Chapter 3The Unveiling

Before I could speak, he launched his attack. "This is what you're feeding me?"

I glanced at my phone. Thirty minutes ago, he'd sent me a text.

"Make dinner." Two words. A simple command.

I was about to remind him he couldn't eat this, but I turned and saw he was already at the table, digging in.

The custom suit, the high-end watch, and the cheap plastic container. It was ridiculous.

I’d forgotten. It wasn't that he couldn't eat it. It was that I cared more about his health than he did, so I’d policed it for him.

He finished eating just as I came out of the bathroom holding the "his-and-hers" toothbrush holder.

He glanced at it, his eyes full of disdain. "What is that? It's hideous. Don't tell me you expect me to use that."

"You're right. It's disgusting. So ugly it makes me sick." I forced a smile and, right in front of him, threw it into the trash can.

Along with this putrid, rotting love. I was done.

Landon was clearly not expecting that. He finally realized I might actually be angry.

He crossed the room in two long strides, wrapped his arms around my waist, and buried his head in my neck, hanging on me like a koala.

Any other time, I would have melted. This time, my hands hung limp at my sides.

The second he touched me, I went rigid. Goosebumps rose on my skin where he held me. That image—the photo from the parking ticket—flashed in my mind. I felt sick all over again.

I stiffened my back, pushing him away until I could break his hold. Sensing my rejection, the flicker of tenderness on Landon's face vanished, replaced by a cold annoyance.

"Grace, stop being angry. I really had an emergency this afternoon. Look, I brought you a present." He dangled a butterfly necklace from his fingers. It was covered in diamonds, sparkling under the light. Except, on the bottom right wing, a few of the stones were missing.

I had just seen the "perfect" version of it on Instagram.

On Mia’s feed.

Her caption read: Landon got me this butterfly necklace. So tacky. I literally threw it in the trash. He took me right to Tiffany’s to pick out something else. ❤️

She’d posted pictures. The necklace, perfect. And then the necklace, lying in a public trash can.

Landon had fished it out of the garbage to bring home to me.

He was staring at my face. "You've been crying."

I hadn't followed his train of thought. He pointed to my swollen eyes.

"Just got dust in my eye while I was cleaning."

It was a pathetic excuse, but I knew Landon wouldn't question it. He didn't care enough to.

I grabbed the "his-and-hers" towels off the rack. "Are these towels kind of ugly, too? Let's just toss them."

They were pink and blue, with little cartoon versions of us embroidered on them. It had taken me weeks to find someone to custom-make them.

Maybe my quiet resistance was finally getting to him. He just sighed and agreed. "Yeah, they're pretty ugly."

The truth was, I had chosen every single thing in this apartment with care. I loved them all. But affection that isn't returned is just a burden.

Landon frowned, sensing something was wrong. He looked me up and down, and his gaze landed on the suitcase by the door.