Chapter 3

I dropped my head, not able to say a word back. He really had a point.

Later, I went abroad for college. Maybe it was the change of scenery, but I slimmed down and my acne cleared up.

When I came back, my family was in a financial mess. My dad told me to marry into the Evans Family as their son-in-law.

When our families met, I was both excited and nervous, fidgeting with my fingers. But she didn't recognize me. She handed me a prenuptial agreement, her face cold.

At that moment, it felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over my heart.

I forced a smile and signed my name.

I thought getting married would fix everything, but I never expected Lucas to come back.

I took down our wedding photo and cut it in half, one snip at a time.

Tears fell without me even realizing, smudging the smiles in the picture.

The phone rang, and I answered right away.

Charlotte sounded exhausted. "I'm not coming home tonight. Go to bed early."

As I was about to reply, a man's voice came through the line. "Charlie, come on, it's your turn."

The call cut off with a sharp click.

I gave myself a bitter smile, sitting on the bed and staring out the window.

When the sun finally rose and the birds started singing, my heart hit rock bottom.

I signed the divorce papers and left them on the nightstand, like I did with the prenup.

I grabbed my luggage, closed the door, and headed downstairs.

Downstairs, Richard was already waiting with his luggage, with dark circles under his eyes.

As I was about to say something, the doorbell rang urgently.

When I opened the door, the Grant men, Edward and Lucas, were right there, dragging their suitcases, looking like they'd dropped out of the sky.

*****

They strutted in, heads held high, wearing red-soled shoes, dragging their suitcases like they owned the place.

I tried to block them, but Lucas shoved past me, making me stumble.

Richard caught my hand in time, helping me steady myself.

Edward lounged on the couch, legs crossed, while Lucas paced around the villa. "This TV's no good. Once we're living here, we'll swap it for a projector. Charlie loves watching movies.

"And this couch? Way too bright, way too flashy. We'll get that all-white one I picked out.

"And this."

"Who gave you the right to act like you own the place?" I snapped.

Lucas let out a mocking laugh. "Of course, it's Charlie. Didn't you know? Aunt Grace and Charlie already agreed to let us move in."

He raised an eyebrow, glancing at our suitcases. "Look at you, already clearing out for us. How thoughtful.

"But then again, Richard's been hogging my dad's spot for almost thirty years, and you've been squatting in mine for nearly three.

"Now that we're back, it's only right you leave on your own. Better than getting kicked out. That'd be embarrassing.

"But once you're gone, you can't take anything from this house with you."

With that, he reached straight for my suitcase.

I tried to block him, but Lucas pushed me so hard I went sprawling on the floor.

Edward was suddenly up, grabbing Richard with a vice grip, refusing to let go.

Lucas started pulling clothes out of my suitcase one by one, clicking his tongue and checking each one out with obvious disdain. "Nope, not this one. This is a designer piece, part of the Evans Family's property."

Soon enough, he'd tossed all my clothes to the side.

Lucas pulled a watch box out from the corner.

I glared at him, my eyes rimmed with red. "That's my mom's wedding gift to me. Don't you dare touch it."

Lucas let out a mocking laugh and pulled the watch from the box. "What gift? That's an excuse.

"Everyone in Ashford knows your mom passed away before your wedding.

"Or maybe you're cursed, maybe you brought her bad luck."

"You're lying. Give me back my watch," I crawled toward him.

But as my fingers brushed the watch, Lucas jumped to his feet, dangling it from his finger and spinning it around. "Is this the one?"

I nodded and pushed myself up from the floor.

The very next second, Lucas flashed a grin and let go.

The watch hit the floor with a loud bang.

Lucas stomped his shoe into the watch face, crushing it again and again.

My eyes widened. I shoved him aside and carefully picked up the watch, barely able to make out the face anymore.

Tears blurred my vision, making everything go fuzzy.

Richard broke free.

He pulled me up and gently wiped the tears from my face. "Forget this place. We're leaving."

Richard led me out of the villa, and it wasn't until we reached the airport that I finally came to my senses.

The plane rose and fell, and as the sun went down, it felt like everything went dark.

Then, the cabin lights flickered on, and Richard was standing there, grinning at me with a cup of instant noodles in his hand. "This is the latest flavor. Trust me, it'll make you feel better."

I took the noodles and started eating, one bite at a time.

Richard shrugged. "That's how women are.

"Besides..."

Richard set his phone down in front of me.

On the screen, it said "Share Transfer Agreement".

I stared in shock, my mouth hanging open. I set the noodles aside and scrolled through the document. "Was it Grandma?"

Richard nodded. "Last night, she came to me and handed me this share transfer agreement, along with all her real estate and other investments.

"I didn't want to take it at first, but she said if I didn't sign, it might all end up in the hands of the Grants, father and son.

"I figured we'd need the money for our future, so I accepted it."

I flipped through the document nervously. "So, from now on, we can eat whatever we want. No need to worry about money anymore, right?"

Richard laughed and ruffled my hair. "Silly, it's not about eating fancy food. We could even have them cook for us right in front of us if we wanted."

The boarding call came, and Richard and I walked onto the plane, both of us grinning.

Inside the villa, Grace and Charlotte stood rooted to the spot, clutching the divorce papers, staring at the chaos that had taken over their home.