Chapter 2: Leaving

“Leave,” Ullysis said coldly, his voice sharp with hidden doubt.

Mike and Weldon exchanged a glance, then quickly left the office.

The moment the door clicked shut, Ullysis’s face darkened.

He leaned back in his leather chair, sharp eyes clouded with suspicion.

Shantal… signed the divorce papers?

The same woman who, just yesterday, refused to even speak about divorce?

Impossible.

A bitter sneer curled his lips as he shoved the papers aside.

The frustration in his chest burned, but he forced it down.

He grabbed a stack of official documents, trying to focus.

The words blurred together.

No matter how hard he tried, his mind refused to settle.

Downstairs at the Ray Ford mansion, Shantal descended the staircase with her luggage in hand.

“Mrs. Ray Ford… are you… going somewhere?” the maid, Wilma, asked softly.

Everyone in the household knew the truth.

Shantal and Ullysis’s marriage was never built on love ,  just an agreement, forced by the late Old Mr. Ray Ford.

Now that the old man had passed… the divorce wasn’t a surprise.

But Shantal agreeing to it ,  quietly ,  left everyone whispering.

Some said she was nothing more than a substitute for Ullysis’s ex-girlfriend.

And looking at her now ,  heartbroken, yet composed ,  it almost seemed true.

“No,” Shantal replied gently, forcing a small smile. “I’m moving out.”

She handed Wilma a small envelope.

“Thank you… for looking after me this past year.”

Wilma’s eyes filled with sadness.

Shantal had never been difficult. She caused no trouble.

All she cared about… was Ullysis.

“Are you really divorcing Mr. Ray Ford?” Wilma asked, unable to hide the concern.

Shantal’s smile remained, but her eyes betrayed the sharp ache in her heart.

She picked up her luggage and walked toward the door.

But after a few steps, she paused.

Turning back, her voice soft but steady, she added,

“Oh… one more thing.”

Wilma looked up.

“Please have someone remove the Malus trees from the garden.”

Wilma’s eyes widened. “But… Mrs. Ray Ford… you planted them…”

“Take them out,” Shantal replied quietly.

“Ullysis doesn’t like them.”

Since they were divorcing, Shantal wouldn’t leave behind anything that might remind him of her…

Or make him unhappy.

Without waiting for a reply, she left the mansion.

Never once looking back.

Later that evening, Ullysis returned home.

His eyes darkened the moment he saw a bulldozer in the garden.

Workers were digging up the Malus trees.

“What’s going on here?” he demanded.

Wilma hurried over, sensing the storm brewing in his voice.

“Mrs. Ray Ford… she ordered this.”

Ullysis’s eyes narrowed.

“What did she say?”

Wilma chose her words carefully.

“She said… she didn’t like the trees.”

Ullysis’s expression shifted.

The anger faltered ,  replaced by something else.

“She left,” Wilma added quietly.

“Left?”

The word slammed into Ullysis harder than expected.

That unfamiliar panic… the one he’d been fighting all day…

It clawed at his chest.

But his face remained blank.

Unreadable.

Without another word, Ullysis turned and headed inside.

“Tell them to stop,” he ordered. “Put everything back the way it was.”

Wilma froze, puzzled.

If Mr. Ray Ford didn’t love Shantal… if he truly wanted a divorce…

Why keep the flowers she planted?

Everyone knew the truth.

Since they got married, Ullysis hardly ever came home.

And when he did… it was always in the early hours of the morning.

But tonight was different.

The first time he returned home early.

Why the sudden change?

Wilma stayed silent. She didn’t dare ask questions.

She quickly ordered the staff to stop removing the Malus trees, just as Ullysis had instructed.

Upstairs, Ullysis entered the bedroom, his expression dark.

The moment he opened the door… silence.

Cold. Empty.

It wasn’t like this before.

Even when he came home late, Shantal always waited for him.

If she fell asleep, she’d still wake up with a sleepy smile… asking about his day.

But now…

Silence.

Ullysis loosened his tie and tossed it aside.

His sharp eyes scanned the room.

At first glance, everything looked the same.

But something was off.

His gaze landed on the bookshelf.

Half the books were gone.

He opened the closet.

His suits still hung neatly… but not a single trace of Shantal’s clothes remained.

His jaw tightened.

She wouldn’t really move out.

Not after signing the divorce papers.

“Is she playing hard to get?” he muttered.

But no matter how he tried to convince himself…

The uneasy feeling in his chest only grew.

Meanwhile, Shantal had already left the house she shared with Ullysis.

She was now at an apartment in the city.

Technically, it belonged to Ullysis.

But she’d never lived there.

Still, she made sure it stayed clean.

Almost as if… she always knew this day would come.

Shantal set her luggage down, pulled out her phone, and made a call.

A man’s sleepy voice answered.

“Shantal… I just dreamt about you. Now you’re calling. Coincidence?”

She ignored his playful tone.

“I need you to investigate something. When you have the evidence… send it to me.”

She explained the details calmly.

The call ended.

Shantal set the phone down.

For a moment… a chill ran down her spine.

The next morning, Shantal woke early.

After freshening up, she gathered her documents and drove to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

It had just opened.

Couples lined up ,  some to get married, others to get divorced.

Shantal stood quietly at the entrance.

She waited.

An hour passed.

Ullysis never showed.

Frustration crept in.

She called him. No answer.

She tried Weldon. Nothing.

Shantal checked her watch.

In another hour… the Bureau would close.

With no choice, she got in her car and drove to Ray Ford Corporation.

After parking, Shantal walked in.

But the moment she stepped inside…

A familiar woman blocked her path.

The woman’s curvy figure and influencer-perfect face were hard to miss.

Long maroon hair fell over one shoulder.

Her sharp chin, full lips, and flawless features gave her an unnatural beauty.

Her tailored outfit left little to the imagination.

Every detail emphasized her “assets.”

Shantal recognized her instantly.

This woman had caused trouble more than once…

Especially when Shantal used to deliver lunch to Ullysis.

His ex-girlfriend.