I Lost Summer and Everything With Her

Michael Reynolds knelt before Samantha Hayes, holding flowers in his hands. With tears in his eyes, he said, “What I didn’t give you back then, I’ll give you today.”

“This house is the best proof of my love for you.”

The background was this house, surrounded by Michael’s family.

Everyone was saying, “Michael finally saw the light after waiting for the clouds to clear.”

“That’s right.”

“Michael has been living with that woman for the past few years, trying to give Samantha a home. It’s been tough on Michael.”

“Samantha is so lucky to be loved by Michael this much. Even if Michael doesn’t love that woman, he’s willing to stay by someone else’s bedside just for you, just for the money.”

Samantha’s eyes were red with tears, and she nodded her consent.

Then, a passionate kiss that moved the entire audience ended with the children cheering along.

I seemed to finally understand why, even when Michael and I were deeply in love, he always restrained himself. Even when I asked if we wanted a child, his expression was indifferent. “Claire.”

“We’re still young, and there’s plenty of time to think about children. But your family is large and wealthy, and I don’t want to be a live-in son-in-law forever. I also want others to talk about me and make you proud.”

Michael on Thanksgiving.

I was wearing an unfamiliar perfume. It wasn’t that I was insensitive, but Michael explained, “It’s just the client’s wife. If you don’t like it, I won’t take this order.”

Michael was too good at disguise, too protective of Samantha.

Even though I knew Samantha existed, he only told me, “If it weren’t for Samantha, I wouldn’t know how to love.”

“They say that growing up with a man allows the earlier love to gain the upper hand. I didn’t think so before.”

Michael hugged me.

“Now, I’m so grateful to my ex. Otherwise, how could I have cherished such a wonderful wife?”

It was all a trap.

It was all intentional.

My fingertips felt cold, and even in the summer heat, I felt shivering all over. Ethan Brooks, who was sitting next to me, remained silent, but after the video ended, he patted my shoulder. I instinctively reacted, pushing Ethan away and vomiting profusely in the toilet. Just as I turned to grab some paper, I realized they were using the same brand of toilet paper as me. I remembered someone asking Michael at the end of the video.

“Will Claire really not notice?”

“She’s so sensitive and suspicious.”

Michael, however, was completely confident.

“I’ve taken care of everything. She won’t be able to find any flaws.”

Even the toilet paper, toiletries, pillowcases, dishes, and kitchenware were all identical. The skincare and perfume on the dresser were the same. It was so detailed that it felt like Michael was actually dating, marrying, and living with the same person.

No wonder I hadn’t noticed. I thought, Samantha from the police station has the same hair color as me. Exactly the same.

So identical, a chill ran down my back, but a soft coat draped over me.

“Have you figured out what to do?”

I turned, meeting Ethan’s rare, concerned face, and forced a smile. “Of course.”

My mother always said, if you’re hit, you should hit back, and if you’re bullied, you should make the other person feel even worse.

I was taught not to swallow your anger, but to fight violence with violence.

I took the property deed to this house and listed it online, offering it for sale at 70% below market price. I had only one requirement:

The buyer had to be aggressive and ruthless.

Then, I had Ethan use his identity to exert pressure. After thoroughly investigating the matter of Samantha’s son’s schooling, I had hair samples from Michael and Samantha’s son prepared for a paternity test.