Chapter 2

"Now that Benjamin is back, you two should get back together."

"Exactly! We're both here to witness it. Just give each other a kiss, and it'll be like nothing ever happened."

Daniel and Heidi encouraged them eagerly. The atmosphere in the room was filled with warmth and excitement.

Benedict, who was standing just a few steps away, felt his blood run cold.

Mikaela and Benjamin leaned closer and closer to each other. Unable to watch any longer, Benedict fled and desperately tried to deceive himself into believing none of it was real.

It wasn't until late that night that he finally worked up the courage to return home. He wanted to ask Mikaela how she intended to handle the relationship between the three of them.

However, she wasn't home at all. On the very first day of Benjamin's return, she couldn't wait to spend the entire night away from home with him.

The next day, Benedict arrived at the company and saw Mikaela walking hand-in-hand with Benjamin.

She announced, "Benjamin is the latest artist we signed on. He'll be our top priority going forward. I expect everyone to give him their full support."

Benjamin turned to Benedict and flashed him a smug smile. "It's been a long time, little brother. Thanks for taking care of our parents while I was away. I should especially thank you for looking after Mikaela for me. I can't even imagine how miserable she'd have been without me all these years."

His tone was casual, but every single word dripped with provocation. He was practically spelling it out that Benedict was nothing more than his substitute.

The employees exchanged startled looks. They were all waiting to see how Mikaela would respond.

She didn't refute a single thing he said.

In fact, she even chimed in, "You're right, Benjamin. That reminds me, you two have similar looks and styles, so people might confuse you. From now on, Benedict will need to develop a different image. Maybe a sexy bad boy, a fresh-faced heartthrob, or even a completely unhinged persona.

"Whatever it takes, we need to differentiate him from you."

Her blatant favoritism made her position crystal clear to everyone. It left Benedict's heart colder than ever.

After that, Benjamin took advantage of being the favored one and repeatedly stole Benedict's opportunities. He took Benedict's endorsements, his variety show appearances, and even his acting roles.

Benedict had tried to fight back, but Mikaela accused him of being selfish. She made the decisions herself and handed everything over to Benjamin.

Even though Benjamin already had his own assistant and manager, he still insisted on taking Benedict's team.

When Mikaela heard about it, she replied without a moment's hesitation, "Benjamin is new to the industry, so there's nothing wrong with giving him extra support. As for Benedict, he's not doing anything right now anyway. There's no need to waste manpower on him."

After five years in the industry, Benedict had built up a sizable fan base. Mikaela instructed the PR department to announce that he was unwell and needed time to recover. That effectively silenced his fans.

...

The sound of high heels clacking behind pulled Benedict from his thoughts.

Mikaela said with displeasure, "Benedict, do you have any idea how much landing this role means to Benjamin? As his family, you should be happy for him. Instead, you're hiding and sulking here. What's with the sourpuss attitude of yours?"

Benedict found the accusation bitterly ironic. Apparently, when someone wasn't loved or cherished, they weren't even allowed to feel sad.

He replied calmly, "I'm not sulking. I passed the audition, but you dumped money in as an investor to have the role given to someone else. I have every right to be upset."

A flicker of guilt crossed Mikaela's face, but before she could respond, Benjamin walked over.

"So that's how you see me, Benedict? You think of your own brother as an outsider. I must have done something wrong to make you dislike me so much..."

He bit his lip, looking so wounded that Mikaela's heart ached for him.

When she turned back to Benedict, all traces of sympathy had vanished. "Benedict, so you'd even stoop to hurting your brother. You're coldhearted and selfish. If you can't offer him your sincere congratulations, then you're not welcome here. Go home and think about what you've done."

Just as it had happened countless times before, a few words from Benjamin were enough to make Mikaela lose all reason. She ordered Benedict to leave in front of every guest, without sparing a thought for how humiliating it would be for him.

But this time, Benedict didn't break down or make a scene as he always had before. He simply turned around with an indifferent expression and walked out of the banquet hall.

His unusual reaction stunned Mikaela for a moment. For some reason, something about it felt wrong.

"Mikaela, come have a drink with the director," Benjamin said, smiling and gently nudging her arm.

"Alright." Mikaela pushed aside her lingering sense of unease.

Benedict had just gotten home when he discovered that some trending topics had become the talk of the town.

The headline read, "Mikaela and Benjamin—Billionaire CEO Romance In Real Life".

The posts were filled with gossip about their mutual feelings. People on the internet swooned over the public display of affection and declared how jealous they were of their romantic love story.

There was also a trending topic about him that read, "Benedict's Love Life and Career are Both Withering".

Since he and Mikaela had kept their marriage secret, public opinion was overwhelmingly against him. People mocked him for being out of jobs in the industry, claiming he'd been blacklisted after failing to win her love. Others accused him of scheming to become the other man in someone else's relationship.

This kind of trending topic appeared from time to time, and Mikaela never once issued a clarification. She simply let him become the target of public ridicule.

Benedict turned off his phone and quietly printed out a divorce agreement.

If he was going to leave this world, he needed to sever every tie. He would end this marriage that had never truly been acknowledged, and he would also cancel his state identification record.

Once he was gone, there would no longer be anyone named Benedict Foster in this world.

The following morning, Benedict called the relevant government office to ask about canceling his state identity. He learned that once he submitted an application through the government services website, the process would be completed within a month. He immediately filed the application.

"Perfect. I'll be leaving on the exact day my registration is canceled."

"What do you mean, leaving?" Mikaela's voice came from behind him.