Nathan sat in the passenger seat, scrolling through his phone absentmindedly.
“I heard there’s a professional racing circuit out near the outskirts of the city. A lot of pro drivers train there — the facilities are amazing…”
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
I kept my Bluetooth earpiece in and didn’t respond.
He raised his voice, irritated.
“Training there would help a lot. Ruby wants to move near there to train long term. What do you think — should we move closer?”
I didn’t even look at him.
“Mm.”
Nathan’s temper flared.
“Stella, I’m trying to talk to you about our future!”
I turned my head slowly, meeting his sleep-deprived, booze-worn face.
“Done talking?”
Nathan deflated like a punctured balloon, rolling his eyes.
“Forget it. Talking to you is like talking to a wall.”
The cold wind seeped through the crack in the car window, making the pain in my right hand even sharper.
“Nathan, about the condo… are you hiding something from me?”
I wanted to give him one last chance to be honest.
His gaze flickered, but he quickly masked it with false calm.
“No, the condo’s fine.”
My heart sank into an icy abyss.
Even now, he couldn’t give me a single honest word.
After picking up the rings, Nathan wanted to stop by the downtown shopping district.
A bright red Ferrari screeched to a showy stop by the curb.
Ruby leaned against the door, waving excitedly.
“Nathan! Come check out your new ride!”
Nathan’s face turned pale.
Seeing me, Ruby put on a fake-friendly smile, patted my shoulder.
“Oh, Stella, I didn’t see you there just now. Isn’t it cool? The color matches Nathan’s wedding bow tie! He said this is my war chariot — when I drive it, it’s like carrying him with me!”
My knuckles cracked from how hard I clenched my fists.
Was that supposed to be a love confession?
And me? I stood there like a fool, guarding a hollow shell of a “home” he had long since gutted.
Ruby jumped in, started the engine.
“Stella, listen to this roar! Doesn’t it match my driving skills perfectly?”
I raised my eyes, giving her a cold look.
“Yes. Both are equally unbearable.”
They both froze, clearly shocked that I — usually so mild — would say something like that.
“What… what did you just say?”
Nathan yanked me aside, lowering his voice, his eyes full of warning.
“Stella! What’s wrong with you? Ruby’s about to compete in the National Championship — can’t you hold it together? Stop dragging out your self-pity and attitude!”
I let out a short laugh. Self-pity?
Well, in his eyes, I was nothing more than a washed-up doctor with a ruined hand — self-pitying and oversensitive.
“A girl who shamelessly lives off a man — and you treat her like treasure. Just seeing her makes me sick.”
They were stunned, unable to believe I’d said something so cruel.
“Stella! Who are you calling shameless?!”
“Nathan, if it weren’t for you, I’d—”
Ruby’s eyes were red with rage. Nathan quickly pulled her close, shielding her.
