Chapter 3
I reached out and hung up the phone, glancing up.
I said, "Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, are you still trying to push me to marry Adam?
"Your son's still cheating on me, you know."
Adam's parents exchanged a glance, their faces flushing with embarrassment. Just minutes ago, they were swearing up and down that Adam and Chloe were done for good.
They'd warned Adam and Chloe on the day of my wedding to Adam, but never imagined the two of them would still be seeing each other.
Fuming, they stormed straight to the hospital, only to end up learning something else entirely.
And it was I who told them.
They had just arrived at the hospital when they heard about it.
I had someone investigate Chloe.
At first, I just wanted to see what kind of woman could have Adam wrapped around her finger.
But I found out that Chloe was infertile.
She took a huge risk, faking a pregnancy just to marry into the Sterling family.
But what she never expected was just how ruthless Adam could be.
He'd rather see her lose the baby than ever marry her.
She'd always have to stay in the shadows.
As for the fake pregnancy, her doctor bestie covered for her so well that nobody suspected a thing.
I spilled the truth to Adam's parents just for the fun of watching the chaos.
I couldn't wait for the truth to blow up.
What a mess was this going to be?
But things took a turn I never saw coming.
An hour later, Adam, Chloe, and his parents all turned up at my doorstep.
I gave the four of them a puzzled look, completely lost.
My parents and the house staff all wore the same confused expression as me.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked.
Chloe stepped out from behind Adam, looking nervous, pitiful, and totally unsure of herself.
"I'm sorry, Grace," she mumbled.
I couldn't be more confused.
She said, "Yeah, I tried to block your car today and set you up, but it totally blew up in my face, and you got hurt instead.
"Adam already chewed me out. I'm really sorry, so please don't take it out on him.
"I wasn't really pregnant. I was just so crazy about Adam that when I heard he was getting married, I totally lost my way."
Her eyes welled up with tears as she spoke.
Her voice was choked with sobs.
She continued, "I finally understand now. Adam's heart has always belonged to you. I'm sorry for all the messed-up things I did."
Things were getting way too weird.
Was this for real?
What was she even feeling right now?
I was this close to grabbing a mic and interviewing her myself.
Adam finally had enough and stepped up, moving to stand beside Chloe and facing me.
He said, "Grace, Chloe's not a bad person. Everything she did was out of love for me.
"My heart's always belonged to you, and Chloe understands that. So please, let me be there for her a little longer. Just let me help her fulfill this one wish.
"Let's hold off on the wedding for a year or two. We're only twenty-six, so we've got plenty of time. No need to hurry."
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I was so shocked that I couldn't even speak for a second.
After a beat, I finally found my voice.
I said, "Come on, are you serious right now? Didn't you hear me say I'm breaking off the engagement?
"Even if I ever get married, it sure as hell won't be to you. You've been messing around, but you still think you're some kind of catch?
"And you want to help Chloe fulfill her wish? Wow, you really are trash."
I knew exactly what was going on in Adam's head. He'd never actually marry Chloe.
He'd mess around with anyone he wanted, but when it came to tying the knot, only someone with the right family background would ever cut.
In the end, it was all thanks to that snobby and arrogant attitude he was born with.
No way would he ever let someone like Chloe set foot in his circle.
He was seriously ruthless.
Adam looked genuinely hurt, but there was still that look in his eyes, like he was dealing with a stubborn kid he couldn't help but spoil.
He said, "Grace, come on, you're just saying stuff because you're mad.
"You went out of your way to look into Chloe, didn't you? Just to break us up? I know you're mad it didn't work out like you wanted.
"Say whatever you want, but don't go talking about breaking off the engagement just because you're upset."
I went silent, completely at a loss for words.
With a helpless sigh, I looked back to glance at my parents.
"Mom, Dad, was I totally blind all those years when I was with Adam?" I asked.
They gave me that classic speechless look and replied in perfect sync, "Absolutely."
Dad said, "I've told you before, our family doesn't need any marriage alliance. You were so driven that you started looking for a marriage partner back in high school."
Mom said, "Yeah. You could stay single forever if you wanted. Who says people from wealthy families have to marry for status? Looks like having a daughter who's really focused on her career isn't totally a good thing."
I was at a loss for words.
They had a point, but it wasn't the whole story.
I really did have feelings for Adam.
He was just the right match for me, family background and all. Nothing more, nothing less.
I took a deep breath and scanned the four of them.
I said, "Let me make this clear one last time. The whole marriage deal between the Jensen and Sterling families is officially canceled. And I mean it. This isn't just me talking out of anger.
"Didn't you already get your betrothal gifts back? It's done. From now on, we're only business associates."
With that, I glanced at the staff.
"Show them out," I said.
The staff ushered Adam and the others out, no room for argument.
Adam's parents looked super anxious.
They complained, "This is all your fault. Why did you have to get tangled up with some random girl? Now you've gone and lost Grace, who would've been our perfect daughter-in-law."
What they were implying was really obvious.
Chloe's face turned pale.
Adam told Chloe to get in the car first and then shut the door.
He said, "Grace and I have been together for years. She loves me, and there's no way she could ever really let me go.
"So what if the betrothal gifts got sent back? Once I get bored with Chloe, I'll just send them back to the Jensen family again. It's not a big deal."
"Are you really sure about this?" Adam's parents asked.
Adam stayed silent for a second.
He caught himself staring at the Jensen residence, replaying the way I shut him down in his head.
Out of nowhere, a wave of anxiety bubbled up inside him.
He shoved the feeling aside and opened the car door.
"Yeah, pretty much," he replied.
Meanwhile, I answered a call in my room.
Someone said, "Hey, Grace, did you finally call off the engagement? I've been waiting forever."