Chapter 1

The day I was released from prison, I stood outside the heavy iron gates, waiting for my fiancé, Logan, to pick me up just as he had promised.

Dusk fell, and darkness swallowed the streets. Logan never showed up, and his phone went straight to voicemail.

When I finally took a cab to my own apartment and knocked on the door, Logan opened it, his face frozen in pure shock.

"Chloe? What are you doing here?"

I took a step forward, wanting to hug him, but he blocked the doorway with his arm.

He hesitated, shifting uncomfortably under my gaze.

"I’m sorry, Chloe. Five years ago... I married your best friend, Tiffany. We have a kid now."

He lowered his voice, cold and practical. "Can you transfer the deed of this place to my name? You need to find somewhere else to live. I’ll give you some cash as compensation."

A chill rushed straight through my veins, freezing me to the bone.

Five years ago, to protect Logan from his abusive, alcoholic father, I shoved the old man away during a violent fight. His father hit his head and ended up in critical condition, and the police dragged me away in cuffs.

On the day I was sentenced, Logan’s eyes were bloodshot as he swore to me, "I’ll wait for you! The day you get out, we’re getting married!"

Before I could say a single word, a woman’s sweet voice drifted from inside the apartment.

"Babe, who’s at the door?"

Slam!

The door was shoved shut in my face.

Through the wood, I heard Logan’s muffled voice telling her, "No one. Just a homeless beggar. I sent her away."

I stood in the dim hallway for a long time before the numbness faded into burning clarity.

I pulled out my prepaid phone and dialed 911.

"Hello, I need to report a crime. Someone is illegally occupying my property."

The door only opened again when two police officers showed their badges.

Logan panicked, stumbling over his words as he tried to explain to the officers.

"It’s a misunderstanding! Officer, this is totally a misunderstanding! We know each other. It’s not a home invasion!"

He shot me a pleading look. "Chloe, tell them! Say something!"

I didn’t say a word. Clutching my cheap duffel bag, I pushed past Logan and walked straight into the living room.

Hearing the commotion, the bedroom door opened.

Tiffany walked out, holding a little boy by the hand.

The moment her eyes landed on me, color drained from her cheeks.

"What is... Chloe? You’re out?"

She forced a tight smile. "Why didn't you just talk to us? Did you really have to call the cops?"

Frightened by the tension in the room, the little boy buried his face into Tiffany’s leg, sniffling softly.

I stared at the child for a long moment before turning back to the officers.

"Officers, thank you," I said quietly. "Let me talk to them first. If we can't settle this peacefully, I’ll call you again."

The officers exchanged glances, taking in the family scene. "Alright. Stay safe. Call us immediately if things get out of hand."

I walked the officers to the door and shut it behind them.

The second they were gone, Logan turned on me, his voice dripping with exasperation.

"Chloe, we haven't seen each other in years. Did you really have to make such an embarrassing scene?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Look, I’m sorry. I know you blame me. You went to jail to protect me, and I did promise to marry you. But... people change."

He looked at me without an ounce of shame. "I loved you five years ago. I don't love you anymore."

I completely ignored him. Instead, I walked over to the little boy.

I crouched down, reached out, and gently touched his hair. "Hey buddy. How old are you?"

"I’m almost six," the boy said timidly. "I’m starting first grade soon."

Almost six.

A bomb went off inside my head. The room spun, and my knees nearly gave out.

I grabbed onto the entryway shoe cabinet to steady myself. Turning to Logan, I let out a bitter, trembling laugh.

"I went to prison for you five years ago... and you have a kid who’s almost six."

Tears blurred my vision. "Logan, you played me so damn well."

Logan looked away, guilt flashing across his face.

Suddenly, Tiffany fell to her knees right in front of me with a loud thud.

Tears streamed down her delicate face as she looked up at me, begging.

"Chloe, if you want to blame someone, blame me! It was all my fault. I seduced Logan."

She sobbed, clutching my jeans. "Before you went to prison, I was already pregnant with his baby. Please, I’m begging you, just let us be happy! For the sake of our little boy, don't tear our family apart!"

Looking down at her tear-streaked face, a suffocating mixture of rage and grief gripped my chest. My whole body shook uncontrollably.

Logan rushed over, scowling at me as if I were a monster, and pulled Tiffany to her feet.

"Tiffany, why are you kneeling to her? I’ll never leave you!" he said tenderly. "Your health is delicate, get up!"

The little boy suddenly charged forward and shoved me hard, positioning himself in front of his mother like a little shield.

"Bad woman! Leave my mommy and daddy alone!"

They stood together—a loving, protective little family. And I was the cruel intruder.

I wiped the tears off my cheeks with the back of my hand.

A crushing exhaustion washed over me. I didn't even have the energy left to scream at them.

I took a step back, widening the distance between us.

"Get up. I don't care about breaking up your little family," I said, my voice dead and flat. "I just want my apartment back. You lived here while I was away for five years. What’s done is done."

I pointed at the walls. "My mother left this place to me before she died. Starting today, find a new place and get out."