Chapter 3

"Are you insane? You actually broke up with her? Canceled the whole wedding?"

My best friend, Luke, stared at me over the table, spilling half his iced coffee in shock.

I calmly stirred the ice in my cup. "Yep. It's officially over."

"But..." Luke swallowed hard, looking at me like I had grown a second head. "Carter, don't take this the wrong way, but that doesn't sound like you at all. You used to worship the ground she walked on."

"That was then. Now? I just think she’s toxic."

I took a sip of my black coffee. The bitter taste ran down my throat, keeping my mind incredibly sharp.

Luke sighed, reaching over to pat my shoulder. "Honestly, good for you. You should’ve dumped that toxic girl a long time ago. But... are you really okay with letting her go?"

*Am I okay with it?*

I had asked myself that question during countless sleepless nights.

Could I really let go of Chloe?

Five years ago, I was a sickly, painfully thin college kid with zero self-esteem.

I was working a shift at a convenience store when a middle-aged guy in a designer suit accused me of stealing his expensive lighter from the counter.

He pointed a finger in my face, yelling, "It was you, you poor rat! I bet you've never seen something this expensive in your miserable life! Give it back before I call the cops!"

I couldn't prove my innocence. The security cameras were broken, and the crowd of customers just stared and whispered.

"I didn't take it, I swear..." I clenched my fists, my palms sweating, feeling completely helpless.

Just as the man raised his hand to shove me, a slim but firm hand blocked him.

I looked up and saw Chloe, wearing a crisp white shirt.

She stood right in front of me, her voice ringing clear and confident. "Sir, the cameras might be down, but I’ve been standing right behind that aisle. I saw your lighter slip into the inner pocket of your briefcase. If you keep harassing this employee, I’ll call the police and report you for defamation."

The man blinked, searched his bag, and found the lighter. He scurried away in embarrassment.

As the crowd dispersed, I was so tense I couldn't even form a proper thank-you.

She turned to me and smiled, her eyes sparkling.

She said, "Don't be scared. If you didn't do it, don't let anyone bully you into saying you did."

In that dark, miserable period of my life, Chloe became my only light.

After that day, I worked out like crazy to get fit, and I did everything to treat her like a queen. I thought I had found my savior. I thought a loser like me finally deserved to be loved.

The day I confessed my feelings, Chloe's eyes welled with tears as she hugged me tight.

"Carter, you don't have to change a thing for me. Skinny, muscular, whatever—as long as it's you, I love you."

I cherished those words for five years.

I thought we were a match made in heaven.

Until Tristan came back from college in London and forced his way into our lives under the guise of "family."

That was when I realized Chloe’s warmth was never exclusive to me. She could shine her light on me, but she was just as eager to pour it all over Tristan.

And I was nothing but a cheap prop she used to make herself feel like a saint.