Chapter 2

One of the men nearby immediately burst out laughing.

"Lilian, who are you trying to fool with that holier-than-thou act?

"Can you even live without Joseph?

"Your sister's medical bills run into the tens of thousands every month. Who do you think pays them? Joseph does!

"Let's call it what it is. You’re living off him."

My fingernails dug painfully into my palms.

It was true that my sister's medical bills were paid out of Joseph's account.

However, for the past five years, I had negotiated business deals for him, secured valuable connections, and drunk with clients until I developed stomach bleeding. I had personally fought for nearly every major contract that kept his company afloat.

I had helped him establish himself, yet in their eyes, I was nothing more than a useless parasite sucking him dry.

I swayed, barely keeping my balance. A flicker of sympathy crossed Joseph's eyes, and he reached out to steady me.

I jerked away from him, lifted my head, and spoke each word with deliberate clarity.

"Joseph.

"We’re over."

...

I ignored the laughter and whispers behind me and headed home to pack my things.

However, when I pressed my finger against the front door’s fingerprint scanner, as I had countless times before, an icy, mechanical voice sounded.

"Verification failed."

I froze for a moment, then tried again.

"Verification failed."

On the third attempt, the system locked me out completely.

That was when I finally understood. My fingerprint had been deleted.

Just then, the door opened from the inside.

Joseph stood in the doorway, with Cheryl behind him in a silk nightgown. Leaning against the entryway, she smiled like a woman who truly belonged there.

"Joseph, see? I told you.

"Lilian cannot live without you. I knew she'd come crawling back."

I stared at Joseph, my throat tightening.

"You deleted my fingerprint?"

His expression was so calm that it was almost cruel.

"Cheryl likes this house.

"I'm going to have the place redecorated and turn it into our marital home.

"Move out for now. I will arrange somewhere else for you to stay."

Marital home?

I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

"This is the house you and I bought together.

"I drew up every single design for the renovations. We took on the mortgage together. And now you’re telling me you want to turn it into a marital home for someone else?"

Cheryl let out a soft laugh and cut in casually.

"Lilian, you and Joseph were never married in the first place. How could this possibly be your marital home?

"Besides, a lot of things in this house were designed according to my taste anyway."

She lifted a hand to adjust her hair, then drove another knife straight into my heart.

"Even the nursery.

"Joseph started personally overseeing the renovations three years ago.

"He said he wanted to give my daughter the very best."

The blood in my veins seemed to turn ice-cold, inch by inch.

After we bought the house, Joseph really had put a great deal of thought into the renovations. Back then, I had felt sorry for how busy he was with work and told him not to exhaust himself over the interior design.

He had simply pulled me into his arms and laughed.

"Lilian, this is our home.

"I want to decorate it myself."

I was so touched that my eyes grew hot with tears.

Now I understood.

He had not been doing it for our home. He had been doing it for another woman and the child she was carrying.

I had been a complete fool, trapped in an illusion of their making, living a beautiful dream for five whole years.

Forcing myself to stay on my feet, I walked into the bedroom and began packing my belongings.

However, the moment I opened the wardrobe, I froze.

Almost everything hanging inside belonged to Cheryl. My clothes had been carelessly shoved onto the bottom shelf, crumpled together in a heap like unwanted rags.

Then, I opened the bedside drawer, and my vision suddenly went black.

The jade pendant my mother had left me before she died was gone.

I rushed out of the bedroom, and the first thing I saw was that very pendant hanging around Cheryl's neck.

"Take it off."

Cheryl touched the pendant, then turned to Joseph with an innocent look.

"Joseph, what’s wrong with Lilian?"

I glared at her, my voice already hoarse.

"I said, take it off."

Joseph frowned.

"It’s just a jade pendant.

"Cheryl likes it. Let her have it.

"I’ll buy you something even better later."

My eyes instantly filled with tears. Even my fingertips were trembling.

"That was my mother's keepsake.

"What could you possibly buy to make up for that?"

Only then did Cheryl seem to realize the significance of what she had taken. She hurriedly reached up to remove it.

"I'm sorry, Lilian. I honestly had no idea it meant so much to you.

"I’ll give it back right now."

Her apology sounded sincere enough, but her hand suddenly slipped.

Smash!

The jade pendant hit the floor and shattered into two pieces.

My mind went blank. I lunged forward and picked up the broken pieces. A sharp edge sliced into my finger, and blood immediately welled up. However, I felt no pain.

Clutching the shattered jade in my palm, I instinctively moved toward Cheryl.

Joseph immediately stepped in front of me and pressed a tissue against my bleeding hand.

"Cheryl didn't do it on purpose.

"I bought another house, and the deed is already in your name.

"I’ll take you there. You’re too emotional right now, and I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone."

I pulled my hand away and looked at him calmly.

"Joseph, does pretending to be devoted to me make you feel good about yourself? Aren't you disgusted by your own hypocrisy?"

Joseph froze for a moment, then softened his voice.

"I accidentally slept with Cheryl back then. I owed her for that.

"However, you've always been the one I love.

"I got the vasectomy for your sake. Your body was damaged in the car accident, and getting pregnant would've been risky for you."

Wave after wave of nausea washed over me.

I stared at him as if he were the biggest joke in the world.