Chapter 2

I barely made it onto the morning flight. After we took off, a flight attendant came by with a drink cart and handed me a small gift box.

Inside was a commemorative pin engraved with the Falkner family crest.

As I looked at it, I remembered the wedding that made headlines across the Edarian continent a few months earlier.

Christian and I had been secretly married for six years. After one terrible argument, we got divorced, only to remarry not long ago.

This time, he chose to make our marriage public.

Our billion-dollar wedding had made headlines across Seronia.

Falkner Group had even prepared 100 thousand wedding souvenirs to give away around the world.

I stared at the commemorative pin in my hand, lost in thought.

Christian and I had spent seven years together. So, how did we end up here?

At the time, he hadn't secured his position in his family yet, so we chose to keep our marriage a secret.

Back then, he treated me with such tenderness. He made breakfast for me himself and remembered all my little habits.

No matter how busy he was, he would always make time for me.

But everything changed when Sheryl returned from studying in Feron.

She was the daughter of Jensen Group's chairman. Her father was one of Christian's most important business partners.

After returning home, she joined Christian's company and began appearing with him at many events.

According to Christian, she was a business partner he couldn't afford to offend.

So, he treated her with great care in public. To everyone else, Sheryl was Christian's future wife.

As for me, I was nothing more than his little-known personal assistant.

I complained about it many times, but Christian always told me, "Viola, just bear with it a little longer. Once I land this project, my position at the company will be more secure."

For the sake of his future, I kept putting up with it. But little by little, I realized his favoritism started to affect our life together.

Christian started breaking the promises he made to me.

He promised to watch a movie with me, but left me alone at the theater because of Sheryl.

He told me he would take me out to celebrate our anniversary, but at the last minute, he said he had a business dinner and left me alone at the restaurant.

He even canceled a trip we had planned months in advance because something went wrong with a project Sheryl was handling.

I waited alone at the airport for three hours.

Every time, Christian would apologize with guilt written all over his face. "Viola, I'll make it up to you."

But the next time, he would still choose Sheryl without hesitation.

Our first major fight happened on Christmas Eve last year.

That night, he canceled our date and told me the company had called an emergency international meeting to address a global project.

But the next day's financial news was filled with photos of him and Sheryl at a charity party in a private estate.

In the photos, Christian was dressed in a well-tailored black tuxedo. He stood beside Sheryl, patiently helping her mingle with the guests.

I had begged him many times to attend one of those events with me, even if it was only to stand beside me and dance with me once.

But Christian always turned me down coldly. "Viola, what's so great about those events? It's just a bunch of people flattering each other. It's boring.

"I would rather spend that time directly dealing with business affairs."

Yet, he had spent the entire night at one of those events with Sheryl.

When I read the newspaper, my hands trembled.

I walked up to Christian and looked him straight in the eye. "Christian, was the charity party fun?"

A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but his expression darkened quickly. "Viola, did you have someone follow me?"

My chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.

I threw the newspaper at him. "The entire financial section is reporting on it. Why would I need someone to follow you?"

My chest heaved as tears stung my eyes. "Christian, I'm your wife. If you like being seen with other women so much, we can get a divorce!"

He watched me break down without a trace of emotion. Then he said, "Suit yourself."

After a pause, he added, "We don't even have basic trust between us. No matter how much I explain, it won't make a difference.

"If you're determined to go ahead with it, then let's get a divorce."

He didn't offer another explanation. He simply folded the newspaper and placed it on the coffee table.

The photo of Christian smiling beside Sheryl hurt more than I could put into words.

Years of hurt and humiliation finally pushed me over the edge. That same day, I dragged Christian to the courthouse and quickly ended our six-year marriage.