Chapter 2

Chloe softened her tone, looking at Austin with pure adoration.

"Don't worry about it, Austin. You're our club's very first champion. You earned every single piece of this. True talent deserves the lion's share."

She then turned back to me, her voice dropping below freezing.

"Logan, think about everything this club has handed you on a silver platter. You couldn't even cross the finish line today. What right do you have to stand there whining?"

"Any random amateur off the street could drive better than you. If you want shares, earn them yourself."

"You don't have the talent, so go back to the garage and practice. Stop acting like you're entitled to free handouts!"

She didn't sound like a wife talking to her husband. She sounded like an annoyed sugar momma reprimanding a useless moocher.

Maybe she had truly forgotten that I was never her charity case.

The only reason our club even qualified for national-tier events was that I drove every grueling dirt race, stage by stage, building our reputation from scratch.

Beyond driving, I was the one who pulled strings and brought in major corporate sponsors so we could afford entry fees, high-end mechanics, and custom engine tunes.

And now that the club had finally made it to the big leagues, they pulled this stunt.

Just because I drove Austin’s car across the finish line, the club credited the entire win to Austin’s name.

Meanwhile, Austin had taken my No. 1 car, failed to finish even half the course, and wouldn't even have qualified for the rookie roster if not for Chloe’s shameless favoritism.

The entire crew stood watching, waiting for me to explode. They were waiting for a show.

Aside from a handful of veteran mechanics I had personally hired—who kept their heads down in silent shame—the rest of the staff wore smug grins, ready for the drama.

I looked at the two of them clinging to each other, and I walked forward.

They clearly expected me to throw a punch. A few of Austin’s sycophants had already pulled out their phones, angling their cameras to record me.

As I approached, Austin dramatically wrapped his arms tighter around Chloe.

"Don't be scared, Chloe. I've got you. I won't let him lay a finger on you!"

He sounded so heroically righteous it made me sick.

I simply tossed my battered racing suit and the original share agreement she had once given me straight into Austin’s chest.

"Since you love taking what's mine, take these too. You can have my shares. I resign."

Chloe blinked, caught off guard. A flicker of sudden anger and confusion flashed across her eyes.

I looked at her and let out a faint chuckle. Wasn't this what she wanted? She wanted Austin to have everything. Why was she looking angry now that I was willingly handing it over?

Without another word, I turned my back on them and walked away.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a private number I hadn't called in years.

"Dad. I've made up my mind. I'm ready to come home and take over the family business."

My family’s multinational conglomerate spanned multiple continents and industries, from advanced manufacturing to clean energy. Our family name was etched across global financial rankings.

My father sat comfortably among the top billionaires in the world.

I was born into immense, untouchable wealth. Growing up, I thought that status was an asset.

Then I met Chloe, and my background became a weapon she used to despise me.

When she was a child, her grandmother fell critically ill. A desperately needed charity medical grant that had been promised to her family was pulled at the last second, handed over to a wealthy donor’s spoiled kid instead. Her beloved grandmother died waiting for care.

From that day on, Chloe despised the ultra-wealthy. She hated trust-fund kids who inherited everything without lifting a finger.

Yet I had fallen head over heels in love with her anyway. I gave up my luxury life, hid my real last name, and married her in secret.

On our wedding day, terrified of triggering her trauma, I didn't even allow my parents to attend the modest ceremony.

When she said she dreamed of founding a professional rally club, I liquidated every dime of my personal trust fund and poured it into her company.

I truly believed we would build a life together forever.

Now I finally saw it for what it was: a pathetic, one-sided delusion.

I took a direct flight back to the club’s headquarters in the city to pack my personal belongings.

When everything was cleared out, I stood in my private locker room, staring at the wall lined with regional trophies and the unpresented diamond ring in my palm. Memories flooded back.

Back then, I was overflowing with endless drive. I told myself that every trophy I brought home would make our lives a little easier.

Every win brought us one step closer to Chloe’s dream.

All of that shattered the day Austin Reed showed up at the club.

Chloe seemed instantly enchanted by the charming, silver-tongued slacker. She fast-tracked him onto the reserve roster and channeled more and more team funds his way.

If she hadn't needed to keep the club afloat, she probably would have given him every cent we had.

At first, I told myself she just saw raw potential in him. Until the afternoon I saw them walking downtown, her arm looped tightly through his.

Chloe wore that same radiant, giddy smile she used to give me when we first fell in love. She didn't care who saw them together.

While I was risking my neck on deadly mountain trails for the club’s future, they were out playing house on endless dates.

I had confronted her about it once, and we had an explosive fight. She cried and swore it was completely innocent, promising she would keep her distance.

Now I understood. She was never going to give Austin up. The only person she was willing to throw away was me—no matter how much I sacrificed for her.

Her rule about keeping our marriage a secret was never about protecting the club from rumors of favoritism.

The only person she wanted to hide was me.

Ever since Austin arrived, Chloe had orbited him completely.

Even though we held a legal marriage license, we were strangers.

I looked down at the engagement ring in my hand and laughed bitterly.

I guess I was the only fool who still remembered our promise.

With a flick of my wrist, I tossed the ring box and the wilted bouquet straight into the dumpster behind the garage.

Good riddance.