Chapter 3

I wiped away all traces of my visit. No one knew I had ever been to Savannah.

I took the first flight back and immediately went to pick up my MIT admission letter.

Back at our penthouse, I gathered every single gift Julian had ever given me, along with our framed photos, and began shredding them.

Halfway through, I had to stop to wipe the tears from my face.

I kept telling myself I wasn't sad, but the tears just wouldn't stop flowing.

The pain wrapped around my heart, numbing my nerves.

When I looked at the wedding dress I hadn't even had the chance to try on, my tears spilled over again.

It felt as if a giant piece of my heart had been carved out, never to heal again.

Once I calmed down, I gripped the scissors tightly and drove them straight through the fabric of the wedding dress's chest.

I whispered to myself.

There is no turning back.

Julian wouldn't be coming back to our place anytime soon. I shoved all the shredded pieces into the guest room.

My phone buzzed. It was an unknown number.

Normally, I ignored texts from strangers, but this time, some strange instinct made me open it.

"I'm back."

"Chloe, everything you have will be mine this time. Whether it's your status as the Sterling family's heiress, or your place as Julian’s bride."

As expected, the text was followed by a photo of the two of them hugging on the yacht.

I didn't reply.

On Snapchat, Julian’s profile was completely silent.

But his Instagram feed, which had always been private, was suddenly set to public. His new story showed a faint silhouette of two people from behind.

To anyone who didn't know the truth, it looked like Julian and me.

I curled my lips into a bitter smile. Julian was so terrified of letting Melody feel slighted that the moment she returned, he didn't even want to finish the rest of his little play with me.