Chapter 2

As soon as the words left my mouth, Carter’s sweet smile froze on his face.

Chloe’s red lipstick mark was still smeared across his right cheek.

"What is that supposed to mean, Sera? Are you breaking up with me?"

"Can you stop making a mountain out of a molehill? Chloe and I were just playing a game. Do you have to take everything so seriously?"

Making a mountain out of a molehill. Taking things too seriously. I had heard these excuses a thousand times.

Over the past few years, whenever we crossed the street, Chloe would squeeze right between us, grabbing his hand.

When she had her period, she demanded he rub her stomach, while I, who was hospitalized after a car accident, was told to just "drink more warm water."

She even squeezed into our bed at night, forcing me to move from the master bedroom to the living room couch.

Had I ever not given in?

Yet, Carter still labeled me as petty, jealous, and narrow-minded.

Chloe looked at me, her eyes pooling with tears.

"Oh, Sera... please don't fight with Carter because of me."

"If my existence makes you this uncomfortable, I might as well just die!"

With that, she threw the teddy bear to the ground, turned around, and bolted toward the busy highway.

Carter’s face went pale. He lunged forward, grabbing her arm just in time, then spun around to glare at me with pure rage.

"Are you happy now? Chloe didn't ask to have Skin Hunger Syndrome! If anything happens to her, can you even live with yourself?"

"How can you be so cruel? Do you really have to drive her to suicide to be satisfied? Do you even deserve to be my girlfriend?"

I forced down the rising lump in my throat, staring at Carter’s hateful eyes.

When we first started dating, he would explain to me that because they grew up together in the orphanage, Chloe was naturally clingy.

Back then, if Chloe crossed the line, he would even scold her.

But gradually, he began to completely ignore my feelings. Any time I showed the slightest dissatisfaction with Chloe, he would lash out at me.

Thinking of this, I took a deep breath, forcing my tears back to preserve the last shred of my dignity.

"You're right. I don't want to be your girlfriend anymore. Isn't this exactly what you wanted? You can take care of her 24/7 now."

I turned to leave, but Carter grabbed my wrist in a vice grip.

His eyes were bloodshot.

"After everything, you still can't accept Chloe. You just see her as a burden."

"Sera, how can you be so incredibly selfish?"

Watching him criticize me yet again for Chloe’s sake, I suddenly realized how utterly pathetic this was.

My friends used to tell me I was insane, a doormat, enduring things even a saint wouldn't tolerate, allowing another girl to cling to my boyfriend like a parasite.

I had endured it all because I loved Carter, but all I got in return was endless blame.

I violently shook off his hand. "Believe whatever you want! I am done with this circus!"

I had only taken two steps when I heard the loud crash of Carter kicking a plastic chair over behind me.

"Seraphina Vance! If I knew you were this kind of cold-hearted woman, I would have never saved your life back then!"

Boom.

The words felt like a thunderbolt striking me right where I stood.