Chapter 2

My child was gone, and I dragged myself all the way here to bring him food. I only asked a couple of questions, and suddenly I'm the petty one?

Oscar was so ridiculously biased.

Thankfully, I was about to get divorced from him.

A guy like him wasn't worth getting mad over, so I walked right out of the office.

Once I got downstairs, I pulled out my phone and called my bestie, Celeste, asking her to meet me at a nearby café.

When Celeste pushed open the glass door of the café, I was sitting there, spacing out. This was our go-to spot; whenever either of us was feeling down, we'd come here to talk things out.

"Sweetheart, he's just some jerk. Is he really worth getting all worked up like this?" Celeste sat down and pushed the menu away.

She continued, "Seriously, just dump him. You have no idea. While you were in the hospital, Oscar took Brynn to a bunch of business parties.

"She was all dressed up in a fancy gown, hanging off his arm, and everyone thought she was Mrs. Pacheco."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Figures. I can't say I'm surprised."

"Want to know the worst part?" Celeste muttered through clenched teeth. "Last Thursday's charity party.

"Everyone thought Brynn was Mrs. Pacheco, and a reporter even asked her, 'Mrs. Pacheco, you and Mr. Pacheco seem so close.' Can you believe what she said?

"She smiled all sweet and innocent and replied, 'Mr. Pacheco treats me very well.' She knows full well you're his wife, but she still plays coy like that, just to mess with you."

I tightened my grip on my coffee cup, feeling my frustration rising. "And Oscar's totally fine with her acting like that? Maybe in his eyes, she's already Mrs. Pacheco."

Celeste reached out and gently squeezed my hand. "Annie, you've really been through hell. How did you end up getting bitten by a snake at home? And your baby got hurt too?"

"Brynn asked Oscar to take care of it for her, since she just moved and didn't have a place for it right now," I replied.

"Can I see a picture of the snake?" Celeste suddenly asked.

I scrolled through my phone and handed it to her. "Brynn said it was harmless and totally docile."

When Celeste saw the photo, she shot up from her seat. "Annie, you've been played. My husband's an animal expert, and I can tell you for sure. This is one of the most dangerous venomous snakes out there.

"Their venom is deadly, and there's no way you could ever keep one as a pet. They're aggressive by nature. There's no way it could ever be docile."

A chill ran down my spine. "So you're saying?"

I always thought I messed up with the snake, that it attacked me because I did something wrong, and I ended up losing my baby from shock...

But what if that snake was a deadly, aggressive snake all along?

"This wasn't some freak accident!" Celeste was shaking with rage. "She brought that snake to your house on purpose. She wanted you hurt. That woman's got a mind like a snake herself, waiting for you to get bitten."

I remembered Brynn showing up at my place with that snake, putting on that innocent act. Suddenly, a chill crept down my spine.

Turns out, this was a setup from the very beginning.

"But what really pisses me off is Oscar," Celeste went on. "It's a snake. Shouldn't he at least know what kind of snake it is before bringing it home? As your husband, he didn't even bother to be cautious."

I replied coldly, "He always puts his full trust in that woman without a second thought."

I looked down at the scar on my wrist. It had scabbed over, but I could still feel the pain from that snake bite. Not physical pain, but pain deep inside.

My hand instinctively went to my belly, where a little life once was. If only I had been more cautious with that snake, and if only I hadn't been so naive, trusting Brynn's words.

Just thinking about it, I couldn't hold back my tears.

I wiped away my tears, lifted my head, and met Celeste's gaze with a newfound resolve. "I'm done. I've got a lawyer, and this time, I'm not backing down. I'm getting that divorce."

Celeste squeezed my hand. "You can count on me, Annie. I'm with you, no matter what."

The sunlight streaming in through the window warmed my face, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a little bit of comfort.

After leaving the café, I flagged down a cab and headed home. Lost in thought as the city rolled by outside the window, memories from eight years ago came flooding back, whether I wanted them to or not.

Back then, Oscar wasn't the CEO of Pacheco Group yet. He was just a student, gearing up to start his own business.

The first time I met him was in the library's study room. That night, it started pouring rain, and I had forgotten my umbrella.

He tossed his umbrella into my arms, and before I could even say a word, he dashed out into the downpour all by himself.