Chapter 3

"You're coming, right?" I asked.

Jenna smiled. "I made a promise to Annie. Of course I'll be there."

The front door clicked shut, and silence settled over the house.

She'd made plenty of promises to me, too. She hadn't kept a single one.

I grabbed a few paper towels and crouched down to wipe away the trail of water Jenna had left across the floor.

I'd always hated messes. And I was done holding on to someone who'd become tainted in my eyes.

But what about Annie? She was still so young. She still looked at her mother with the unquestioning love and hope only a child could have.

Thinking about the promise I'd made her before bed, I knew there was no chance I'd be sleeping tonight.

I gave up trying, picked up my phone, and started scrolling through my Instagram feed. The newest post was from Zach.

The caption read, "Someone out there will always love every side of you—even the difficult ones."

Attached was a screenshot of a bank transfer of several thousand dollars.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

Jenna never thought twice about spending thousands of dollars on Zach. Yet, in the seven years we'd been married, I could count the gifts she'd given me on one hand.

Back then, she'd been busy establishing her company. Meanwhile, I had been busy taking care of her and raising Annie.

Material things had never mattered to me, so I never stopped to think about the gifts I wasn't receiving.

Looking back now, I realized I'd been fooling myself.

Looking back, I can't believe I ever thought life would be the same no matter who one shared it with.

Jenna never remembered my birthday. She'd never once shown up for Annie's parent-teacher meetings.

Even on our wedding anniversary, she'd only give me an apologetic smile and say, "When I've made enough money, I'll take you somewhere nice. I'll make it up to you."

I believed her every time. But after she returned to the Birch family, I finally saw the difference.

She never forgot Zach's birthday. If he casually mentioned wanting to go somewhere, she'd book out an entire amusement park without a second thought. If he wanted to watch the stars, she'd stay with him until the early hours of the morning.

Every bit of patience she had, every indulgence, every thoughtful gesture, and every exception… She saved them all for Zach.

And for me? I got nothing more than an impatient "Enzo, stop making a fuss".

A dull ache spread through my chest.

My gaze drifted around the unfamiliar villa. It was spacious and luxurious. Yet it felt colder than any place I'd ever lived.

Somehow, it could never compare to the cramped apartment we'd rented years ago. It wasn't even 646 square feet, and the walls were worn, but it had been our home.

We barely had enough to get by.

After Annie was born, things became even harder. There were days we couldn't afford the heating. Sometimes, we couldn't even pay the electricity bill. When we ran out of hot water, we had no choice but to mix Annie's formula with cold water.

I still remembered Jenna pressing a steaming bun into my hands, her eyes red with guilt.

"I'm sorry," she'd whispered. "I thought we'd be fine since it was my safe period. I never imagined I'd get pregnant… and drag Annie into all this."

She forced a smile, trying to reassure me even as her voice trembled.

"Just wait until we're back on our feet. I'll get my tubes tied so you won't have to worry about this happening again."

She'd been terrified I'd grow tired of struggling and that I'd leave because she had nothing to give me.

I remembered looking at her, shivering from the cold, and silently wrapped her in my arms.

Back then, all she wanted was a future with me. So, when had everything changed?

I'd just finished packing the things that belonged to Annie and me when my phone rang.

It was a voice call from Zach.

Not wanting to wake Annie, I stepped out onto the landing before answering.

Zach's cocky voice came through the speaker, just as arrogant as ever, "So if you marry me, what happens to Enzo? You know I don't do the whole 'other man' thing."

Silence followed. It lasted so long that I almost thought the call had disconnected.

Then, I heard Jenna laugh softly. "When I married Enzo, we held the ceremony overseas. It wasn't even a legal marriage. The only man I've ever wanted to marry has always been you."

The call ended. So did the last bit of warmth left in my heart.

Our marriage certificate had been fake, just like every promise Jenna had ever made me.

In a way, it made things easier. At least I wouldn't have to ask her to sign divorce papers anymore.

I took the marriage certificate I'd planned to bring with me out of my suitcase and set it on the bedside table. If it wasn't meant to be mine, then I wouldn't take it with me.

Jenna never came home that night. There wasn't even a text to say where she was.

The next morning, it was just Annie and me at the parent-teacher meeting.

During the craft competition, every child was paired with their mother. Annie was the only one sitting beside her father.