Chapter 4

Back then, I used to get super mad and jealous.

But now, there was just...nothing.

Now Caleb just looked way older all of a sudden. Honestly, he even seemed a bit pathetic.

I couldn't help but turn away, kind of disgusted.

Guess my own choice still looked way better than his.

"Rihanna, why haven't you reached out to me lately?" Caleb asked, his tone flat. "My company's been having some issues..."

I really had zero patience for his whining about business troubles, so I interrupted him without a second thought.

"You haven't tried to contact me either," I shot back.

He looked pretty awkward. "Been swamped at work lately. Maybe tonight, Emmalyn and I could grab dinner with you?"

Yeah, just call it what it was. They came to freeload off my dinner.

And now he was trying to act all gracious, pretending he was actually treating me.

I'd heard Bentlee was whipping up a feast for me tonight—and honestly, I had zero desire to let random outsiders crash the party.

I was just about to refuse him.

Caleb suddenly changed the subject. "The Anderson family's business party is just around the corner. So, what's up with the dress Deacon promised you? Still not done yet?"

"Oh, and maybe Deacon could throw together a dress for Emmalyn too. I'm planning to bring her along. Might as well let her see how the real world lives," he added, acting all casual.

I frowned, rolling my eyes in frustration. "Why are you telling me? If you want something, ask Deacon yourself."

He froze, looking totally embarrassed for a moment.

"You know Deacon? He pretty much only designs for the Anderson family. Outsiders can't just ask for his stuff," Caleb said, trying to gloss over it, but his words fell flat.

I let out a little laugh. So Caleb actually understood he didn't even make the cut.

He caught the half-smirk on my face and finally realized something was off.

Caleb looked over, his hands awkwardly slipping from Emmalyn's. His tone instinctively softened, like he was hoping I wouldn't snap at him.

"Rihanna, are you mad at me?" he asked, his voice softening.

"Is it because I haven't been around lately? Are you upset about that?" he added, sounding a little lost.

I gave him a cold once-over. Man, I really used to have terrible taste.

Just then, Emmalyn, who'd been hiding behind Caleb, suddenly chimed in, her voice bubbling with excitement.

"Bentlee! What a surprise—what brings you here?" she burst out, eyes sparkling as she greeted him.

"It's me, Emmalyn... You remember? I'm the girl from the student council—your junior," she reminded him warmly, a hopeful note in her tone.

Emmalyn strode right up to Bentlee, her gaze filled with eager anticipation as she looked at him.

Bentlee's brows furrowed slightly.

"Don't know you," he said bluntly.

Meanwhile, Caleb, who'd been standing off to the side, suddenly bristled at the mention of Bentlee's name. He whipped his head around, glaring at Bentlee like he was about to explode.

But the instant his eyes landed on Bentlee, all that fury just drained away—his expression suddenly blank.

Then his whole body started shaking as he stared daggers at Bentlee, before whipping his head around to me to demand answers.

"Why the hell is Deacon's custom outfit on this pretty boy?" Caleb snapped, his voice tight with disbelief and envy.

Caleb came straight at me with his confrontation, no hesitation at all.

When he saw what should've been his now on Bentlee, the jealousy in Caleb's eyes went nuts—he looked like he was about to snap.

"Rihanna!" he practically growled through gritted teeth. "Why is this guy even here? What are you two really about?"

Watching him get so worked up and self-important, I couldn't help but laugh to myself—seriously, the nerve.

Then I stood up, cracked my wrist, and in front of everyone, laid a loud, stinging slap right across Caleb's face.

Caleb never saw it coming.

He took it straight on, didn't even flinch—just stood there, looking absolutely pathetic after the hit.

Henry passed me a disinfectant wipe. I wiped my hand down, totally unfazed, then glanced at Caleb—still putting on airs—and asked him with a hint of curiosity in my tone.

"Caleb, who do you think you are, talking to me like that?" I shot back, my voice chilly and dripping with contempt.

Caleb had been all puffed up, acting all holier-than-thou and ready to give me a lecture—but my attitude totally blindsided him, and he just froze right there, thrown for a loop.

"Listen up," I drawled, giving him and Emmalyn a lazy, dismissive glance. "I haven't even bothered to call you out for sneaking around with your little side piece, and now you think you get to boss me around?"

Caleb's face, which had been twisted in anger just moments before, suddenly went sheet-white.

"You know?" he stammered, clearly caught off guard and on edge.

He started frantically trying to explain. "Wait, you've got it all wrong! It's not like that between Emmalyn and me... I just felt pity for her, so I was only trying to help her out, that's all."

Not even fazed, I just shrugged and said, "Oh."

"Emmalyn's just a freshman in college. I just wish you'd be a bit more understanding, instead of always jumping to negative conclusions about people," Caleb tried to reason.

Caleb took a deep breath, his tone softening—even if his voice was still a little stiff—as he tried to explain.

"You're my fiancée, the only woman my parents and I truly recognize as my wife. You really don't need to feel insecure or compare yourself to anyone else..." he said, his voice awkward but gentle.

I'd been in a great mood all day, all excited for Bentlee's homemade feast.

But the second Caleb started rambling on about how I was the only one for him and how I shouldn't feel insecure, I swear, I almost lost all my appetite—it just made my skin crawl.