Chapter 3Vengeance of the First Love

I didn't check into the hospital. The doctor warned me that without immediate treatment, I wouldn't have much time left.

I still didn't go.

I remembered the sheer agony Toby endured on that sterile bed. I was terrified.

He had always hated pain. I still didn't know how he survived those brutal dialysis sessions.

I hated pain too. But more than that, I was terrified of waking up screaming in the middle of the night with no one there to hold my hand.

I took the remaining money from Molly's payment and opened a tiny coffee shop.

Over the years, I had worked countless odd jobs to keep Toby alive. Being a barista was one of them.

Toby always loved the coffee I made. Lying in the hospital, pale as a ghost, he used to smile and promise me that when he got better, he would work three jobs, save up, and open a café just for me. He said he would be my loyal waiter.

He never made it to that day. Now it was just me, alone in this little shop.

Business wasn't booming, but it was enough to keep the lights on.

Right before closing on a Friday, a massive corporate order came in. One hundred artisanal coffees. I smiled so hard my cheeks ached. I worked like a machine, terrified that if I was a minute late, they would cancel the order.

But when I arrived at the delivery address and saw Sebastian standing in the penthouse lobby, I turned on my heel to leave.

To hell with this money.

Sebastian stepped into my path, tilting his perfectly sculpted jaw. "Stella, are you done throwing your little fit?"

He narrowed his dark eyes, radiating arrogance. "Do not push my boundaries. If you come back to my apartment right now, I will let this slide. Even though Molly is back, I'll allow you to stay by my side."

He spoke slowly, his tone dripping with condescension. He genuinely believed he was offering me the charity of a lifetime.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I ripped the lid off a cup and hurled the scorching coffee directly into his smug face.

"Are you out of your psychotic mind?! Go see a psychiatrist!"

"These past three years with you have been a living nightmare. Do you actually think you're God's gift to women?"

"Sebastian, looking at your face makes me physically nauseous!"

"What a waste. You just ruined a perfectly good cup of coffee!"

God.

Molly never mentioned I would have to deal with post-sale customer service when I signed that contract.

Sebastian was completely stunned. He stood frozen, espresso dripping from his expensive hair onto his designer suit. He couldn't compute what had just happened.

It made sense. For three years, I had been completely docile. If he told me to walk east, I never looked west. If he demanded I jump off a yacht into freezing water just for his amusement, I did it without hesitation.

My dedication to the role was unmatched.

He wiped his face, his eyes turning slightly red with frustration. "You were never like this."

"I just want things to go back to how they were."

I understood exactly what this was. Asking this arrogant billionaire to show weakness was like asking him to cut off his own arm.

But why the hell should I care?

I tossed the empty cup into a nearby trash can. "How they were? You mean playing the role of your pathetic, obedient dog?"

"Sorry to break it to you. I'm resigning from that position."

I didn't wait for a response. I walked out to my delivery van and drove away. In my rearview mirror, I could see him standing frozen in the plaza.

He looked like a proud, majestic lion that had just been brutally beaten.

I let out a cold, mocking laugh.

I knew Sebastian better than anyone. Showing up today was just another one of his sick little games.

I wondered how much money he and his frat-boy friends had bet on this outcome.

None of it mattered to me anymore.

I only cared about what his next move would be.

Because right now, he was dancing exactly to the tune I was playing.