Chapter 2

This wasn't Derek's first time cheating.

And he never doubted I'd make up with him.

The first time I found out was in the car. I found a woman's lipstick in the passenger seat.

He tried everything to cover it up with lies, but he didn't fool me.

Finally, Derek confessed, claiming it was someone a client forced on him, and he had to play along to secure a deal.

To beg for my forgiveness, Derek, running a 102-degree fever, knelt all night in the pouring rain outside the villa, swearing he'd never do it again.

It wasn't until he collapsed in the rain and our driver took him to the hospital that I finally gave in.

I hadn't forgiven him; I just felt sorry for him.

Unexpectedly, less than six months later, I found a used condom under his office desk.

I didn't say a word that time. I just smiled, grabbed my bag, and left.

Derek was both ashamed and furious. He immediately called my parents.

As the CEO of a major company, Derek was someone my financially dependent parents and sister couldn't afford to cross.

He knew he wouldn't have to say much; others would naturally "reason" with me on his behalf.

Sure enough, the night I moved back in with my parents, my dad literally threw my bags out.

"We know what happened, but the Hayes family has been nothing but generous to us! If you break up with Derek, who's going to get your brother-in-law that job? Who's going to cover your mom's medical bills? And all my friends, they only kiss up to me because of Derek! You'd really just throw all that away?"

"Exactly! You can't be so selfish! If you ask me, you're just not capable enough to keep a man's heart!"

My mom chimed in viciously.

"Sis, maybe you should just have a kid like I did. You know, a baby really makes a man settle down!"

My sister pretended to offer kind advice.

I tried to argue with them, but not only did no one speak up for me, my mom even pulled her classic 'heart attack' move, clutching her chest and collapsing to the floor.

"You get back to Derek right now and apologize! Or I'll die right here in front of you!"

Completely broken, I returned to Derek.

Derek was overjoyed and gave me a large sum of money as an apology.

But from that moment on, my heart turned to ashes.