Chapter 2

He bent down, scooped Willow into his arms, carefully cradling her, and hurried towards his car parked by the curb. Throughout it all, he didn't see me. Even as I sobbed from the pain, he ignored me. His car lights cut through the rainy night, speeding away, splashing water everywhere. I stood rooted to the spot, finally letting the tears fall. It turns out, as long as Willow was around, I wasn't even a background prop. Her minor scrape was a thousand times more important than my own excruciating injury. I took a deep breath. Divorce. I must get a divorce. **Chapter 2**

**Chloe's pov**

I went to the hospital alone. Luckily, it was just a minor sprain. The doctor applied an ice pack and gave me instructions for care. Returning to the villa, I was met only by darkness and silence. I buried myself in the sofa, but the throbbing pain in my wrist reminded me of how absurd everything tonight had been. Then, a post on SnapChat unexpectedly popped into my feed. I didn't know which mutual friend posted it. The accompanying photo was a blurry night shot. At the hospital entrance, Willow was leaning weakly into a tall figure's embrace. And that figure was shielding her completely with his suit jacket. The comments below were filled with suggestive speculation:

[What a divine scene! He must be heartbroken. ]

Though the figure was blurry, the sharp lines of his profile were unmistakable. It was Damon. So, his notorious germophobia was reserved only for me. He *could* be gentle, but that gentleness was never meant for me. I forced a bitter smile and drifted off to sleep. When I woke again, I went straight to Damon's room. The bed was neatly made, no sign of anyone having slept in it. He hadn't come home all night. I stood at the doorway, pulled out my phone, and called my best friend, Cassie. "Cassie, can you draft up a divorce agreement for me? "

It wasn't until evening that Damon returned. When he walked in, I was sitting on the sofa watching a show, ignoring him. Perhaps out of guilt or remorse, Damon uncharacteristically asked me:

"What do you want to eat? "

I thought for a moment before answering:

"Let's go to that new French restaurant downtown. I mentioned it before, but we never had the chance. "

"Okay. "

Damon drove me to the restaurant. We ordered our meal and waited for it to be served. But the atmosphere was awkward and silent. Let this be our last meal together, I thought. After this, we'll have no ties. I'll grant him his freedom, and release myself. Everything proceeded harmoniously. This meal, if nothing went wrong, would be finished in quiet peace. But Damon's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and immediately answered. From the other end, I faintly heard Willow's intermittent sobs. Damon's face instantly changed. He comforted her in a tone of tenderness he didn't even seem to notice himself, then stood up, grabbed his jacket, and cast a glance at me:

"I have an urgent matter to attend to. "

"Damon. "

I spoke quietly. Damon paused, turning back to look at me. "Whatever it is, let's talk about it when I get back. "

I persisted:

"Can't you really finish one meal with me properly? "

He frowned, his voice tinged with clear impatience. "Be good, don't make a scene. We can eat anytime, we'll have plenty of time later. Right now, I have something important to deal with. "

I slowly shook my head,

"There's no time left. "

Damon paused, finding my words strange. He was about to press for more. But just then, his phone rang again. It was still Willow. He answered, his voice immediately switching back to tenderness:

"I'm coming now, I'll be there soon. "

He hung up, then turned back to me:

"What did you just say? "

I opened my mouth, but in the end, said nothing, simply waving my hand:

"It doesn't matter anymore. Go quickly, you have an emergency. "

Damon felt that something was off, but Willow's cries were still ringing in his ears. Without another word, he turned and quickly left the restaurant. After Damon left, I didn't go. I finished the meal alone. After all, I had always wanted to try this newly opened restaurant. Walking out after eating, a car suddenly screeched to a halt in front of me. The door opened, and the person who stepped out was Damon. He had come back. Could it be that he would abandon his beloved to come back and eat with me? **Chapter 3**

**Chloe's pov**

Damon approached, his face grim and serious. Without a word, he grabbed my arm. I winced, a sharp hiss escaping my lips, but he didn't care. He practically shoved me into the car. "What are you doing? "

Damon started the engine as he explained:

"Willow has been kidnapped. "

"She's been kidnapped? You're not calling the police, so why are you coming to me? "

Damon's lips were pressed tightly together, a flicker of guilt in his eyes as he looked at me, then he said:

"The kidnappers mistook her for my wife. They want to use her to threaten me... "

"Oh. "

I understood instantly:

"So, you want to use me as a swap? Damon, I never thought you'd be this kind of person! "

"Chloe, listen to me. I'll install a tracker on your phone, I'll be following you the whole time, I won't let anything happen to you. "

Damon continued:

"But Willow is different. She was dragged into this because of me. She shouldn't have to suffer like this. "

I couldn't believe what I was hearing:

"And I *should* suffer like this? Damon, is this fair to me?