Chapter 3

Cameron once told me that being by my side let him sleep deeply and peacefully and that it was a special feeling only people in love could create together.

But now I knew that he was never truly at ease with me.

The only reason he held me this tightly was because he was scared I'd slip away while he slept and go after Sophia.

I let out a long breath, but suddenly Cameron's soft murmurs reached my ears.

Without thinking, I moved closer, and what I heard made my heart skip a beat.

"Sophia... Sophia..." He was softly calling out her name.

I stayed awake all night, staring at the ceiling until dawn.

The next morning, Cameron was startled when he saw the dark circles under my eyes.

"Honey, did you not sleep well last night?" he asked.

I wanted to tell him everything I knew.

But the words caught in my throat, and I just said, "I'm fine."

He nodded absently. "Did you make breakfast?"

I used to be someone who never lifted a finger in the kitchen, but I learned to cook all kinds of meals for him, just because I cared.

He was a total workaholic. Once he got started, he'd work around the clock and often forget to eat.

I couldn't even remember when things changed. He used to handle all the housework, but somehow, it all ended up on my plate.

"No," I said, hoping he'd notice I wasn't happy.

I just wanted him to pick up, even a little, on how upset I was.

But he just nodded calmly and said, "I'll just grab something on my way to the office."

"Don't forget to eat breakfast," Cameron reminded me.

And, as usual, he left the house without so much as a glance back.

Now, I suddenly realized those sweet reminders that used to touch me were nothing but routine.

He always said more than he ever actually did.

Honestly, with stomach cancer, it's not like I've got much time left anyway.

So I didn't bother with breakfast and just went straight to the studio.

The studio was something Sophia and I teamed up to create.

But to be real, she did all the heavy lifting while I just bankrolled the whole thing.

I was pretty rough around the edges. When it came to the kind of art Sophia always talked about, I was totally clueless. Honestly, I didn't have a single artistic bone in my body.

Watching Sophia sketch something beautiful in just a few strokes, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous.

I gave it my all, but in the end, whatever I drew never even looked like anything recognizable.

I saw Sophia waving at me.

I forced myself to muster up some energy and waved back.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

I hadn't even said a word, but Sophia could already tell something was off.

"Did you and Cameron have a fight?" she asked.

Sophia sat down next to me and handed me a cup of warm milk.

Even Sophia knew Cameron was the only one who could really mess with my emotions.

I shook my head. My grip on the cup tightened.

It was not even a fight.

Honestly, I wished it were just a fight.

"I've just been running myself ragged trying to get sponsors lately. Don't worry about me," I said.

Sophia still had her brows furrowed, her eyes practically screaming worry for me.

"It's really nothing," I mumbled, finished the milk in a couple of gulps, and then got up and ducked into my office.

I was scared that if I stayed with Sophia any longer, I'd end up confronting her, breaking down, and just losing it completely.

But I knew Sophia was just as innocent as me.

She was the heroine in Cameron's story, but she didn't even know she was playing that role.

I shouldn't pin Cameron's mistakes on her, and I definitely couldn't lash out at her.

But no matter how hard I tried to avoid it, life just kept messing with me.

Sophia suddenly passed out.

We were eating together when, without any warning, she just collapsed.

I was a total mess as I scrambled to get her to the hospital.

Willie Harrington, Sophia's husband, never showed up.

Instead, Cameron arrived. He stormed over, looking furious.

Before I could even get a word out, he slapped me hard, sending me crashing to the floor.

"Katherine, I always knew you were a malicious woman!" he shouted. "You're just as rotten as ever. No matter how hard I tried, I still couldn't stop you!

"If anything happens to Sophia, I swear I'll drag you down with her!"

Cameron was like a raging lion, completely blinded by rage. He looked like he might lunge at me and rip my throat out any second.

I didn't do anything.

I just got Sophia her favorite crab.

That was it, nothing more.

I had no clue what happened.

Right now, there was only one thing I knew for sure.

My heart was completely numb.

Whatever love Katherine had for Cameron. It was dead and buried.

The hospital, usually full of people coming and going, suddenly went dead quiet. Cameron's furious outburst made everyone freeze in their tracks.

All eyes were on me—some confused, some surprised, some looking at me like I was trash, and a few even showing a hint of sympathy.