Chapter 4

The word "theft" drained every ounce of color from Tyler's face.

"Sir, that's going way too far."

"I'm going too far?"

My dad slammed his palm against the doorframe, making the entire frame shudder.

"Who went too far?! You took my daughter's money to buy your sister a car, and you think that isn't too far?!"

"If that money isn't back in her account today, we're seeing you in court."

Mia curled her lip, slipped back into her room, and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

Brenda wanted to scream back, but Tyler grabbed her arm.

Tyler took a deep breath and looked at me pleadly.

"Chloe, can you please stop making a scene? We're already legally married. Pulling this right now... how do you think our relatives are going to view this?"

"Just calm down. Let's sit down and talk like adults."

"There's nothing to talk about," I cut him off.

"Either you return the money, or we get a divorce."

"Your choice."

Tyler parted his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing. In the end, he turned helplessly toward his mother.

Brenda gritted her teeth, her face flushing red and pale in turns.

Finally, she stomped her foot and shouted at Tyler.

"Let her divorce you! Let her walk! She thinks fifty grand buys the right to boss my son around? In her dreams!"

"Give back our wedding contribution and get the hell out of my house!"

Standing in the middle of their living room crowded with staring guests, dressed in my bridal gown, I burst into laughter.

The relatives exchanged awkward glances; some secretly pulled out their phones to record, while others murmured in low voices.

"Is the bride crazy?"

"Wrecking her own wedding day like this..."

I didn't care about their whispers. I turned to my dad.

"Dad, transfer their fifteen thousand back right now."

My dad nodded and pulled out his phone without another word.

Tyler panicked and grabbed my arm.

"Chloe, are you really taking it this far?"

"Three years of being together, and you're throwing it away just like that?"

I looked down at the hand clutching my arm, then looked up into his eyes.

There was panic, frustration, and resentment—but not a single trace of remorse.

"You were the one who threw it away," I said, peeling his fingers off my arm, one by one.

"When you stole my fifty thousand, you didn't think about our three years."

"When you backed your sister up against me, you didn't think about our three years."

"Tyler, you ruined this relationship yourself. Don't you dare put the blame on me."

With that, I turned on my heel and walked away.

Behind me, Tyler's voice shifted from anger to desperate begging.

"Chloe! Just listen to me!"

"I can tell Mia to return the car! Chloe!"