Chapter 3: I Must Get A Divorce

Outside, the sound of horse hooves faded away. Inside, Selene stood tall in the center of her room, looking as though she had just nailed her resolve to the very walls of her heart.

From this day forward, her marriage was no longer a prison but a battlefield.

She sank onto the cold surface of the bed. Her lips trembled, her voice barely a sliver of a whisper. "...What did I do wrong?"

For five years, she lived as the Duchess of Leventis. Five years of pouring every ounce of her soul into the role. She had never been idle; she studied, she managed the estate, she prepared, and she served. She ensured every one of her husband’s needs was met—from the food on his table to the administration of his lands. She had done it all for one thing, recognition. And her reward was empty stares and icy words. Most cruelly of all, every life she carried... was snatched away by the hands of her own husband.

Damian hadn't just rejected her as a wife—he had systematically destroyed her chance to be a mother.

Selene gripped the bedsheets until they bunched and wrinkled. Her heart, once soft, now felt as hard as stone. Once, she could deceive herself into thinking love would fix everything. But after death—and her subsequent rebirth—she realized that love was nothing more than a lethal illusion.

All of Damian’s lies lay bare now. And they all led back to one name, Vivian.

Her cousin and stepsister. The woman who had fled before her wedding to Damian, only to return a year ago and reclaim everything right before her eyes.

Selene closed her eyes, her breath hitching. She could still remember it clearly, coming home from her mother’s grave, only to catch Vivian stepping out of Damian’s study, wearing his shirt. And how foolish Selene had been—she had blindly believed the ridiculous excuse that Vivian’s dress was soiled and needed changing.

Now, all the pieces formed a complete, grotesque picture, they weren't just "childhood friends." They were lovers. They were traitors.

The memories carved wound after wound into her soul. Finally, amidst the agony, Selene took a long breath.

"I must get a divorce."

Her hand reached for a drawer, pulling out her mother's inheritance documents. A small plot of land outside the imperial borders, it’s her only way out. She couldn't return to the Count's house as her father had married Vivian’s mother, and ever since, Selene had been nothing but a shadow. Every luxury had fallen into Vivian’s hands, even the fiancé who should have been Selene’s.

She pressed the documents to her chest. ‘I have to leave.’

But her steps stalled when the sound of hooves echoed again from the courtyard. A carriage

had stopped at the front entrance. She knew exactly who had arrived.

The bedroom door swung wide. Damian entered, with his aura of cold authority. And at his side, Vivian.

Selene felt a bitter surge of nausea rise in her throat.

"Selene," that soft, melodic voice sang out. Vivian stepped forward, her face a mask of fake concern. She reached for Selene’s hand, a hollow show of affection. "I heard you miscarried... I hope you’re alright."

Selene yanked her hand back instantly. Her gaze cut like a blade. "I am fine."

For a fleeting second, Vivian’s expression stiffened. She hadn't expected Selene to refuse her cheap drama.

"Selene, don't be like that–"

"You didn't need to come," Selene interrupted coldly. "I don't need your sympathy."

Damian stepped forward, his heavy voice carrying the weight of a command. "Selene. Vivian was kind enough to visit you. Is this how you behave?"

Selene turned, meeting her husband's eyes without a hint of fear. "Then divorce me."

The room froze. Her two loyal maids, Monica and Daisy, bowed their heads even deeper, as if terrified the storm was about to break.

"Selene," Damian’s voice turned sharp, laced with a threat. "Stop this nonsense."

Selene offered a thin, bitter smile. "I've seen enough of you. Please, leave."

"Selene!" Damian’s tone rose. But before he could continue, Vivian quickly interjected with her manufactured sweetness.

"Duke, please don't be angry... It's my fault. I shouldn't have come. Selene’s heart is understandably troubled after she lost the child..."

Selene didn't even look at her. To her, it was all just a low-budget play.

Damian scoffed, then looked at Vivian. "She isn't worth your concern. Let's go."

The door closed, and the room returned to silence.

However, outside in the hallway, Damian’s footsteps halted as Vivian gripped his arm.

"You heard her, didn't you?" she whispered, her eyes shimmering. "She wants a divorce. Isn't this the perfect opportunity for us?"

Damian looked at her, his face remaining unreadable and cold. "She just miscarried. Her words are nothing but delirium."