Chapter 2

The little boy kept tugging at Derek's hand, his face twisted in annoyance.

"Daddy, you promised we were going to the theme park. I don't want to be here. When can we leave?"

Derek stared straight at me, completely ignoring the complaining child.

His eyes were flat and cold, as if he were looking at a complete stranger who had just been released from prison.

At that moment, he didn't say a word, but I understood everything.

I pulled my oversized, worn-out coat tighter around myself and took a few staggered steps forward.

Just as I got within a yard of Derek, an elderly, silver-haired woman suddenly rushed in front of me.

Without warning, she shoved me hard, her shrill curses raining down on me like the freezing snow.

"You bitch! I've finally waited until the day you got out! Look at what you did to my grandson!"

"He can never live a normal life because of you! Even if you rot in hell forever, it won't make up for what you did!"

I remembered her. She was Mrs. Higgins, the grandmother of the boy who was attacked. Three years ago, Serena was walking her banned pit bull in the neighborhood without a leash.

The dog suddenly lost control and pounced on the little boy playing by the curb. I had no idea it would be so severe.

At that time, Serena completely panicked and hid behind Derek.

When the police arrived, Derek calmly answered their questions.

But when asked who registered the dog, Derek pointed at me without a single second of hesitation.

At that moment, I began to doubt if Derek had ever loved me during our five years together.

My mind was filled with nothing but shock and despair.

Before I could even process what was happening, Mrs. Higgins grabbed my hair and slammed me to the ground.

I didn't fight back, nor did I explain.

I just lay there quietly, listening to Derek talking to the police, claiming I was the owner.

Even when the handcuffs were put on me, I didn't tell Derek about my terminal illness.

My mind was trapped in the moment his finger pointed at me, lost in disbelief, lost in total heartbreak.

I kept quiet because I didn't want him to grieve for me. But looking at him now, my worries were nothing but a joke.

I had foolishly clung to a shred of hope, fantasizing that there would actually be a romantic proposal waiting for me when I got out.

But seeing the child in Derek's hand, and Serena's visibly swollen belly, I realized just how incredibly naive I had been for the past three years.

My mind snapped back to the cold reality.

Derek stood there, watching me with the same cold indifference he had three years ago.

I clenched my teeth, my lips trembling as I finally spoke.

"That dog wasn't mine. It was hers."

I pointed my finger directly at Serena. Her eyes widened in shock.

Feigning distress, she quickly covered her lower abdomen with her hands, looking like she was about to faint.

"Chloe, what are you talking about? That dog was yours."

"I know you suffered in there for three years, but you can't just project your anger onto me. What did I do wrong?"

I let out a weak sigh, staring at her perfectly tearful eyes.

"When did you and Derek get together? Before I went to prison, or after?"

Serena clearly didn't expect me to ask this.

She glanced at Derek beside her, then quickly looked away.

"Chloe, do you really want me to expose you in front of all these people?"

"You know exactly who the third wheel is. Derek and I were childhood sweethearts. It's only natural for us to get married and have children."

From the moment they framed me for the dog attack, I should have known how easily Serena could twist the truth.

To make sure the onlookers believed her, Serena gently tugged at Derek's sleeve.

"Tell everyone, Derek. Hasn't Chloe always been obsessed with you?"

I stared intently at Derek, watching his eyes flicker with guilt.

If he had shook his head, if he had even hesitated, I might have believed he still held a shred of affection for me.

"Yes. She was just someone who pursued me. And the dog belonged to her," Derek said loudly, his voice echoing in the chilly air.

My mouth opened, but I couldn't make a sound.

The crowd's insults grew harsher. They called me shameless, saying I deserved to be beaten to death just like that dog.

My weak body couldn't hold up anymore. I collapsed onto my knees in the snow.

Serena rushed over to me, grabbing my wrist tightly, pretending to help me up. She leaned in close, her warm breath brushing against my ear.

"You really have a tough life, Chloe. I thought you would've died in that cell."

"Why are you still alive?"