Chapter 2

Sophie's POV

"Alright, I know you adore me. I'll see you tonight. I'll drop Sophie off at home first."

Ian's voice dragged me out of my unbearable memories. He hung up, and the car instantly fell silent, leaving only the sound of our breathing.

After a while, he broke the silence. "I bet you're starving. Let's grab your favorite cake first, then I'll take you home."

His tone was gentle, as if nothing had happened just now. That only made me look like a complete joke, with my bloodshot eyes and trembling body.

"Ian, why did you do this to me? You said you would cherish me for the rest of your life." My voice was raw, and tears slipped down despite me trying to hold them back.

But this time, Ian didn't wipe them away carefully like he always used to. He leaned back in his seat as a faint, mocking smile played on his lips.

"If you'd chosen me the first time, maybe I really would've cherished you for a lifetime. But now, you're just used goods. So why exactly should I stay pure for you?"

He tossed a tissue at me like he was doing me a favor.

I jerked back, staring at him like he was a monster.

The two of us, plus a few others, had gone to college together. Back then, he and Jack had confessed to me on the same day. I'd chosen Jack.

Ian had politely offered his congratulations, and I'd kept my distance from him after getting married. Then, Jack had cheated. I hadn't been able to handle the blow, so I slit my wrists.

That was when Ian appeared in my life like an angel from above. He'd healed me, dragging me out of hell and back into the land of the living.

Thinking about all the ways he'd been there for me, I asked in despair, "If it bothered you that much, why did you still pursue me? Why did you get with me at all?"

Our eyes met, and Ian sighed. "I thought I didn't care, but when we started planning the wedding…"

He looked at me, smiling bitterly. "You were way too good at it. You knew how to haggle with the photographer when we took our engagement photos. When we picked out rings, you knew how to buy a cheap backup set for the ceremony in case they got lost.

"Even this morning, when we left to go to City Hall, you didn't even need to look up what to wear. You knew exactly what to do."

The more he talked, the darker his expression became. "Everything you did just screamed that I was marrying someone else's used goods. I'm not okay with that, Sophie."

Tears blurred my vision. I couldn't see him clearly anymore, but I heard every word loud and clear.

He went on, "But I love you. Since you were married to Jack for a year, I get to screw around for a year before I 'settle down', too. That's fair, isn't it?"

A sudden warmth graced my face. I blinked hard, and my tears splashed onto the back of Ian's hand. He flinched like he'd been burned and pulled his hand away.

"No, it's not fair! If it bothered you, you could've told me. You shouldn't have saved me and promised me forever, only to betray me in the end! I want a divorce!" I screamed, feeling as if my soul were being torn apart.

He just stared at me coolly. Only when I'd worn myself out did he finally speak, sounding all benevolent and condescending. "We're already married. You don't get to decide what's fair and what's not. As for divorce, don't even think about it. If you can live with it, stay. If you can't, suck it up."

With that, he suddenly pushed open the passenger door and gave me a light shove. "You're really pissing me off right now. Get out and think about what you've done."