Chapter 3

I rushed over as fast as I could.

But the moment I saw what had become of my family home, my entire body began to tremble. I was so stunned that I couldn’t even get the words out.

Ethan stepped in front of me and pressed a new property deed into my hands.

"I spent all day yesterday taking Vivi house hunting, but she didn't like any of the places we saw. She kept saying your house was perfect."

I stared at him in disbelief. "So, you let her turn my home into a doghouse?"

I stumbled back two steps, and that was when I noticed the decorations.

They were for the dog's birthday party, and every single one of them had come from my canceled wedding.

For two years, I had painstakingly planned that wedding with a designer, going back and forth over every detail—the flowers, the decorations, the layout, and everything.

Now, the vision I had spent two years bringing to life stood right before me.

Only it wasn't for my wedding anymore. It was being used to celebrate a dog's birthday.

"What happened to everything in my house?" I asked.

"I had it all moved to the new place. Don't worry. I made sure everything was arranged exactly the way it was before. Vivi's pregnant now. Just give her some space."

I tightened my grip on the property deed.

Then, my phone suddenly buzzed with an incoming message.

"Sienna, I had someone expedite your paperwork. Can I come pick you up in five days?"

Now that I knew I would be able to leave in just a few days, I no longer wanted to waste my breath arguing with Ethan. I turned and walked away.

But Vivian suddenly appeared, carrying her dog in her arms.

"Sienna, what did you get my dog for his birthday?"

Seeing the smug smile on her face, I slowly slipped the wedding ring from my finger.

"You've always wanted this, haven't you? Take it."

She clearly hadn't expected me to give it up so easily. For a moment, she simply stared at me in surprise. Then, her gaze shifted to the pendant I always wore around my neck.

"I want that one, too."

My fingers instinctively closed around the pendant.

"No. Not this."

My parents had made this pendant for me before I was even born. They had spent days learning from a blacksmith so they could make it themselves.

Its value had nothing to do with money. To me, it was irreplaceable.

Ethan came over when he heard the commotion. "What's going on?"

Vivian pouted. "Sienna would rather give her wedding ring to a dog than give me her pendant. What's so special about it? Why can't I have it, too?"

Ethan's expression darkened instantly. "You gave the wedding ring to a dog? Sienna, you've really outdone yourself."

Before I could say a word, he reached out and yanked the pendant from my neck. The cord snapped from the force, scraping the back of my neck and leaving a painful cut.

I cried out in pain, but my voice was quickly drowned out by Vivian's scream.

The pendant had been bent by Ethan's forceful pull, and one of its sharp edges had cut Vivian's finger. She held up her injured finger and burst into tears.

"Sienna, if you didn't want to give it to me, you could've just said so. You didn't have to ruin it!"

Then, she collapsed.

Ethan immediately turned on me. "You knew Vivi was anemic, and you still did something like this! She's pregnant, too. How could you be so cruel?"

He blamed me for everything without even thinking it through.

Then, he dragged me to the hospital and forced me into the room where blood was being drawn.

The doctor in charge was the same one who had treated me before. She hesitated when she saw me.

"This woman just had a miscarriage—"

"Draw her blood!" Ethan snapped.

"She caused Vivi to lose blood and pass out. She needs to take responsibility!"

The doctor fell silent.

One bag after another was drawn from me. With each bag, the color drained further from my face. My hands grew cold, and my body felt weaker by the minute.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Ethan's face as he watched me.

"That's enough."

He opened his hand. His palm contained my carefully repaired pendant and my wedding ring.

"Even if you were angry, you shouldn't have given away our wedding ring."

He took my hand and carefully slipped the ring back onto my finger. Then, he gently fastened the pendant around my neck.

When his fingers brushed the wound on the back of my neck, he sighed. "Does it hurt?"

He had just picked up a bottle of antiseptic when Vivian's soft, plaintive voice drifted in from outside. "Honey, where are you? I'm all alone and scared."

Ethan immediately froze.

"You should go."

I took the antiseptic from his hand without looking at him.

"Once Vivi falls asleep, I'll take you out for something good to eat."

I nodded. But deep down, I already knew he wouldn't be coming back.

I went home alone and quietly packed the things I planned to take with me.

…

For the next five days, Ethan didn't come home once.

Vivian never missed a chance to flaunt their life together in front of me. Photos of meals Ethan had personally cooked for her. Fireworks he had arranged just for her. The two of them kissing by the ocean. Praying together at a church.

She practically radiated smugness.

"So what if you're his wife? All his tenderness and affection belong to me.

"If you know what's good for you, step aside while you still can. You can't beat me, especially now that I'm carrying his child."

I stared blankly at the screen before turning it off.

I couldn't help wondering what her expression would be when she finally realized that becoming Ethan's wife meant sharing his love with two other women—dividing his attention among three mistresses and watching him give pieces of himself to each of them.

At last, the day I had been waiting for arrived.

I dragged my suitcase through the airport.

"Sienna."

I froze at the sound of my name.

I turned around, and the next second, everything went black.