Chapter 2

The morning after destroying my anniversary portrait, I sat in my home office with my laptop open, researching art programs in Paris. My fingers moved across the keyboard with newfound purpose, bookmarking graduate courses and gallery internships. Each click felt like a small act of rebellion.

My phone buzzed with a credit card alert. Another expensive charge—this time at Le Bernardin, the restaurant where Vincenzo had proposed to me five years ago. The irony wasn't lost on me that he was now taking his intern to our most sacred places, using our joint account to fund his betrayal.

I opened our banking app and began the delicate process of liquidating my personal assets. The jewelry my grandmother had left me, the small investment account I'd kept separate—everything would need to be converted quietly. My hands trembled slightly as I initiated the transfers, but my resolve remained steady.

The doorbell rang, interrupting my planning. Through the window, I saw my assistant approaching, her usually composed face etched with distress.

"Maria," she said when I opened the door, her voice tight with suppressed anger. "I need to tell you what's happening at the office."

I led her to the kitchen, pouring us both coffee with hands that had grown steadier over the past few days. "What is it?"

"It's Kaiya." Her jaw clenched. "Yesterday she made me clean up coffee she deliberately spilled on her desk. Then she had me reorganize her files three times because the folders weren't 'aesthetically pleasing' enough."

I watched steam rise from my cup, feeling a familiar knot form in my stomach. "I'm sorry she's taking this out on you."

"That's not the worst part." My assistant's voice dropped. "She's been making me fetch her lunch, run personal errands, even clean her car. And when I hesitated yesterday, she said—" She paused, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"What did she say?"

"She said that since I work for 'Vincenzo's soon-to-be ex-wife,' I should be grateful she's giving me any work at all. That maybe if I'm nice enough to her, she'll put in a good word when she becomes the new Mrs. White."

The coffee turned bitter in my mouth. I set down my cup, my wedding ring catching the morning light. Soon I wouldn't be wearing it at all.

"The other employees just watch," she continued. "No one says anything. They're all too afraid of crossing Vincenzo's new favorite."

"You don't have to endure this," I said quietly. "I'm working on something, but I need you to know—you don't owe me your suffering."

She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "I'm staying with you, Maria. Whatever you're planning, I want to help. But I did manage to photograph some of Vincenzo's financial documents while Kaiya was busy humiliating me in the break room."

She slid a folder across the table. Inside were copies of contracts, investment portfolios, and business agreements I'd never seen before. My throat tightened as I realized how much of our financial life Vincenzo had hidden from me.

That evening, I found myself scrolling through society magazines online, a masochistic impulse I couldn't resist. The Whitmore Business Gala had been last night—day three of Vincenzo's "romance week." I hadn't been invited, despite attending every year since our marriage.

The photos loaded slowly, each one a fresh wound. There was Vincenzo in his tailored tuxedo, looking more animated than I'd seen him in months. And beside him, Kaiya in a stunning emerald gown, her smile radiant as she gazed up at him with practiced adoration.

But it was the close-up shot that made my breath catch. Pinned to Kaiya's dress was the "love of my life" brooch—a vintage piece with sapphires and diamonds that Vincenzo had shown me months ago, claiming he was saving it for a "special occasion." I'd assumed it was meant for our anniversary.

Now I knew better. The special occasion had been introducing his mistress to our social circle.

The caption read: "Tech mogul Vincenzo White debuts his new romance at the annual Whitmore Gala, accompanied by rising star Kaiya Bell, who dazzled in vintage jewelry."

I closed the laptop and walked to our bedroom window, looking out at the city lights. Somewhere out there, Vincenzo and Kaiya were probably celebrating their public debut, toasting their bright future while my marriage became yesterday's news.

My phone buzzed with text messages—friends and acquaintances who'd seen the photos, their carefully worded expressions of "concern" barely masking their curiosity about the scandal. I turned off my phone without responding.

Tomorrow, I would continue my preparations. But tonight, I allowed myself to grieve—not just for my marriage, but for the woman I'd been who would have begged him to come back. That woman was gone, destroyed as thoroughly as my anniversary portrait.

In her place, someone stronger was emerging. Someone who deserved better than being a footnote in another woman's love story.