Gold Digger vs Gold Saver My Man's Double Life novel Chapter 16

**Marriage Without Temperature by Mark Twain**

**Chapter 8**

Callum lingered outside my shop for an entire day and night.

He just stood there, a forlorn figure, reminiscent of a lost puppy waiting for someone to take him home.

Yet, I felt no pangs of sympathy for him. At precisely 8 PM, I slipped out through the back door, allowing my staff to handle the closing duties.

Once I arrived home, I indulged in a long, soothing shower. The hot water cascaded over me, washing away the stresses of the day, leaving me feeling renewed and lighter.

It was then that my best friend called, her voice a mix of urgency and concern.

“Did you hear the latest? Ivy got fired, and her parents wasted no time dragging her back to their village. The very next day, they sold her off to some creepy fifty-year-old man.”

“Not only that,” she continued, her tone growing darker, “but the guy is a total psycho. He beats her every single day. She’s completely lost it. It’s like she’s had a mental break—she doesn’t even respond when people try to talk to her.”

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. “Karma’s a bitch. That’s what she gets for being a homewrecker.”

Days turned into a blur, yet Callum remained a constant presence, haunting the sidewalk outside my shop. He stood there, as if he believed that his mere presence would somehow compel me to forgive him.

On the fifth day, a car came barreling down the street, and in a horrifying instant, it slammed into him.

He was thrown backward, his body crumpling to the ground, blood pooling around him like an ominous halo.

But amidst the chaos, he didn’t scream or cry out. Instead, he simply stared at the entrance of my shop, as if he were waiting for me to step outside, to check on him.

But I didn’t.

Because I was the one who had orchestrated the driver’s reckless path.

I wanted him to truly understand what pain felt like.

A bystander called for an ambulance, and soon the sirens wailed in the distance, whisking him away to the hospital.

While he lay there, I received a flurry of texts from him, each one pleading for my presence.

I chose silence in response.

When he finally emerged from the hospital, he returned to my shop, limping, looking utterly pathetic.

His presence was a distraction, detrimental to business. So, I instructed my staff to usher him around to the back entrance, away from the prying eyes of customers.

I regarded him with a blank expression, my heart a fortress against his despair.

“Callum, we’re adults here. You messed up. Own it. Why do you keep putting yourself through this?”

He looked utterly shattered, like a man who had lost everything worth living for.

“Because I can’t bear to live without you. I mean it. Every second apart feels like an eternity of torment.”

“Sloane, I’ve lost everything. Can’t you see I’ve been punished enough? Just give me one more chance.”

I glanced at him, my heart conflicted but resolute.

09:35

Gold Digger vs Cold Saver: My Man’s Double Life.

12.9%

**Chapter 8**

I gazed into his desperate eyes, searching for a flicker of the man I once loved.

Then, in a moment of fury and clarity, I slapped him.

After that encounter, he vanished from my life.

I dared to hope he had finally given up.

But then, one day, my best friend delivered the shocking news—he had jumped into a river.

They had cremated his body just two days ago.

Her expression was a mix of confusion and disbelief.

13.2%

**Chapter 8**

“I don’t get it. He cheated on you. He moved on. So why would he take his own life over you? Did he only realize he loved you after you left him?”

“I’ve been a lawyer for years. I’ve seen this kind of tragedy unfold countless times. Yet, I still can’t comprehend what goes on in these people’s minds.”

I forced a bitter smile, grappling for words that eluded me.

Because I didn’t understand either.

If he had simply chosen a different path, we could have built a life filled with happiness.

But he made his choices, and every choice comes with consequences.

Callum cheated—that was his decision. He chose to end his life—that was his choice as well. None of it was my doing.

And my choice? To walk away from anyone who brought me pain.

Forever.