Chapter 1

Their flirtatious words echoed in my ears, making my heart ache dully. 

"Lucas," Victoria pouted, her voice dripping with sweetness despite the smug look on her face. "Madison invited you so many times."

"Isn't it kinda mean to keep ditching her?" 

"It's not a big deal," Lucas said casually, tapping Victoria's nose.

"I was busy every time. Last time, it was your birthday."

"The time before that, you had a stomachache."

"And before that, we were at that hotel, and you wanted to-" 

"Ugh, Lucas! Do you have to say everything out loud?"

Victoria's cheeks flushed as she tried to cover his mouth. 

Lucas laughed, catching her hand and kissing her palm.

"Not your fault. If she keeps picking the wrong days, what am I supposed to do?" 

My vision blurred as hot tears slipped down my face. 

Four years with Lucas, and I was only now seeing him clearly. 

I thought back to our second anniversary-how he'd smashed my carefully made cake just because I accidentally touched him. 

"Madison, you know I'm a germaphobe, and you still put your filthy hands on me?"

"That's disgusting!" 

His face twisted in disgust as he threw a used disinfecting wipe at me before storming off, leaving me humiliated in front of the entire restaurant. 

I had apologized, scrambling to clean up the mess.

The alcohol from the wipe stung my eyes, but I forced myself not to cry. 

Later, he explained it away.

Don't overthink it, Madison. I treat everyone like that.

I believed him then. 

But now, those memories tangled in my mind, and my gaze locked onto the ice cream he'd just accepted from Victoria. 

"Madison, the exhibition is about to start!"

My assistant Emily rushed over.

"Are we still not showing the final piece?" 

The painting.

I suddenly remembered. 

I had once painted a portrait of Lucas and me when we first met, beaming with happiness. 

I had promised that when he proposed, I would display it to show the world how far we'd come. 

But now… I let out a bitter laugh.

That was never going to happen. 

"No, not this time either," I told Emily with a soft smile.

"But three days from now, it will be on display. Make sure everyone sees it." 

By the time the event ended, it was late afternoon.

When I turned on my phone, I saw dozens of missed calls from Lucas. 

Before I could react, another call came through. 

"Madison, you're not home yet?" Lucas sounded impatient.

"I'm working late. Bring dinner for two.

And get a strawberry pudding from Westside Café." 

Victoria's voice chimed in playfully.

"And add some tapioca pearls!" 

My hands tightened around my phone, trembling with anger. 

Lucas always made me deliver food whenever he worked late.

But three months ago, he suddenly started asking for double portions. 

"I get hungry fast at night. One serving isn't enough." 

Coincidentally, that was when Victoria had started working for him. 

It was also when he suddenly developed a taste for sweets. 

I had asked him about it. He'd frowned slightly and said, "Don't you like sweets?"

"I just didn't want you to go hungry." 

Back then, I had been overjoyed, thinking I had finally warmed his cold heart. 

But now, I realized someone else had been melting that ice. 

I didn't want to go, but Lucas had invested in the exhibition, and I needed his signature on some documents. 

By the time I arrived at his office, rain had drenched me to the bone. 

I pushed open the door, only to lock eyes with Victoria-wrapped snugly in Lucas's arms. 

"Oh!" Victoria gasped and quickly jumped up.

"Madison, you're here!" 

Lucas frowned, rubbing Victoria's wrist where she had bumped it.

"Why the rush? Look, now you've hurt yourself." 

"I just didn't want Madison to misunderstand," Victoria whined, sticking out her tongue playfully. 

Lucas chuckled.

"As if she even has the right to be mad."

Then, finally glancing at me, his gaze turned cold.

"What? You want an invitation to step inside?" 

"Madison, you're twenty minutes late."

"And now you're dripping water all over my office."

"Don't you think you owe me an explanation?" 

Chapter 2

I was freezing, my lips pale and trembling.

"It's raining. Traffic was bad." 

Lucas sighed, his tone softening.

"Why didn't you take a cab?" 

Lucas never offered to pick me up. 

"You're a grown woman, Madison. Stop acting like a child." 

But the day Victoria was hired, Lucas personally arranged for her to have a company car. 

She didn't even drive-so he got her a chauffeur. 

Looking at Victoria, warm and dry in her designer clothes, while I stood there drenched, I suddenly wanted to run. 

I shakily pulled out the documents and set them on the desk. 

"Lucas, these are for the exhibition. I need your signature." 

He signed the papers, but when I reached for them, he pressed them down with his hand. 

He studied me for a moment before speaking. 

"There are dry clothes in the lounge. Go change."

I paused. My wet clothes felt uncomfortable-there was no point in making myself suffer. 

Nodding, I pulled open the closet door, only to freeze in place a second later. 

