Chapter 2

We bumped into each other at the county clerk's office in a foul mood.

The moment we received the official divorce certificate, Constantin pulled me back, his eyes glistening with angry tears. "Lydianne, mark my words. One day, you'll regret the choice you made today!"

True enough, that day of reckoning came soon enough.

The year after our divorce, my family's business ran into cash flow problems.

Constantin was the only person in the whole city who could come up with such a big sum of cash.

So, I swallowed my pride and went back to him to beg for his help.

The day we got back together, Constantin came home reeking of alcohol and crying his heart out like a kid who had lost his way.

"Lydianne, you walked away from me, just like that. Do you have any idea how much I missed you?

"You were so cruel. Don't leave me…" he uttered in a slurred manner.

His last plea melted my heart. Then he grabbed my hand and nuzzled against my palm.

That tender gesture made it feel like we were back to where we were ten years ago.

I remembered the nineteen-year-old young man gently touching my face with so much love and affection. "Lydi, I'll love you with all my heart."

But now, whenever I heard him call me "Lydi" again, all I felt inside was emptiness. My heart felt dead, like a pool of stagnant water.

That was because ten years later, there would be no more "Lydi." All that was left was the way he looked at me with disgust when he sent me to the psych ward. "Crazy woman. How disgusting…"

*****

The next day, I got in touch with the best lawyer in the city ahead of time. "'Time to put the plan into action," I told myself.

This time, I had no interest at all in Constantin's love.

All I wanted was the money. I just wanted to keep my family together and make sure my parents were taken care of.

As soon as I ended my call, Constantin's message popped up on my phone.

He had just made a successful bid for a priceless colored diamond necklace at an auction.

The rose-cut colored diamonds sparkled with a blinding brilliance. They were almost painful to look at.

I messaged him back indifferently. [Congrats. It's perfect for her.]

Her name was Wynter Bachelot, and she was mistress number seven.

She was the type every guy dreamed about. She had sweet angelic looks with a dash of vivacious vixen vibe.

This was also the woman who would become my nightmares ten years later.

Constantin didn't reply to my message for a full ten minutes. Finally, he called me instead.

"It's not for her. You used to love diamonds and roses, didn't you?" he said. His tone was curt and almost defensive.

I glanced at the image of the necklace again. "Not anymore. Not for a long time now. Anyway, my taste in the past is already outdated."

There was a brief silence on his end. Then his breathing became loud and rapid. "So, no matter what I do, this is the attitude I will get from you now, is it?"

I gave an indifferent snort. In response, Constantin ended the call abruptly.

Three hours later, Wynter sent me a photo with the caption, [Mrs. Ligier, Mr. Ligier says he's out of condoms and wants you to send more over.]

The image showed the office floor covered in used condoms.

Among all of Constantin's lovers, Wynter was the boldest.

Everyone said his lovers were all my lookalikes, except for Wynter. She was nothing like me.

In my previous timeline, as soon as I got her message, I rushed to the office with an army of reporters in tow.

Back then, even after causing a huge ruckus, I still felt I had not fully vented my anger.

I then proceeded to print out photos of them in bed and covered the office walls with them.

That was the moment Constantin truly drifted away from me, and in the end, he started despising me…

Now, this time round, instead of getting angry, I just texted Wynter a blessing, [Hope you two have a kid soon.]

Barely seconds after I hit send, Constantin called again. "Lydianne, get your ass over here!"

He was panting, and his voice was cracking with rage.

Just as I was about to refuse, he continued, "If you still want those final shares from the Ximenez company, you'd better not defy me."

The moment I heard "Ximenez company," I swallowed the words I wanted to say.

"Mrs. Ligier, you still have to attend the charity gala with Mr. Ligier tonight. Why make him angry now?" the butler said with a sigh.

I raised an eyebrow. After a while, I took the freshly pressed suit from his hands and headed out.

I didn't make him angry. I just didn't care anymore.

Later that night, I showed up at the event.

Wynter was clinging to Constantin's arm, making the rounds and toasting everyone with him.

When I walked in, all the guests turned to look at me. There were all kinds of reactions, and many even shook their heads in amazement.

"If only my wife were like Mrs. Ligier! She doesn't even bat an eyelid when her husband cheats on her. In fact, she even helps to cover up his scandals. Where on earth can you find a wife like her?" someone said sarcastically.

"Well, the shares from the Ximenez family's company are going up for auction tonight. If she still wants to be stubborn, she'll just have to watch helplessly while her family's company gets wound up," another person snickered.

Constantin glanced at me and then looked away like he couldn't care less.

Ironically enough, Wynter was the first to talk to me.

"Mrs. Ligier, please don't be mad. Mr. Ligier wanted me to broaden my horizons, so he brought me along!" she gushed with a bright smile.