Chapter 2

Sophia blurted out, "Is Mr. Windsor blind or what? Can't he see all the hard work you've put into this firm?

"Honestly, if it's not you in that executive director spot, I'm not buying it."

Aside from the partners, nobody at the firm knew that Julius and I were more than just colleagues.

Julius always made it clear. He didn't want personal stuff interfering with work.

So at the office, I kept things strictly professional between us, just another supervisor and subordinate.

No special favors, not even when I was sick. I had to go through the same approval process as everyone else.

I never even accepted a ride in Julius's car, just to keep things above board.

But when it came to Judith, all those rules Julius insisted on were just empty words.

It wasn't just a slap in the face. It cut me to the core.

Sophia, who always has my back and never sugarcoats anything, gets mad at me for not fighting for myself.

Sophia asked, "Isabella, I've always wanted to ask, you aced law school.

"So why have you settled for being a junior admin all these years? What's in it for you?"

I couldn't answer her. What else could I want? Of course, it was Julius.

It was this thing called love, and the marriage I'd been trying to keep afloat for a decade.

Julius and I went to the same university, same major, just different years.

By the time I started, Julius was already the campus heartthrob, cold, aloof, and everyone's dream guy.

He'd turned down countless girls, both juniors and seniors, who were head over heels for him.

That cross-year debate was my big break. The moment Julius's icy eyes finally found me.

When it was all over, Julius was waiting for me outside the auditorium.

Amid all the playful shouts and teasing from my classmates, Julius handed me a bottle of lemon soda. "Congrats on the win, Isabella. You're incredible."

I took the soda, flashed a playful smile at the campus heartthrob standing before me, and boldly flipped the script.

I joked, "So, with someone as awesome as me, do I qualify to be your girlfriend, Julius?"

Julius blinked in surprise, then a smile slowly spread across his face.

It felt like winter was finally melting away, and the world was bursting into spring.

"Absolutely. I'd be honored," Julius said, his voice warm.

Our love story was almost entirely smooth sailing. Julius and I barely faced any real obstacles along the way.

Even when we were so broke that we had to live in a basement and eat nothing but sandwiches with water, that was our reality.

Julius's salary as a junior attorney was so low, there was no way we could afford the crazy rent in Eastbrook.

So I picked up side gigs, hustling just to cover living expenses for the both of us.

After graduation, I even passed up a shot at a law firm internship and, banking on my looks, landed a gig as a real estate agent.

At first, I wasn't closing any deals, so that monthly paycheck of one thousand dollars was all Julius and I had to our name.

After shelling out five hundred dollars for rent and the bare minimum for transportation, even instant noodles felt like a luxury.

So I had to figure out how to whip something up myself. There was no kitchen in the basement, no way to really cook.

I did everything I could to jazz up those sandwiches and sneak in some nutrition.

I'd grab some cheap greens, toss on some seasoning, and use them to jazz up the sandwich as a little something on the side.

The ultimate treat was scoring a bargain. Then I could cook up a rich, creamy Fettuccine Alfredo. That was our idea of luxury.

Every time I tried to get creative with our meal, no matter how it turned out, Julius would wolf it down like it was a five-star meal.

And I always pretended not to see his eyes getting all misty.

Julius started throwing himself into endless overtime, working himself to the bone.

He even secretly picked up all kinds of odd jobs on the side, and more than once, he passed out at his desk from sheer exhaustion.

I couldn't stop him, so all I could do was try to keep him nourished however I could.

To do that, I even forced myself to splurge on a whole bag of apples.

That winter, apples were ridiculously expensive, so even the peels felt too precious to throw away.

I'd save the best apples to boil into a drink for Julius, and the bruised or not-so-great ones? Those were for me.

Whenever I handed Julius the peeled apples, I'd act all casual and tell him, "I already ate mine," like it was no big deal.

Julius never bought it for a second.

So I'd just pull him in for a kiss, making sure he got a taste of the apple I'd just eaten.

But eventually, Julius caught on.

One day, as I was quietly munching on apple peels out of sight, he just came up behind me and hugged me without saying a word.

His tears soaked through my shoulders, so gaunt you could feel the bones beneath my skin...

I felt my face burn with embarrassment. Poverty robbed you of your dignity, even when you were with the person you love.

That night, on that tiny single bed in the basement, Julius kissed me with tears streaming down his face.

He kept repeating his promise over and over. "Isabella, I swear I'll make sure you live a good life."