Chapter 3

Julian pushed the door open, carrying a bakery box and a small gift bag.

The basement room was so cramped that his frame took up half the doorway.

"Happy birthday, Chloe!"

He held the cake out, swinging it playfully in front of me with a wide grin.

That smile used to feel warm and sunny to me; now, it looked nauseatingly fake.

My open suitcase was resting right in the middle of the floor, yet he didn't even notice.

He was too busy proudly shoving the cake and the little gift box into my hands.

The cake was a perk from his company—employees' partners got a complimentary mini cake on their birthdays.

It was barely four inches wide, coated in cheap, oily artificial frosting with a sickeningly sweet chemical smell.

For the past four years, every single birthday cake I received had come from that same company perk.

Except this year, there was an extra gift.

"Open it. See what I bought you."

I drew a small jewelry case from the bag.

It was wrapped in deep blue velvet. I didn't recognize the designer, but the packaging screamed high-end.

I popped it open. A diamond pendant necklace lay cushioned inside.

The diamonds were small, but the craftsmanship was delicate, glittering under the dull lightbulb.

It was genuinely gorgeous...

If I hadn't overheard his phone call an hour ago, I might have wept with joy.

Instead, I froze.

I stared quietly at the necklace.

A twenty-five-thousand-dollar custom ring for someone else, and the freebie promotional necklace for me.

And here he was, looking smug, convinced he was boyfriend of the year.

"Do you love it?" he asked, leaning in close.

I didn't answer. I just asked, "How much was it?"

"Don't worry about the price. As long as it looks stunning on you, that’s all that matters."

He reached out to clasp it around my neck, but I brushed his hands away.

"Julian."

"Yeah?"

"Where did this necklace actually come from?"

He blinked, then laughed awkwardly. "I bought it, obviously. Where else would it come from?"

"How much did you spend?" My voice was deadpan.

Julian puffed out his chest, grinning. "A couple grand!"

"Why didn't you save that money for our down payment?"

Julian thought I was just being frugal, so he quickly replied:

"You've been by my side for so many years, and I’ve barely bought you anything nice. For once, I wanted to spoil you. I wanted to do it!"

Ah. So he *did* know he had never given me anything nice.

Yet this "nice" thing was merely another woman’s free gift-with-purchase.

When he pursued me: two-dollar strawberry milk.

Every birthday: a free company cake.

This birthday: another girl's promotional leftover.

Julian wasn't practical, nor was he clueless about romance.

In his eyes, I was simply cheap.

The moment the truth crystallized, I laughed.

I laughed until tears pricked my eyes.

Julian mistook my laughter for pure happiness.

"This is just the beginning, Chloe. In the future, once we..."

"Which jewelry store did you buy it from?" I cut him off. "Where’s the receipt?"

My sharp questions wiped the smile from his face, replaced by sudden annoyance.

"What is your problem? I went out of my way to give you a gorgeous gift, why do you have to ruin the mood like this?"

He assumed I wanted to return it for a refund.

"I told you not to worry about it! It’s yours, just wear it."

He shoved the necklace back into the box and pushed it toward my hand.

I didn't take it.

"Julian, forget the necklace for a second. Let's talk about buying a house."

He frowned, then forced another tight smile.

"Fine. It's your birthday. We can talk about whatever you want."

I took a steady breath.

"I ran the numbers. With the money we have saved right now, we can afford a modest condo. We don't have to wait until we hit a hundred grand. The development I toured a few days ago has two-bedroom units under seventy grand down payment. We're very close. I can ask my parents to help bridge the small gap—"

"No way in hell!"