Chapter 4

With her parents' unconditional support, Chelsea felt a surge of warmth and confidence rise inside her.

Thinking about the way Arthur couldn't wait to get ahead, Chelsea turned to her father. "Dad, there's one more thing. No need to pull strings for Arthur anymore. Let him walk his own path."

Enrique was sharp. With Chelsea suddenly asking for a divorce, wanting to go back to school, and now not caring about her husband's future, he could pretty much piece together what was really happening.

"Yeah, young people need to start from the bottom and work their way up. Only by staying grounded can they build a solid foundation," Enrique said, his tone calm but layered with meaning.

Chelsea knew Enrique understood and quietly agreed. Arthur's fast track to promotion was officially over.

After dinner, Chelsea headed home.

When she opened the door, the sounds of cooking and soft laughter floated from the kitchen.

She walked over and saw Arthur wearing her floral apron, floundering around in the kitchen, while Julianna stood nearby, handing him plates and occasionally wiping the sweat from his forehead with a towel.

Bathed in the warm yellow light, Arthur and Julianna stood so close that they were practically whispering secrets. Julianna covered her mouth, giggling, while Arthur glanced at her with a relaxed, doting look, the one Chelsea hadn't seen on his face in ages.

The scene hit Chelsea like a slap in the face. All those years of marriage, and Arthur had never once bothered to step into the kitchen.

He always claimed men didn't belong in the kitchen, and expected her to serve up three meals a day without ever lifting a finger himself.

In her last life, Chelsea spent decades chained to the stove, her youth swallowed up by smoke and grease, and all she got in return was his cold shoulder, like it was nothing special.

But now, for another woman, he could awkwardly cook and put on this whole act of being caring and gentle.

Standing at the doorway, Chelsea, his official wife, felt completely out of place, as if she didn't belong here at all.

Arthur noticed her first. His smile faded, and his brow furrowed as usual. "You're back. Where have you been this late? The kitchen's cold, and no food on the table."

Chelsea looked at his self-righteous attitude and found it ridiculous. "I went to my mom's," she replied flatly.

The moment Arthur heard she'd been to her parents' house, his eyes lit up. All his earlier annoyance disappeared in a flash. He set down the spatula and asked eagerly, "So... did you mention my promotion to your dad? What did he say?"

All Arthur cared about was his future.

Chelsea felt a cold emptiness inside, but didn't let it show. "I brought it up. Dad said he knows. It should be fine. Just wait."

"That's great!" Arthur's face lit up, and he suddenly saw Chelsea in a much better light. "Hungry? Dinner's almost done. You get to try my cooking tonight." His sudden warmth was worlds away from his earlier complaints

Julianna stood quietly off to the side, her fingers twisting the hem of her dress, a flicker of frustration flashing in her lowered eyes.

The next morning, Arthur was all fired up as he took Julianna out early, saying he was going to help her find a job. Chelsea didn't say a word. Once they were gone, she headed out, too, stopping by the bookstore to pick up some study materials for the SAT.

After leaving the bookstore, Chelsea stopped by the nearby department store, hoping to find a suitable notebook. Near the jewelry counter, she suddenly spotted two familiar faces.

They were Arthur and Julianna.

Arthur was carrying several shopping bags with the department store logo, while Julianna was admiring herself in a small mirror, her face lit up with a sweet smile. Most striking of all was the brand-new gold necklace around Julianna's neck, gleaming under the bright department store lights.

Chelsea froze in place. Her blood surged to her head, then drained away just as quickly, leaving nothing but a roaring emptiness in her mind.

When they got married, Arthur took her hand, looking guilty, and said his family was poor, that he was sorry for not being able to give her the gold jewelry. He promised he'd make it up to her someday.

To protect his so-called pride, Chelsea went to her parents for money, bought all the bridal jewelry herself, and even told everyone it was Arthur's family who paid for it.

Turns out, he wasn't broke. He just didn't want to spend a cent on Chelsea. But for Julianna, he could splash out without a second thought.

Chelsea clenched her book bag, her nails digging into her palm. The pain couldn't smother the icy rage churning in her heart.

She wanted to march right over and confront him, demanding to know why.

But just then, two masked thugs burst out of nowhere.

"This is a robbery! Nobody move!" one of them shouted.

The crowd erupted into screams and chaos.

The two masked thugs came charging up the stairs, brandishing knives.

Amid the chaos, one of the thugs caught sight of the gold necklace gleaming on Julianna's neck. He yanked Julianna roughly with his partner, dragging her toward the exit as she panicked and struggled.

"Julianna!" Arthur's eyes nearly popped out in panic. Without thinking, he lunged forward and tackled the thug who was grabbing Julianna.

The thug's knife plunged viciously into Arthur's arm, blood gushing out instantly. But Arthur acted like he couldn't feel a thing, battling like a wild beast, refusing to let go as he fought to snatch Julianna back.

"Let her go!" Arthur shouted.