Chapter 2

Maybe I was being oversensitive, but it felt like she was rubbing my nose in it.

Before I could say a word, James rolled his eyes at me and comforted Emily. "You're my best friend," he said firmly. "Some people aren't important enough to veto my decisions. Just make yourself at home. If you need anything at all, come to me."

Then James gave me a wary look, like he thought I might hurt Emily, and warned me. "I'm warning you, Olivia. If you want to keep this marriage going, stop with the mind games. Don't make me hate you."

I finally realized that I didn't love James anymore. In the past, whenever he paraded Emily in front of me, I'd get angry, hurt, and so frustrated. But now, I just feel nothing.

It turned out the punishment the system gave was the removal of my love for him. For a moment, I didn't know whether to cry or breathe a sigh of relief.

Maybe I should be grateful. Loving James had been an uphill battle. Even though my memories were blurry, every time I tried to remember the past, it felt like being suffocated by an invisible weight.

I finished my water calmly and replied coldly, "Okay."

James looked surprised. He'd probably had a whole rant ready for me, expecting I'd fight back, but when I just stayed so cold, he was left speechless.

But Emily wasn't about to let me off that easily. She immediately lowered her eyes, looking all pitiful, as if I'd pick on her. "James, maybe I should just leave. Olivia doesn't seem to want me here. I don't want to come between you two."

That gave James the opening he needed. He grabbed her hand right in front of me, his eyes full of loathing. "Olivia, who are you putting on this poker face for? You wanted me home, and I'm home. Emily is just staying for a few days. If you don't want her here, whatever. But stop pulling that long face. Were you raised in a barn? Where are your manners?"

I stood there, stunned. I hadn't said a word; I hadn't even tried to kick her out. Yet in James' eyes, I was still the villain of the story.

Then it hit me—it was always like this. Whenever I had begged him not to see her, he'd accuse me of competing for attention anywhere, with no sense of boundaries. When I was forced to put up with him and Emily, Emily would still find some reason to claim I didn't like her, and he would tear a strip off me anyway.

Long story short: I couldn't win.

I felt a surge of gratitude that I didn't care for him anymore. Looking back, I realized just how pathetic and small I had allowed myself to become.

I paused on my way back to the bedroom. "How about I leave instead?"

The air was frozen for a few seconds. James and Emily looked at each other, like they were shocked by how I reacted.

It made sense—in the past, I wouldn't have been me if I hadn't kicked up a massive fuss to vent my frustration.

Everyone in our circle knew I was James' biggest simp. I was so head-over-heels for him that people used to joke that even if every woman on Earth changed her mind, I never would. Because I loved him to a fault, I couldn't stand any other woman near him—let alone offer to give them some alone time.

But then James suddenly let out a laugh, like he'd finally figured out my game. "Running out of ways to threaten suicide, Olivia? So now you're playing hard to get? Even if you pull this stunt, I still—"

But before he could finish, I'd already closed the door and walked away, shutting him and all his unfinished words out. There was no heartache, no sense of being wronged. I just found him incredibly noisy.

The night air was freezing, but as I wandered aimlessly down the street, I felt a sense of freedom and relaxation I'd never known. Ever since I landed in this book world, all I ever did was revolve around James. I never had anything of my own.

I still remember on James' birthday, he smashed the cake I made for him right onto me, in front of everyone in our circle. He'd hissed at me through gritted teeth. "Olivia, no matter how much you grovel, I'll never like a simp like you. Even if you were the last woman on Earth, I still wouldn't pick you."

So how did James end up agreeing to marry me?

Back then, the Sterling family business was in the middle of a financial meltdown, teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. In our circle, everyone was just a fair-weather friend—they were quick to kick you when you were down.

Overnight, James found himself at the end of his rope. He was begging for anyone to throw him a lifeline, even offering himself up in marriage to save the company. But all his so-called "friends" slammed their doors in his face. Even his precious childhood sweetheart, Emily, made a convenient excuse to flee the country and broke up with him.

I still remember that rainy night when James came looking for me. My family's business was solid, but we were small fry compared to the Sterling empire in its prime, which was exactly why James had always looked down his nose at me.

I knew I was his last resort. When he looked at me with those tear-filled eyes, begging me to save the Sterling family, I just couldn't turn him down.

James asked to marry me. Even though he was my mission target, I wasn't the type to kick a man while he was down. Besides, after spending night and day trying to win him over, I had genuinely fallen for him.

But in the end, the Sterlings felt they owed my family a debt of gratitude, so they insisted on the marriage. That time, I didn't say no.

But after we got married, James started to sour. He convinced himself that my help had been a calculated trap—that I'd exploited his downfall just to get a ring on my finger. From then on, he never gave me a kind look again.

But I still remember why I fell for James in the first place. He'd always buy homegrown fruits and veggies from elderly vendors; he donated to orphanages; he always had a smile for those less fortunate.

James was a good man. He just didn't love me.