Chapter 3

Clatter!

The phone slipped from my trembling fingers.

Falling with it was the framed photo of Harrison and me from the desk.

The glass shattered on impact, cracks webbing across our smiling faces.

Just like my shattered heart.

My phone buzzed. It was my parents, their voices full of excitement:

"Nora! We've picked out all the appliances for your new home! By the way, when are you two signing the closing papers?"

Choking back my tears, my voice sounded calm, as if I were talking about a stranger:

"Soon. It’s still on the same date. But... the address and the groom might change."

Harrison didn't come home for two whole days. He had no idea that in this home we had shared for five years, every single trace of me was being packed up and emptied out.

After a couple of days, I finally found time to cancel the custom luxury furniture I had pre-ordered for our marital home.

The VIP lounge door was soundproofed, but it couldn't block the chirpy female voice coming from outside:

"Does this sofa match my aesthetic?"

"Wow, this chandelier is gorgeous!"

"Harrison, do you think this dining table looks grand enough?"

The man with her responded with a low, indulgent voice, letting out affectionate chuckles.

Signing the cancellation paperwork, I thought absently: What a sweet couple.

The next second, my pen froze.

The man spoke again, his tone dripping with tenderness:

"You have the best taste. Anything you pick looks stunning. But honestly, none of this is good enough for you. I already booked that Italian master designer for you. Only his work is worthy of your home."

That voice. I had listened to it for eight years. It was etched into my very bones.

"Harrison, would you..."

I pulled open the door, locking eyes with the two of them gazing lovingly at each other. A cold sneer rose in my throat. If I had stepped out a second later, they probably would have staged a tearful, passionate reunion on the spot.

Seeing me, Harrison's breath hitched. A fleeting spark of admiration flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by frost.

A flicker of jealousy darted through Chloe’s eyes.

She quickly let go of Harrison’s arm in feigned panic:

"N-Nora... Didn't Harrison say you guys postponed buying the house? Why are you here?"

Her eyes welled with tears on cue:

"I knew it... Harrison was just trying to comfort me. After all, you two have been together for eight years..."

Harrison’s face darkened completely as he snapped at me:

"We only postponed the house, and you're already in such a rush to ditch me and line up your next option?"

"And you just had to show up here today? Nora, stalking me like this is utterly pathetic. When did you become so cheap?"

He truly thought the world revolved around him.

A wave of disgust washed over me. I simply replied:

"Just because I'm not buying a house with you doesn't mean I can't have a home of my own."

Harrison patted Chloe’s back as she sniffled, his face furious:

"I already told you the company needs working capital! Why are you so impatient? Do you have to humiliate me right now?"

"What does your company have to do with my home?"

Perhaps my detached tone caught him off guard. Harrison froze, until Chloe dabbed her tears and walked toward me gracefully:

"Nora, how can you be so unreasonable? Harrison is already under so much pressure. Can't you be a little more understanding?"

I watched her guardedly, a bad feeling rising in my chest.

Sure enough, the moment Chloe got close to me, she grabbed her forehead, swayed, and collapsed dramatically toward the floor.

Harrison’s face drained of color. He lunged forward and caught her.

"Chloe!"

In his arms, Chloe weakly fluttered her eyes open, her lips pale.

"Harrison... I think my blood sugar dropped. Seeing Nora... I just panicked..."

Harrison looked up, his bloodshot eyes glaring at me with unspoken accusation.

The sirens wailed as the ambulance arrived, and Chloe was rushed to the hospital.

Surprisingly, Harrison didn't follow immediately.

I frowned. My new business partner, Alexander, was upstairs in a private meeting room. By my watch, he’d be finishing up soon.

I didn't want him coming down to see this pathetic mess.