Nathan's POV

The distinctive car key was also on the table, glinting.

And the watch on Daniel’s wrist was the same one Cassandra told me last week she had “bought for an important client.”

Seeing that scene, I let out a bitter laugh, turned up my collar, and walked home in the pounding rain.

By the time she came back, I had just stepped out of the shower, water still dripping from my hair.

She froze for a second when she saw me. “Why do you look like a drowned rat?”

“I went to the hospital,” I said flatly.

Her expression stiffened at once. “Why’d you go to the hospital today?”

I chuckled softly. “I’ve told you more than once.”

Irritated, Cassandra ran a hand through her hair and snapped, “I’ve been busy, alright? I forgot. Anyway, your wound’s healed by now. Missing one check-up won’t kill you.”

I held her gaze and relayed what the doctor had said. “The doctor said if I don’t take care of it, it could relapse.”

That shut her up for a moment. But when she looked back up, there was a flicker of annoyance in her eyes. “You’re not trying to use that scar to guilt-trip me again, are you?”

So that was what it was to her. My reminder wasn’t about my health. It was me playing for credit.

Seeing me just staring at her, her anger flared up. “Why are you giving me that dead look again? I was just unable to go with you! Is that worth sulking over?”

But my eyes flicked to her collar, and I emotionlessly said, “You didn’t wipe the cheese off your shirt.”

She instinctively reached for her neckline, but then froze mid-motion.

“You…”

I added slowly, “Also, Daniel’s watch looks good on him.”

Her face flushed dark red. She jabbed her finger at me, shaking with rage. “You were following me? Nathan, what’s wrong with you! So what if I had dinner with him? What’s the big deal? He’s out there alone, struggling, no family, no support. Don’t you think that’s pitiful? You really have to be this petty? What’s the point?”

I laughed, but it came out harshly. “Funny thing, I was at the hospital alone today, too. But I didn’t see you feeling sorry for me.”

Caught in a corner, she tried to reason, “How can you compare yourself to him? And don’t you dare say I never cared about you, 'cause I have! Just not the way you demand, okay?”

But before she could finish, her phone rang, and it was Daniel again.

Swiftly, she snatched it up and answered it.

“Cassandra, I think I caught a fever in the rain. My head’s spinning,” the man said in a weak voice.

Panicked, she immediately replied, “Stay home. I’ll be right there!”

Afterward, she quickly hung up and grabbed her bag without so much as a glance at me.

Only when she was at the door did she turn back and say, “Stay here and think about what you’ve done. Tomorrow you’re coming with me to pick out the flowers for the wedding party. And stop with these cheap tricks, like spying on me. It’s pathetic.”

Then she was gone.

Her words buzzed in my ears long after the door shut.

Pathetic.

She was right.

But why had it taken me so long to see?

It seemed my heart had been blind for years.

The next day, we drove to the florist, and the air inside the car felt suffocating.

So at a red light, I put on my headphones and turned my face toward the window.

Meanwhile, Cassandra pulled out a big powder puff, reapplying her makeup nonstop.

“Those apartments on the south side are pretty nice. It's a good location and the transportation is convenient,” she suddenly started and sneaked a glance at me, waiting for a response.

But I said nothing.

Thinking I might not have heard her, she cleared her throat and raised her voice. “They say it’s a new development, better environment. Lots of young couples love renting there. Why don’t we check it out?”

Still, I didn’t even open my eyes, just let out a low grunt through my nose.

This time, her brows furrowed tight, and her tone sharpened. “Nathan, I’m talking to you!”

Nathan's POV

Slowly, I opened my eyes. “I’m listening. So what’s your point?”

Cassandra instantly deflated, like a balloon pricked with a pin.

“Hmph, talking to you is like playing music to a cow. Forget it, I was just making small talk.”

The breeze from the open car window cleared my head a little.

“Cassandra, about the house, don’t you have something you should tell me?”

I studied her profile as this was her last chance to confess her sin.

But she dodged my eyes and muttered, dry and flat, “Nope. Didn’t I already go along with you on everything?”

My gaze dropped, and with it, my heart sank all the way down.

Until the very end, she was still pretending, still too stingy to give me even one honest word.

If she just told me the truth now, maybe... no. Who was I kidding? Not anymore.

My fists clenched tight. So this was what all my sacrifices had bought me, her reckless, unrestrained betrayal.

Sensing my silence, she twisted strands of hair around her finger, uneasy.

Next to the florist was the furniture store where I ordered a walnut dining set. I walked straight in and spotted my order, now finally completed.

I was about to pay when a shrill, effeminate voice rang behind me.

“Cassandra? Weren’t you supposed to help me pick out a crystal chandelier today?”

Him again.

When Daniel spotted me, he made a show of covering his mouth. “Oh, Nathan? My bad, didn’t see you standing there.”

He glanced around theatrically and amusedly commented, “Oh, wow, you two are here shopping too? This place has the most gorgeous chandeliers, perfect for a big loft! Cassandra even said last time she wanted to put one in my new place!”

My fingers curled one by one into a fist.

So she had already planned his “new home,” while I was still standing guard over a hollow shell she had sold off, still waiting for some kind of explanation.

Daniel picked up a brochure and waved it in my face. “Here, Nathan, look at this one. Flown in from Italy. Imagine it in the entryway. Wouldn’t it look amazing?”

I waved him off, pushing the brochure back. “No thanks. I’ve already made my choice. You two take your time.”

Daniel blinked, then lifted his wrist in a limp flourish, feigning deep injury. “Ohhh, what’s this? You don’t want me here? Should I leave?”

But before he could take a step, Cassandra grabbed his hand tightly. “Why are you leaving?”