Inside, the closet was full of skimpy lingerie.

And without exception, every single piece was Victoria's size. 

A tremor ran through me.

I didn't know if I felt more disgusted or furious, but I barely made it to the bathroom before I started throwing up. 

When I was done, I grabbed a disinfectant wipe and cleaned my hands.

For the first time, I was actually grateful for Lucas's obsession with cleanliness. 

Taking a deep breath, I got ready to leave the lounge, but as I turned, my gaze landed on the trash can. 

There, sitting right on top, was a freshly used condom.

The air still carried that unmistakable scent. 

I couldn't stay another second.

Fighting back nausea, I pushed open the door and walked out. 

Lucas glanced at me, puzzled.

"Why didn't you change?" 

I hesitated, then clenched my teeth and forced out two words. "

Didn't fit." 

Realization dawned on Lucas's face as he remembered what was in that closet. 

He shot to his feet, eyes darting nervously. 

"Madison, it's not what you think. Let me explain-" 

"Oh no-" Victoria suddenly gasped, knocking over a strawberry smoothie.

The sticky liquid splashed all over both of them. 

Tears welled up in Victoria's eyes.

"Lucas, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to…" 

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm not mad at you!"

Lucas quickly shrugged off his jacket and used it to wipe her off, not even caring that the same drink he claimed to hate was soaking through his own shirt. 

I had no interest in watching their little soap opera.

Grabbing my files, I walked straight out of the office. 

Right before the door shut, I caught one last glimpse of Victoria's face through the gap.

She was smirking at me-a triumphant, taunting smile. 

Chapter 3

I pulled out my phone and made a call. 

"Professor, I've made up my mind. Book me a flight in three days." 

"Madison, are you sure?" My professor sounded surprised.

"But isn't your wedding in three days?" 

Two days before my last gallery showing, my old professor reached out, asking if I'd consider an opportunity abroad. 

Back then, I said no.

I was about to get married-I wanted to stay here with him. 

She'd sounded disappointed but told me the offer would always be open. 

Now, I took one last look at that closed office door. 

"Yes, I'm sure," I said. "I'm going with you." 

Some things just aren't meant to be. And that's okay. 

I'd spent enough years chasing something that was never mine to begin with. 

Back at home, I packed up my things, erasing every trace of my life here. 

When Lucas got home, he paused for a second, noticing the half-empty apartment. 

He looked at me.

"Why are you packing all of a sudden?" 

I lowered my gaze.

"Got tired of it. Felt like a change." 

Lucas let out a relieved sigh, then pulled out a card and placed it next to me. 

"If you're sick of it, then change it. Get whatever you want." 

He gestured toward a pile of designer perfume and makeup.

"My business partners sent over some samples. Pick whatever you like." 

I glanced at the perfectly packaged, high-end products. 

All freebies. 

I shook my head, about to say something, but before I could, Lucas spoke up again, this time with a bit of urgency. 

"Oh, by the way, Madison-Victoria's apartment lost power, so she's staying over tonight." 

"I told her she could take the guest room. That okay?" 

I let out a quiet laugh.

He'd already done everything behind my back, and now he was pretending to ask for permission? 

It didn't matter.

I wouldn't be here much longer anyway. 

I nodded.

"Just keep her out of my room." 

In my art studio, I stared at the dozens of paintings I'd made of Lucas over the years.

Happy, frustrated, confident, excited… 

His face hadn't changed. But the person I once saw in him was gone. 

One by one, I fed the paintings into the shredder, watching the memories turn into meaningless scraps of paper. 

It was time. 

Just then, my phone lit up with a message from an unknown number. 

I clicked on it. 

It was from Victoria. 

A picture. 

She was curled up in Lucas's arms, wearing nothing but a silk nightgown, her expression smug. Their pose left no room for misinterpretation. 

Then the texts came. 

"Madison, you know… the person who isn't loved is the real third wheel."

"I heard you really wanted him to go to your gallery show?"

"Funny, every time he rejected you, he spent the night tangled up with me instead~"

"Oh, and those two meals you always packed for him? We shared them."

"We'd eat one together, and after… well, we'd work up an appetite and eat the second one too."

"By the way, Madison, how are those leftover makeup samples I gave you?"

I closed my eyes. 

So that's what I was-just another pawn in their little game. 

My gaze fell on the makeup boxes. 

Lucas had given me makeup before. 

It was after one of our worst fights.

He always forgot our anniversary, and I was so upset I ignored him for a week. 

Then he showed up at my door with a suitcase full of beauty products, saying he was just a clueless guy who didn't understand these things, that if he ever did anything wrong, I could yell at him, hit him, whatever-just don't ignore him. 

But today, I finally realized- 

He wasn't like that with everyone.