Chapter 1

The night before our contract was set to expire, Carter Sterling grabbed my waist from behind.

My voice trembled slightly.

"Carter... our arrangement is over."

His raspy voice brushed against my ear.

"I don't care. It’s not midnight yet."

What followed was a ruthless, breathless possession.

"Are you sure you don’t want to renew the contract? If you stay, I might actually marry you."

Carter's words struck a chord in my heart.

For three years, I had stayed by his side. While he filled my body, he had also completely occupied my heart.

But before I could even answer, he let out a cold laugh.

"Just kidding. Fiona is back. After midnight, we are officially nothing."

I turned away, hiding the tears spilling from my eyes.

Of course. The real queen had returned. It was time for the substitute to leave the stage.

...

At 2:00 AM, a sharp, unbearable pain ripped through my abdomen.

Cold sweat instantly drenched my pajamas. I curled up on the bed, gasping for air. Every breath felt like a knife twist.

Acute appendicitis.

That was the only thought left in my mind. Shaking, I grabbed my phone and dialed the one number engraved in my soul.

The phone rang for a long time before someone finally picked up.

"Carter," I whimpered, my voice cracking with pain. "My stomach hurts so bad... Can you please take me to the hospital?"

The background on his end was loud. I could hear music blasting.

Then, a sweet, playful female voice chimed in. "Carter, who is that? Come back and have a drink with us!"

It was Fiona Vance.

My heart instantly turned to ice.

Carter's impatient voice came through the receiver, cold and cutting.

"I'm busy. Call an ambulance yourself."

He hung up. The harsh dial tone echoed in the silent, dark room.

I lay in bed, shivering. The physical agony in my abdomen clashed with the freezing numbness in my chest. My vision began to blur.

I was completely abandoned.

Right before I blacked out, I used the last of my strength to dial my best friend, Sebastian Cole.

When I finally woke up, the first thing I smelled was bleach.

Sebastian was sitting by my bedside, his eyes bloodshot with worry.

"You're awake? The doctor said if you had arrived thirty minutes later, you wouldn't have made it."

He let out a massive sigh of relief.

I tried to speak, but my throat was parched.

Sebastian quickly handed me a cup of warm water and helped me sit up.

"Your appendix ruptured. They had to do emergency surgery."

I took a sip of water and asked softly, "How did you get into my apartment?"

Sebastian’s face darkened, anger flaring in his eyes.

"You weren't answering my calls, so I drove straight to your place. Thank god I remembered your door code."

He paused, his voice trembling with rage.

"Chloe, where was your precious Carter? Did you even call him?"

I remained silent.

Sebastian let out a bitter laugh. "Do you have any idea what he was doing last night? He rented out the most exclusive VIP lounge in the city for Fiona’s welcome-back party. It was trending all over Instagram!"

"The whole city knew about it, and you, you silly girl, were still hoping he’d save you!"

His words felt like a sledgehammer crushing my chest.

I thought about the last three years. To match his bland palate, I had stopped eating spicy food entirely, which eventually messed up my stomach.

I dressed like Fiona. I learned how to arrange flowers like her. I watched the indie movies she liked.

I had turned myself into a shadow of another woman, all for a fleeting smile from him.

Looking back, it was incredibly pathetic.

Just then, there was a knock on the ward door.

A man in a sharp suit walked in. It was Carter’s personal assistant, James.

He walked to my bed with a blank expression and handed me a check.

"Miss Mitchell, Mr. Sterling said this is your compensation for the past three years. Five hundred thousand dollars."

James's tone was completely professional, devoid of any warmth.

"Mr. Sterling also said that from now on, you two are completely even."

I looked at the numbers on the check and suddenly laughed.

I laughed so hard that tears streamed down my face.

I asked Sebastian to help me sit up straight. I looked directly at James.

"Please pass a message to Carter for me."

"Tell him, thank you for his generosity."

My voice was dead calm, showing no emotion.

"And wish him and Miss Vance a very happy marriage."

James froze for a second, then nodded and left the room.

The moment the door closed, the smile vanished from my face.

I turned to Sebastian. "When we go back, help me throw away everything of his in my apartment."

"Don't leave a single thing."

Sebastian nodded firmly. "About damn time!"

I pulled out my phone, found Carter's contact, and without a shred of hesitation, blocked his number.

The pain, the betrayal, the despair, the anger, the humiliation.

At this very moment, they all burned away, leaving nothing but absolute resolve.

Time to wake up, Chloe.

---

**Chapter 2**