Chapter 2
The next morning, James left for work.
Before heading out, he paused in the entryway to change his shoes and turned back to me. "I'm going on a business trip for the weekend. Wait for me here, okay?"
"Business trip," huh? What a convenient excuse.
I replied, "Alright, drive safe."
He grunted in response, and the door clicked shut behind him.
I waited until I heard the elevator ding, signaling it had reached the first floor. Then I got up.
Over the next few hours, I did four things.
First, I canceled the hotel reservation in Azure Bay. It was a five-star overwater villa, a luxury honeymoon suite with a private pool and butler service.
I'd booked it three months in advance and paid the full amount upfront. Canceling meant losing thirty percent of the payment. Whatever, it didn't matter to me anymore.
Second, I called my lawyer, Zoe Carter, my college classmate who specialized in divorce cases.
She sounded a bit surprised when she picked up.
"Zoe, I want a divorce. Can you draft an agreement for me?" I said.
There was a brief silence on the other end. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
She didn't press for details. "I'll send you the draft this afternoon. Let me know if you want to tweak any of the terms."
Before hanging up, she added, "You should've left a long time ago."
Third, I started packing. I'd lived here for three years, but I didn't leave much behind.
My clothes fit into a single suitcase. From my jewelry box, I only took the emerald set Nana gave me. I left all the jewelry James gave me untouched.
Passport, ID, bank cards. The key to my studio. An old hard drive, packed with all my design drafts. That was all.
I looked at the empty half of the closet and couldn't help but laugh.
Three years of marriage, and I barely left a trace. So little that he might not notice I was gone for days.
Fourth, I opened my email. There was an email waiting for me, sent three days ago.
It was from the Lumiere Fine Jewelry Guild, with my agent Henry Reed CC'd.
The subject line said: [Dear Ms. E.L., we warmly invite you back to the Lumiere Autumn Jewelry Exhibition.]
E.L., I'd used this pen name for seven years. Emily Lane, shortened to E.L.
No one in the industry knew who E.L. actually was. All they knew was that the name meant world-class designs, sky-high auction prices, and the legend of three pieces released annually.
After I got married, I took a three-year break.
Every few months, Henry would check in and wonder if I was ready to come back. I never replied.
Today, I finally hit reply and typed two words: [I'm Back.]
Thirty seconds later, Henry called. He was practically bursting with excitement. "Are you serious?"
"I'm serious."
"When are you coming?"
"The day after tomorrow."
He paused for a second. "Everything's ready for you in Lumiere: your studio, a place to stay, an assistant. Feel free to come."
"Thanks." After hanging up, I set my phone down.
The sunlight streamed in through the window and cast a warm glow over the half-empty closet.
Suddenly, I remembered our wedding day. James held my hand as we walked down the aisle, his smile flawless, almost too perfect.
Lily sat in the front row, her face streaked with tears.
As James slipped the ring onto my finger in front of everyone, his gaze drifted toward her for a moment.
A split second. But I saw it.
Back then, I kept telling myself it didn't matter. He married me, gave me the official status, and no matter what, Lily was the girl from his past.
Thinking about it now, I was such a fool. What did being his wife mean? His heart was never mine, not once.
I rolled my suitcase to the door and took one last look around the 2,000-square-foot apartment.
It was clean, tidy, and utterly cold, more like a hotel suite than a real home. Three years, and it never felt like home.
I took off my wedding ring and set it on the key tray by the door, along with my keys. Then I pulled the door shut behind me. And I was gone.