CHAPTER FIVE

“Her new beginning.”

Those three words kept repeating in Declan’s mind long after the call ended. He stood by the window, his phone still in his hand, staring blankly at nothing.

Sophia watched him from the bed with a faint, satisfied smile on her face.

She had heard every word.

Great. Let him feel the first crack.

She no longer had any reason to fear Tessa’s shadow.

Declan called Tessa’s number again. Then again. But she didn’t answer.

Just like that? Has she moved on so quickly? Has she already found someone else?

No. He trusted her. Tessa would never cheat on him. But the man’s calm, confident, and possessive voice kept playing over and over in his mind.

Her new beginning.

What did that mean?

He swallowed, feeling increasingly uneasy.

Sophia got up and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Dec… I’m so happy we’re finally together.”

“Me too,” he replied, gently kissing her forehead.

But his thoughts were still on the calm voice he had heard during the call.

Suddenly, the front door downstairs burst open.

Heels clicked sharply and rapidly against the polished tiles.

“Declan!” his mother, Iris, shouted.

Her voice rang up the stairs like a blade. She didn’t wait for permission. Taking the stairs two at a time, she hurried upstairs, her expensive coat flowing behind her, and pushed the bedroom door open.

She froze, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Sophia stood in Declan’s arms, still dressed in her soft pink wedding gown. The large diamond on her finger sparkled in the light as she stepped forward with a carefully practiced smile.

“Aunt Iris…”

Without a second thought, Iris stepped forward and slapped her across the cheek.

The sharp sound rang through the room. Iris didn’t care about anything else at that moment. She was furious.

Sophia stumbled backward, quickly raising a hand to her cheek. Her face flushed as pain and humiliation crossed her features.

“Mom!” Declan rushed forward and pulled Sophia behind him. “What the heck is wrong with you?”

“She slapped me,” Sophia said in a quiet, trembling voice. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Yes, you did,” Iris snapped.

Declan kept his arm firmly around Sophia. “She’s my wife now. You have no right to lay a hand on her.”

Iris’s eyes widened.

“Wife?”

“Where’s Tessa?” she asked.

“She’s gone for good,” Declan replied coldly. “I ended our marriage. I don’t love her at all.”

A heavy silence settled over the room.

Iris stepped back as though his words had struck her.

“You discarded your wife for her? Unbelievable.” She gave him a mocking look.

“Watch your words,” Declan warned.

Iris let out a bitter laugh. “You honestly think she loves you? You really believe this is genuine?”

Instead of answering, he turned to Sophia and gently brushed his fingers over the red mark on her cheek.

“Are you okay?”

Sophia nodded, keeping her eyes down. “It’s all right. I understand why she’s upset.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Declan replied. “You’re my wife. What she thinks makes no difference.”

Iris looked at her son as though she no longer recognized him.

“Sophia. Of all people, you chose your own wife’s sister.”

“This is my life, Mom,” Declan snapped. “I have the right to decide who I want to spend it with.”

“Wake up,” Iris interrupted. “She never loved you the way Tessa did. She’s jealous of her. She waited for her chance, and the moment Tessa was at her weakest, she took everything from her.”

“Tessa failed to hold on to me,” Declan shot back. “That is the fucking truth.”

Iris recoiled.

“No, you betrayed her. And now you want me to smile and accept it? I’m ashamed of you, Declan!”

Declan lowered his voice. “I’ve made my decision. You can accept it or leave it.”

Iris’s expression grew cold, her anger turning into something even more intense.

“Then I’ll make my own decision. But believe me, you’ll regret this sooner than you think.”

She turned and walked away. Her heels pounded down the stairs like gunshots before the front door slammed shut.

The silence she left behind hung heavily in the room.

Sophia wrapped her arms around Declan again, resting her cheek on his chest.

“I’m sorry, darling. I never meant to cause all this trouble.”

“You didn’t,” he replied. “She did, okay?”

But even to his own ears, his voice sounded empty.

He had just stood up for Sophia against the one person who had always supported him. The woman who had treated Tessa like her own daughter.

A strange knot formed in his stomach, but he pushed the feeling aside.

Sophia raised her face to look at him.

“Perhaps we should postpone our honeymoon until things calm down.”

“No.” Declan answered without hesitation. “We’re leaving as planned. I don’t need her approval. We are already married.”

She smiled. “Of course, my love. I belong to you. Completely.”

