Chapter 2

Julian's face instantly twisted with rage.

He reared back his leg and kicked my wheelchair with violent force.

The wheelchair flipped backward.

I slammed violently onto the cold, hard marble floor.

The old tablet flew out of my grip and skidded under the bed.

My legs twisted beneath me at a grotesque, unnatural angle.

Excruciating, stabbing pain ripped through me.

Julian scooped Chloe into his arms and glared down at me with pure murderous intent.

"Summer, if anything happens to my son, I'll take your damn life!"

He turned to rush Chloe out the door.

"Wait."

Chloe tugged at his lapel, her voice sweet and whiny.

"Julian, I want Summer's pointe shoes."

"The custom diamond-encrusted pair in the glass display case."

My mind went completely blank.

Those shoes were my trophy from winning the National Ballet Championship at eighteen.

They were the very last shred of dignity left in my shattered existence.

Julian nodded without a second thought.

"Take them. She's a useless cripple anyway. What's she going to do with them?"

"No!"

My voice cracked into a hoarse scream. I dragged my lifeless lower body across the floor.

"Julian! Don't you dare touch those shoes!"

Julian stopped in his tracks, staring down at me like I was dirt beneath his feet.

"Kowtow to Chloe and beg for her forgiveness."

"If you don't, I'll burn every single pair of your stupid shoes to ashes."

I bit into my bottom lip until it bled.

"I am your lawful wife!"

"She's nothing but a cheap side piece!"

"Julian, have you completely lost your mind?!"

Julian raised his foot and slammed it into my shoulder.

I fell flat on my back once more.

"Wife? You think you're worthy of being my wife?"

Chloe leaned back in his embrace, laughing so hard her shoulders shook.

"Summer, this isn't the 1950s anymore."

"True love conquers all. What's a stupid marriage certificate worth?"

"Stop being such a pathetic, lovesick loser."

Lovesick loser.

Ten years ago, I gave up the Paris Opera Ballet Company for him.

I worked three jobs a day just to scrape together his startup capital.

I lived in a rat-infested basement with him, eating fifty-cent instant ramen for a year.

And now, his little intern was calling me a pathetic loser.

Suddenly, I started laughing like a maniac.

The laughter jarred my ribs, making me gasp through sharp, agonizing pain.

"Julian, karma is going to tear you apart."

Julian's expression darkened to pure malice.

He set Chloe down on the nearby lounge chair and marched back over, grabbing a fistful of my hair.

"Karma?"

"I'm worth billions now! In this city, I AM the law!"

He yanked my head back by force.

Suddenly, his eyes caught the faint glow coming from under the bed.

The old tablet was still open on that Cloud Note screen.

A notification chime rang out clearly in the silence.

[Eighteen-Year-Old Summer: I don't believe you. Julian swore he'd love me forever. Who are you really?]

[Believe me. I am you at twenty-eight.]