Chapter 2

Elara's POV

I took the earliest flight home, and the first thing I did after landing was head straight to the hospital to schedule an abortion.

"Ms. Vance, the accident five years ago damaged your uterus. It's a miracle you even conceived. If you don't keep this child, you may find it very difficult to have one in the future. Please reconsider and talk to your husband."

My fingertips turned cold, and my heart clenched.

Julian had never told me.

All these years, whenever our families asked about children, he took the blame, saying he wanted a few more years with just me.

My eyes filled with tears then. He had been so thoughtful, so afraid of hurting me.

But no matter how good he had been, it didn't change the fact that he had lied.

"Thank you, Doctor. I'll think about it," I heard myself say.

I walked out of the consultation room in a daze, my steps unsteady, only to see Julian-who was supposed to be abroad-at the end of the corridor. And Chloe.

Julian was carefully helping Chloe out of the obstetrics clinic, his face beaming with unconcealed joy and nervousness.

His gentle gaze was fixed on her face, not willing to move away for a second.

"Julian, don't be so nervous; I'm just having some early pregnancy symptoms, it's not like I'm sick," Chloe said, her eyes curving into a sweet, girlish smile.

Julian rarely showed a smile, but his voice was unusually tight. "This is our first child; there can't be any mishaps."

I clutched the appointment slip in my hand, feeling the temperature being slowly drained from my body. In that moment, I distinctly heard the sound of my heart shattering, inch by painful inch.

It turned out, that when pain reached its peak, tears wouldn't come.

Julian helped Chloe into the elevator. The moment the elevator doors slowly closed, I lowered my head and unfolded the appointment slip.

Then, I turned and walked back into the clinic.

"Let's schedule the surgery for the day after tomorrow."

I couldn't let my child be born into a monumental lie.

As if by cruel twist of fate, I met them again in the underground parking garage.

In that moment, I inexplicably started my car and followed them from a distance.

Julian took Chloe to a private art gallery in the city.

My heart sank completely.

That gallery was one he had built exclusively for me last year on my birthday. It housed all my favorite paintings. He had personally told me it was my own private artistic sanctuary.

But now, he was walking into it, hand-in-hand, with another woman.

Inside the gallery, Chloe stood beneath my favorite starry night painting.

Julian approached, pushing a white-draped cart laden with exquisite desserts. He elegantly took a velvet box from the cart and opened it-inside was a dazzling star-themed necklace.

"To my little artist, congratulations on your promotion to expectant mother."

In that instant, I almost lost my footing.

"Julian... thank you," Chloe's eyes reddened, on the verge of tears. "You even made desserts for me yourself."

"Go on, try it," Julian's voice was agonizingly tender. "Once you're done, go back and rest. You've spent enough time with me; it's time for me to go back to Elara."

Chloe blinked knowingly, forcing a hint of tears.

But Julian, filled with heartache, pulled her into his embrace. "Silly girl, we're not going anywhere today. I'm staying with you. You're my wife now; I'll spend more time with you and the baby."

I retreated slowly from around the corner, my back pressing against the cold wall, a chill spreading up my spine, making me tremble all over.

Yes.

Chloe was Julian's wife.

And I was nothing but a deceived fool, completely oblivious for five whole years.

I remembered when Julian first brought me here, he also had an identical necklace for me. To make that dessert, he had secretly followed a Michelin chef for an entire month.

"Elara, try my cooking. From now on, I'll take care of all your meals."

"In this lifetime, I will only love you."

He swore these vows in my ear while putting the necklace on me.

But now, this unique love and adoration, which was originally mine, was perfectly and precisely replicated for Chloe.

My chest felt tight and painful.

It turned out Julian's "lifetime" was so short.

I turned and fled, tears streaming down my face as I left the gallery.

Immediately afterward, I went straight to my lawyer's office to begin liquidating all my assets, stripping away everything connected to Julian.

My parents' inheritance was enough to ensure my secure and carefree life.

And all I wanted was to completely sever ties with him as quickly as possible.