Chapter 4

Shock flashed in Xavier’s eyes. His face twisted with disbelief.

“What did you just say?”

I lifted my head and met his gaze, my eyes void of the love they once held. Now, there was only hatred.

Word by word, I repeated myself.

“I said, Xavier, we’re done.

“From this moment on, neither Lucas nor I have anything to do with you.

“Now, take your precious childhood sweetheart and get out.”

I made sure to emphasize ''childhood sweetheart'', my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Xavier’s expression darkened instantly. He stared at me, his gaze unreadable, his emotions hidden beneath a storm.

“Summer Carter, you should know that playing hard to get won’t work on me.”

I hadn’t even responded when Wendy suddenly laced her fingers with his, stepping forward with a smug, taunting smile.

“Summer, I think you’re misunderstanding something.

“I know Xavier hurt Lucas trying to save me, but he and I…”

Before she could finish, Xavier suddenly yanked his hand away. His face turned cold as he looked at her.

“Go home,” he said flatly. “I need to talk to my wife.”

Wendy looked at him in shock. This was the first time he had ever treated her this way.

Still, Xavier’s eyes remained firm.

Frustrated, Wendy cast me a resentful glare before storming out of the room.

The moment she left, Xavier’s expression softened. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gold locket, a symbol of long life and protection, meant for Lucas. Holding it out, he spoke with regret.

“Summer, I know you’re still mad at me. But Lucas is innocent. Do you really want him to grow up without a father?”

I looked at him, my eyes filled with nothing but mockery.

After all these years, he always knew exactly what I cared about most.

He knew how to manipulate me.

But this time, I wasn’t falling for it.

I slapped the locket from his hand, sending it clattering to the floor. My voice was cold and sharp.

“You still have the nerve to call yourself his father?

“When you cut off Lucas’s legs for Wendy, did you think about being a father then?

“When you abandoned me over and over for her, did you think about being a father then?

“Xavier Smith, you don’t deserve to be Lucas’s father.”

Xavier’s expression was complicated, like he wanted to explain. But before he could speak, his phone rang—loud and urgent.

It was Wendy.

For a brief moment, he hesitated. Then, he answered.

I didn’t know what she said, but within seconds, he was already heading for the door.

Only when he reached the exit did he pause and look back at me.

“Something happened with Wendy. I need to go check on her.”

I looked at him, my eyes void of any emotion.

After all, without expectations, there was no disappointment.

Without a word, I picked up the gold locket and tossed it into the trash.

My voice was indifferent.

“You don’t need to report to me. I already told you—we have nothing to do with each other.”

“Summer Carter, what do you mean by that?”

I let out a small laugh and met his gaze, my tone calm but firm.

“I mean, we have nothing to do with each other. I told you to leave. Did you not hear me?”

His expression turned ice cold, his grip tightening around his phone until his knuckles turned white.

“Fine!

“Summer Carter, I’ve told you before—I have limits to my patience.

“Since you refuse to appreciate anything I’ve done, then from this moment on, we are nothing. And I won’t be involved with that child either.”

I watched as he turned and walked away without looking back.

But I didn’t feel the slightest bit of sadness.

All I felt was relief.

Relief that I was finally free from this nightmare.

Relief that I could finally take my son and a new life, away from him.

...

I hadn’t expected what came next.

Over the next few days, Xavier did something completely out of character.

He suddenly became extremely active on social media, posting a dozen updates a day.

One moment, he was strolling down the street with Wendy. The next, they were at the beach in Tanya Island, watching the waves together.

I knew exactly what he was doing.

He was trying to push me.

Trying to make me jealous. Trying to make me reach out to him first.

Trying to make me apologize, to beg him to come back.

Because that was what I used to do.

But this time, I didn’t.

And my silence only made him escalate further.

At first, I had planned to ignore him, hoping he would eventually give up.

But when he realized I wasn’t taking the bait, he went even further.

He cleared out my entire office and recorded a video just to show me.

In the video, his voice was cold and mocking.

“Summer Carter, take a good look. Do you really think you’d have an office like this without me?

“Everything you own—I paid for it.

“And let’s not forget, Lucas is still in the hospital. Do you even have enough money to cover his medical bills?”

At first, I thought he was just being petty.

But then I saw it.

He hadn’t just taken office furniture or supplies. He had taken things that truly mattered.

Among them were my parents’ belongings—the only things I had left from my time in the orphanage.

And in the final seconds of the video, I watched as he set them on fire.

The flames engulfed everything, reducing my most precious memories to ashes.

My fingers dug into my palms, my nails pressing so hard that I could feel the sting of blood beneath my skin.

Pain spread through my chest, sharp and relentless.

Of course.

The person who once knew me best, the one I was closest to, would also know exactly how to hurt me the most.