chapter 3

It was just a regular health check-up, so why was he acting so strangely?

I thought for a moment and decided to play along.

"Alright, I got it. I'll go as soon as I get up."

As soon as I said that, Zayden immediately flashed a big smile.

"Babe, remember to see Dr. Lane when you get there. I've already made the appointment."

I casually brushed him off, practically pushing him out the door.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll call him once I get to the hospital. It's almost 8, you're gonna be late if you don't leave now."

Sure enough, as soon as Zayden walked out, I got a call from Dr. Lane.

He said he was already at the hospital waiting for me.

I glanced at the health check-up items Zayden had prepared for me on the nightstand and fell into deep thought.

Looks like this wasn't as simple as I thought.

I didn't head to the hospital at the time Dr. Lane had set. Instead, I showed up at a nearby café.

"Well well, Matilda, looks like retirement's treating you well. You don't look a day older."

A man with a baseball cap stirred his coffee across from me.

"Cut the small talk. Where's the info I asked you to look into?"

The man pouted playfully, clearly teasing, and pulled a stack of papers from his bag, gently placing them on the table.

"Aren't you about to get married? Why are you still so harsh?"

I didn't waste any more time with him. I grabbed the papers and turned to leave.

"You know the rules. No need for me to remind you.

"The money's already been transferred to your account."

...

I stepped out of the café and hailed a cab.

"Take me to The Rosewood Medical Center."

The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror and teased, "Well, that's a private hospital. I don't think my cab can get in."

Without a word, I pulled 200 bucks from my bag and tossed it his way.

"Can we get in now?"

The driver's eyes lit up as soon as he saw the money.

"Yeah, yeah, no problem. The gatekeeper's my friend. No one else can get in, but I sure can..."

"Drive."

Seeing my cold expression, the driver didn't say another word and just started the car.

On the way to the hospital, I flipped through the papers the man at the café had given me.

It wasn't until I felt the sharp pain of my nails digging into my palm that I snapped out of my anger.

Zayden... he was already married!

Their wedding date was the exact same day we met.

And his wife was none other than Eileen Garcia, the darling daughter of his company's CEO, the kind of woman every guy in town had dreamed about!

So it turned out, this whole thing had been a setup from the start!

"Hey, we're here."

The cab pulled up to what looked like a mansion.

With all the fancy cars driving by, I almost thought I had arrived at some kind of castle—if it weren't for the sign ahead.

After getting out of the cab, I destroyed the papers and called Dr. Lane.