Chapter 2

Marrying Chloe was a dream I never thought would come true.

Everyone in our social circle knew I had been crazy about her for years, willing to do absolutely anything for her.

But Chloe’s world revolved entirely around Julian. To the outside world, she only ever defined herself as his "best friend."

The day Julian announced he was in a relationship, Chloe got completely wasted at a bar.

A friend called me, and I rushed over in a panic.

I still remember how her pale cheeks were flushed that night. Her eyes, which usually looked right through me, were locked onto mine.

"Leo, let’s get married. What do you say?"

I knew she was just acting out of spite. But my years of unrequited love blinded me, and I agreed anyway.

That very day, she dragged me to the courthouse for a quick marriage license, snapped a messy selfie to post on her Snapchat to announce the wedding, and then completely went off the grid.

I went crazy looking for her.

Finally, a mutual friend took pity on me and told me the truth:

Chloe had taken our marriage certificate and barged into Julian's apartment, telling him that if he broke up with his new girlfriend, she would get a divorce from me immediately.

The friend gave me a sympathetic look. A bitter taste filled my mouth. Once again, I had become the joke in their little drama.

Chloe never took our marriage seriously. She spent every day hovering around Julian. Even as Julian's girlfriends changed one after another, she kept acting like she owned him, marking her territory.

After that, Chloe barely even looked at me. She only called me when she was drunk and needed a ride. I handled all the chores and cooking.

She treated our house like a hotel, spending her days working herself to the bone for Julian, while I was just her on-call, 24/7 butler.

I lived in this dead-end, lonely marriage for three years.