Chapter 1

Caleb Thorne's first act upon returning to town was to have his men wreck my little seafood stall.

All because five years ago, when he was nothing but a sick, penniless nobody, I'd walked away without looking back.

Now, with a gorgeous fiancée on his arm, he scattered a fistful of cash directly in my face.

"Eleanor, look at you now. You're like a dead fish.Where's all that pride you had when you sold me out for a quick buck"

I said nothing. Just bent down to pick up the crumpled bills he'd stepped on.

My body was failing by the day since the kidney transplant.

This money might just buy me a decent plot to rest in.

"Enough!"

"Eleanor, who is this pathetic act for? For a few bucks, you've lost all your dignity?"

Caleb watched my pathetic state, his eyes blazing with fury.

I retrieved the last bill from beneath the sole of his polished shoe. Wiped it clean of scales and grime. Then, slowly, I pushed myself to my feet.

"Dignity? What does it buy?"

"Thank you for your business today, Mr. Thorne. The rest of the fish are on me. If they're good, feel free to come back."

Caleb’s jaw tightened. The air around him seemed to freeze.

"I should have known,” he bit out, each word dipped in ice. “You were always only about the money."

"If Sera hadn’t insisted on fresh seafood today, I would never have seen you again in my life."

At his words, I finally looked up.

He hadn’t changed at all in five years. Still handsome. Still radiant.

The only thing that had changed was the person by his side-it wasn't me anymore.

Perhaps noticing my silence, Sera Hayes, standing behind him, tugged at his sleeve.

"Caleb, don't talk to Ellie like that. She's had a pretty tough time these past few years since leaving you."

Then she offered me an apologetic smile.

"Ellie, I'm really sorry."

"Caleb just has that temper. He's not very patient with strangers and can be a bit harsh. Don't take it to heart."

I dug my nails into my palms, just barely managing to hold back the sting in my eyes.

Right, that's just how Caleb was.

"How about this, Ellie? You keep these fish to sell. We only need two."

"Caleb doesn't really like fish, but I was craving Mrs. Thorne's special baked cod. Buying too much means we wouldn't finish it, so two is plenty."

Just as Sera finished speaking and moved towards the fish tank, Caleb stopped her with his arm.

"Don't touch those. It's so cold today, what if you catch a chill?"

"Let her do it."

I skillfully bent down and scooped out the fish.

Everything was routine, but when Caleb protectively cupped Sera's reddened hands to his chest, my filleting knife slipped, slicing straight into my palm.

Caleb took the cleaned fish, his eyes full of mockery as he looked at my bleeding hand.

"Well, Eleanor, do you regret abandoning me five years ago when I was gravely ill?"