Chapter 3

That night, I went to the hottest bar in Bayview.

My bestie, Sophie Lane, had already reserved a private room for me.

Eighteen top-tier hunks lined up in perfect formation.

Each one was six feet three inches, with broad shoulders, a slim waist, and rock-hard eight-pack abs.

"Drink up, Queen Claire," one said.

"Fruit for the queen," another added.

Their voices called out one after another, sending shivers down my spine and making my heart race.

Sophie lounged lazily on the couch, her fingers idly tracing the abs of the guy next to her as she looked at me with a smirk.

"About time you did this, Claire," she said.

She took a sip of her drink, her eyes showing both concern and pride.

"Come on, Claire, what have you been doing with your life these past few years, wasting it on that loser?

"He's out there living it up every night, and you're stuck at home crying yourself to sleep. Was any of that worth it?" Sophie said.

With that, she pulled the hunk beside her into a hug, flashing a bold grin.

"Just look around. There are tons of guys out there. Young, attentive, and they actually know how to treat you right.

"Why should guys be the only ones having all the fun? We deserve to chase our own happiness, too.

"Besides, Xavier Chandler is long gone from the man he used to be. When do bad boys ever really turn over a new leaf?" she said.

Her words made me pause, lost in thought for a moment.

Before I ever got with Xavier, he was already Bayview's legendary ladies' man.

Every day, there was a new girl riding shotgun in his fancy car, and the gossip columns about him were hotter than his family's business reports.

But after he met me, he dropped everyone else and put all his attention on me.

He spent a whole year trying to win me over.

He'd ditch every guy's night out, just so he could pick me up from class right on time.

He'd take me out for the food I loved. The ones he hunted down all over Bayview just for me.

Anything I casually mentioned would magically turn up as a surprise the very next day.

On my birthday, he reserved the highest rooftop restaurant in all of Bayview just for me.

When night fell, the entire city suddenly went dark, and then, one by one, the giant LED screens on the skyscrapers across the skyline lit up.

They came together to spell out one line.

[Happy Birthday, Claire.]

After we got married, he turned into the kind of husband every woman dreams of, always home before nine, no exceptions.

His buddies were always grumbling to me about it.

"Claire, Ryan's a total ghost these days. Whenever we get the guys together, he hardly ever shows up, and the rare time he does, he always drags you along," one of them complained.

"And he's always hurrying you home before nine, saying staying up late isn't good for you," another one complained.

Xavier just squeezed my hand tighter, looking totally unapologetic.

He shot back, "Spending time with my wife. That's how it should be. Like you, bachelors would understand."

Back then, he truly did love me, no doubt about it.

And back then, I honestly believed that even a player could turn his life around.

But three years into our marriage, a pregnant woman turned up out of the blue on my doorstep.

That was when I realized Xavier had been unfaithful.

It felt like my whole world just came crashing down.

For the first time, I had it out with Xavier, telling him to end things with that woman once and for all.

And he really did.

But it wasn't long before he was back at it, finding himself another woman.

I'd break down, make a scene, and even threaten to take my own life.

He'd swear he'd change, but every time, he'd betray me all over again.

In the end, he just tuned out my crying and breakdowns, acting like my pain meant nothing.

He stopped even pretending to care. He'd flaunt other women right in front of me, totally shameless.

Sometimes, when I really lost it, he'd clutch my chin, his voice cold as ice.

"Claire, you know the rules in this circle, don't you?

"You married me, so you need to get used to it," he'd say.

I was hopelessly in love with him back then. I refused to play by those rules, and I just couldn't walk away from him.

So I went to extremes, hurting myself, even putting my life on the line, just to win Xavier back.

But what I got in return was Xavier forcing me, against my will, into a mental hospital for three whole months.

I was diagnosed with severe depression, bouts of mania, and suicidal tendencies.

They made me take a ton of meds. Those pills left me dazed all day, my hands and feet trembling, my feelings totally numb.

Staring out at that tiny square of sky outside my window, sometimes I wondered if I really had gone crazy.

If not, how else could I have let someone so messed up become the meaning of my entire life?

But even after everything he put me through, I still couldn't stop loving him.

Six months ago, I learned I was pregnant.

Staring at the hospital test results, I was so happy I nearly cried.

I was so naive, telling myself that maybe having a baby would finally make him come back to me.

I rushed home, only to walk in and find him going at it with another woman right on our wedding bed.

Shame and fury crashed over me. I screamed, snatched up the vase nearby, and hurled it straight at them.

Xavier sprang up instantly, shoving me aside with brutal force.

I lost my balance and crashed my stomach against the edge of the table. The pain was so sharp it felt like my whole body was on fire.

I curled up on the floor, cold sweat soaking my skin, desperately reaching out a shaking hand toward him.

"Take me to the hospital, my stomach hurts so bad," I pleaded.

He towered over me, looking down with nothing but impatience. There wasn't a shred of concern in his eyes.

Xavier said, "Quit faking it, Claire. I've seen enough of your sob stories over the years."

Then he threw his arm around the woman, who was still freaked out, and walked out without so much as a backward glance.

I was rushed to the hospital, but the doctor said there was no hope. The baby was gone.

In that instant, it felt like something inside me died along with that little life.

After that, I stopped crying and quit causing drama.

I finally faced the fact that Xavier didn't love me anymore.

I started eating on time, taking my meds, and actually taking care of myself for once.

I forced myself to rip Xavier out of my heart and soul, inch by inch, no matter how much it hurt.

So when I saw him getting cozy with other women again, my heart didn't even flinch, not a single ripple inside me.

So when he threw a birthday party for his new fling, I hired a college boy toy to be my date and strutted in with him.

It wasn't about being jealous. I just wanted to show him.

Even without him, I could still slay.

I raised my glass and clinked it against Sophie's, my voice ringing out clear and confident.

I said, "That's right. From now on, he plays his games, I play mine.

"He goes after pretty girls, I'll go for hot young studs.

"Xavier is not even worth a damn.

"He was just a washed-up, old, stinky mess."

Suddenly, the door to the private room was kicked open hard.

Xavier stood in the doorway, his eyes blazing red with fury.