Chapter 2

Elena took the envelope, her hands shaking a little. When she read Raul's divorce letter, she let out a gasp.

"Raul, is this really true...?" Elena looked at Raul. Her voice trembled.

"Yes, Elena, it's all over now."

Raul didn't move after he spoke. He stood tall, his eyes cold as he looked at the woman he had shared three years with.

"But Raul, what did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, and there's no one to blame, Elena. From the beginning, our marriage was a mistake."

He sighed and slowly sat on the edge of the bed, next to Elena. Her eyes filled with tears again, heavy with sadness.

"But Raul, we've been together for three years. Isn't there any place for me in your heart? Are you just going to forget all the sweet moments we've shared?"

Raul stayed silent for a moment. He sighed again before finally saying, "I'm sorry, Elena. You know, right? From the start, I never loved you. Everything I did was just fulfilling my duty as a husband. Now that Grandma is gone, you're free. So, forget everything."

After he spoke, Raul stood up and walked away, leaving Elena as she began to sob. Then he stopped and turned back to her.

"Oh, Elena. You can still stay in this house if you want, but we can't share the same room anymore. Later, Carmen will show you your new room, so you won't always be reminded of memories in this one."

Raul left the main bedroom. Tears streamed down Elena's face as she wept. Memories of her time with him rushed through her mind.

Raul had often been cold, but there were still moments when they shared some affection. Though rare, she remembered his warm embrace and gentle side. Was it all just an act?

One night after they made love, Raul mumbled her name in his sleep. Elena had smiled then, thinking he was starting to love her as she loved him. Was that moment fake too? Didn't those words come from his heart?

Elena found no answers to the questions swirling in her mind. All she could do was cry and curse her fate. Her dreams were shattered, and her world felt like it had collapsed.

Three years was a long time. She had been patient, hoping to win Raul's love. But in the end, it all came down to a single sheet of divorce papers.

"Elena, are you in there?!"

Carmen's voice could be heard shouting and knocking on the door. "Hurry to the kitchen, Elena! There's a lot of work to do, and you're just relaxing."

After calling out in front of Elena's room, the head housekeeper returned to the kitchen.

Elena, still sobbing, heard every word Carmen shouted.

She got up quickly and sat at the dressing table, staring at her tear-streaked face.

'Enough, Elena. What's the use of crying? You have to leave this place now.'

A voice inside her whispered. Elena took a deep breath and wiped away her remaining tears.

"That's right. Why should I stay here any longer? Just to be treated like a servant? No. I stayed in this big house only for Raul. Now that he's left me, what's the point?"

Elena muttered these words, trying to convince herself. She stood up right away.

She opened the wardrobe and took out the outfit she wore when she first arrived at the mansion.

It was a bit worn, but it still fit her well.

Elena hadn't changed much, in her face or her figure. Once, Grandma Maria asked why she still wasn't pregnant. Elena could only shake her head and give a bittersweet smile.

How could she get pregnant? Every time she was with Raul, he always used protection.

Elena once asked Raul why he always used protection, even though they were a healthy, married couple.

"I'm not ready to have children yet, Elena. Just enjoy it as it is," Raul answered indifferently as he removed the condom filled with his seed. From that moment on, Elena never asked again.

Was that Raul's way of making it easier to leave her?

Elena sighed and hurried as she changed clothes. When she finished, she began taking off her jewelry one piece at a time.

Elena wouldn't take anything from Raul, even though she had the right. She didn't want his family to look down on her any more than they already did. Enough!

But Elena paused when she touched her ring finger.

The diamond-studded wedding ring had been placed on her finger by Raul himself when they made their sacred vows at the altar.

Back then, Elena dreamed of a happy marriage and being together until death. Now, those dreams had vanished without a trace.

Elena sighed heavily, took off her wedding ring, and set it on the dressing table. She opened her wardrobe again, took out the bag she brought when she first arrived, and packed her personal belongings—the things she owned before she became Raul's wife.

But there was one thing from the Mendez family she couldn't leave behind.

The bracelet given by Grandma Maria.

Elena opened her jewelry box and took out the bracelet. She hugged it to her chest, remembering Grandma's kindness.

"Grandma, forgive me..." Elena whispered, then put on the bracelet as a keepsake from the one person who truly cared for her. Only Grandma Maria, Raul's grandmother, had been kind to her in the Mendez house. Now that she was gone, Elena felt lost in that big house.

Elena looked around the room for a moment.

Her tears flowed again as she looked at the wedding photo hanging in the corner.

"Goodbye, Raul..." Elena said in a trembling voice.

Elena turned and left the room full of memories.

Before Carmen could return and drag her to the kitchen, Elena knew she had to leave right away.

Elena slipped quietly out of the Mendez family's big house.

Luckily, everyone was busy with the party that night, so no one noticed Elena leaving.

Elena walked without direction, wandering through the beautiful streets of Barcelona. She just let her feet lead her.

She didn't know how far she had walked; she had lost track. All she knew was that she was starting to feel tired.

Elena sat by the side of the road. Her throat felt dry, but she had nothing to drink.

Elena swallowed, trying to soothe her dry throat. She tried to think about what to do next. Maybe she could go back to the store where she once worked, but where was it?

Since marrying Raul, Elena had never left the house. The mansion was like a gilded cage that trapped her. Now, the city felt strange and unfamiliar.

As Elena sat lost in her confusion, a deep voice called out to her, "Are you lost, dear?"