Chapter 2

Seeing that I didn't answer, Chloe jogged over with a brown paper bag. She touched my forehead, letting out a relieved sigh when she felt no fever.

"Thank goodness. I thought you caught a cold. You're fine."

Yet under the dim lamp, I clearly saw faint hickeys scattered along the curve of her neck.

A brutal reminder that none of it was a dream.

"Why are you so late?" My voice came out raspy.

"What's wrong, Logan? I had to work overtime at the office until just now! We're almost done with our loans—just a tiny bit left!"

"Soon, we can finally save up for real, buy our own cozy home, and live the life we deserve."

Save up? Every penny I could earn in a lifetime wouldn't match what she spent on that boy in a single night.

Chloe didn't catch the bitter look on my face. Still smiling, she lifted the bag in her hands.

"Never mind that! Look what I brought you! A coworker had leftover snacks from the weekend street fair. There's that artisan nougat you love so much."

She dumped the bag right into my lap.

Looking at the random assortment of leftover treats and dollar-store trinkets, my eyes stung with tears.

In the past, I would have been thrilled. No matter how cheap, I believed every little thing proved she cared about me.

Now I knew the truth. These were just random scraps she scooped off a festival table on a whim.

I really was that cheap to her. A handful of junk food was all it took to keep me loyal and quiet.

Noticing my lingering silence, Chloe grew concerned.

"Logan, what's going on? Why are your eyes so red?"

"Are you really sick? Don't worry about the money. I still have some cash on me. Let's go to the ER right now, your health comes first!"

She set the bag down and grabbed my arm, trying to pull me out the door.

She was always like this—gentle, attentive, playing the perfect, loving partner.

So why did the girlfriend who supposedly loved me this much deceive me for four entire years?

Was watching me suffer just entertainment to her?

Looking at her worried expression, I forced a faint, hollow smile.

"I'm fine. I just had a dream."

"I dreamed you were wrapped up in another guy's arms."

"In my dream, you were filthy rich. You blew millions lighting up the whole city's skyline with fireworks for him. You handed him a Rolex, tossed him a Maybach, without blinking."

A flash of panic flickered across Chloe's eyes. She scrambled to laugh it off.

"You're just exhausted, that's why you had such a crazy nightmare. Dreams are always the opposite of reality anyway! Maybe one day you'll be the one sweeping me off my feet and spoiling me rotten."

To change the subject, she hurriedly pulled an exquisite gift box from her pocket. Inside was a genuine Hermès leather belt.