Chapter 1

"I need you to be understanding, Ethan."

Chloe Davis stood by the door, her suitcase already packed and waiting by her feet. She didn't look at me, her focus was on her phone, her thumbs moving quickly across the screen.

"Jake's father just passed away. His grandfather died last week. He has no one left. He needs me."

I stayed silent, sitting on the edge of our shared bed. The words didn't make sense. Jake Peterson was her ex-boyfriend. The man she swore was just a friend, a distant part of her past.

"He called you?" I asked, my voice flat.

"Of course, he called me," she said, finally looking up, her expression a mix of impatience and pity, as if I was slow for not understanding the situation. "Who else would he call? I'm the only one who truly gets him."

The statement hung in the air of the apartment I paid for. She expected me to just accept this, to nod and tell her to go.

"And my dad," she continued, seamlessly shifting the burden onto my shoulders. "You know his health is fragile. He needs to see that I'm with a man who is supportive and understanding. A man he can trust with his daughter's future. This is your chance to prove that to him, Ethan."

So this wasn't just about her ex-boyfriend's grief. It was a test for me. A test designed for me to fail if I showed any hint of self-respect. My money was good enough for her father's expensive medical treatments, my time was good enough to build her company from the ground up, but my feelings were an inconvenience she needed me to suppress.

A coldness settled deep in my gut. I looked at her, at the woman I had planned to marry, and for the first time, I saw her clearly. The entitlement, the casual disregard for me, it was all there in the open. In that single moment, a decision formed in my mind, solid and clear. It was over.

I didn't say it. Not yet. I just watched her.

Her phone buzzed again. She answered it immediately, her voice softening into a tone of deep, comforting affection I hadn't heard from her in months.

"Jake, honey, don't worry. I'm on my way now. I'll be there as soon as I can. Yes, I'll stay as long as you need me. Don't worry about anything."

She listened for a moment, a small, sad smile on her face. "I know. I know. I'll take care of everything. Just wait for me."

She hung up and turned back to me, her business-like demeanor returning instantly. The switch was jarring.

"I'm going to need the car," she stated, not asked. "And I'll need some cash. For funeral expenses and things for Jake. Just put it on my card for now. You'll handle it, right?"

Her tone was impatient, as if we were discussing a grocery list, not her abandoning our life to care for another man. She expected me to finance her emotional affair.

"Fine," I said. My own voice sounded distant to my ears.

I stood up and walked to my dresser, pulling out my wallet. I took out all the cash I had, about five hundred dollars, and handed it to her. Then I walked to the small bowl by the door where we kept our keys and picked up the keys to my car. I dropped them into her open palm.

Her fingers closed around them. She didn't even say thank you.

"Good," she said, nodding, satisfied. "I knew you'd understand."

She turned to leave, grabbing her suitcase. At the door, she paused and looked back, one last demand on her lips.

"And don't forget to call my dad's nurse tomorrow. The payment for his private care is due. Make sure it goes through without any issues."

Then she was gone. The door clicked shut, leaving me alone in the sudden silence of the apartment.