Chapter 1

Introduction

I loved Julian for three years.

All because my boyfriend, Jason, told me on his deathbed that the man he saved would live on for him—and love me in his place.

So, I treated Julian as an extension of Jason's life. Even when he treated me like a cheap stand-in for his first love, I didn't care.

Until I heard the truth with my own ears: Julian was never the man Jason saved.

Three years of devotion had been nothing more than a sick joke.

When his first love, Clara, crushed my hand under her heel, he protected her and told me I deserved it.

I finally realized how pathetic I had been.

Since he never loved me, I didn't want him anymore.

From that moment on, Julian and I were completely over.

Hayley's POV

The insulated thermos of beef and tomato stew was still piping hot, warming my palms through its stainless-steel shell.

I had spent four hours simmering it from scratch because Julian had complained about a stomachache the night before.

Treading as lightly as I could, I pushed open the cracked door to his executive office. He had his back turned toward me, on a call. His broad shoulders were rigid, and his tone dripped with irritation.

"The ER records division? What the hell do you mean, you're pulling old files to correct them now?" Julian let out a cold sneer. "You're saying the intake info from my car crash was logged wrong? The guy who pulled me out wasn't named Jason after all?"

My feet froze to the floor.

"Whatever. I get it. It's not like I begged him to save my life anyway. Don't bother me with this garbage again." Julian hung up, annoyed.

*Crash!*

The thermos hit the hardwood floor with a deafening thud. The lid popped off, and steaming stew splattered everywhere along with shards of broken inner glass, greasing the toes of my faded white sneakers.

Julian whipped around, his brows instantly knitting together. He took in the mess on the floor, then looked up at my pale face by the door. His tone turned sharp. "Can't you make some noise when you walk in? Look at this mess. How am I supposed to work in here now?"

"What... did you just say?" My voice was barely a whisper, and my entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Julian blinked in surprise, then let out a mocking chuckle. "What, you heard that? Well, who cares if you did. The ER archives called to verify an old incident report. Said there was a glitch in their system back then, and the guy who saved me wasn't named Jason after all. A simple clerical error."

He took two steps closer, towering over me with condescension. "Seriously, Hayley? Are you so obsessed with me that you're eavesdropping on my private calls now?"

My mind went completely blank.

The memory of Jason's final moments played in my head like a movie rewinding against my will.

Three years ago, on a rainy night, Jason lay on a gurney soaked in his own blood. His ribs were crushed, his internal organs hemorrhaging. Every breath he took was choked with thick, crimson froth. He clutched my hand with the very last ounce of his strength, his eyes red and brimming with tears.

"Hayley... don't cry. The guy I pulled out... he's living on for me. He'll... love you for me..."

It was because of those dying words that I had searched like a madwoman through the survivor registry of that multi-car pileup, eventually finding Julian.

I poured all the love, guilt, and grief I had for Jason into this one man.

When Julian had a short fuse, I endured it. When he used me as a placeholder and a shield for his first love, Clara, I accepted it. Even when his friends laughed at me behind my back, calling me a stray dog with zero self-respect, I just smiled it off.

Because every time I looked at Julian, I thought I was looking at Jason's second chance at life.

Yet now, it was all a lie.

Julian wasn't the man Jason saved. Three years of humbling myself, of bending over backward to please him, evaporated into a pathetic joke.

I stared down at the greasy puddle of stew, an intense wave of nausea hitting my gut. I took a step back, pulling away from his woodsy, high-end cologne. It was a scent I used to crave, but right now, it made me choke.

"I understand," I said, my voice eerily calm. "I left another pot on the stove at home. I'm heading back."

I turned around, my limbs stiff as I moved toward the door.

"Hold on!" He crossed the room in long strides and clamped a hand around my wrist. "Didn't you say we were having lunch together? You're throwing a tantrum just because I called you out?"

I didn't pull away. I just slowly turned my head and looked at him with dead, unfamiliar eyes.

The look in my gaze made him freeze.