. I’ve already talked to your parents, so they won't force you to marry me any more,” Zoe said quietly. Her eyes lingered on Dylan’s face, as if memorizing it.

“Once the baby’s gone, we’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”

Silence fell between them.

Dylan stared at her, jaw tight, saying nothing.

After a long pause, he finally snapped, “You better mean it.”

Before she could respond, Dylan’s phone rang. He answered, and whatever he heard made his expression shift instantly. Without another word, he ran out into the snow, not even stopping to grab his coat.

Zoe watched his figure vanish into the swirling white.

She knew exactly where he was going.

Jenny.

Biting back the ache in her chest, she quietly cleaned up the mess and hailed a cab to the hospital.

As she looked out the window at the falling snow, she let out a long breath.

In her past life, she had planned to volunteer in a remote school, and everything had already been arranged. But in the end, she stayed behind and married Dylan instead.

Now that life had given her a second chance, she chose to cut off this toxic bond and set everyone free.

In seven days, she and Dylan would part ways for good—never to cross paths again.