Chapter 2

By the time James finally remembered me, his forgotten fiancée he'd pushed aside, it was already three days later.

He was even bracing himself for me to blow up at him, maybe even throw a punch.

But I just gave him an indifferent glance. "You're back."

James felt a wave of irritation for no reason.

He said, "Who are you making that face for? I just made you wait a bit, so what? Did you really have to be so dramatic over the phone? Talking about breaking up? Who are you trying to intimidate?"

He disappears for days, and the moment he walked in, he picked a fight with me.

I only felt exhausted.

"Sorry, I'm too worn out lately to force a smile," I said.

James's already sour expression turned even darker. He sneered, sarcasm flashing in his eyes. "Who taught you to talk with such a sharp tongue?"

Alright, I saw what was going on.

He was picking a fight on purpose today. No matter what I said, it was going to be wrong.

Guess I'd just stay quiet then.

But when I stayed silent, he suddenly raised his voice. "What, you feeling all wronged now? Is this your way of protesting by not saying anything?"

I was completely at my wit's end. What exactly did he want from me?

Just as we were locked in this standoff, the front door swung open, and Sierra walked in.

She said, "Helen, please don't fight with James because of me. All the blame should be on me.

"My lousy stomach is to blame. If it weren't for that, you guys would've already gotten your engagement rings. If you want to take it out on someone, go ahead and take it out on me. I totally had it coming."

As she spoke, tears started rolling down her cheeks.

James felt a pang of sympathy for Sierra and frowned.

"Helen, that's enough. Sierra came all the way here to apologize. What more do you want?" he snapped.

I couldn't help but laugh.

Who did she think she was? Why should I have to accept her apology?

I really couldn't take their nonsense anymore.

I said, "Yeah, yeah. There's nothing more I want. After all, upsetting your sweetheart like this is all my fault.

"Spare me the drama and go tuck your sweetheart in. Otherwise, she'll be bawling till morning."

Before I could even finish, James, out of nowhere, raised his hand and smacked me right across the face.

The crisp slap echoed in the room, and my cheek was on fire.

I stood there, completely stunned, not saying a word for what felt like forever.

James looked just as stunned as I was. He clearly hadn't meant to hit me. But now that it happened, he just had to double down.

He snapped, "Helen, you're just jealous that Sierra has parents who actually love her, unlike you. You've been left behind back home for years, and nobody ever cares. No wonder you turned out so hard to get along with."

For a moment, my breath caught in my throat.

I could still remember those teenage days, when he'd pull me into his arms under the sunlight with that carefree grin.

"Don't worry. Your parents aren't around, but I'll take care of you for them. As long as I'm here, nobody can bully you," he'd promised.

But what should I do if the one hurting me was James?

He was turning the weakness I once confided in him into a weapon against me.

How pathetic I was.

By now, I didn't even care to argue with James anymore.

I began packing my things, ready to leave.

James couldn't sit still anymore.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

I didn't look up. "I don't know, but there's always somewhere for me to go."

Seeing me standing there, hurt but unyielding, really hit James hard. He paused for a moment, and then his attitude softened a bit.

He said, "I admit, I shouldn't have slapped you. I lost my temper. But you really pushed me over the edge. Sierra's pure, and she doesn't have any of those scheming thoughts like you. Why would you say that about her?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "She's pure, you're pure, and I'm the one who's vicious. So isn't me leaving the best option for everyone?"

James suddenly felt that I was right.

But somehow, it still felt all wrong.

All the exhausting moments last night left him too drained to deal with this right now.

He said irritably, "Helen, if you keep coming at me like this, maybe I really need to reconsider this whole marriage thing."

This again.

Whenever we argued and James couldn't win, he'd always resort to this, forcing me to give in.

Sierra piped up from the side, backing James up. "James, don't be so impulsive. Having her engagement called off is a total humiliation. If people hear about it, how will Helen ever hold her head up again?"

James's gaze softened as he looked at Sierra, his eyes full of affection. "You're just too kind. That's why you keep getting pushed around. Who'd look out for you if I wasn't around?"

His words hit me with a wave of déjà vu. He used to say the exact same thing to me.

But now, everything had changed.