Chapter 1

It was on our fifth wedding anniversary that the lawyer finally told me.

"Your marriage to Mr. Thorne is not legally valid."

Elara's POV

Five years into our marriage, I was finally expecting a child.

I'd scheduled an appointment with our trust attorney to set up a newborn fund as a surprise for Julian on our fifth anniversary. But when the attorney tried to access Julian's assets for authorization, the system kept denying access.

"Ms. Vance, are you certain Mr. Thorne's marital status hasn't changed?" After several failed attempts, a hint of professional bewilderment crossed the attorney's face.

I frowned slightly. "We've been married for five years, and our relationship has always been stable."

The attorney tried once more, finally projecting an encrypted file onto the screen. He pushed up his glasses with a sigh. "I suggest you verify this with Mr. Thorne yourself. According to this trust agreement, the beneficiary of all Mr. Thorne's assets, including the legal spouse clause, is a Ms. Chloe Davies."

I walked out of the law firm, chilled to the bone. The fragile joy I'd carried as an expectant mother was utterly gone.

The attorney's words were like an ice hammer, striking over and over.

"Your marriage to Mr. Thorne is not legally valid."

Our five years of marriage... was it all a lie?

Julian and I had known each other since childhood. He was a golden boy, a man destined for greatness, constantly surrounded by admirers, yet he cherished me above all else, always prioritizing my needs.

Everyone said Julian loved me, loved me enough to pluck the stars from the sky for me.

But why, then, would he secretly care for another woman, where I couldn't see?

I barely hesitated, immediately booking a flight to Naples.

Julian was there, attending a top-tier business summit.

I had to get answers from him directly.

When I found the private island resort hosting the summit, I walked straight into the outdoor evening gala.

The Neapolitan sunset washed the scene in a soft, golden light, but I had no eyes for it. I simply pushed through the clink of glasses and the murmur of polite conversation, searching for him in desperation. My gaze swept over the man being fawned over at the VIP table, and in that instant, I felt my blood run cold.

He wore a perfectly tailored white suit, tall and striking, impossibly handsome. On his face was a look of profound, unburdened happiness I had never seen before.

That was my husband of five years-Julian Thorne.

"Congratulations, Julian, you finally made it!"

"Seriously, Julian played this perfectly. He gave Elara that fairytale wedding back home to keep her placated, while over here, he waited for Chloe to come of age, then used the family trust to secure everything for her-untouchable!"

"But Julian, are you serious about Chloe? Her background isn't exactly ideal..."

Someone lowered their voice. "What about Elara? These past five years...weren't you afraid of getting caught?"

"You don't get it, " someone chuckled. "Julian feels guilty toward Chloe, but more than that, it's a sense of duty. If Chloe hadn't pushed Elara out of the way back then, Elara would've been the one to lose her leg. Julian says he owes Chloe for life. These five years were just a waiting game-buying time until he could make it official."

"What a brilliant move!"

I froze, feeling as if I'd been shoved into the deep sea, every breath a luxury.

I even wondered if I was hearing things. But the next second, Julian's own words plunged me into an ice-cold abyss.

"My commitment to Chloe is real." His voice was calm, steady, each word a verdict. "She gave up dancing to save Elara. She'll need a cane for life. All she wants now is security and a future-things I can give her."

So, that was it.

My eyes burned. That trust fund wasn't a mistake. It was a plan.

Five years ago, at an art gallery accident, I was nearly crushed by a falling sculpture. Chloe, an art student with me, didn't hesitate. She rushed forward and pushed me to safety.

She came from nothing, parentless, but with raw, stunning talent. To repay her for saving my life, Julian and I funded her entirely: hiring renowned teachers, sending her to the best schools.

Back then, Julian said Chloe saving me was like saving his own life.

He was willing to give everything to compensate her.

I just never imagined his "compensation" would include giving away our marriage and his entire future.

The most laughable part was that for five whole years, I had been utterly oblivious.

Julian's friend asked again, "What about Elara? If she finds out..."

I saw him lower his eyes, his long fingers lightly tapping his phone screen, his voice laced with the confidence of someone in complete control.

"I'll continue to treat Elara just as well; she'll never find out."

"All of you, keep your mouths shut. Don't let anything slip in front of her."

The next moment, my phone buzzed.

I looked down at the message from Julian, my heart clutched by an invisible hand, a chill spreading from my fingertips to my bones.

"Sweetheart, I miss you. This summit is so boring; every second without you is agonizing. I'll definitely be back for our anniversary.

Love, Julian."

I clenched my phone, then looked up at him, laughing and chatting amidst the crowd not far away. A dense, sharp pain pierced my heart.

My vision blurred, and hot tears streamed uncontrollably-this wasn't my Julian.

My Julian was the boy who, to pick a edelweiss from a cliff for me, would smile and say "it's worth it" even with his arm scratched by rocks;

He was the man who, for my eighteenth birthday, booked an entire observatory just so I could see a star named after me;

He was the man who, on my parents' remembrance day, would put aside multi-million dollar deals to spend the entire day quietly by my side;

He was the man who, after we married, spoiled me into a sheltered princess, and ceaselessly doted on me and shared passionate nights...

Not this liar before me, who professed love to me with one breath, while writing another woman into the legal contract of his life with the next.

My heart felt like it was being torn apart, and I bit down hard on my lip. My phone vibrated again; it was his call.

I hesitated for a second, then answered.

"Elara, where are you? Have you had dinner? It sounds lively on your end." His voice was as gentle as ever, tender and affectionate.

"Julian, what are you doing?" I instinctively clenched my fist, my nails digging deep into my palm. I thought, if he would just admit it, I'd give him a chance to explain.

"Just dealing with a few businessmen, it's a headache." His voice carried a deliberately crafted weariness. "Summit dinner, you know, utterly tedious. Are you at the gallery? If you like a painting, just have the manager wrap it up."

I suddenly laughed, but the light in my eyes extinguished inch by inch.

After a moment of silence, I whispered, "Okay."

He immediately sensed my distress. "Sweetheart, are you upset? Who bothered you?"

"Too many people. I'll hang up now."

The moment I hung up, I saw a girl in a white evening gown, leaning on an elegant cane, hobble towards Julian and fall into his embrace.

It was Chloe.

"Julian, my foot hurts a little."

"Let me see." His voice held a tenderness and caution I had never heard directed at me. He knelt, carefully massaging her ankle, his eyes filled with heartache. "It's my fault for letting you stand so long."

That tenderness was a cruel stab to my eyes.

So, his love could be divided, and his concern could be replicated.

Julian, how could your heart hold two people?

I fled in a panic, hiding in the dark shadows of the hotel garden, curling up and hugging myself, letting silent tears stream down my face.

When the tears finally ran dry, I rose. The last glimmer of light in my eyes hardened into something cold and absolute.

This five-year farce of a marriage was over.

Julian, the man, was nothing to me now.

Since Chloe was the only partner he would ever claim, I would give them exactly what they wanted.

In two weeks, it would be my parents' remembrance day.

After I paid my respects, I would leave.

I would vanish from Julian's world without a trace.