Chapter 3

Sebastian helped me move into a new apartment.

But to my surprise, Fiona showed up at my door the very next day.

She walked in like she owned the place, scanning my cozy apartment with pure disdain.

"Chloe, I thought you'd buy a mansion with that five hundred thousand dollars," she said, sitting on my couch with an arrogant posture.

She casually waved her left hand, letting the massive diamond ring on her finger catch the light.

"Carter already proposed to me. We're getting engaged next month."

Her voice was dripping with smug provocation.

I didn't say anything, just stood there quietly, watching her little show.

Seeing that I wasn't reacting, she shifted to a fake, sympathetic tone.

"Look, I know you stayed with him for three years. It wasn't easy."

"If you want more money, just tell me. Stop trying to slide into his Snapchats. Carter has a soft heart, and I don't want you taking advantage of him."

What a laughable attempt to mark her territory.

I remained silent and took a sip of water.

My silence seemed to infuriate her.

Fiona’s smile vanished, her voice turning sharp and venomous.

"What? Is half a million not enough for you?" She sneered. "I guess that makes sense. After all, you slept with him for three years. You probably want a hefty 'youth tax,' don't you?"

Every single word was designed to humiliate me.

My fingers tightened around my glass.

Fiona saw this and thought she had won. She unlocked her phone, swiping through her photo album to show me.

"Look, Carter took me to Provence for this shoot."

"And this one was in the Swiss Alps."

In the photos, Carter was smiling with pure tenderness.

But the camera angles, the compositions, even the way he looked at her...

They were identical to the photos I used to keep on my phone.

It turned out that even the poses he took with me were just copies of her.

That was the final blow.

A dull ache throbbed in my chest, but I suppressed it.

Suddenly, I smiled.

Looking at Fiona's bewildered face, I spoke slowly.

"You're right. Five hundred thousand is indeed a bit low."

My voice wasn't loud, but it was crystal clear.

Fiona smirked, thinking I was finally going to demand more money.

I set my glass down, leaned in slightly, and looked her dead in the eye.

"He's actually pretty good in bed. That should be worth at least ten thousand dollars a night, don't you think?"

Fiona's smirk froze.

She clearly didn't expect me to say something so shameless.

"You... you shameless bitch!" she gasped, her face turning pale with rage.

Just as the words left her mouth, the apartment door was suddenly pushed open.

Carter, who was supposed to be at his office, stood at the doorway. His face was thunderous.

He had obviously heard every single word.

The air in the living room froze instantly.

Fiona recovered quickly and immediately threw herself into his arms, sobbing hysterically.

But Carter didn't even look at her. His dark, burning eyes were locked onto me, as if he wanted to tear me apart.

He squeezed out a few words through his teeth, his voice dripping with icy venom.

"Is that really all I am to you?"

The tension in the room was suffocating. I knew the real confrontation had just begun.

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**Chapter 4**