Chapter 2

But contrary to my expectations, Sophie showed up at my door the next day. She got straight to the point. "You're Alex's wife, aren't you?" she asked.

She was so flustered that her face was bright red.

Maybe after her wedding night, something had been confessed.

I nodded. "That's right," I said.

She followed me inside, and the first thing she saw was our wedding photos.

Her eyes welled up with tears, but her voice stayed firm.

"You don't love Alex the way I do. He said you once starved him for days. I just want you to know, even if we can't make it official, I'll still be with him," Sophie said.

She looked just like a young girl chasing after love, fearless and determined.

I paused. "So you've known all along?" I asked.

She nodded.

I felt sick from playing along yesterday. If I'd known the truth, I should've brought people there to crash the wedding.

And as for starving Alex, that was the doctor's orders for his health.

I was far too polite for my own good. I foolishly bothered to spare their feelings.

Alex finally rushed over, shielding Sophie like I was some kind of threat.

"Claire, let me explain. It's not what you think. Her family did me a big favor, and five years ago, she came to me for help. I just helped her out for a bit," Alex said.

"This wedding was just to fend off her relatives back in the countryside who kept pressuring her to marry. We put on a show," he added.

I looked up at him. "Funny, she just said something very different," I said.

Alex still stood in front of her, shielding her from me. "She does have feelings for me, sure, but it's more like a brother-sister thing. She's still young and doesn't really get it. Just stay out of it," Alex said.

His words sounded like a warning, and I let out a bitter laugh. I couldn't believe how vile he'd become.

I took a step forward, and Alex grabbed my hand tightly. He thought I was about to cause trouble.

"Claire, I've already explained. She's family to me, and I must take care of her. So stop going after her. I made everything clear to her last night," Alex said.

I struggled to break away, my hand throbbing with pain. His grip left bright red marks on my skin. The ache was intense.

I felt hurt and pissed off. "Alex, I don't care what your excuse is. You've soiled my place. Now get out, both of you," I said.

How disgusting.

Alex finally realized he'd gone too far. He let go of my hand, his tone softening a bit. "Sorry, I was just worried you'd... Never mind. We both need to cool off," he said.

Did he fear for Sophie's safety, or that I'd make a scene and lay everything bare? Either way, it made no difference to me.

The only thing keeping me from losing it was sticking to my usual way of handling things. This house was my pre‑marital property, and their presence made me sick.

"Get out," I said.

Just as I was trying to get them out, the little bookshelf next to us suddenly tipped over. As the books poured down, Alex pushed me aside and wrapped Sophie in his arms, shielding her tightly.

But with Alex blocking my way, I couldn't dodge in time. My hand got smacked by the falling books, leaving it red and swollen right away.

A sharp, prickling pain spread across my chest.

Instincts never lied. Sophie wasn't even in any danger where she was standing, but Alex was too worried to see straight.

Alex, I was done with you.

Alex fussed over Sophie, checking her from head to toe to make sure she was alright.

"Are you okay? I'll take you to the hospital. Didn't you say you had a headache last night?" he said.

He didn't even look my way.

"Claire, I'm taking Sophie to the hospital. There's medicine in the cabinet. Just grab some and take care of your hand," he said.

Soon, I was the only one left in the room.

I called the moving company. "I need a deep clean," I said.

This house had held so many happy memories, and I never thought it would come to this. My pride kept me from crying.