Chapter 3

Unfortunately for Travis, I had no desire to open the wedding invitation.

"Aren't you going to take a look?" Travis asked in disbelief.

I shook my head while wearing an indifferent expression.

Earlier, right after I finished eating dinner, I noticed that Victoria had posted a new update on her social media account.

She had posted a photo of the new wedding invitation. The groom's name was Travis Somerson. Meanwhile, she intentionally censored the bride's name. Only the last name "Somerson" was vaguely visible while the first name was blurred out.

The caption read, "I love the new design. Do you?"

I tried to usher Travis out of the restaurant. It was already past the restaurant's closing hours, and we were the only ones left in the building.

However, Travis remained stubbornly rooted to the spot. He picked up the wedding invitation and offered it to me.

I knew that he was waiting for me to coax him after I looked at it.

I had no desire to look at the invitation, so I lifted my hand to knock it away.

Meanwhile, Travis assumed that I was going to take the invitation from him. He let it slip through his fingers, and it ended up landing on the cake, soiling it.

He was stunned for a few seconds, before he punched the cake in a fit of rage.

"When are you going to stop causing a fuss over something so petty, Harper? I've already given you an out. What more do you want?"

"I just want to leave and turn in early for the night," I said.

My calm tone seemed to anger Travis even more.

"We can go home after you look at the wedding invitation. Why do you refuse to look at it? I looked through tens of thousands of covers before picking this one especially for you. Why won't you even spare a glance at it?

"Have I been treating you too well, Harper? Is that why you're being so immature? Everyone's been saying that you don't match up to my status anymore, but I ignored their pleas to reconsider and insisted on marrying you. What else is there for you to be dissatisfied with?"

I lowered my head and barked out a bitter laugh.

Travis was spouting his usual speech again.

Every time we got into an argument, he would use this same reason to force me to concede to him. Travis and the people around him believed that I should be kissing the ground he walked on to show my gratitude just because he was willing to marry me.

However, I didn't feel like conceding to him anymore.

"It's fine if you don't want to marry me anymore," I said.

I didn't spare him another glance after I was done speaking. I simply turned around and took my leave.

In the past, Travis would just let me leave while he ran off to get drunk with his friends. He would stay out for the entire night until I begged him to come home.

This time, I had only taken a couple of steps when I felt a hand clamp around my arm.

Not only had Travis chased after me, but he also dragged me along with him, telling me that we were going home together.

I stared into his eyes and asked, "Who said I was going home?"

Travis immediately frowned and let go of my arm.

"Didn't you say that you wanted to turn in early for the night? It's already so late. Where else would you go but home?"

His questions rendered me speechless. I nearly laughed aloud.

It was true that I didn't have anywhere else to go in this city. I had spent the last decade orbiting Travis ever since we became a couple.

I sighed and pulled out my phone. "I just purchased a travel blind box. The first flight is tonight!"

The cab I ordered earlier slowed to a stop in front of the restaurant just as I exited the building.

I didn't have any luggage with me. I only had my phone as I began my solo vacation. It was the first time in a decade that I was traveling by myself.

When the plane touched down, my phone was bombarded with dozens of messages.

Travis had only sent one message.

"Are you happy now?" he asked.

The rest of the messages were from Victoria, apologizing profusely to me. The last message she sent me was a voice message. Her voice was thick with tears as she exclaimed, "I've learned my lesson, Ms. Ellis. Mr. Somerson told me that he was going to fire me if you don't forgive me!

"I can't lose this job. You know about my family situation. Are you going to be so cruel and do nothing while Mr. Somerson fires me, Ms. Ellis? My mother will be chased out of the hospital and my brother will be forced to leave school if I can't pay their bills."