Chapter 3

They still expected me to play the submissive servant, just like always.

If this were the past, I would have gone straight to the kitchen without a word.

But now, I stood by the door, completely still.

Chloe pinched me again, but I shoved her hand away coldly. "Ethan! What the hell is wrong with you? If you didn't want to come, you shouldn't have! I didn't force you!"

"Do you have to ruin everyone’s mood to be satisfied?"

Leo chimed in from the couch, "Exactly! Chloe said you were going to bring me the new iPhone. Instead, you showed up empty-handed. Julian was the one who actually got me gifts. How do you even have the face to stand there?"

Looking at this family of parasites, I realized how pathetic I had been. Every word they said was a reminder of how I had let them treat me like a dog for three years.

"Are you all paralyzed? If you want expensive things, why don't you get off your asses, get a job, and buy them yourselves?"

Chloe's eyes widened in fury. "Ethan! How dare you talk to my family like that? Where are your manners?"

"I told you from day one he was just a classless boy from a small town!" Mrs. Jenkins added, sneering. "He has no breeding. We aren't even married yet, and he’s already disrespecting us. Imagine what he'll be like after the wedding!"

"Ethan, are you still throwing a tantrum over that video from last night?" Arthur Jenkins, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke up.

"Chloe explained everything to us. It was just a misunderstanding."

"Since she explained it, you should drop it. You know our families come from different social backgrounds. Why are you being so petty over a silly internet rumor?"

Julian smiled politely and joined in. "Yes, Ethan. It was just a misunderstanding. Even if you don't trust me, you should trust Chloe. She’s such a good girl, she would never jeopardize her reputation. How is she supposed to face the neighbors if you keep making a scene?"

"As a man, your job is to work hard and give her a better life, not to restrict her social circle."

Julian’s words were so smooth. If he cared so much about her, why didn't he buy Chloe and her brother a house?

"This is what real class looks like," Mrs. Jenkins sneered, looking at Julian before turning back to me. "If our family hadn't gone through that financial crisis back then, do you honestly think a loser like you would have ever had a chance with my daughter?"

She was referring to the time their family business went bankrupt due to fraud and cutting corners.

Chloe and Julian had been dating in college.

They had planned to move abroad together, but after the bankruptcy, Chloe was forced to stay behind.

She didn't even finish her degree and had to start working.

Unable to survive the long-distance relationship, she and Julian broke up.

When I first started dating Chloe, she constantly begged me for money to support her family.

At first, she didn't tell me about their bankruptcy. It was only after I pressed her that she admitted they owed a massive debt.

I didn't care about the money back then. I just felt incredibly sorry for her, thinking she was a brilliant girl whose future had been ruined by her family's misfortune.

So, I worked harder. In the end, I was the one who paid off their entire $500,000 debt.

But the Jenkins family never showed a shred of gratitude. They took it all for granted.

To them, Julian and Chloe were the perfect match. If I hadn't interfered, they would have been together long ago. With Julian’s wealthy background, they wouldn’t have had to suffer for so many years.

"Since you love Julian so much, perfect," I said coldly. "Return all the money I've spent on your family over the past three years. The wedding is off. I'm stepping aside to let them be together."

Arthur and Helen Jenkins stared at me in disbelief. I had spent three years acting like a loyal golden retriever, doing whatever Chloe asked. This was the first time they had ever seen me stand up for myself.

"Ethan, have you no shame?" Leo yelled. "My sister gave you three of her best years without even asking for a marriage certificate, and now you want your money back?"

Mrs. Jenkins pointed a finger at my face, her voice screeching. "What do you think my daughter is? A toy? You got to sleep with her for three years for free! If you want to call off the wedding, fine! But that money is what she deserves. You won't get a single dime back!"

For three years, I had never actually slept with Chloe.

She insisted on saving herself for our wedding night, claiming she wanted our first time to be special.

If Chloe hadn't cheated, I would have tolerated her family's awful behavior. Even after discovering her betrayal, I was initially willing to write off the $500,000 debt and let her keep the condo out of respect for our past.

But their utter shamelessness made me want to strip them of everything.

"Ethan, I think you've really misunderstood," Julian said, standing up with a sigh of mock disappointment. "If my presence causes this much trouble, I won't see Chloe again. Arthur, Helen, I'm so sorry for causing this drama. I should probably leave."

Arthur Jenkins immediately grabbed Julian's wrist to stop him.

"This has nothing to do with you, Julian! It's just this petty boy being insecure. You are our honored guest. If anyone is leaving, it’s the trash!"

By "trash," he meant me. I pulled out the legal notice and the court summons and tossed them right in front of Chloe.

She instantly exploded. "Ethan, are you out of your mind? If you want to get lost, get lost! Don't use some fake lawsuit to threaten me!"

She shoved me out the front door and slammed it in my face.

Before the door clicked shut, I heard Leo’s panicked voice from inside. "Chloe, you just kicked him out... but what about the money? Over the years, he really did pay for a lot of our—"

"Shut up!" Chloe barked, cutting him off.

"What do you know? He's just upset because of that video. He's throwing a tantrum to try and gain some leverage over me."

"What is this garbage anyway?" Chloe scoffed. I could hear the sound of paper being ripped to shreds. "Just wait. In a few days, he'll come crawling back like a dog, begging for my forgiveness!"

"You really know how to handle him, Chloe!" Leo laughed.

The heavy thud of the door cut off the rest of their conversation.

In that exact moment, whatever love I had left for Chloe died.