Chapter 4

I looked at her, waiting for her to keep making up lies.

"A few months ago, I went back to my hometown. I drank too much, and I... I mistook him for you..."

She spoke incredibly fast, panic dripping from her voice.

"It was just that one time! Who knew he would take it so seriously? His family is incredibly wealthy.

They have multiple properties and luxury cars. His parents came straight to me and offered a lot of money. You know my mom was sick back then, and we desperately needed the money for her medical bills."

I stared at her.

A few months ago.

She did go back to her hometown, claiming her mother wasn't feeling well.

During that time, she always said she was too busy with work. She barely came home, and whenever I called, she would hang up after just a few hurried words.

"You guys got married last month."

"You went back to your hometown to sign the marriage papers, and then you told me you were traveling for a business trip."

She went completely silent.

"Did your parents know?"

She nodded.

"So your entire family kept this from me."

"It wasn't about hiding it from you. I just... I didn't know how to tell you."

She grabbed my hand. Her palm was clammy with sweat.

"Leo, I really love you. Haven't you felt that over the past five years? What happened with him was just an accident. Once this is all over, we will get a divorce. Can you please just wait for me?"

I looked at her.

"You want me to wait for you?"

"Just one year, two years at most. Once I sort things out with him, I’ll get a divorce."

"And then what?"

"And then we’ll get married!" she said eagerly.

"We can still have our wedding. We’ve been together for five years, Leo. Our feelings are real. Can you really just throw all of that away?"

I brushed her hand off me.

"The day you got married at the courthouse, I was driving Uber to save money for our wedding. I did it because I wanted you to have a better life."

She gasped, stunned.

"I drove three to four hours every single night. I took on freelance design work on weekends just to save an extra three to four hundred dollars a month. I thought you were working overtime.

I thought you were staying at your friend’s place. But in reality, you were with your husband, looking at your new house."

"Leo..."

"And now you want me to wait for you? Wait for you to finish being his wife, wait for you guys to set up your new home, and then come back to marry me?"

Without waiting for her answer, I reached over and pushed her car door open. "Get out."

"Leo, please listen to me!"

"Listen to what? Listen to when exactly you got married? Listen to how you and your family lied to me?"

I looked at her.

"You actually reminded me of something."

I turned my head away.

"Your parents knew. So from the very beginning, your family never saw me as one of your own."

"Leo, my mom really likes you."

"She likes me? She likes me so much that she helped you hide your marriage? She likes me so much that she wants me to wait like a fool?"

She had no words.

"Get out."

"Leo..."

"Get out!"

She sat there, refusing to budge.

I opened my door, walked around the front of the car, and pulled the passenger door wide open. "Get out of my car."

Only then did she step out, standing by the side of the road, staring at me.

"Leo, we’ve been together for five years. Our parents have met. How can you be this heartless?"