Chapter 1
After five years with Thornton Burke, I was fed up.
While he was overseas on business, I found a random excuse to break up. [Honey, the doctor said I'm tone-deaf, and it might affect our kids' intelligence.]
[Oh, right, I forgot you don't even like kids. Forget it. I guess I'm just not good enough for you after all.]
I packed my things and moved out of the villa that very night.
I was planning to find an apartment, but after checking out dozens, I realized they were even smaller than Thornton's doghouse, and the rent was a whopping two thousand dollars.
That was simply daylight robbery.
Resigned, I was about to call a cab and head back to the villa.
Just then, my best friend, Sharon Newman, sent me a message.
[Girl, that bastard Thornton is getting engaged.]
I clicked on the video and photos Sharon sent me.
Thornton was arm in arm with a woman, and on the big screen behind them, they were dressed in traditional wedding outfits.
They looked like the perfect couple.
"What does that line at the bottom of the screen mean?" I asked.
"It says, 'A match made in heaven, destined to be together for three lifetimes,'" Sharon replied.
"And there were all those wedding blessings, like wishing them a lifetime of happiness together and lots of kids soon," Sharon added.
"Kids? Thornton said he doesn't like kids at all," I replied.
"You actually believed that, Raven? If you had a kid with him, it'd be out of wedlock. Of course, he wouldn't like that.
"With families like theirs, it always comes down to marrying for business in the end.
"You can mess around if you want, but don't ever let yourself fall for him."
Sharon's words snapped me back to reality.
All these years, even though Thornton went along with everything I said, he never mentioned getting married.
I checked our chat history and saw that only the last two messages were left unanswered.
Me: [Honey, can you help me out with this deal? I love you.]
A link was attached to the message.
Thornton: [Three thousand dollars transferred.]
Thornton: [I'm in a meeting. Don't bother me.]
Me: [When you come back, can you pick up some potato slices from the commercial street near your office? Sweet, sour, and spicy flavor, and make sure they add extra pepper.]
Thornton: [Got it.]
Me: [Can you reimburse me for last night's game outfit? It cost nine thousand dollars.]
Thornton: [I'm calling the police.]
Me: [I'm craving coffee. Can you hop on the group buy? I'll save the second cup for tomorrow.]
A link was attached to the message.
It had been eight hours since I sent the breakup message, and I still hadn't gotten a reply.
It turned out that he was too busy getting engaged.
Anyway, I was already fed up, so breaking up now felt just right.
After blocking and deleting him from my WhatsApp, I checked the bank card in my pocket.
Two thousand dollars for rent? Whatever. I went straight to a real estate agent and decisively signed a one-year lease.
That night, I slipped back into Thornton's villa under the cover of darkness.
I packed up the freshly washed bedding from the bedroom, the air purifier, the robot vacuum, the carpet, the oven, and the casserole pot.
There was a set of couple mugs in the cabinet, bought during a trip.
The shopkeeper totally talked me into spending 33 dollars on them, and I still hadn't brought myself to use them.
I figured I'd leave them for Thornton. Maybe someday, when he spotted them, he'd get all sentimental and remember me.
I packed up all the handpicked dishes and utensils, my cooking essentials, the half-finished yogurt in the fridge, and a few boxes of blueberries I'd brought back from Alberton.
All of it went right into my suitcase.
At the door, I took one last look at the villa where I'd spent the past five years.
Wait, what about Furball, my pet dog?
How could I have forgotten it?
The moment I opened its room, Furball dashed over, tail wagging like crazy, and snuggled right up to me.
Furball, your weekly dog food cost more than what I paid for rent.
I really didn't want you to suffer with me.
Furball seemed to get it. It wrapped its paws around my leg and whimpered softly.
In the end, logic won out over my feelings.
Heartbroken, I dragged my suitcase back to my tiny apartment.
Sharon called, asking me to go out, but I was just too exhausted.
All that apartment hunting and moving these past few days really wiped me out, and I still hadn't bounced back.
Just as I was about to say no, she was already at my door.
"So, now that you're single, are you planning to become a nun or something?" Sharon joked.
"Come on, let's go. That place has the hottest guys. Everyone who's gone there says it's totally worth it."
After Sharon kept pestering me, I finally gave in, put on some makeup, and headed out with her.
Before we left, Sharon couldn't help but tease, "Seriously, how did you end up in such a tiny apartment? Mr. Burke must be super stingy."
I shot back, "It's not that small. It's big enough for just me, okay? And honestly, I had no idea rent could be this crazy. Two thousand dollars a month?"
Sharon looked at me, speechless. "Wait, was he really just freeloading off you? But that doesn't seem like him."
She pointed at my outfit. "You're decked out in designer from head to toe, and that bag is the global limited edition from this year's spring runway. You could buy a luxury apartment with what you're wearing."
Her words honestly shocked me.
I had an entire walk-in closet packed with clothes and bags like these.
Thornton filled it up for me, bit by bit.
At first, I thought he just hated the seven-dollar dresses I grabbed off those bargain shopping apps.
But as time went on, I realized that wasn't it at all.
Thornton was basically a dog in heat. He was always up for it, no matter where we were.
The bathroom and walk-in closet were ground zero for his antics.
Clothes or no clothes, he was instantly raring to go.