Chapter 2

My hand shook violently as I put my signature on the contract.

Julian finally smiled, satisfied. He took the papers and handed them to Chloe, who was waiting behind him.

She smirked, waving the signed agreement in front of my face.

"Thank you, Valerie."

"Once I bring my mother back to live here legally, she is going to be so thrilled."

I was too disgusted to look at her. I turned my face to Julian.

"Now, let Buddy go."

Julian nodded and gestured to the guards. But just as he bent down to help me up, Chloe shrieked in terror.

"Ah! Help!"

"Something's wrong with my wheelchair!"

As she screamed, her electric wheelchair suddenly malfunctioned, surging backward at full speed.

In a split second, the heavy wheels rolled directly over Buddy's fragile body, only stopping when it slammed into the wall.

"Ow! My legs hurt so much!" Chloe wailed.

At least she could still scream.

But my poor Buddy, with his paws chained, couldn't even dodge. He took the entire weight of the heavy electric wheelchair. After one sharp, agonizing yelp, he went completely silent.

Julian didn't even look at the dog. He stepped right over Buddy's limp body.

He scooped the pale-faced Chloe into his arms, comforting her gently.

"It’s okay, I’ve got you. I’m taking you to the hospital right now."

They left in a hurry.

I practically crawled over to Buddy. Blood was leaking from his snout.

I grabbed the vet's hand, sobbing.

"Save him! Please!"

"He’s not breathing. You're a doctor, save him!"

The vet checked Buddy’s pulse and shook his head pityingly.

"I’m sorry, Ms. Vance. He’s gone."

Buzz.

A loud, deafening ringing filled my head.

I don’t even remember how I carried Buddy's lifeless body to the pet crematorium that afternoon. I walked like a hollow shell.

I had no family left.

My mother died young, and my father was a cheating bastard.

Over the years, the only souls I had truly loved were one man and one dog.

Now, Buddy was dead, and Julian had betrayed me.

Standing next to the roaring incinerator, I felt an icy chill seep deep into my bones, a cold that could never be warmed.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

It was a text from Julian.

“It was just a bump, and I heard Buddy cry out. He should be fine, right?”

“Chloe was terrified, though. I have to stay at the hospital with her tonight, so I won’t be coming home. Now that the agreement is signed, make sure you drop the lawsuit tomorrow.”

“Don't be sad anymore. I will love you twice as much from now on.”

I didn’t reply.

Clutching the heavy urn containing Buddy's ashes, my eyes fell on the diamond ring on my middle finger. It felt like a sick joke.

Love?

To hell with his love.

Julian knew exactly how much this would hurt me, yet he chose to do it anyway.

That wasn't a mistake. That was a choice.

Faced with the choice to protect me or hurt me, he chose to hurt me. Deliberately.

He was entirely unforgivable.

That afternoon, I didn't drop the lawsuit. Instead, I spent the whole night packing my bags and moving out of our penthouse.

I slipped off the ring that once symbolized our love and tossed it onto the coffee table.

The ring was trash. Julian’s love was even worse.

My phone buzzed again.

It was a notification from the airline:

“Dear Ms. Valerie Vance, your flight UA8785 from New York to San Francisco has been successfully booked. The flight will depart at 10:15 AM the day after tomorrow. Have a nice trip!”

Then, another text came from an unknown number:

“Ms. Vance, we’ve run the check. Chloe was never involved in any car accident abroad.”