Chapter 3: Are You Jealous?

Caleb’s vision blurred from a coughing fit. Through the haze, he saw a pair of colorful high heels. Looking up, he recognized Raquel Levinson, elegantly dressed in white. His fiancée. The woman who had once sworn her love for him, the same woman who had falsely testified against him in court, condemning him for a crime he didn’t commit.

Raquel frowned, stepping back instinctively as she noticed the blood on his lip. Disdain flickered in her eyes, quickly masked. She spoke in a measured tone, "I came to take you home. You've repaid your debt to Jesse—it's over now. Just get along with him. He's willing to let bygones be bygones."

Let bygones be bygones? A bitter laugh threatened to escape him. He'd lived a normal life for twenty years—and for that, they'd turned him into a criminal and a sinner.

A complex emotion flickered in Caleb's eyes as he stared at Raquel. Five years ago, they were to be married that winter. Then Jesse appeared, and the marriage was handed over to the "real" heir. Initially, Raquel had clung to him, sobbing, swearing her love only for him, her refusal to marry Jesse. Yet now, she stood before him, calling Jesse's name sweetly, as if she'd forgotten those words.

"You—" Before he could finish, her phone rang. Her frown vanished, replaced by a bright smile and softer demeanor as she answered. "Jesse. Yes, I've arrived." Her voice dripped with affection, the playful coyness of a woman in love. Caleb had never seen her like this. Five years. Apparently, that was all it took for a heart to change.

Swallowing the question forming in his mind, Caleb wiped the blood from his lip and walked toward the bus stop. Pain pulsed relentlessly through his chest with every step; his broken rib ached—Yelena's doing. Half a month after Jesse's return, Jesse had climbed a forbidden tower. His reckless stunt involved the police, and the neglected staircase gave way. Caleb scrambled to brace it, but Yelena shoved him from behind, shouting, "Jump down! Your brother will catch you!" Before he could react, Jesse leaped, his fifty kilograms crashing down on Caleb. Three ribs snapped instantly; one pierced his lung. He was rushed to the emergency room, but the Quixall family fussed over Jesse's scraped palm, ignoring Caleb's injuries.

Memories flooded back. Standing at the bus stop, he exhaled. He still had enough money to leave, to sever ties with the Quixall family as soon as possible.

"Cale, why did you leave without saying a word?"

A sleek car pulled up; Raquel stepped out, her makeup barely concealing her displeasure. She hadn't noticed him leaving. Caleb didn't bother arguing. "Why are you following me? You're Jesse's fiancée. Keep your distance from other men."

Raquel's expression stiffened, then she frowned. "Are you jealous?"

Caleb was stunned. How did she reach that conclusion? Before he could respond, Raquel defended herself, "I had no choice. You were gone five years. I'm only human—I need love too. Jesse has been very good to me…"

Caleb's surprise turned to mockery. They all claimed "no choice," shoving their burdens onto him. "But did I ever have a choice?"

Cutting her off, he looked at her, his voice quiet but sharp. "Why did you lie on the stand?"