Chapter 2

Back at the apartment, a wave of stifling heat hit me the moment I opened the door.

The building had six floors. We rented the cheapest unit at the very top.

To save on electricity, I never turned on the air conditioning, no matter how hot it got.

But tonight, I dug the remote out of the drawer and switched it on without a second thought.

Cool air swept over me, chasing away the heat clinging to my skin. I picked up my phone and called Lucy.

She was a college classmate of mine and now one of the top divorce lawyers in the city.

I laid everything out for her, and Lucy walked me through the evidence I'd need and the litigation process.

"How did things end up like this? Sean used to be so in love with you!" Before hanging up, Lucy couldn't help but sigh. "He cut ties with his own family just to marry you. He even gave you one of his kidneys to save your life. How could someone like that change?"

I let out an awkward laugh, unsure how to answer.

Because even now, I still couldn't make sense of it.

Over these three years, he'd had so many chances to end things with me peacefully and go live his own life. Why put on such an elaborate act just to suffer alongside me?

The next morning at seven, Sean came home carrying a small box of pastries.

"A coworker got their marriage license yesterday and shared these with the team. I saved mine for you."

I glanced at the name on the box. It was from the rooftop restaurant.

I could only laugh to myself. He couldn't even be bothered to put effort into his lies anymore.

"Sean," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "How much longer were you planning to keep this from me?"

Sean's hand froze for a beat, then he managed a smile. "You mean the fact that I quit? I was actually going to tell you once I lined up something new..."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about," I cut him off. "How long were you planning to hide Tina and your son?"

The moment the words left my mouth, Sean shot to his feet. "You went to see them? When?"

Without waiting for my answer, he grabbed his phone and called Tina.

Only after hearing her and the boy playing on the other end did he sit back down, relieved.

"Joanna." He reached out to stroke my hair, but I turned my face away.

His hand hung in the air. A flash of impatience crossed his eyes. "I was wrong to keep it from you, but you were out of control back then. If I hadn't done what I did, you would've dragged everyone down with you."

"I didn't care about myself, but Tina and the baby are innocent. I couldn't just stand by and watch you destroy them."

I scoffed, though my heart ached.

Back then, he was the one who'd cheated on me with my own stepsister.

When I asked for a divorce, he was the one who dropped to his knees, sobbing, begging me for a second chance.

I gave him that chance. And he never cut things off with Tina. Instead, he went behind my back and had a child with her.

Even now, I was still the only villain in their story.

I slapped the divorce papers down in front of him.

"Sign. Once you do, you can go be with Tina and your son and live whatever life you want."

Sean didn't even look at them. He tore the papers in half, then rubbed his brow with a weary sigh.

"Joanna, do you really have to make a scene over this?

"I had a lot of things to consider back then. I wasn't trying to deceive you on purpose.

"Tina had just found out she was having a boy. My mom wanted me to divorce you. But you were all alone. If I left, where would you have gone?

"I thought about sitting you down and talking it through, but you were so paranoid about me cheating all the time. If I hadn't faked the bankruptcy to take your mind off things, nobody would've come out of it unscathed."

Sean's self-righteous excuses tore my heart to shreds.

"So to make things easier for all of you, you chose to torture just me?

"For three years, I lived drowning in guilt because I thought Tina died saving me. Every time I woke up screaming from a nightmare, did you enjoy watching that?"

Sean opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Just then, his phone rang. A small, childish voice came through the speaker.

"Daddy, I miss you."