Chapter 3

Over the next week, I had my childhood friend Daniel fly in from out of town to help me compile evidence to charge Tristan with vehicular manslaughter.

Perhaps out of spite, Chloe blocked me across all social media platforms. Fortunately, I couldn't have cared less.

Tristan, on the other hand, constantly "slipped up" and sent me snippets of their romantic life and spicy photos. I just treated him like a clown on my screen and never bothered to block him.

However, their love nest seemed to have moved from the hotel to her lab.

I wasn't surprised. Chloe had always been the country's leading hypnotherapist. Before Tristan returned from abroad, she practically lived in that lab developing new projects. It was only after his return that she started making exceptions.

I let out a bitter chuckle. Their little romance didn't phase me anymore; the warm, loving heart I once had had been sealed in concrete by Chloe, hardened and completely dead.

Now, all I wanted was to focus on myself, pursue the lawsuit, and purge those toxic, disgusting people from my life.

What I didn't expect was that just days after Tristan's last boastful message, Chloe showed up at our house.

Holding a box of white pills, she looked down at me with furrowed brows.

"What? Something wrong?" I asked coldly, a hollow smile on my face. "Don't tell me you're here to poison me because I won't drop the charges."

Chloe looked down at me, wearing a look of complete confidence.

"There's no need for that. I don't want to murder you. I just want to give Tristan another chance."

My throat burned, tears threatening to spill over.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

Chloe smiled smugly.

"This is the latest hypnotic sedative my team developed. Once you take these pills, you'll completely forget that your mother was ever hit by a car. If you don't blame him, Tristan will be off the hook."

I didn't try to dodge. I knew that once Chloe set her mind to something, she would use every dirty trick in the book to make it happen.

All I could feel was my heart shattering into tiny, irrecoverable pieces. To think Chloe would go this far for Tristan.

Just before she shoved the pills toward my mouth, I looked at her with a bitter smile.

"Chloe, you know I grew up in a single-parent home. Tristan killed my mother. All I want is justice. You're doing this to me... Aren't you afraid I'll hate you forever?"

Chloe paused for a split second, but still forced the pills past my lips.

"I'll do whatever it takes for Tristan. No one compares to him."

"I know your mom was good to me, but her time was up. Tristan's life is just getting started. You can't be this cruel to him!"

Hearing those words, any desire to fight back completely vanished. I closed my eyes, letting tears slide down my cheeks and drip onto the back of her hand.

She didn't care. She just leaned into my ear, whispering the same words over and over:

"Your mother brought her death upon herself. It had nothing to do with Tristan. It was an accident. You just have to accept your bad luck."

"Your mother brought her death upon herself. It had nothing to do with Tristan. It was an accident. You just have to accept your bad luck..."

In a haze of dizziness, my limbs grew limp, and my eyes shut tight.

Only after making sure I was completely under did Chloe scoff and walk away.

Half an hour later, I bolted upright, coughing up the crushed remnants of the pills along with a mouthful of blood.

To keep myself from falling under her hypnotic trance, I hadn't swallowed the pills at all. I had bit my tongue so hard it bled just to stay conscious. Even with the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth, I hadn't dared let my guard down.

I reached for my phone to call Daniel, only to see Tristan's latest post on Ins.

It was a picture of two first-class tickets to Northern Europe alongside a receipt for a luxury tour package costing thirty thousand dollars. Attached was a photo of him and Chloe holding hands in the airport lounge.

"Look who has the most generous sugar mommy ever! Just because I was feeling down, she booked us a whole month in Europe~"

I stared down at the blood-stained floor, suddenly feeling utterly pathetic.

In Chloe's heart, I was so worthless that she couldn't even spare five minutes to monitor my reaction to the drug.

Five years of being her loyal, devoted pet had completely broken me. This time, I was done.

I picked up the phone again and dialed Daniel.

"I've made up my mind. I'm not accepting any settlement from Tristan. Take him straight to court."