Chapter 3

“Are you really going through with this? If you do this surgery, you’ll owe Chloe even more!”

Daniel’s voice, now tinged with impatience, retorted, “Owe her? What’s there to owe? It’s not like I dragged her here against her will, is it?”

“This was *her* decision, okay? What does it have to do with me?”

“Even if I *do* owe her, I’m compensating her with marriage. Isn’t that enough?”

Daniel’s voice was so familiar, yet utterly alien.

All this time, the Daniel I thought I knew—kind, warm, thoughtful—deserved every beautiful word in the dictionary.

Now, I realized that even the most profound, uncontrollable love could be faked.

He truly was a brilliant actor.

The marriage I’d dreamed of, to him, was nothing more than meaningless compensation.

At this point, I had no more courage left to listen.

I didn’t want to imagine what other ‘surprises’ I’d overhear if I stayed.

Ignoring the two outside, I grabbed my coat from the side table and quietly slipped out through another door in the ward.

I saw Daniel’s car parked at the entrance, and a bitter, twisted smile pulled at my lips.

I’d always wanted to get my driver’s license, but Daniel, under the guise of ‘it’s for your own good,’ insisted he could drive me everywhere, always on call.

Now, it dawned on me: he was probably just used to chauffeuring his ‘true love,’ Lily, and didn’t want to change his routine.

I walked past the car, standing at a crossroads, watching the vehicles come and go, momentarily lost, not knowing where to turn.

Just as I was about to step away, a hand clamped onto my wrist from behind.

I knew that touch too well. I didn’t even need to turn around to know it was Daniel.

I’d never really liked his cologne; it was always too sweet, too cloying. I could never understand why Daniel, of all people, would wear such a strong, sugary scent—it completely clashed with his aura.

But he liked it, and after so long, I’d just gotten used to it.

Now, it all made perfect sense. That cologne was probably Lily’s favorite, wasn’t it?

The moment my eyes met Daniel’s, a jolt of shock went through me.

The man who was always so gentle and patient was now seething with rage.

As if sensing my shift, Daniel reined in his anger, forcing his usual gentle smile back onto his face.

“Pear,” he said. “Why are you running off?”

“Pear, the surgery isn’t done. Let me take you back, okay?”

“Pear, I know you’re scared of surgery, but if you don’t do it, how can we tie the knot? Didn’t you want to marry me more than anything, huh?”

Hearing ‘Pear’ over and over again, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

Soon after Daniel and I started dating, he started calling me ‘Pear.’

I’d asked him, confused, why he called me that. Everyone else just called me Chloe.

He’d ruffled my hair, his eyes full of what I thought was adoration. “My favorite word is pear, and you’re my favorite woman. Of course, that’s what I’ll call you.”

Back then, I’d just shyly buried my face in his chest, repeating his special nickname over and over.

Now, I realized. All these years, he’d only been using me as a stand-in for Lily.