Chapter 3

That night, I waited until past midnight, but Chelsea never came home. Instead, countless messages came flooding in from others.

"Ramon, Chelsea and Owen are already sharing a room. Doesn't it bother you at all that you've been cuckolded?"

"Honestly, they suit each other better. Don't be so stubborn, Ramon. Just let Chelsea go."

I stared at those messages, feeling like my head was about to explode.

No wonder Chelsea hadn't answered my calls or replied to my texts the night before. She'd been otherwise engaged.

My vision blurred, and the two lines of text dissolved into a watery mess.

I let out a deep breath and rubbed my eyes. Then, I tapped on the Instagram picture Owen had just posted.

Two white bathrobes lay spread out on the floor, overlapping one another. Even though there was no caption, the implication was plain for anyone to see.

I stared fixedly at the photo, barely able to keep myself upright.

I had to admit that Owen was brilliant, sharp, and always thinking three steps ahead. I wasn't as capable or talented as him. In fact, I couldn't even compare to him in any way.

But back in college, when I rescued him from those thugs, I never imagined that one day he would set his sights on my woman.

Back then, he was timid, frail, and couldn't even afford his tuition. I gave him all the money I earned from my summer part-time gigs, along with the living expenses my parents had sent me.

He was so moved that his eyes reddened. He slung an arm over me and said no one had ever been that good to him.

Like a complete fool, I thumped my chest and said, "Don't worry. I've got your back from now on!"

I had meant every word.

After that, whether it was internships or dates, I always brought him along. Even after we decided to come to Richton, I pushed Chelsea to pull some strings and get Owen into the law firm.

A senior once warned me, "Things were bound to get messy with three people in the mix for that long."

I just laughed it off and said, "They would never betray me."

But later, as their skills grew and their work became more advanced, I was the one who became the sidekick.

All strength left me. I slid down the wall into a heap and couldn't get up for a long time.

…

It wasn't until morning that Chelsea finally came home.

She said a quick hello to me, then went to the bedroom to wash up and change. A short while later, she emerged looking every bit the sharp professional again.

I staggered to my feet and grabbed her by the arm. "I have something to say."

"Go ahead. You have three minutes," she said without looking up, her gaze fixed on her phone as she typed furiously, a faint smile playing on her lips.

I watched helplessly as she typed out, "Owen, I'll be at your place soon. Wait for me."

The moment I saw those last three words, it felt like a fire was raging inside my chest. My throat was burned raw, and I couldn't get a single question out.

"Ramon, I'm going to be late!" Chelsea glanced impatiently at her watch.

She was willing to spend an hour on the road, driving from the south side of the city all the way to the north side to pick up and drop off Owen. But when it came to me, she barely spared three minutes.

I could no longer remember how long it had been since she last drove me to and from work, even though we worked at the same law firm.

Every time, it was always the same excuse.

"Owen and I still have a case to go over, so I'm heading off first. You can take the subway."

I supposed I was just cheap.

At first, there was resentment, then confusion, and now it had all become something I had simply grown used to.

However, I would not stay cheap forever.

I drew in a sharp breath and said with a smile, "Let's break up."

Chelsea stopped typing and finally lifted her head. "What did you say?"

I looked at her intently and repeated, "Let's break up."

"Why? There has to be a reason, right?" She grabbed me abruptly, and her hand tightened on instinct as her nails dug into my skin.

I smiled through the pain and explained, "You and Owen have already shared a room, so isn't our breakup just the perfect way to make it official for you two?"

A look of sudden understanding dawned on Chelsea's face, but a flash of suppressed anger crossed her eyes just as quickly.

"Ramon, Owen is your best friend. How could you think something so filthy about us?"

Filthy?

We had been together for eight years. I left my hometown for her and went all this time without a single home-cooked meal from my parents. Yet, all I got in return was this.

"Last night, Owen and I had a breakthrough while discussing a case, so we drank a bit too much in our excitement. In the end, we just got a twin room and made do for one night. Whether you believe it or not, nothing happened between us."

After she finished speaking, she shoved past me. Then, she grabbed her keys and changed her shoes.

As she reached the door, she suddenly stopped and turned to look back at me.

"I will pretend I never heard what you just said," she said softly. "You should think it over properly."

However, I didn't have much time to think it over. Because less than ten minutes after Chelsea left, I was summoned back to the law firm by an urgent call from Neil.