Chapter 2
This wasn't an office at all. It was a one-to-one replica of the room we shared as newlyweds.
The emerald velvet sofa, the floor lamp in the corner that Edward had picked out himself.
Even the bouquet on the coffee table matched the fresh flowers we'd just replaced at home.
The only difference was, the wall where our wedding photo should have been was now completely covered with pictures of Julia.
There were photos of her chopping vegetables, curled up asleep on the couch...
Each picture was bathed in soft, gentle light, and even through the glossy paper, one could feel the overwhelming love behind the lens, so intense that it seemed capable of drowning anyone who looked.
My heart clenched painfully.
I remembered our honeymoon: how I spent two hours doing my makeup, so happy and practically begging Edward to take a picture of me.
He just lazily clicked the shutter a few times, and the photos came out blurry and lifeless.
Turned out, he never hated taking pictures.
All his care and tenderness had always been reserved for Julia, long before I ever noticed.
Footsteps sounded outside the door.
Suddenly snapped out of my daze, I scrambled into the closet.
The door swung open.
"Let go of me!" Julia's voice shook as she shouted.
She yanked her hand free from Edward, her voice thick with tears.
But Edward, like a madman, crushed her against his chest, refusing to let go.
"Julia, I can't take this anymore!
"When I saw her holding that knife today, all I could think was, if she really stabbed herself, would we finally be free?" Edward said.
Julia gave him a fierce slap across the face.
"Edward, you bastard! She's your wife!" she shouted.
"I never loved her!" Edward shouted, his eyes red and voice thick with desperation.
"You have no idea how suffocating it is to lie next to her every night.
"Julia, what if I just tell her the truth? If she'll let me go, I'll give her all my money!" Edward said.
Julia broke down, her voice cracking with emotion. "No! If you tell her now, you'll be driving her to her death!"
Edward buried his face in the crook of her neck, clinging to her like a drowning man.
"What about me? You care so much about her, but who's there to care about me?" he said.
Julia was crying so hard it felt like her heart was being torn apart.
"When we were ten, she pushed me out of the way and got hit by a truck. I swore I'd protect her with my life, but I couldn't help falling for her husband.
"Back when you pissed off those people over that project, she was the one who got cornered in the parking garage for you.
"If it weren't for us, Claire would never have gotten sick. How could we ever do this to her?" Julia said.
Edward kissed away her tears, his hands trembling.
Inside the closet, my nails unconsciously pressed into the wound in my palm.
Blood oozed out again, but I was completely numb to the pain.
So that was it.
So touching.
One gave up the person she loved most, just to repay a debt of gratitude.
The other carried the weight in silence, all because of guilt.
So in their epic, tragic love story, what was I? Just the extra, the forgotten one, left on the sidelines.
I didn't know how long I stayed there, but eventually, everything outside went completely silent.
I crawled out of the closet, my legs barely holding me up as I staggered out of the office.
The winter wind cut across my face like a knife, drying my tears.
Suddenly, I remembered the day Edward slammed the divorce papers in front of me, determined to leave me, even if it meant giving up everything.
But after that, he suddenly never mentioned it again.
Turned out, he was just afraid he'd have my death on his conscience, and that Julia would never forgive herself if anything happened to me.
Since they were both so miserable, I decided to step aside and let them be together.
With a hollow heart, I pulled out my phone and called my lawyer.
"Mr. Woods, please get the divorce papers ready for me. The sooner, the better," I said, my voice flat.
There was a long silence on the other end.
"Ms. Evans, are you serious?" Mr. Woods finally asked.
He sounded almost pitying. "There's no record of your marriage in the marriage registry.
"Legally, Ms. Evans, you're still single."