Chapter 3

I didn’t wait until evening.

There was still so much to do to settle my mom’s affairs.

Ignoring the doctor’s disapproving glare, I signed myself out of the hospital against medical advice.

It took me a full week to handle everything.

When it was all done, I stood in front of that small, lonely grave, and something inside me broke.

For the first time, it truly sank in—this woman, who had spent her life controlling mine under the guise of love, was gone forever.

I collapsed against the cold headstone, sobbing uncontrollably.

It was only after some time had passed that I realized something was missing.

The necklace.

The only thing my mom had left me.

I must’ve left it at Isaac’s place.

If it weren’t for that necklace, I wouldn’t have set foot in that suffocating house again. All I could do was pray that Isaac wasn’t home, so I could grab it and leave without any drama.

But life isn’t that kind.

Isaac wasn’t there, but Lola was.

“Mia? What are you doing back here?” Lola asked, leaning against the doorframe in her silk pajamas, arms crossed like she owned the place.

“I came to grab something. I’ll leave as soon as I have it,” I said, not wanting to waste a single second more on her.

Whatever happened between her and Isaac was no longer my concern.

But she wasn’t about to let me off so easily.

“Let me guess,” she said with a smug grin. “You’re just using that as an excuse to worm your way back into Isaac’s life, aren’t you?”

She covered her mouth, pretending to stifle a laugh. “Did you know that the moment you moved out, he couldn’t wait to have me move in? If it weren’t for you, I’d have been Mrs. Carter a long time ago.”

As she spoke, she held up her hand, showing off a ring that sparkled far too brightly.

The same ring Isaac had used to propose to me.

“Some people,” she sneered, “are only good enough for cheap knockoffs. Pathetic, isn’t it?”

I clenched my teeth, my nails digging into my palms. Without thinking, I raised my hand and slapped her across the face.

“You are not in any position to mock me!”

At this point, I had nothing left to lose. If she wanted a fight, I was ready to give her one.

Lola let out a sharp scream, clutching her cheek in disbelief. “You hit me?! Do you have any idea what Isaac will do to you when he finds out?”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something hilarious, her expression twisted into something malicious.

“Oh wait,” she said, her voice dripping with mockery. “Didn’t you say your mom’s dead now? Good riddance. Too bad you didn’t die with her.”

That was it.

I snapped. Grabbing her perfectly styled hair, I yanked her forward and slammed her head against the wall.

Her shrieks were ear-piercing, but I didn’t care.

“What the hell are you doing, Mia?!” Isaac’s voice roared through the room as he stormed in, grabbing my arm and shoving me to the ground.

He immediately knelt down to cradle Lola, whispering softly to her as if she were made of glass. His face was full of tenderness, but when he turned to me, his eyes were filled with disgust.

“Mia, I’ve been way too patient with you!” he shouted.

Lola, ever the actress, sobbed quietly into his chest. “Isaac, it’s my fault. I upset her… I deserved to be hit. Don’t blame her anymore, okay? I’ll just leave so she won’t be mad anymore.”

Her performance was Oscar-worthy. Even I wanted to applaud her dedication.

Isaac, of course, fell for it.

“From now on,” he snarled at me, “you’re not getting another dime from me. Let’s see how you like watching your mom rot in the hospital without my money.”

I laughed bitterly, ignoring the sharp pain shooting through my leg. Blood was already seeping through the bandages, staining my jeans.

Isaac noticed, pausing for a moment. “What’s wrong with your leg?” he asked, his voice softer for a second.

“None of your business,” I spat, swatting away the hand he reached out.

Without another word, I limped toward the bedroom, grabbed the necklace, and headed back out.

But before I could leave, Isaac snatched it from my hand.

“Give it back!” I demanded, trying to grab it, but he held it out of reach.

“Everything you have—your clothes, your jewelry, even your mom’s hospital bills—was paid for with my money. If you’re so high and mighty, why don’t you take off everything I’ve ever given you and walk out naked?”

“You bastard!” I snapped, biting down on my trembling lip to keep the tears at bay.

Isaac just smirked. “Go ahead. Strip. Do it, and I’ll let you leave.”

I stared at him, his mocking smile twisting the knife deeper into my chest.

Fine.

If this was what he wanted, I’d give it to him.

I started with my jacket, then my shirt. Soon, I was standing there in just a tank top.

As I reached for the hem of it, Isaac suddenly shouted, “Enough!”

“Have you lost all self-respect, Mia?”

He threw my clothes and the necklace at me, the chain hitting me square in the face.

“Fine. Get out. But don’t you ever come crawling back to me, begging for help.”

With that, he wrapped his arm around Lola and walked away, not even bothering to look back.

I stood there, clutching my clothes and the necklace, watching his retreating figure.

What was he so angry about?

This was what he wanted, wasn’t it?

To see me humiliated. To see me crushed under the weight of everything I’d lost. To see me as nothing more than a broken shell of the person I used to be.

He should’ve been happy.

Shouldn’t he?