Chapter 4

Back home, I threw away all my things that were connected to Ryan.

I only took a few pieces of clothing.

Yes, I left. I walked away from Ryan.

My name is Summer, because my mom hoped I'd live my life open-minded, optimistic, kind, and proactive.

But I failed not only to do that, I even lost myself.

"Summer, long time no see."

Caleb, long time no see.

I looked at the man before me. He was still as radiant as he'd been years ago.

"How did you end up so miserable without me around?" Caleb took my suitcase, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.

Hearing his familiar voice, my nose stung, and my voice involuntarily caught in my throat. "Yeah, I'm pretty miserable. And I'll have to trouble the great Caleb, top influencer, for a while."

Caleb haughtily snorted twice. "Summer, I told you long ago to leave him."

"Caleb, I'm pregnant."

Caleb's grip on my hand tightened abruptly. He seemed agitated. "And you? Do you want to keep it?"

I pulled my hand from Caleb's grasp. "I'm ready to start a new life."

In the following days, I steadily began my new life.

I paid no attention to the chaos that had erupted back home.

When Ryan returned home the next day, he unexpectedly noticed many things missing from the house.

He called our mutual friends. "Has Summer contacted any of you?"

All he got were words of advice: "Ryan, I'm just telling you, in this toxic relationship with Serena, you might as well let Summer go."

Everyone's consistent answer was that they had no idea where Summer went, until Summer's family was asked.

"Summer has a really good friend overseas. You actually know him – Caleb."

Ryan didn't understand why everyone thought he had wronged me.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the prenatal check-up results on the vanity table.

Ryan left the country that very night, taking Serena with him.

The next time I met Ryan was at the supermarket downstairs.

"Summer!"

Caleb reacted faster than I did, swinging a punch at Ryan's face. "You bastard! How dare you show your face?!"

They wrestled, their identities too prominent. If no one pulled them apart, tomorrow's headline would be "A-List Celebrity and Corporation Heir Brawl in Public: What's the Real Story?"

"We broke up. Don't come looking for me anymore." I shielded Caleb behind me, casting a cold gaze at the man and woman opposite us.

Ryan pulled out the prenatal check-up results. "Summer, stop messing around. You can't let our child grow up without a father."

"I terminated the pregnancy."

He froze.

He threw down the suitcase he was holding and clamped my arm tightly.

"You're lying to me, aren't you?"