Chapter 2
When I got home, I realized there was barely any trace of Andrew here.
This place wasn't home anymore.
Andrew's home was Willow Manor now.
I quietly packed up my stuff and spent the whole night in the living room. That night, I didn't sleep a wink.
The next morning, I went straight to the office and turned in my resignation.
My boss stared at me, totally stunned. "You're quitting? Is it about the salary or something?"
"If it's the money, I can give you a raise," he said, clearly desperate to keep me.
He really didn't want to let me go. After all, I was the star planner, the one who helped tons of influencer accounts go viral.
The real joke? I was the mastermind behind Andrew and Sophia's viral influencer couple persona.
Back then, Andrew kept begging me to brainstorm new ideas for their feed, swearing he'd dump Sophia as soon as the cash started rolling in.
He promised we'd finally go public, just the two of us.
And like a fool, I bought every word, thinking he was doing it all for us.
So I worked myself to the bone, churning out content for their brand like my life depended on it.
Every year, I kept waiting, watching as he and Sophia's fame skyrocketed online.
He'd already made plenty of money, but he never even mentioned splitting up with her.
"Honestly, you already know why," I said softly.
My boss knew I was Andrew's wife. So, when hearing that, his face fell, and he let out a couple of bitter chuckles.
"Andrew failed you. If you want to leave, just go," he said.
After finishing all the paperwork, I went back home. The place felt especially cold and empty.
The man who said he'd come back last night was nowhere to be seen.
I put together a quick grilled cheese sandwich and ate alone at the table. My phone buzzed, and I checked the screen.
It was a message from Sophia.
Sophia: [Andrew's got a killer hangover, so he's crashing at my place tonight. Hope you don't mind, Emily.]
Her words were all sweet and polite, but the photo said it all. Andrew's neck was covered in fresh hickeys.
I glanced at it and then calmly set my phone down.
Before, Sophia would always send me those smug little photos of her and Andrew just to provoke me.
Jealous, I'd go confront Andrew, telling him to keep his distance from her. But every time, it just ended in a fight.
But now that I didn't love Andrew anymore, I finally saw it. Sophia's little provocations were only possible because Andrew never stopped her.
He stopped loving me a long time ago.
My family was from the south. When I graduated, I was head over heels for him.
I insisted on staying up north with Andrew, working hard to build a life together. The only time I ever saw my parents was during Christmas.
Looking back, I feel so guilty for not being there for them. All I wanted now was to spend time with my family.
I picked out a desk job and sent my resume over.
Lakeview was just a tiny city, the kind nobody had ever heard of.
Andrew used to swear up and down he'd never go back to a small town, and he was all about making it big in the city.
With a place as small as Lakeview, I bet he wouldn't even want to set foot there.
Honestly, that was fine by me. I didn't want to see him ever again.