Chapter 2

Elena's explanation did nothing to calm my anger, and I packed even faster.

Before I left, I took one last look at the house we had lived in for three years.

To be honest, it held a lot of beautiful memories, but they belonged to the past now.

Just like Elena.

I blocked Elena's number and moved into a house I had bought before we got married.

It was time to leave the past behind and start a new life.

-

I hadn't expected to see Elena at the hospital during my checkup.

She was carrying a lunchbox into a hospital room.

I followed her without thinking.

Inside, Ivan was sitting on the hospital bed, picking at the food, and Elena was patiently persuading him to eat.

"Ugh! I told you I don't eat carrots!"

Elena wasn't annoyed by how picky he was.

Instead, she looked at him dotingly.

"The doctor said you need a balanced diet. Don't you want to get better sooner?"

Then, she affectionately ruffled Ivan's hair.

"Fine, Ms. Coleman. I'm only eating them because you asked me to!"

Ivan pouted cutely, and his adorable expression made Elena burst out laughing.

"Well, thank you for doing me this favor, Mr. Blake."

They teased and bickered like the leads in a romantic drama.

If I weren't Elena's husband, I would've admitted they made a perfect match.

Elena used to treat me the same way.

Whenever I was sick, she would patiently coax me into taking my medicine.

She never got angry even when I made a fuss. Instead, she would tease me with a smile.

"My husband is so cute even when he's in a bad mood."

But now, that gentle Elena no longer belonged to me alone.

Was it even love if it wasn't pure anymore?

I rubbed my hurting abdomen and left.

Seeing them together only made me more determined to leave Elena.

-

I had just finished my check-up when I unexpectedly ran into Elena.

For a brief moment, she looked guilty when she saw me.

"What are you doing here, Julian?" She sounded concerned, but she wouldn't look me in the eye.

I smirked and asked, "What about you? What are you doing here?"

Elena stepped forward and took my hand, and I learned another one of her secrets instantly.

She had been taking care of Ivan at the hospital ever since our anniversary. She hadn't gone home even once.

No wonder she seemed completely unaware that I had moved out.

"I'm sorry, Julian. Ivan's sick, and he's my employee. I have to take care of him," she said.

What a perfectly reasonable excuse.

If I got jealous, I would be the one who looked unreasonable.

I stared into Elena's eyes and asked, "Why don't I see you taking care of your other employees when they get sick? What makes him so special?"

My question exposed what was going on between her and Ivan.

Elena was at a loss for words, and she quickly changed the subject.

"Julian, are you angry because I haven't been home these past few days? I'll make it up to you once Ivan gets better."

I pulled my hand away and scoffed.

Make it up to me?

She was just trying to buy herself some peace of mind with a few little favors so she could keep cheating on me with Ivan without feeling guilty.

How disgusting.

"It's fine. I don't need anything from you. Just sign this."

I pulled the divorce papers I had prepared out of my bag.

I had planned to meet up with Elena after my checkup and discuss the divorce with her, which was why I had been carrying the papers around with me.

I hadn't expected to run into her at the hospital, but that saved me another trip.

"What is this?"

Elena had just reached for the papers when Ivan called out to her from the hospital room.

That was all it took to draw her attention away from me.

She couldn't even be bothered to read the document carefully. She simply flipped to the last page and signed her name.

As she signed, she kept glancing back toward the hospital room.

She didn't forget to reassure me, either.

"Ivan's feeling unwell. I'm going to check on him. Go home and wait for me, okay?"

The way she acted almost made me laugh.

She sure was busy…

After signing the papers, Elena rushed off to Ivan without looking back.

I looked at the divorce papers she had handed back and felt like laughing.

Elena hadn't asked about my health even once.

In the past, she would've asked why I was at the hospital and worried that my old injury had flared up again.

But now, her attention had shifted to someone else.