Chapter 4

A flicker of guilt crossed Blake's face. Chloe also looked stunned.

"Chloe, don't listen to him. I agreed to be a test subject for some experimental drugs to get that million."

As he spoke, he exposed his arms, covered in dense needle marks that looked horrifying.

The people around us gasped. Chloe gave me a cold stare.

"You wouldn't help, and now you're slandering someone else!"

"I want you to apologize to Blake!"

Blake was a university student Chloe had sponsored, from a poor background.

In my previous life, he never worked a day after college. Chloe always covered for him.

Even after her family went bankrupt and she married me, I provided a generous monthly allowance. It was enough for her to maintain her old lifestyle without compromise.

Yet she gave nearly all of it to Blake.

My friends began to whisper among themselves.

"No wonder Chloe chose that poor guy. At least he's there for her when it counts."

"A million dollars is nothing to Julian, yet he wouldn't even spend it."

"Chloe, we're on your side. You absolutely shouldn't marry Julian."

"If this is how he treats you now, imagine what it would be like after marriage."

Everyone started to criticize me, one after another, as if I were some heinous criminal.

But in my previous life, I had cared for Chloe with all my heart for so many years, only for her to allow her children to kill me. What wrong had I done?

I frowned. How could everyone believe such an obvious lie?

Who gets a million bucks for a drug trial, let alone one that pays out that fast?!

These pampered socialites, born with silver spoons in their mouths, clearly had no clue how real money was made.

At that moment, Chloe grabbed Blake's hand, looking furiously at me.

"Julian, I declare that I'm canceling our engagement!"

After saying that, she kissed Blake's lips, and he responded with equal fervor.

Even now, she thought her place in my heart was irreplaceable, that this would be enough to threaten me.

"You can't cancel the engagement!"

Just as I was about to reply, Mr. and Mrs. Miller burst in.

"Chloe, we always thought you and Julian were just having a small disagreement."

"Julian was still willing to give a million dollars to save you, which shows he still cares about you."

"That day he said you had someone else in your heart, we didn't believe it, but it was all true."

"Chloe, do you know what kind of person he is? You can't be with him!"

Mr. Miller jabbed a finger at Blake and flung a stack of photos in his face.

"He's on drugs!"

But Chloe was past caring. She stared at me, her face etched with disbelief.

"Was that money really from you?"

I ignored her question and offered only a cold reply.

"I agree to break the engagement. From now on, we are nothing."

With that, I turned and walked out.

That night, Chloe stood outside my apartment building until dawn. I didn't look at her. Instead, I messaged the elders of both families, calling off the engagement for good.

The next day, the moment my visa cleared, I boarded a plane and left the country.