Chapter 2

Nothing in this world was more unpredictable than the human heart.

I swore I'd never let such tragedies repeat themselves.

By the time I got home, it was almost noon.

Dad would definitely be at the office right now.

Usually, it was just Mom holding down the fort.

But today, Mom was nowhere to be seen—Anabel was home instead. That caught me off guard.

Normally, Anabel would be jetting off somewhere for work at this hour.

Anabel rushed over to me, her face full of concern.

"Vero! Why are you home all of a sudden?" she called out.

"I missed you like crazy! Come here, let me see—did you put on some weight? Ugh, you've got these dark circles under your eyes. Anything bothering you, just tell your big sis. I'll fix it all for you!"

"Did that Kamron jerk mess with you again?" she demanded.

She continued, "Seriously, don't be scared. Whatever it is, just spill it to me. I'll go beat him up for you!"

Anabel was five years older than me, and she was already a total powerhouse at work, practically helping Dad run the business.

I hugged her tightly, burying my face in her shoulder so she wouldn't see the tears I was barely holding back.

"I really missed you too, Anabel," I whispered.

In my previous life, the last memory I had of her was in the morgue—a scene that still haunted my dreams.

She was lying there, cold and alone, in a place where no one dared to step forward and claim her body.

Her entire body was battered with wounds, and the fatal blow was right over her heart—a gaping, shattered hole that had torn her apart.

I didn't even know what kind of hell she had been through.

Her face was so mangled that I could barely tell it was Anabel. If not for that birthmark, which only the two of us ever recognized since childhood, I would have never known it was her.

I seriously wouldn't have recognized her as Anabel—that face barely even looked human anymore.

My sister Anabel, gorgeous and fierce, had always been the kind of woman everyone wanted a piece of—people were obsessed with her.

But in the end, she was left lying all alone in that freezing, creepy place.

I refuse to accept this.

Anabel was meant to be shining on top of the world, with everyone looking up to her in awe and admiration.

That was not how it should've ended...

She never deserved something so cruel.

I bit my lip until I nearly tasted blood, forcing the tears to stay in.

My resolve hardened; nothing could shake me now.

"Anabel, this time, I swear I'll protect you—no matter what," I whispered.

Anabel probably thought I was talking nonsense because I was sick. She kept checking my forehead, making sure I was okay before finally relaxing.

But my words made her absolutely over the moon. She excitedly posted what I said on her social media, family group chats, work groups—everywhere she could think of.

She even tagged everyone to check it out.

She wrote: [Look at this! My precious Vero just said she's gonna protect me for life! Who else has someone like that? Didn't think so! See? I just have to show off so you'll all be jealous!]

People started flooding the comments, all trying to get in on the fun.

One account stood out—a wolf avatar, username just the single word "Rhodes".

The comment read: [Excuse me, 'your' Vero? She's my precious girl—mine!]

That was Kamron's social media account, no mistake.

Seeing me staring at the comment, Anabel gave me a mischievous grin.

"Just look at him—like someone's about to snatch his bone. Classic Kamron, the mutt!" she joked.

Anabel's always had beef with Kamron. When we were kids, those two scrapped more times than I could count.

They only called it quits whenever I got freaked out and burst into tears.

Back then, whenever Anabel called Kamron a jerk, I'd always get annoyed.

I would even speak up for him sometimes, trying to defend him.

But now, not even a ripple crossed my mind.

Anabel was still basking in the glow of my promise to protect her for life when I just blurted out that I was gonna divorce Kamron.

Her jaw practically hit the floor.

She kept double-checking with me, asking if I was actually serious, like I might be joking or something.

She'd seen me trail after Kamron like some hopeless, lovestruck kid—back then, every single conversation I had with her was all about him.

She watched as every era of my life unfolded—school days, first crush, our romance, marriage—years that were all shaped by Kamron.

And now, here I was.

I was about to bring an end to this all-consuming love that had marked my youth from the very beginning.

No wonder she was so stunned.

"You're actually serious about this, Vero?" Anabel's eyes went wide, disbelief written all over her face.

But when she saw I wasn't joking around, her whole demeanor softened.

Anabel reached out and cupped my cheek, her touch warm and comforting.

"Okay, I don't know what happened to you, and I won't pry," she said gently, her trust in me clear as day.

"But as long as it's your choice, Vero, I'm with you all the way. Whatever you decide—I'm behind you, no questions asked."

"I'll help you, Vero. Whatever you need, just say the word," she promised, her voice unwavering with support.

I only found out later that Dad had taken Mom on an overseas vacation, leaving all the company's business in the hands of Bryant and Anabel for now.

After we finished talking, Anabel slipped away to her room by herself and spent ages on the phone with our parents.

I had no idea what they discussed.

But when she finally came out, it was obvious she'd let out a huge breath—she looked so relieved that I could practically feel her tension melting away.

With a relieved smile, Anabel came over and told me that Mom and Dad were already in the loop about my decision to get divorced.

They'd start by discussing everything with Kamron's folks, then sort out the divorce proceedings for us.