Chapter 3

I slammed my hands on the table, the force sending the lie detector sensors flying off my wrists.

Julian stiffened, shooting a quick, subconscious look at Hailey.

But he quickly recovered his arrogant demeanor. "It’s just a ring, Chloe. Is it really worth screaming about in front of everyone? Do you think I, Julian Carter, can’t afford another ring for you?"

Hailey quickly jumped in, putting on an act of shock while casually slipping the ring off her finger and tossing it onto the table.

"Oh my gosh, Chloe! Why didn't you say so earlier? Julian and I are so close, we don't really keep track of whose stuff is whose. I just thought it looked pretty and borrowed it for a few days. I had no idea you’d get this mad!"

She gently nudged Julian.

"Come on, put it on her. I swear, I didn't know girls could be this sensitive over a piece of jewelry. I guess I'm just too tomboyish to get it."

Listening to Hailey’s voice, a wave of intense nausea washed over me. I felt sick to my stomach.

Julian stood up slowly, smoothing the creases on his designer suit. He picked up the ring carelessly and stretched his hand out toward me.

"It’s just a ring. I'm busy running a business, I don't have time to remember every little detail."

Seeing that I didn't reach out to take it, his face darkened again.

"Why can't you be more like Hailey? You're so immature. She already gave the ring back to you. What else do you want?"

As Julian’s hand drew closer to mine, I instinctively took a step back.

His hand froze in mid-air.

Julian’s groomsmen, sensing the suffocating tension, quickly tried to play peacemakers.

"Come on, Chloe, the wedding is tomorrow! It’s a happy occasion. Why ruin the night over this?"

"We all know you love Julian to death. You’re just trying to teach him a lesson tonight, right? But seriously, a woman shouldn't push it too far. Men get tired of drama."

"We’ve known Hailey since college. We all know she didn't mean any harm. You can't be this petty, Chloe."

Every single word they said pushed me into a corner.

It was as if by not forgiving Hailey, I was the villain of the story.

I looked around the room, a chilling coldness seeping deep into my bones.

"Julian, I don't want the ring anymore."

"Anything she has touched... I find disgusting."

"And I don't want you either."

"I will not be showing up to the wedding tomorrow."

The air in the VIP room felt suffocating. I could barely breathe.

I grabbed my belongings, threw them directly at Julian’s face, and spun on my heel, walking out of the room.

His friends realized something was seriously wrong and urged Julian to go after me.

But Julian didn't move an inch. He was absolutely certain I wouldn't actually leave.

"Go after her? For what? The wedding is tomorrow. She would never skip it."

"Chloe’s just getting spoiled. She’s getting more and more out of hand. You can't give in to women like her."

"Once she cools down tonight, she’ll be wearing her white dress and begging to marry me tomorrow morning."

I shook my head as I walked away.

No, Julian.

I would never humiliate myself like that again.

I would never marry a man whose heart was constantly divided.

I didn't have many belongings left at Julian’s penthouse. Anything that held a shared memory, I left behind. I didn't want any of it.

When I packed up, I realized there wasn't a single thing I actually wanted to keep.

To avoid leaving my clutter behind, I packed everything into trash bags and threw them into the dumpster downstairs.

Then, I left my house keys on the kitchen counter.

A tiny pang of sadness hit me, but I ruthlessly suppressed it.

Julian, let's end this cleanly.

I drove back to the old house where my dad and I used to live. The house was empty, smelling of dust and loneliness. I hugged my knees and sobbed until my throat was raw.

Tomorrow, the sun would still rise. But the person who promised to stand by me had already betrayed me long ago.

My best friend, Serena, was absolutely furious when I called her. She cursed Julian out for being a piece of trash and immediately booked me a flight.

"He’s not worth your tears, Chloe! Come to Paris. I’ll show you a good time!"

I desperately needed something new to fill the void in my chest. I arrived at the airport early in the morning to wait for my flight.

At 3:00 AM, my phone started ringing off the hook.

Julian’s family and friends couldn't find me, so they had forced him to call.

Julian, who never had any patience, sounded more frustrated with every call.

"Chloe, what are you doing? Today is our wedding! Wherever you are, get your ass over here right now!"

"Chloe, if you don't show up, I will call off the wedding in front of everyone. Don't forget how hard you begged me to marry you. If you keep playing games, there won't be a next time!"

"Chloe, where are you? Let's just talk. Get through the ceremony first. Don't humiliate both of our families!"

I could hear Hailey in the background, fake-apologizing while subtly blaming me for being childish.

My fingers moved swiftly across the screen.

I texted him: *Since she loves playing the part so much, let Hailey be your bride today.*

After sending the text, I pulled out my SIM card, threw it into the trash can, and inserted a new pre-paid card I had prepared.

The world instantly fell silent.

As the countdown to the wedding began, my plane taxied down the runway and took off into the clouds.