Chapter 2

On the day I was discharged, Sebastian came to pick me up.

To celebrate my "rebirth," he took me to the trendiest spicy Sichuan hot pot restaurant in the city.

"You've been craving this for three years. Today, you finally get to eat it."

Sebastian put a piece of spicy beef into my bowl.

The fiery flavor exploded on my tongue. It felt both familiar and strangely new.

But just as I picked up my fork, a commotion broke out near the entrance.

Carter walked in, his arm wrapped around Fiona. They looked incredibly intimate.

Fiona was smiling brightly, putting food onto his plate—all of which were the bland, light dishes he preferred.

It was an eyesore.

Since our table wasn't far from theirs, he spotted me almost instantly.

Carter frowned, whispered something to Fiona, and stood up, walking toward the restroom hallway.

As expected, he blocked my path in the corridor a few minutes later.

The expensive cologne on him drifted over, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

"Are you recovered?"

He spoke with no real concern, only a condescending stare.

"I assume you got the check. Don't contact me again."

His words were laced with warning and arrogance.

I looked at the face I used to adore, feeling absolutely nothing.

"Don't worry," I said indifferently, trying to step past him. "I wouldn't want to get dirty."

Carter's face instantly twisted.

The word "dirty" clearly struck a nerve.

He grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it felt like he wanted to crush my bones.

"What is that supposed to mean? Didn't I give you enough money?" he snapped, his voice low and dangerous.

I didn't struggle. I simply lifted my arm, showing him the dense needle bruises on my wrist from the IV drips.

"Is this what you mean by 'enough'?" I looked at him calmly, speaking word by word.

"To cater to your taste, I ate bland food for three years until I ended up in the emergency room."

"Carter, your money was bought with my health."

His pupils contracted, and his grip on my wrist loosened slightly.

Embarrassment flashed across his face, quickly turning into rage.

"Don't push your luck, Chloe."

He shoved me against the wall, his voice freezing.

"If you piss me off, I can cancel that check in a heartbeat."

Looking at his distorted, angry face, I suddenly remembered another night.

He had a severe stomachache in the middle of the night.

I had run across half the city in the freezing rain to find a 24-hour pharmacy just to buy the specific medicine he wanted.

When I brought it to him, dripping wet, he didn't even say thank you.

Yet, on the night I almost died of ruptured appendicitis, he was out drinking and partying with another woman.

What was I to him?

Just a convenient tool he could summon and discard at will.

This realization officially killed any lingering feelings I had.

I stopped looking at him and forcefully shook off his hand.

When I looked up again, I gave him a genuine, polite smile.

"Mr. Sterling."

There was no longer any affection in my voice.

"Have a nice life."

Without another word, I walked back to my table, leaving him standing in the dead silence of the hallway.

I had completely let go of my obsession. I finally saw him for the selfish man he truly was.

I was free.

---

**Chapter 3**