Nathan's POV
Slowly, I opened my eyes. “I’m listening. So what’s your point?”
Cassandra instantly deflated, like a balloon pricked with a pin.
“Hmph, talking to you is like playing music to a cow. Forget it, I was just making small talk.”
The breeze from the open car window cleared my head a little.
“Cassandra, about the house, don’t you have something you should tell me?”
I studied her profile as this was her last chance to confess her sin.
But she dodged my eyes and muttered, dry and flat, “Nope. Didn’t I already go along with you on everything?”
My gaze dropped, and with it, my heart sank all the way down.
Until the very end, she was still pretending, still too stingy to give me even one honest word.
If she just told me the truth now, maybe... no. Who was I kidding? Not anymore.
My fists clenched tight. So this was what all my sacrifices had bought me, her reckless, unrestrained betrayal.
Sensing my silence, she twisted strands of hair around her finger, uneasy.
Next to the florist was the furniture store where I ordered a walnut dining set. I walked straight in and spotted my order, now finally completed.
I was about to pay when a shrill, effeminate voice rang behind me.
“Cassandra? Weren’t you supposed to help me pick out a crystal chandelier today?”
Him again.
When Daniel spotted me, he made a show of covering his mouth. “Oh, Nathan? My bad, didn’t see you standing there.”
He glanced around theatrically and amusedly commented, “Oh, wow, you two are here shopping too? This place has the most gorgeous chandeliers, perfect for a big loft! Cassandra even said last time she wanted to put one in my new place!”
My fingers curled one by one into a fist.
So she had already planned his “new home,” while I was still standing guard over a hollow shell she had sold off, still waiting for some kind of explanation.
Daniel picked up a brochure and waved it in my face. “Here, Nathan, look at this one. Flown in from Italy. Imagine it in the entryway. Wouldn’t it look amazing?”
I waved him off, pushing the brochure back. “No thanks. I’ve already made my choice. You two take your time.”
Daniel blinked, then lifted his wrist in a limp flourish, feigning deep injury. “Ohhh, what’s this? You don’t want me here? Should I leave?”
But before he could take a step, Cassandra grabbed his hand tightly. “Why are you leaving?”
She swung her head back at me, eyes blazing. “Nathan, Daniel is family now. Can’t you treat him with some respect? Don’t bring your bad temper from outside back into our home!”
Her words stopped me cold.
Family? Since when? And how come I, the so-called man of the house, was the last to know?
But then again, what did it matter? She could sell our home without asking me. Why would she need my approval for anything else?
Having that thought, I laughed bitterly and remarked, “This little sissy only looks good in your eyes. If he wants to leave, let him leave. What’s with all the whining?”
Both of them froze, caught off guard by my bluntness.
“Who are you calling a sissy?” Daniel snapped. “Watch your mouth!”
He huffed and puffed like he was storming out. “Fine! I’ll leave, no need to insult me!”
But Cassandra tightened her grip on his hand. “Nathan, we’re about to get married. Can you act like a grown man for once? From the engagement until now, you’ve never treated me kindly. And now you’re dragging Daniel into it?”
Daniel tugged on her arm, though his body pressed even closer to hers. “Cassandra, don’t. Just drop it.”
But Cassandra’s temper finally snapped. “No, I won’t drop it! I’ve had enough! Nathan, keep pushing! Go ahead and make a scene! And when your wound splits open again because of your tantrums, don’t you dare turn around and blame me for not warning you!”
