Chapter 5

For the past fifteen years, he had treated me like a queen. His care and affection were as warm and constant as the summer sun.

I was sure that we were in love.

I thought that if I could just overlook this one indiscretion, we could still grow old together.

So, I chose to forgive him.

However, a month later, Skylar committed suicide. She slashed her wrists in her house and sent Anton a haunting message.

Skylar: [You didn't take responsibility for me, but I don't blame you.]

At that time, he had promised me a tour together. But when he saw the message, he went pale as a ghost and booked the nearest flight out, leaving me stranded in a place I barely knew.

Anton vanished for three days. When he finally reappeared, he thrust a divorce agreement into my hands.

"Erica, let's get a divorce. Skylar can't live without me," he said.

The moment I saw that divorce agreement, something inside me snapped. All my anger and pride evaporated, replaced by a desperate need to hold onto him.

I snatched the agreement and tore it to pieces.

"I'm not divorcing you!" I screamed.

I couldn't bear the thought of losing him, even if he thought I was crazy.

...

After that, Anton and I entered a cold war.

He started parading Skylar around at every formal event. He wanted the world to know that the position of Mrs. Stark was about to be filled by another.

His parents flew into a rage, threatening to disown him, but he didn't bat an eye.

He had always had it easy, never knowing what it was like to fight the world for someone.

In front of Skylar, he was a hero, tall and invincible.

He seemed to revel in that feeling.

He moved out, shacking up with Skylar. Aside from the divorce agreements he sent home every month, he was as unreachable as a phantom.

The only glimpses I got of his life came from Skylar's social media.

After they got together, she started posting about their fairytale life—shopping sprees, exotic travels, and Anton's grand, romantic gestures.

These were luxuries we could only dream of during our student days. Later, when he started his business, we were too busy chasing success to chase sunsets.

I had always thought Anton wasn't capable of such grandeur, but it turned out he could do it all, just not for me.

I should have blocked Skylar, but I was terrified that if I did, I'd never see any trace of Anton again.

So, I tortured myself, scrolling through her photos, imagining that the person by his side was me.

I didn't even notice when my depression started to creep back in.

One day, I woke up to find myself crumpled on the cold floor downstairs. Blood pooled around me, and screams erupted. "Someone jumped off the building!"

Pain radiated through my body, but the worst was my belly. It felt like a giant, rusty spoon was stirring my insides, making me wish I could just black out.

A sudden, intense fear gripped me. This fear made me reach out with trembling hands, grasping for a phone that lay shattered beside me.

The screen was a web of cracks, but it still worked.

I heard someone calling an ambulance and dialed Anton's number.

I was bleeding out, but he didn't answer.

Just when I thought I was about to die, a bright light enveloped me, pulling me away from the darkness.