Chapter 4

The officer demanded both sides provide proof.

I said my documents were in the study and on my cloud drive, and that I could log in to show them.

But Tyler blocked the study door.

"Who knows what he'll do in there? What if he steals something from my house and blames me?"

Tyler's mother backed him up. "Exactly! Don't let him in. This is my son's house. He can't just rifle through our things!"

I stared at the study door.

Inside that room were my physical contract, my dad's photos, and the maintenance receipt for that watch.

Now, a stranger was blocking it.

I said, "Move."

Tyler crossed his arms.

"No."

The officer frowned. "Mr. Tyler, if we need to verify property ownership, blocking access is not helpful."

Tyler immediately played dumb.

"Officer, I'm not blocking. I'm just worried he'll get violent. You saw how he tried to steal my watch."

Tyler's mother sniffed. "A grown man using his dead father to get sympathy. Who knows what kind of sick mind he has."

My vision went blurry with rage.

I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white.

Chloe saw this and whispered, "Ethan, just stop."

"Stop what?"

I turned to her.

"Four years, Chloe. You know who bought this condo. You know whose watch that is. Are you really going to lie with them today?"

Her eyes turned red.

"I just want to start a new life! Why do you have to make things so difficult for me?"

I was completely dumbfounded.

"You want to start a new life by taking my apartment?"

She went quiet.

Tyler pulled a piece of paper from under the table.

It was clearly prepared beforehand.

He slid it over to me.

"Sign this."

I glanced at it.

It read: I, Ethan, confirm that I only came here today to retrieve personal items. I acknowledge that I have no claim over this property and promise never to contact or harass Chloe or Tyler again.

I felt a wave of nausea.

"You guys have some serious nerve."

Tyler shoved a pen into my hand.

"Sign it, and we can all move on. You're a guy. Do you really want to drag this to the precinct and your company? It won't look good for you."

As he spoke, he grabbed my wrist, trying to force my fingers around the pen.

My arm was already bruised from the collision. When he yanked it, a sharp pain shot up, making me break into a cold sweat.

"Let go."

Tyler leaned in close to my ear.

"Ethan, don't make this harder than it needs to be. Chloe is mine now. Do you really want her to look down on you forever?"

Tyler's mother urged, "Sign it! Sign it and get out! We're trying to have breakfast."

Tyler's father watched silently, not stopping him.

Chloe stood beside Tyler, keeping her mouth shut.

They surrounded me in the middle of my own living room like a pack of wolves.

For the first time, I realized this wasn't a misunderstanding.

They had planned this together.

Just as Tyler tried to force my hand down onto the paper, the doorbell rang.

A cold, sharp voice came from the door.

"Who told him he had to sign that?"