Chapter 2

Suddenly, I thought of my dad, that man who wasted his life on gambling, booze, and cigarettes.

Thanks to him, the smell of smoke had disgusted me ever since I was a kid.

When Andrew and I first got together, he swore he'd quit smoking for me. But in four years of marriage, not once did he actually quit.

I said coldly, "You went and spent the night with Sophia, and you still care whether I come home or not?

"Or do you have some kind of superpower that lets you multitask like that?"

Andrew stared at me in disbelief, like a kid caught in a lie, his face twisted in anger and embarrassment.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Her dad was my mentor; I owe him everything. I'm just paying him back! Stop making things up!

"It's not like this is the only festival ever. Why are you making such a big deal out of this one?" he snapped.

Then, in a burst of anger, Andrew kicked the table, sending the two ceramic figurines we'd made together on our wedding day crashing to the floor.

They smashed to pieces with a sharp crack.

We both froze, staring at the shards scattered across the floor, neither of us saying a word.

Andrew glanced at me nervously, a flicker of panic in his eyes. He probably hadn't expected himself to lose it like that.

Just then, I noticed a suspicious red mark on his neck.

My heart tightened, and a wave of nausea and fury crashed over me.

Did he ever stop to think about his wife waiting at home while he was getting cozy with Sophia at the hotel?

My eyes stung with tears, and the shards of broken ceramic at my feet glinted in the sunlight, so bright I could barely keep my eyes open.

Everything I thought was our special moment—the Aspen trip, the diamond ring—had all been for Sophia from the start.

All this time, I'd just been lying to myself, starring in a one-woman show—a love story that only ever existed in my own head.

I took a deep breath, looked up at the face I once loved so much, and said slowly and clearly, "Andrew, let's get a divorce."

Andrew's expression froze the moment he heard those words.

After a moment, he quickly softened his tone, trying to talk me out of it.

"Julia, I swear, nothing ever happened between me and Sophia. What do you want me to do so you'll finally trust me?" Andrew said, his voice desperate.

He was suddenly all humble, acting as if, as long as he just begged hard enough, I'd go back to forgiving him like I always did.

"Do you have any idea how long I spent looking for you last night? I was worried sick you'd get into trouble at that bar," he said, trying to sound all concerned.

He just kept throwing out those righteous lines, like he was the good guy in all this.

Was he actually worried about me, or was he just scared people would talk if something happened to me at the bar?

I always knew Andrew was selfish, but I never imagined he could be this cruel.

I just hated myself for only seeing his true colors now.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, then turned and walked into the bedroom to pack my things.

When I got to the locked dresser, I noticed the clasp on the jewelry box was open.

My heart raced, my hands trembling as I opened it, but it was empty.

It used to hold my mom's ruby necklace—the last thing she ever left me, my only connection to her in this world.

My eyes burned with tears as I snapped my head up, screaming at Andrew, "Where's my necklace?!"

Andrew rushed over when he heard me.

Seeing me falling apart, he lowered his voice and tried to explain, "Sophia said she always wanted to see that necklace you posted a photo of. She thought it was beautiful, so I lent it to her.

"Don't worry, she swore she'd give it back tomorrow, no damage, I promise."

Before I could get a word out, Andrew's phone started ringing.

As soon as he answered it, Sophia's trembling whine came. "I'm sorry, Andrew... I wanted to wear the necklace to a party today, but now I can't find it..."

Andrew instantly forgot all about my necklace, his face clouded with worry as he asked, "Sophia, what's going on? Did you get hurt?"

"I-I just stepped outside, and a bunch of guys surrounded me. They started groping me, and I got so scared I dropped the necklace and ran... What if they come after me? I'm really scared, Andrew..."

Sophia sounded so terrified that Andrew felt his heart clench with worry.

"Hang on, I'm on my way," he said, urgency in every word.

Andrew didn't even hesitate—he spun around and bolted for the door, not even bothering to change his slippers.

I snapped out of it, quickly slipped on my shoes, and hurried after him.

But Andrew suddenly spun around, his face twisted with anger, looking downright scary.

"What do you think you're doing? Are you going to cause trouble for Sophia again? She's really fragile right now, so don't go upsetting her..." he snapped.