Chapter 2
The visa would take just fifteen days.
After that, she would leave this place for good—never to look back.
Lena barely slept a wink all night.
She finally drifted off at dawn, only to be jolted awake by loud commotion soon after.
Leaning over the second-floor railing, she watched as her husband lifted her half-sister Lisa—his nominal sister-in-law—from the sofa and into a wheelchair.
Lisa's gaze locked directly with Lena's.
She brushed her lips gently against Jason's cheek before feigning surprise at Lena's presence.
"Lena, you're awake! Long time no see."
It was only then that Jason noticed Lena.
A flicker of unease crossed his eyes, but it vanished in an instant.
He stood up casually and pulled Lena, who was descending the stairs, toward him.
"Lisa just woke up. She'll be recuperating at our house for a while—after all, she got into that car accident because of me."
"The doctor said surrounding her with things she likes will help her mood recover, so we had the place renovated."
Lena pulled her hand away and glanced around the house unhurriedly.
Every familiar corner had been transformed beyond recognition.
Uprooted lilies lay discarded in the corner—flowers Jason had planted with her, saying they symbolized "a hundred years of harmony."
The sculpture that once stood in the living room was toppled over—it had been her first gift to Jason, her hands covered in scratches from carving it.
Outside the window, workers were filling in the lotus pond Jason had specially designed for her after she mentioned loving the sight of lotus flowers blooming across the yard.
Two years of her life had been erased overnight, while Lisa had settled in as the mistress of the house in just one day.
"Madam, please move aside."
Lena tore her gaze away and stepped back instinctively.
Two maids carried the wedding photo that had once hung behind the sofa past her—unaware that Lisa had rolled her wheelchair nearby.
One maid tripped over the wheelchair.
The frame slipped from their hands, and the glass shattered into countless pieces.
Her smiling face in the photo was slit open by the shards, reduced to worthless scrap.
Jason's heart tightened as he saw the ruined photo.
He immediately turned to Lena.
They had spent an entire day taking those wedding photos, and this one had been her favorite.
He knew how much she cherished it—she'd said it captured the happiest day of her life.
But Lisa had complained about seeing their wedding photo here, so he'd told the maids to put it in storage.
To his surprise, Lena's expression remained unchanged.
She merely glanced at the mess on the floor and made no other reaction.
Her indifference only made Jason frown.
He wrapped his arm around her and led her to the sofa, comforting her, "It's okay. We took so many photos—we have plenty of replacements. I'll go get one right away, alright?"
Lena said nothing.
Her feelings were already shattered into pieces—why would she care about a broken wedding photo?
But Jason interpreted her silence as anger over the photo.
He stood up resolutely, "Lena, I'll go get it now."
Watching Jason fuss over Lena, Lisa's eyes darkened.
As soon as Jason left, she rolled her wheelchair to the display cabinet in the corner.
Inside was a hand-blown glass butterfly, exquisitely crafted—she'd seen it once in Lena's mother's hands.
"Lena, what's this?"
She reached in and picked it up. "Don't touch it!"
Lena's face paled instantly, and she shouted sharply.
Seeing Lena's agitated expression, Lisa slowly loosened her grip.
The colorful butterfly crashed to the floor, shattering into fragments.
Lena's eyes blazed with fury.
She had spent little time with her mother while studying as a child.
This butterfly was something they had made together during a holiday.
It wasn't valuable, but her mother had kept it close at hand to ease her longing for Lena.
Until the accident.
On the way to the hospital, her mother had placed the butterfly in her palm, "Mom has always thought this butterfly looks just like you, so I've kept it with me. Lena, I hope you can also break out of your cocoon and spread your wings—to see the wider world."
No miracle had saved her mother in the end, and this butterfly had become Lena's last memento of her.
Tears flooded Lena's eyes.
She dropped to her knees, her hands trembling as she tried to pick up the shards one by one.
She didn't even feel the glass cutting into her palms, drawing blood—until the wheelchair rolled over, grinding the fragments into fine powder.
"Is this all that useless mother of yours left you? A cheap trinket? How laughable."
Lisa laughed harder, lowering her voice, "Lena, do you remember how your mother died? Remember this—you'll end up just like her."
Lena watched as the wheelchair crushed her last link to her mother.
Rage erupted within her, and she pushed the wheelchair over with all her strength.
Lisa was caught off guard and fell to the floor—only to be lifted into Jason's arms moments later. "She can't even stand on her own yet. How could you..."
Jason glared at Lena angrily, but his words trailed off as he met her bloodshot eyes and saw the colorful glass dust on the floor.
He knew exactly what had happened.
Tears suddenly welled up in Lisa's eyes, "I just wanted to take a look, but I forgot I'm still weak. It's my fault." "It's only natural that Lena's angry and pushed me. I'm such a burden everywhere I go—I'll go back to my own place."
She turned to Lena, "I'm sorry, Lena. I'll compensate you for it."
Lena said nothing.
She just stared at Jason.
He knew how precious this butterfly was to her—he'd even had a special display cabinet made to keep it safe.
He must... "Lena, it's just a cheap glass ornament. I'll buy you something much more valuable." "Lisa is our guest, and she's not feeling well. You need to be more tolerant of her—stop picking fights."
Lena looked up suddenly, staring at Jason in disbelief.
It hit her then how foolish she'd been.
He had only approached her because she looked like Lisa—so why would he care about the things that mattered to her?
He was right.
It was cheap.
After a long pause, she replied hoarsely, "No need."