Chapter 4

"I have tolerated your nonsense for long enough. What do those texts mean?"

Brooke put on a wide-eyed, innocent face. "Chloe, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

Still playing the clueless angel? Perfect.

"You really think I'm blind to your cheap little tricks? Did you think hiding behind an anonymous burner meant I wouldn't know it was you?"

"Even if I dump him, you'll never take my place. If Caleb truly wanted to be with you, would you have to resort to such pathetic, desperate stunts?"

Caleb and I came from the same high-society background. Brooke's mother might be friends with his mom, but her family was completely ordinary. The social gap between them was a mile wide.

My words hit her right where it hurt. Her delicate, fragile mask cracked for a split second, twisting with resentment.

The next second, she slipped back into her helpless act, speaking in a timid, trembling voice.

"Chloe, I don't know what I did wrong... Please, have some hot water and calm down."

She picked up a mug of boiling water, pretending to hand it to me, but angled it directly toward my chest.

I saw it coming and dodged to the side. Brooke lost her balance, spilling the boiling water over her own arm before crashing onto the floor. Her skin turned bright red.

The door swung open. It was Caleb.

The moment she heard the latch, Brooke let out a piercing shriek.

"Chloe, please don't be mad! If scalding me makes you feel better, if it keeps you from fighting with Caleb, I'll take all the blame!"

"Chloe! What is wrong with you?" Caleb’s face darkened, his voice razor-sharp. "Pushing Brooke and throwing boiling water on her? Since when did you become so vicious?"

"I didn't push her. And even if I did, so what? Her fake-sweet stench is suffocating."

"As for whether the two of you were rolling around in my bedroom, you both know the damn truth."

On the floor, Brooke wept like a battered victim, looking utterly devastated.

"Chloe, if you're still resentful about making me soup the other night and want to throw dirt on me and Caleb, just take it out on me!"

Caleb pulled Brooke into his arms, patting her back before glaring daggers at me.

"Chloe, stop this madness! What are you even suspecting? I showed you the repair invoice!"

"I already apologized for the soup incident. Why do you have to hold such a petty grudge? You used to be reasonable. What happened to you?"

"You're acting small-minded, paranoid, and hysterical over every little shadow. If I had known you were this kind of woman, I wouldn't have looked at you twice!"

"You just shoved Brooke and burned her. If you keep throwing tantrums and targeting her like this, I'm going to have to reconsider this entire marriage!"

Hearing that, I let out a dry, mocking laugh.

"You want to reconsider? Caleb, that's my line!"

"A man about to walk down the aisle who can't keep his hands off another woman? Who would put up with that? A cuckold?"

"She's putting on a show, and I refuse to believe you're too dumb to see it. Since you two are so deeply in love, she can take my place at the altar."

I turned on my heel.

Hearing me call off the engagement, panic flashed across his face. He scrambled forward and grabbed my wrist.

"Chloe, stop talking out of anger! There is nothing between Brooke and me!"

"She's fresh out of college. As an older brother figure, looking after her is the right thing to do! If she acted out of line, I apologize on her behalf. Don't take it out on her."

"Fine! I'll transfer her to another department tomorrow. Happy now?"

Brooke’s eyes rolled back in horror, and she collapsed onto the floor with a dull thud.

Caleb hesitated, looking between me and the floor for two seconds, before scooping Brooke into his arms and bolting for the hospital.

I was completely done with this circus.

I blocked Caleb across all platforms and listed our bridal penthouse on the market right then and there.

Fuming, I sped straight to the university lab, grabbed my handsome junior by the collar, and pulled him close.

"Asher, didn't you say you have a crush on me? There’s an opening for a husband right now. You in or out?"