Chapter 2

The next day, Penelope gently shook me awake. "Samuel, let's go file our divorce today."

I froze for a second before nodding. "Okay."

On the way there, she kept rambling about her plans for our fourth-year anniversary. "I'll take you for a follow-up first. The doctor said your condition has improved a lot, and you'll be back to normal soon.

"After that, we'll travel for a bit. You haven't been anywhere these years, since you've been sick. I still remember how much you loved running around when you were a kid. You said you wanted to travel the world when you grew up. Once you're better, let's do it, okay?"

She glanced at me, but I didn't respond.

She sighed. "He's just an actor. How could I actually fall for someone like him? He's just a little different, that's all. I just want to see how long it'll take for him to give in. Don't worry, though. I promised to take care of you, and I definitely will."

I gave a small nod. Feeling that the conversation was going nowhere, she quietly focused on the road.

When we arrived, she opened the car door and unbuckled my seatbelt for me.

I followed her into the courthouse, and everything went smoothly. The staff asked us some questions. I couldn't express my emotions properly due to my autism. I simply nodded along with Penelope.

"If you're both sure, sign here. Come back after one-month mandatory waiting period."

Penelope took the forms with a bright grin. After that, she lowered her head and started texting. With that smile, it didn't take much guessing to know who she was talking to.

At the same time, my own phone buzzed with a message. "I've already booked my flight back. See you tomorrow."

I answered with "Okay", and there were no further replies.

That night, I dreamed of when Penelope and I were kids. Back then, she was always glued to my side.

"Sam, your eyes are amazing!

"Come play house with me, okay? I'll be the princess and you'll be the prince.

"The princess always marries the prince. When I grow up, I'm going to marry you."

I used to like her a lot. We went to school together, headed home together, and even skipped class to watch concerts together.

But one day, I saw my parents and little sister lying in a pool of blood. I stood there, frozen and numb. In that instant, I lost all of my senses.

The last thing I remembered was Penelope hugging me as she cried, begging me to come home with her.

"My home is your home now, Sam. Don't be afraid. I'll stay with you."

From then on, I shut myself away completely. I stopped speaking to everyone.

Penelope's parents took me to hospitals all over the country, even abroad. Every doctor said that the trauma had triggered my autism.

Heartbroken, her parents had looked at me with reddened eyes. "Samuel, you're all your parents have left. Please hang in there, okay?"

Our families had been close for generations. After my family died, I was taken in by hers. Everyone in the Rivera family treated me well. Thanks to them, my childhood wasn't completely ruined.

Back then, Penelope wasn't like how she was now. She protected me fiercely. She would lunge at anyone who dared say a word about me.

She would stay by my side in silence, watching as I tended to my silly plants. She never once called it a waste of time.

So, when she asked me if I wanted to marry her, I nodded.

Thrilled, her parents started preparing for our wedding. On the other hand, I continued tending to my boring plants.

By then, my condition had improved a lot. I could somewhat express how I felt. Yet, marriage was something I didn't understand. The doctor said it was when two people stayed together forever, and I thought it wouldn't be so bad if I were getting married to Penelope.

We held a grand wedding, and every big shot in Acetropolis showed up. With her hand in mine, we accepted blessings from our guests.

That night, she curled up in my arms and asked if she could kiss me. I didn't understand why she wanted to do that right then. I was exhausted.

Yet, she insisted on kissing. I had never refused anything she asked for.

That night, she sat on my lap and kissed me gently. She said we would be blissful together for the rest of our lives.

But it only took four years for everything to change.

Penelope's parents passed away one after the other. Once again, I lost the people who loved me like a son.

During that time, I shut myself inside the greenhouse, and I would only open the door if she came back. She would cry while hugging me, begging me not to act that way.

Later on, her family business grew bigger. At the same time, she returned home a little later every night.

Everyone in Acetropolis knew that I, her husband, was a useless autistic man. Countless people tried to become her new potential match.

She ignored all of them, except for Theodore. He didn't care about her money. He wasn't the least intimidated by her status. All he wanted was to be her legitimate partner. That was the most natural thing in the world when one was in love.

There was just one problem—Penelope was married.