As she kissed his cheek, his eyes wandered across the room and settled on the forgotten photo frame sitting on the shelf.

It was a picture of him and Tessa smiling together on their first anniversary.

Sophia followed his gaze. The moment she spotted the woman in the picture, her expression changed.

She walked across the room in three quiet steps, picked up the frame, and hurled it against the wall.

Glass shattered across the floor.

“Her chapter is closed!”

Five Days Later

Tessa sat curled up on the couch in Richard’s apartment, a thin blanket draped over her shoulders. Her phone kept lighting up with new notifications.

Sophia’s followers had discovered her comment section.

Whore.

Homewrecker.

Worthless. Ugly. She got what she deserved.

The cruel words pierced her like shards of glass.

She turned her phone face-down and pressed her palms against her eyes.

Despite everything, she still loved Declan, and that was the hardest part. She was carrying his child, and the pain he had caused her refused to heal.

It only grew more painful.

Richard came out of the kitchen carrying a mug of tea and placed it in front of her. He sat down beside her without saying a word.

“I don’t know why I can’t just…” she started.

“You still love him,” Richard said softly. “It’s okay to admit it.”

She glanced at him. “Does that make me weak?”

“No. It’s normal. He’s the one who lost because you truly loved him.”

She reached for the tea. “I don’t want him back, but his memories… God, I can’t get them out of my head.”

“I know.”

“I’m still not over it. It feels like it all happened yesterday.”

Richard nodded. “You don’t have to get better all at once. You just need to keep going, one breath at a time.”

The doorbell rang.

Richard stood up. “Stay here.”

He opened the door to find a man in a dark suit holding a sealed envelope.

“An envelope for Miss Tessa.”

Richard accepted it. The man walked away without saying anything else.

Tessa opened the envelope with trembling hands. Inside was a single sheet of thick, ivory paper.

Congratulations, Miss Tessa. You have been chosen as one of the distinguished finalists for the Europe International Runway Experience, presented by Maison de Lumière. Your portfolio has drawn the attention of leading designers around the world. This invitation officially welcomes you to represent your country on the global stage.

She looked at the words, then read them once more.

Europe had been her dream since she was eighteen. It was the one thing that had always belonged to her alone.

The paper slipped from her fingers, and her hope faded as she realized it had come too late.

Richard picked it up and read it.

“Aren’t you happy?”

“I’m pregnant,” she murmured.

“Let me handle that,” he said. “You shouldn’t give up a dream like this for anyone.”

He took her hand. After a moment, she nodded.

“When will you send him the divorce papers?” he asked.

“Today.”

“I can arrange to have them delivered.”

She shook her head. “I’ll deliver them myself. Some goodbyes need to happen face-to-face.”

Richard looked at her before calling his driver. His voice was calm but firm.

“Protect her. If she comes back with even a mark on her, there will be consequences.”

The mansion was eerily quiet when Tessa stepped inside. No staff stood at the entrance. Not a sound came from the halls.

She saw them in the living room.

Sophia stood in the middle of the room, giving a maid firm instructions about rearranging the furniture. Their mother, Victoria, sat on the couch, her posture stiff and her expression cold.

Victoria stood up as soon as she saw Tessa.

“Well, look who finally decided to show up.”

Tessa froze, surprised to see Victoria there.

“You told me you were in the hospital,” she said.

“I was tired of you,” Victoria scoffed. “You don’t expect me to choose you over Sophia. Oh, please!”

Deep down, Tessa had always known that her mother preferred Sophia.

“Wow.” She nodded slowly.

Declan’s voice came from behind her.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

He walked up to her.

Sophia immediately moved to his side. He gave her a brief kiss on the lips before turning his full attention to Tessa.

Tessa brought out the folder.

“It would have been disrespectful to send these through an attorney, so I came in person.”

Declan took the papers without a word.

“Finally,” Sophia breathed.

Tessa’s lips curved into a smile.

“If he could leave me for you, then he could still leave you for someone else. So enjoy it while it lasts.”

Sophia’s smile never reached her eyes.

“Sure, I will. I have him, and he’ll always be mine!”

Declan didn’t say anything. His silence hurt more than any response could have.

“Get out of my house,” he said at last.

Tessa turned away before the tears could fall and walked out of the mansion. She got into the car she had arrived in.

Then she pulled the wedding ring off her finger and threw it through the open window.

Richard was right. It wasn’t too late to start over.

And she would start over again.