Chapter 2

The room fell silent.

Nathan fixed his gaze on me like a wolf, as if he was scheming what kind of irresistible deal or clever trick would make me take back my decision.

A minute later, he dropped to one knee, his apology sincere. "Lynn, I admit I messed up this time.

"That girl you ran into was Melody. I met her last month when I went back to my old school to give a speech.

"I couldn't stand the stubborn look in her eyes. I wanted to break through her defenses, to see what makes this innocent girl so different from the rest.

"But after trying now, I realized she's nothing special. She's not even in the same league as you."

Nathan leaned in, his lips brushing my earlobe, his deep, magnetic voice like a devil whispering in my ear. "Besides, you're my wife. How could I bear to let you do something like that for me?"

To outsiders, Nathan wore gold-rimmed glasses, looking polished and funny, always cracking jokes.

But once those glasses came off, that handsome face hid a dark side; he got a kick out of ruining anything good, for the thrill.

In bed, he was rough as hell. Almost nobody could handle his kinky habits, and he swapped lovers like changing clothes.

But for all his cutthroat moves in business, the only time he ever showed a soft side was with me.

Nathan was never stingy with his cash or stuff, and even in bed, he always made sure I was the one enjoying it.

Back in the moment, Nathan's fingers were tracing the side of my waist.

I jolted out of my haze and pushed him away. "I'm breaking up with you."

Nathan suddenly laughed.

He looked at me like he was sizing up a fluffy house cat, all claws and attitude, but no real bite. "Lynn, is breaking up the only move you know?"

My heart clenched.

After ten years of this on-and-off mess with Nathan, breaking up was another Tuesday for us.

But every time I made up my mind to leave, he'd sweet-talk me into staying with a few words, until my breakups turned into nothing more than me pouting and pretending to be mad.

I wiped away the last of my tears, no more hesitation. "This time, it's for real."

Without waiting for his reply, I stood up and bolted out of the study.

When I got to the first floor, Melody was still sitting on the couch.

Seeing her bruised knees and her swollen, red lip, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I pulled out a tissue and handed it to her. "Your lip's bleeding."

Melody took the tissue, then suddenly blurted out, "Don't you hate me?"

I honestly didn't know what to say.

Even if Melody hadn't shown up, there'd be some other girl, Jessica Smith, Sophie Brown, whoever...

The real problem wasn't them. It was Nathan.

Melody was nothing more than a stranger to me.

But there was a spark in her eyes. Someone like her shouldn't go down the wrong path or throw her life away.

I had to say something. "Melody, right?

"You don't actually think Nathan likes you, do you? Take my advice; don't waste your time hoping for something that'll never happen.

"You're still so young. You can go after anything you want from him, don't ever think about—"

Before I could finish, Melody cut me off. "You think I'm as dumb as you?

"To me, he's nothing but a walking ATM with a pretty face.

"Twenty thousand dollars for one night. With that kind of money, I can go abroad to study music and chase my own dreams."

Melody fixed her gaze on me, her eyes sharp and clear. "But you—

"Don't let yourself stay stuck here forever."

Woman to woman, we both caught the real meaning behind the words.

In the walk-in closet, I opened my suitcase and silently started packing my clothes.

Nathan leaned against the doorway, one hand in his pocket, grinning as he watched me. "Lynn, how long are we breaking up this time?

"Want me to call the driver and book you a hotel?"

Whenever we broke up before, I'd always fake a dramatic exit and crash at a hotel for a few days.

So this time, he was sure I'd do the same thing all over again.

But our three cats seemed to pick up on the scent of goodbye hanging in the air.

They jumped right into my suitcase, clearly begging me to take them along.

Nathan hesitated for a moment.

Seeing that neither the cats nor I was paying him any mind, he felt awkward and rubbed his nose.

"It's raining outside, and it's cold," he said. "If you want, you can stay. Or I can leave."

The villa felt huge and empty when I was alone.

I curled up with the three cats and fell asleep.

Half-awake, I found myself back in the shattered world of my fifteen-year-old self.