Chapter 4

Everyone was stunned, just staring blankly at me and Karlie, as if the whole room had frozen in time.

Karlie clutched her cheek, staring at me in absolute shock. "Cambria, how dare you! You—maid's stray, a nobody—how dare you hit me?!"

I spun and landed another slap on her. "You think I won't?"

Braxton strode over and gave me a shove. "Are you out of your mind? Apologize to Karlie."

I scoffed, my voice icy. "She called me just a side piece!. What reason do I have to apologize?"

Karlie froze for a second, shooting Braxton a wary look.

After all, I was Braxton's legal wife—whether she liked it or not, I stood for the Compton family's reputation.

Braxton shot Karlie a sidelong glance, raising his brows. "Well, Karlie, you're the one who got it wrong."

Karlie lowered her head, grudgingly biting back her words.

Braxton sneered, dragging out each word, "You're not even worth being called a side piece! All you can ever be is my dog. Nothing more."

Karlie froze, then suddenly cracked up, laughing so hard that she almost collapsed. "Cambria, where's your dignity now? Oh, wait—my brother just stomped it right into the dirt!"

Her laughter was painfully shrill, scraping against my eardrums.

I looked at Braxton—he was a stranger to me now.

This wasn't the Braxton who once broke his leg for my sake.

This was a demon.

As I felt my pride getting stomped right under Braxton's feet, I tilted my head back and knocked my drink straight down.

Braxton probably didn't know—even a cornered dog would fight back, and it would bite.

I shot Braxton a sarcastic grin. "Mr. Compton, weren't you always obsessed with whether I ever loved you for real?"

Braxton's mouth flattened into a hard line as he stared at me.

I winked at him. "Love you? Please. I was never serious."

"Xander's the star here—who wouldn't be into him? You're just the guy everyone forgets, living in his shadow." I said.

Braxton's face turned uglier with every word.

I let out a sharp, fearless laugh. "That's right, Braxton. You were spot on—I only ever saw you as Xander's substitute. Happy now?"

Braxton grabbed my wrist, squeezing so hard that it hurt, the humiliation burning even more than the pain.

But then he jerked his hand away, like just touching me made him sick. "Get out. Now!"

I turned and walked away.

Tears streamed down my face.

I messed up falling for Xander first… and then getting tangled up with his brother on top of that.

Guess this was what I got. My own damn karma.

I sat alone through the endless night, lost in my own emptiness.

All I did was stare up at the stars, searching for one that reminded me of Xander.

But no matter how hard I looked, it was so far away—even if I chased it right now, I'd probably never reach it, not in a million years.

It felt like my brain was shutting off everything else—just so my heart could keep pounding, just so I'd keep breathing.

I shut my eyes and sank into a darkness so deep, all I could hear was my own heartbeat echoing in my head, and somewhere out there, one lonely star flickered in the distance.

I knew that star was Xander.

And then, everything went black.

Just before I lost consciousness, I heard Braxton's voice—he actually sounded worried. "Cambria, what's wrong?"

He sounded so anxious, like he really cared.

That had to be my mind playing tricks on me.

How could Braxton ever worry about me?

After our honeymoon, Braxton ended up with Xander's belongings—the keepsakes his colleagues had brought back from Fohhulland.

He went through Xander's diary line by line, uncovering every hidden word about how we secretly loved each other and planned our future together.

That day, his eyes were bloodshot and desperate as he demanded I prove it wasn't true—that I hadn't married him just because he looked like Xander, that he wasn't just a replacement in my heart.

But how was I supposed to prove I truly married him out of love?

I couldn't.

From that day forward, he hated me.

He hated me to the core… There was just no way he'd ever care about me.

When I woke up, it was still the dead of night. I was lying in bed, a blanket draped over me.

Maybe I'd dragged it over myself in a half-conscious daze.

As for Braxton's voice, that was probably just something I imagined.

The bedroom in the villa was huge and empty. The chill crept right up my spine, leaving me feeling hollow and frozen inside.

I couldn't take it anymore. I got up and ran straight back to the city, to my mom's place. I snuck into the living room, hugged her sweater close, trying to soak up any leftover warmth, and curled up on the couch to sleep.

My mom's place was just a cramped little two-bedroom, but it was a whole lot cozier than that cold villa.

Honestly, that bit of comfort was enough to help me hang on.

After my dad passed away a few years back, my mom was so crushed with grief that her mind started slipping. The doctors told me she couldn't handle any more bad news—one more blow, and she might break for good.

With my dad gone, and Xander gone too, the only one I had left was my mom.

No matter what Braxton did, leaving him was never an option—my mom needed me to keep it together.

I slept straight through until morning, only to be jolted awake by someone knocking at the door.

When I opened up, Braxton was there, looking exhausted.

He looked so relieved when he saw me. "I was only gone a minute to grab some oatmeal, and you vanished? I kept calling and you never picked up!"

I was taken aback. "Wait—was it you who got me into bed last night?"

Braxton avoided my gaze, his voice sounding a little distant. "Like it or not, I'm still your husband, so I gotta look out for you."