Chapter 2

Nicholas didn’t come home that night.

Eleanor waited for him in the living room. But when the clock struck midnight, and there was still no sign of him, she gave up and went to her room.

It wasn’t unusual for Nicholas to stay out late. He was a workaholic who spent most of his time buried in meetings and business deals. And when he wasn’t working, he was out drinking and partying with his friends.

Eleanor had long since lost count of how many nights she had waited up for him, convincing herself that maybe this time would be different.

Maybe he would come home early. Maybe he would sit with her for dinner. Maybe they could talk like a normal married couple and spend even an hour together.

But he never did.

There had always been another meeting, another business trip, another excuse. And she had always accepted it, telling herself that if she loved him a little harder and tried a little more, things would eventually change.

Alas, she had been nothing more than a fool clinging to false hope.

She was nothing to Nicholas. Just a wife in name. A trophy wife to accompany him to charity galas and high-profile events. A puppet to be dressed up and paraded around whenever maintaining appearances demanded it. Someone convenient enough to keep at home but not important enough to prioritize.

And Eleanor was tired.

Tired of waiting.

Tired of hoping.

Tired of loving a man whose entire life revolved around work, work and more work.

Eleanor had spent two years trying to earn affection that should never have had to be earned in the first place.

And she was done being that woman.

That night, Eleanor dropped by Nicholas’ study to get the divorce papers she knew Nicholas had prepared the same day they had gotten married.

She searched for them and found them in the bottom drawer of his desk. The same place she had seen him keep them two years ago.

She still remembered the day like it were yesterday.

The wedding had been a grand affair. All the big names in the business world had been invited. It was the most talked-about event of the year.

Eleanor had been excited. She had hoped that Nicholas would give their marriage a chance. That even though their ancestors arranged this marriage and she was practically forced to take her younger sister’s place, he would at least try to make it work.

But her hopes were dashed when, on their wedding night, Nicholas placed the divorce papers before her.

Eleanor had been stunned.

She had looked at him with wide eyes, not knowing what to say.

But Nicholas had just looked at her with his beautiful, cold eyes.

“This is just a precautionary measure,” he had said. “During our marriage, if either of us wants to get out, all we have to do is sign these papers.”

Eleanor had felt her heart shatter at his words. But she had kept a brave face and nodded.

Nicholas had then gotten up from his chair and walked out of the room, leaving her alone in the bedroom she would never get to share with him over the next two years.

She had cried that night.

All night.

But she had also made a promise to herself. Promise to make this marriage work. Promise she would make Nicholas fall in love with her.

She did everything she possibly could to make him notice her.

She cooked all his meals herself. She prepared all his clothes herself. She made sure to send him at least a dozen texts every day to remind him to take his medicine and to take breaks from work every now and then.

She would even tell him about the little events of her day, even though she knew he would never reply—or care.

When she learned that he was allergic to peanuts, she immediately asked Luna to ban them from the house. And when she found out that years of alcohol consumption had left him with frequent stomach problems, she went through every book in the library, searching for a home remedy that could help him without relying too much on medication.

She memorized his schedule better than her own, making sure his coffee was ready before he woke up and that dinner would still be warm no matter how late he came home.

On the rare occasions he attended social events with her, she learned how to read his moods at a glance, stepping in whenever he looked irritated and disappearing whenever he wanted space.

She celebrated his success in silence, buying cakes that often went untouched because he never came home early enough to cut them. She spent birthdays waiting for him and anniversaries pretending not to be disappointed when he forgot.

Every act of care, every compromise, every small sacrifice was her way of saying, “Please notice me. Please choose me. Please love me back.”

But Nicholas had never seemed to notice any of it.

To him, she was just… there.

A wife in name, fading quietly into the background of his life while loving him with everything she had.

But now, two years later, she realized how foolish she had been. How naive.

Nicholas would never love her. He didn’t even care enough to come and see her when she had almost lost her life in the accident.

She was done hoping. Done waiting.

Done. Period.

She grabbed the pen from the desk and signed the papers.

No hesitation. Nothing.

Then she placed them on the bedside table along with her wedding ring.

Tomorrow, she would hand them over to Nicholas and walk out of his life forever.

——

The next morning, Eleanor woke up early.

She showered, got dressed, and made her way to the kitchen. Luna was already there, preparing breakfast.

“Good morning, Mrs. Beaumont.”

Eleanor smiled. “Good morning, Luna.”

Luna looked at her and smiled knowingly. “I heard you were waiting for Mr. Beaumont last night.”

Eleanor nodded. “I was. But he didn’t come home.”

Luna sighed. “I’m sorry, dear. I know you were looking forward to talking to him.”

Eleanor shrugged. “It’s alright. I’m used to it.”

She didn’t tell Luna about the divorce papers or that she was planning to leave that day. She knew Luna would try to talk her out of it, and she didn’t want that. She had made up her mind, and nothing was going to change it.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen counter, watching Luna work. She was always fascinated by how efficiently Luna moved around the kitchen, never once missing a step.

“Mrs. Beaumont, I’m going to the market to get some fresh vegetables. I’ll be back in an hour. Will you be alright?”

Eleanor nodded. “Yes, of course. Don’t worry about me.”

Luna gave her a small smile and left, leaving Eleanor alone in the kitchen.

She took a sip of her coffee and sighed, her mind already going over what she would say to Nicholas when she saw him.

She would keep it simple, she decided. Just tell him that she wanted a divorce and that she was leaving. No drama. No arguments. She didn’t want to waste any more of her time—or his.

Just a clean break.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts.

Eleanor frowned. It was too early for Nicholas to be home. He usually left for work around this time. She put down her coffee and made her way to the door.

When she opened it, she was surprised to see her sister-in-law, Emilia, standing there.

“Emilia? What are you doing here?”

Emilia didn’t even bother to give her a smile. She simply shoved Eleanor aside and walked into the house.

“Where is Nick?”

Eleanor frowned at the rudeness. “He’s not here yet. Why are you here?”

Emilia rolled her eyes and sat down on the couch, crossing her legs. “I’m here to talk to him about the charity gala next week. But he wasn’t picking up his phone, so I decided to come here.”

Eleanor closed the door and, for the first time, really looked at her sister-in-law.

Emilia Beaumont was Nicholas’s younger sister. She was a spoiled brat who had always looked down on Eleanor for being the replacement wife and had never even tried to hide her disdain.

Eleanor didn’t care. She had learned to ignore Emilia’s snide remarks and insults over the years. But today, for some reason, she didn’t feel like doing that.

Emilia looked at Eleanor with a frown and made a face as she assessed her from head to toe.

“Ugh. You look terrible! Is that how you always dress in the morning? You look like a homeless person!”