Chapter 3

Neil frowned. "What?"

But he didn't even have time to be shocked as Josie came running down the hallway, "Neil! There's a problem with specimen number 3!"

Neil promptly turned to her. "What happened?"

"The threshold is shooting up! Come quick!" Josie cried, tugging on his sleeve.

Neil turned back to Anna, his tone flat again, "This takes precedence. We can talk later after I'm done."

Without giving Anna any time to respond, he quickly followed Josie and disappeared, while Anna stood there and watched them leave, impassive.

She wasn't surprised—to Neil, anything and everything else mattered more than her.

Even if he did say they could talk later, he didn't mean it—he never cared about any arrangement for their wedding, only paying up when she asked.

Now that she had told him she was calling it off, she had fulfilled all her obligations.

The house she bought for the wedding was being sold through an agency, and she had already vacated her previous rental, leaving her suddenly homeless.

So thirty minutes later, she found herself standing in front of an old apartment.

Her mother opened the door, and upon seeing her, her face instantly lit up with a warm smile. "Anna! What a surprise… Where's Neil? Why isn't he with you?"

Anna squeezed her way through the door, her tone flat. "He's not coming."

In the living room, her father and younger brother Yannick were glued to the couch watching TV, their feet propped up on the low glass table in front of them.

Hearing Anna enter, her father turned towards her, smiling while craning his neck to look behind her. "Where's Neil? Parking his car or something?"

"We broke up," Anna said flatly.

There was silence as time seemed to freeze, and soon the smile on her father's face vanished as he sprang to his feet, bellowing, "What?! You broke up?! What are you talking about?!"

"It means the engagement is off. We have nothing to do with each other anymore." Anna said quietly and flatly.

Crash!!!

Her father kicked over the glass table in front of him, shattering the fruit plate and throwing the teacups all over.

Scalding tea splashed onto Anna's calf, burning her right then.

"You worthless piece of shit!" Her father bellowed, veins bulging on his forehead as he pointed at her. "You know damn well how many girls would kill to marry Neil Irons, but you're saying you broke up with him?! What, so I've raised you all for nothing now?! "

Yannick, legs crossed, scoffed too. "Sis, I'm not trying to be mean, but just look at Neil's connections. Is there anyone in his network who isn't rich and important?

"Oh, wait—I see how it is. Heck, I've heard about it. Josie York, right? His mentor's daughter… Now that's a perfect match."

Giving Anna a once-over, he kept smirking, "Well, you have nothing besides your pretty face. If you had any self-awareness, you'd be more sensible and just suck it up. Don't you know how lucky you were to be even given a chance?

"He's a man, and it's normal for him to play pretend. But how are we going to be rich if you got dumped? Aren't you destroying your own baby brother's future?"

Anna listened as her own family insulted her to the core, watching their faces twist and contort at the prospect of not enjoying the wealth they imagined.

The burn on her calf stung, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart.

This was supposed to be her home, where she had once longed for a little warmth, even if they had to pretend for that.

She had given them all the money she had, paying for her brother's tuition fees at a third-rate university and her parents' constant demands for 'retirement assistance funds', along with the down payment for a new house…

Even so, she held out hope—faint desperate hope in them, especially since Neil proposed.

Her family's attitude changed drastically since then, calling her often and asking after her with warmth and concern.

She naively believed that this was belated affection, that her parents had finally recognized her worth.

Now that facade had faded, and the gruesome truth was laid bare.

Even their concern was offered with self-interest in mind, and not for her sake.

Hence, Anna didn't say any other word, not even bothering to treat the burns on her leg as she turned to leave, dragging along her suitcase.

"Where are you going?! What's with that attitude?! Leaving just because I spoke the truth?!

"Fine! Leave, and don't ever come back! Let's see if there's anyone out there who would give a shit about you!"

Anna slammed the door forcefully shut to cut off the ruckus.

She leaned against the wall, breathing a deep sigh while the lights down the hallway flickered.

The world was a big place, but here she was, with no place to go…