chapter 1

I remained frozen in front of the door.

It felt as though my body refused to move. My breath was caught in my throat, and my eyes remained fixed on the scene unfolding before me.

Julien was standing a few feet away.

He was holding another woman in his arms.

They were kissing with a tenderness I had always believed was something only I shared with him.

The small box I was holding slowly slipped from my fingers.

Clack!

The sound of the box hitting the floor echoed throughout the room.

They immediately pulled apart.

Julien slowly turned his head toward me.

For a second, I hoped to see shame in his eyes. A sign of regret. Even the slightest hesitation.

But there was nothing.

He simply let out a quiet sigh, as if my arrival had just ruined his evening.

“Marie Rose…”

His voice was calm.

Far too calm.

I was unable to say a single word.

The young woman turned toward me as well. She didn't look surprised or embarrassed. On the contrary, a faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips as she slipped her arm around Julien's.

As if she wanted to make it clear that he belonged to her now.

Julien stared at me for a few seconds before asking,

“I thought you were supposed to arrive later?”

I stared at him, completely stunned.

“Julien… what… what am I looking at?”

He lowered his eyes for a moment before looking at me again.

His expression remained emotionless.

“What you're seeing is the truth.”

Those few words made me feel as though my heart had just been ripped from my chest.

I slowly shook my head.

“Please… explain it to me…”

He crossed his arms without showing the slightest emotion.

“There is nothing to explain.”

His answer hurt even more than the kiss I had just witnessed.

For three years, I had shared my life with him.

I had loved him with all my heart.

And now, he was talking to me as if I were a complete stranger.

I took a step toward him.

My hands were trembling.

“Julien… look me in the eyes and tell me this is all a misunderstanding.”

He gently shook his head.

“No. It isn't.”

A heavy silence fell between us.

My eyes were filled with tears, but I refused to cry in front of them.

I wouldn't give them that satisfaction.

“Then… everything we shared… did it mean nothing to you?”

He simply shrugged.

“People change.”

Three words.

Three simple words were enough to erase three years of love.

My gaze fell on the open box still lying on the floor.

Inside, the luxury watch I had bought to celebrate our third anniversary was still shining.

I had saved for months.

I had given up so many things just to be able to buy him that gift.

And now, it was completely worthless.

I slowly bent down to pick it up.

When I stood again, my eyes finally met those of the woman standing beside Julien.

A knot formed in my chest.

I knew that face.

Far too well.

“Vanessa…?”

She lowered her eyes for a moment before looking at me again.

“I'm sorry…”

Her voice was empty, without the slightest trace of sincerity.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

“No… you're not.”

She remained silent.

Julien took a step forward.

“Stop blaming her.”

I stared at him in disbelief.

“Since when?”

He answered without hesitation.

“Eight months.”

Eight months.

For eight months, they had been seeing each other in secret.

For eight months, Vanessa had continued calling me almost every day.

She asked how my relationship was going.

She gave me advice.

She comforted me after every argument I had with Julien…

While she was already sharing her life with him.

A shiver ran through my entire body.

Suddenly, my legs felt so heavy that I struggled to remain standing.

“Why…?”

My voice was barely a whisper.

Julien looked away before answering.

“Because I don't love you anymore.”

I closed my eyes.

It was the sentence I had always been terrified of hearing.

When I opened them again, something inside me had changed.

The pain was still unbearable.

It was still tearing me apart from the inside.

But a small voice kept telling me that I deserved far better than this man.

Silently, I removed the ring he had given me.

I took his hand and placed the ring in his palm.

“I’m giving you everything back.”

He stared at the ring for a few moments.

Then he replied with complete indifference,

“It’s better this way.”

I slowly nodded.

“Yes… you're right.”

He looked at me in surprise.

He certainly hadn't expected me to react so calmly.

I took a deep breath before giving him one last look.

“Thank you, Julien.”

He frowned.

“Thank me?”

I smiled at him, even though my smile was filled with sadness.

“Yes. Thank you for showing me who you really were before I became your wife.”

I didn't give him a chance to respond.

I turned around and walked out of the room.

No one tried to stop me.

Every step required an enormous effort.

When I walked through the hotel doors, the cool night air brushed against my face.

The city was glowing beneath thousands of lights.

Cars continued to pass by, and people were still laughing, as if nothing had happened.

But for me, everything had just collapsed.

The tears I had held back until then finally began to fall.

I got into the first taxi that stopped in front of the hotel without even thinking about where I was going.

I just wanted to leave.

Far away from that place.

Far away from all those memories.

Far away from the man I had loved more than I loved myself.

I thought I was living through the worst night of my entire life.

What I didn't know yet was that fate had already decided to change my story…

Through a meeting as unexpected as it was unforgettable.