Max's family had once been distinguished intellectuals. Word was that one of his ancestors had placed third in the imperial civil service exams generations ago. Even now, with the family fortune long gone and barely any money to their name, they still carried themselves with an unbreakable sense of pride.
But that pride?
All it did was make people laugh.
It was my savings, over a hundred thousand dollars, that I'd handed over for him to invest, to start a small business. That was how the money started growing.
He hadn't even made it to the top yet.
But he already had the attitude of a man who had.
He even had the nerve to say "everyone in his circle" lived like this.
"Max, have you forgotten what you promised me?"
By the time Max arrived at Lakeview Manor, it was already dark.
He shooed the neighbors away and told Abigail to go downstairs. That left just the two of us in the room.
I pulled up the recording I'd kept pinned at the top of my phone. My eyes burned red as I tapped play and held it up in front of him.
His voice filled the room.
"I, Max Matthews, swear to God that I will marry no one but Madeline Henson in this lifetime. I will be faithful to her, without regret."
"If I ever break this vow, may lightning strike me down."
In the past, whenever he'd messed up or we'd had a fight, all I had to do was pull out this recording and he'd cave. He'd apologize in no time.
But now, the only thing in his eyes was disgust.
"That recording is ancient history. You're seriously digging that up? Don't you ever get tired of yourself?"
"Three years of long distance. What makes you think you can demand I stay faithful to you?"
"Compared to you, every girl out there is more fun and more lovable."
"Madeline, don't make me despise you even more. Don't push this to divorce."
I stared at the impatience in his eyes, and it felt like a thousand needles driving into my chest.
All these years I'd been with Max, my parents had adored him.
Good family background. Decent looks. Strong work ethic. A degree from a top university.
He'd checked every single box for their idea of the perfect son-in-law.
I'd always thought that if we worked hard together for a few years, we'd finally get to share a life.
I never expected that the only one working hard was me.
Max had checked out long ago, moving another woman into the home I'd paid for.
His heart hadn't been mine for a long time.