Chapter 1

I planned to take my girlfriend to Alaska to see the Northern Lights.

Instead, I found naked photos of her with her “sick” best friend—and a lab report proving she was testing his fertility on the day of my cancer surgery.

She slapped me.

He beat me.

Both called me jealous and dirty-minded.

So I packed my bags, called my parents, and said the words that would end everything:

“Mom, Dad… I’m coming home. And I’ll take back the family business.”

I was preparing to take my girlfriend to Alaska to see the Northern Lights when I found photos of her lying naked with her male best friend in my drawer. Along with the photos were a bunch of lab reports checking male fertility. The date on the reports was the same day I had my stomach cancer surgery.

So when she said she was busy, she was actually busy testing her male best friend's fertility.

When I confronted her about it, she lashed out at me impatiently.

"We were just lying together, nothing happened."

"This was purely medical treatment. Can't you stop being so dirty-minded?"

Looking at the explicit video that came through on my phone, my heart sank into dead silence.

After a long pause, I called my parents. "Mom, Dad, I agree to come back and inherit the family business."

After I hung up the phone, there was a violent knocking at the door.

The door shook with the urgent, grating knocks. Whoever was outside was clearly furious.

"Evan, open the door!" It was my girlfriend Lena's voice.

In the past, I would have rushed to open the door for her, helped her change into slippers, and welcomed her home. I always felt bad about how hard she worked managing the company and wanted to do whatever I could to take care of her and ease her worries.

But today, I just sat there, my expression blank.

Seeing no one was opening the door, Lena had someone break it down. The first thing she did when she came in was rush to my side and slap me hard across the face.

"Why did you attack Dylan?"

"You know his health is poor. Why would you hurt him?"

Looking at Lena's near-crazed expression, my heart clenched painfully.

Today I had bought plane tickets, planning to come home and pack our bags to take her to see the Northern Lights in Alaska. I wanted to surprise her.

Instead, I found those "treatment" photos of her and Dylan in the drawer.

When I went to confront Dylan, I was beaten up by him and his friends. Now somehow I was the one who had attacked him.

"Say something. Cat got your tongue?" Lena's pupils were bloodshot, her eyes looking like they wanted to kill me.

"You dare to do it but not admit it? Some man you are."

I lowered my head with a self-mocking smile, no longer having the energy to argue with her. I just tossed the photos at her feet.

"What is this?"

When she saw the photos, a flash of guilt crossed Lena's eyes. Her hands involuntarily clenched, and she spoke with less confidence.

"It's not what you think."

"Dylan was diagnosed with fertility issues and might not be able to have children. I was just helping the doctor treat him."

What kind of medical treatment requires lying naked in bed with a woman?

Such a ridiculous excuse, yet she believed it. I just found it laughable.

But Lena kept talking, becoming more convinced she was right. "That's right, this was purely medical treatment. Dylan and I are completely innocent, heaven knows."

"How can your mind be so dirty? You really disgust me."

I looked at her, shocked and grieved.

What was I still hoping for?

I should have understood long ago, when she kept abandoning me for Dylan time after time, shouldn't I?