Chapter 2

I kept my eyes fixed on the terminal in the distance. I did not even look Vivienne’s way.

Seeing that I would not acknowledge her, she bit her lip. Her voice got a little louder as she started sobbing.

“Are you mad at me, Adeline?”

Braxton could hear her from where he stood.

He strode over as he frowned at me.

“Adeline, Vivienne already apologized. Why are you still giving her the cold shoulder?

“You’re my wife. You should be the bigger person here. Letting a friend have a few days to heal after a breakup is a decent thing to do. Don’t be so petty. I’ll give you the wedding when I get back, I promise.”

Him defending another woman seemed quite ridiculous to me.

For the past seven years, no matter how difficult the opponent, he had always stood by my side.

We had been a team and had kept nothing from each other.

We had been a loving couple.

But at this moment, for Vivienne’s sake, he had decided that I was “petty.”

Since he had made his choice, there was no point in arguing.

I looked at him and played along. I said flatly, “Fine. I forgive her.”

Only then did his expression soften.

He led Vivienne toward the security checkpoint, and the two of them boarded the flight to the island without a hitch.

After leaving the airport, I went straight to the HR department at the company and handed in a certain document.

The HR director, Trisha Stock, was shocked. “Mrs. Darnell, what on earth are you doing?”

“Just process it,” I replied calmly.

“But this would take time, and Mr. Darnell needs to be notified first!

“Braxton already knows. No need to notify him. Someone will take over the company soon.”

With that, I turned and walked out.

I owned more than half of the company’s shares, which gave me full voting control over every major decision.

So when I say someone would take over in three days, someone would.

After leaving the company, I drove to a golf course on the outskirts of town.

I was so overwhelmed with anger and hurt that I needed a physical outlet.

I wanted to hit golf balls until I was completely exhausted. It was the only way I could release everything I was feeling.

Because I loved golf, Braxton had invested a substantial amount into this course under the company’s name.

I was a VIP here. There was even a private practice room built specifically for me.

The moment I stepped into the lobby, the receptionist, Sarah Carter, panicked.

She stammered as she blocked my path. She would not even meet my eyes as she said, “M-Mrs. Darnell, I’m so sorry. Your private room is, um... it’s being serviced today...”

I became suspicious when I saw her avoiding my gaze.

I had not been to the course in months. If this were routine maintenance, Sarah would not have looked so guilty.

So I ignored her attempts to stop me and walked straight into the inner area.

The moment I pushed the door open, I froze.

The wall that used to have the turf and my prized clubs on display was gone.

In its place stood a drum set that looked far more expensive, a few electric guitars, and professional recording equipment scattered across the floor.

My golf practice room had been completely emptied out.

It had been converted into a band rehearsal space with a gritty, heavy-metal vibe.

But the worst part was the wall right across from the door.

There was a graffiti mural of a girl on drums and a boy on guitar next to each other.

Bold letters in the bottom right corner read, [Vivienne & Braxton’s Secret Base.]