She swung her head back at me, eyes blazing. “Nathan, Daniel is family now. Can’t you treat him with some respect? Don’t bring your bad temper from outside back into our home!”

Her words stopped me cold.

Family? Since when? And how come I, the so-called man of the house, was the last to know?

But then again, what did it matter? She could sell our home without asking me. Why would she need my approval for anything else?

Having that thought, I laughed bitterly and remarked, “This little sissy only looks good in your eyes. If he wants to leave, let him leave. What’s with all the whining?”

Both of them froze, caught off guard by my bluntness.

“Who are you calling a sissy?” Daniel snapped. “Watch your mouth!”

He huffed and puffed like he was storming out. “Fine! I’ll leave, no need to insult me!”

But Cassandra tightened her grip on his hand. “Nathan, we’re about to get married. Can you act like a grown man for once? From the engagement until now, you’ve never treated me kindly. And now you’re dragging Daniel into it?”

Daniel tugged on her arm, though his body pressed even closer to hers. “Cassandra, don’t. Just drop it.”

But Cassandra’s temper finally snapped. “No, I won’t drop it! I’ve had enough! Nathan, keep pushing! Go ahead and make a scene! And when your wound splits open again because of your tantrums, don’t you dare turn around and blame me for not warning you!”

Nathan's POV

The store instantly went dead silent, and the salesgirl lowered her head, pretending to fuss over the shelves, clearly feeling awkward.

My heart felt like it had been dropped into an ice pit.

So that was it. In her eyes, my scar wasn’t a mark of pain or a reminder of the promise she once made to me. It was nothing more than a tool I used to grab her attention.

And I had actually been foolish enough to believe she’d still remember her promise, the way that scar has always remained etched into my skin.

How many times had it been? One call from Daniel, saying he felt “a little down” or “couldn’t sleep,” and Cassandra would drop everything to be at his side.

But when I was burning with fever, my wound inflamed, and my body close to collapsing, she brushed me off with a simple text: [Drink some hot water. I’ll come over once I’m done.]

But she never came.

Whenever I complained, Cassandra would just frown and scold, “You’re so troublesome, Nathan. Daniel is all alone out here with nobody to rely on. He needs me.”

On our third anniversary, she also promised to go back with me to the little town where we first met.

Excited, I spent weeks planning every detail, but she just completely forgot and even brushed off, “It’s just an anniversary. We can celebrate next time.”

But on Daniel’s birthday, she started preparing half a month early, booked the most expensive restaurant, bought limited-edition gifts, and posted it all over her feed with a caption: [Happy birthday to the most important man in my life.]

Those memories overlapped with the scene right in front of me until I felt utterly drained.

Maybe I should’ve let go a long time ago.

As such, I turned and walked out.

But behind me, I still heard Cassandra’s soft voice reasoning, “He’s probably just nervous before the wedding. Don’t hold it against him, alright?”

How thoughtful of her to even prepare my excuses for me.

Through the glass storefront, I saw her gently holding Daniel’s hand, guiding him toward that overpriced crystal chandelier.

The sight stung my eyes until I couldn’t look anymore.

That night, she sent me a voice message.

“Nathan, stop making a fuss over nothing. I work myself to the bone every day out there, rain or shine. And when I come home, you sit there sulking with that cold face. Do you have any idea how miserable that makes me feel? We’re about to be a family. I need you to start being more considerate of me.”

Her voice was a little slurred, like she’d been drinking. She even kept mumbling after that, but I turned it off.

She said she was tired and needed to be understood.

Then fine. If that would make her happy, then I’d give her what she wanted.

The day before the wedding, Cassandra must’ve been holding it in too long and finally called me.

“Nathan, you’ve confirmed all the wedding details, right? Tomorrow we go to the county clerk's office first, then to the venue. You’re clear on the schedule?”

I shoved the last piece of luggage into my suitcase while flatly answering, “Yeah. Got it.”

Her relief was obvious even through the phone. “Good, good.”

The next morning, I buttoned up a crisp white shirt instead of the one-hundred-dollar suit she’d mocked as “too expensive” for a groom.

Soon, a car horn blared downstairs. At the same time, my phone lit up with her name.

Her voice sounded urgent as she spoke. “Nathan, Daniel needs a translator for something. I have to go help him. Just take a cab to the county clerk's office, okay? It’s only paperwork. I’ll meet you there later.”

Without any complaint, I calmly answered, “Alright.”

But she paused as if she’d picked up on something in my tone.

“You’re not… upset, are you?”

“No. Go ahead,” I replied.

The line went quiet for a second before she sighed in relief.

After the call, Cassandra then turned to Daniel in the passenger seat. “All set. Let’s go take care of your business first.”

Daniel pressed his lips together, looking guilty. “Sorry, Cassandra. It’s my fault. Because of me, you missed signing your wedding license.”

Cassandra reached out and patted his cheek. “Dummy. Nothing’s more important than you.”

Still, deep down, she felt a flicker of unease. Nathan’s calmness earlier had been unusual.

Coaxing herself, she thought, 'Never mind. He probably came around. He knows I care about him. Once we get the license, I’ll make it up to him properly.'

At the county clerk's office, Cassandra's family, relatives, and friends had already gathered, except for the groom and his family. Not a single one of them was there.

Later, Cassandra finally arrived with Daniel, only to see the scene and feel her stomach drop.

“How could this be? Did Nathan get lost? Or did he forget?”

She didn’t dare let her mind go any further.

She dialed his number again and again, but no one answered.

Her face grew darker with each try, her fingers twisting the hem of her dress in frustration.

At last, the line connected.

“Nathan! Where the hell are you? My whole family’s waiting on you!” she shouted.

Nathan's POV

I stared out the window at the familiar streets passing by as I calmly answered, “I already signed the papers. I’m home now.”