Chapter 2

We were like one of those couples who can't keep their hands off each other. For a while, I honestly believed he was really into me.

Everything changed after the car accident—and especially today, when I heard the truth straight from his own lips.

That's when reality hit me—the so-called love was all a lie, and every little thing he did was nothing but a show.

The person he actually loved was Tinley, the fake heiress who spent over ten years living my life like it belonged to her.

He pretended to love me just so I wouldn't end up with Preston.

After all, his precious Tinley had her eyes on Preston Copeland, and Preston was into me.

I watched him bustling around in the kitchen and could only let out a bitter laugh.

Ever since the miscarriage, I kept having these stabbing pains in my lower belly. At night, it got so bad I'd be sweating buckets from the pain.

Callum was the first to notice. He started kneading my stomach, asking, "Period cramps again?"

I reflexively knocked his hand away.

He saw how pale I'd gotten and brushed his hand over my forehead.

"You've even got a fever now. No more just lying around at home—I'm taking you to the hospital," he said.

We ran into Tinley in the hospital hallway.

She was all by herself, leaning against the wall for support as she struggled to limp along.

Callum's expression changed instantly. He dropped my hand without thinking and rushed right over to Tinley.

He steadied her, his voice thick with concern. "Didn't the doctor tell you to rest at home yesterday? What are you doing here again—did something else happen?"

Tinley shot me a glance before turning to Callum, managing a faint, exhausted smile.

"I twisted my ankle again this morning without realizing. How come you showed up at the hospital with Paulina?" Tinley said, sounding a little feeble.

Callum paused, as if only now remembering he'd let go of me.

He glanced back, avoiding my eyes. "I heard Paulina was sick, so I came to check on her."

Callum and I had never made our relationship public.

Only a handful of his closest friends even knew we were together.

Tinley glanced over at me, her eyes dripping with scorn even as she put on a sweet, caring act.

"Paulina had a rough time out there before you guys finally brought her back, so of course her health is shot. She's always dealing with headaches and fevers. You should really keep an eye on her. Anyway, you two go see the doctor—I'm just heading up to grab my meds," Tinley said, all sugar and subtle shade.

Seeing Tinley struggling along the railing, Callum didn't even pause—he just scooped her up in his arms bridal style.

"Let me get you over there," he said.

Then he glanced back at me. "Tinley's leg is in bad shape, I'll take her first. Wait for me in the exam room."

With that, he rushed off, carrying Tinley close against him.

Tinley leaned into his shoulder, tossing me a smug, taunting smile.

I wasn't surprised at all by Callum's choice.

The moment Tinley walked in, all that fake love he'd put on for me fell apart instantly.

Funny thing is, he actually thought nobody could see through his act.

I couldn't stop myself from smirking in contempt.

I forced myself to pull it together and made my way to the exam room.

The doctor gently reminded me, "Your body's still recovering after what you've been through. Try not to get too worked up—too much grief will only make things rougher for you."

Just then, my phone buzzed with a text from Tinley.

She said: [All I have to do is wave, and he'll come right back to me. What makes you think you can even compare?]

People who were loved were always fearless.

But I wasn't going to play her game anymore. I gave up.

I put my phone away and went to pick up my meds by myself. Callum never showed up—he didn't even bother to call or text.

This time, I decided not to wait for him.

When I got home, my phone buzzed—it was a text from my dad.

[Your visa's ready. Once your records are cleared, you can leave any time.]

I just texted back: [Okay.]

As I was packing up the last of my stuff, I caught a glimpse of an update from Tinley on her feed.

There it was—a classic candlelit dinner for two, super romantic, with their hands intertwined front and center. One of those hands had a ring on the middle finger, long and elegant. No doubt about it, that was Callum.

I didn't hesitate for a second. I just tapped the like.

Almost instantly, my phone lit up with a call from Callum. He was full of apologies the moment he started speaking.

"I'm sorry. I thought I'd take Tinley home first, then head over to see you at the hospital. But she suddenly had a stomachache, so I took her out to eat," he said.

Before he could finish, Tinley's voice piped up in the background. She demanded, "Callum, who are you talking to?"

"Just work stuff," he replied, trying to muffle the phone, but I still heard her loud and clear anyway.

He went back to soothing me, his voice gentle again. "Paulina, get some rest, okay? If your stomach hurts, take your meds. I'll explain everything when I get home."

I couldn't care less about his lame excuses or fake promises anymore. I'd had enough of his lies, so I hung up without a second thought.

After resting up all night, I felt way better and went to the office first thing to quit my job.

My coworkers immediately started making a fuss, demanding I treat them to one last meal before I left.