“Yeah, yeah, Nathan, you’re living the dream — just don’t forget your brothers…”
The lounge filled with raucous laughter.
“Nathan, don’t worry! When I win the racing championship, the first thing I’ll do is bring you the trophy!”
Nathan laughed even harder, his eyes glassy.
“See? Ruby is just that confident. Her world needs passion and speed — and I have to support her.”
I stood at the doorway, feeling the blood in my veins turn to ice.
Most of my income each month went straight to Nathan.
My right hand still needed rehabilitation if I ever wanted a chance to fully recover.
I had once wanted to buy an imported nerve stimulation device, but Nathan’s face had darkened immediately.
“Spending more money? You’ve been treating this for years. Domestic models are cheaper.”
In the end, he only allowed me to buy a low-frequency domestic machine that cost a few hundred dollars — and I had to pay the bill myself.
So he could be generous — just never with me.
The next day, Nathan and I went together to pick up our custom-made wedding rings.
Nathan sat in the passenger seat, scrolling through his phone absentmindedly.
“I heard there’s a professional racing circuit out near the outskirts of the city. A lot of pro drivers train there — the facilities are amazing…”
He glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
I kept my Bluetooth earpiece in and didn’t respond.
He raised his voice, irritated.
“Training there would help a lot. Ruby wants to move near there to train long term. What do you think — should we move closer?”
I didn’t even look at him.
“Mm.”
Nathan’s temper flared.
“Stella, I’m trying to talk to you about our future!”
I turned my head slowly, meeting his sleep-deprived, booze-worn face.
“Done talking?”
Nathan deflated like a punctured balloon, rolling his eyes.
“Forget it. Talking to you is like talking to a wall.”
The cold wind seeped through the crack in the car window, making the pain in my right hand even sharper.
“Nathan, about the condo… are you hiding something from me?”
I wanted to give him one last chance to be honest.
His gaze flickered, but he quickly masked it with false calm.
“No, the condo’s fine.”
My heart sank into an icy abyss.
Even now, he couldn’t give me a single honest word.
After picking up the rings, Nathan wanted to stop by the downtown shopping district.
A bright red Ferrari screeched to a showy stop by the curb.
Ruby leaned against the door, waving excitedly.