Chapter 2

Bastian dragged me away, pulling me out of Vivian’s sight. His grip on my wrist was rough, as if I were nothing more than an object he could move however he pleased. He took me to a quiet corner of the terrace, far from Vivian’s reach—though she was probably eavesdropping with a victorious smile.

His face, which had been pale earlier, was now flushed—not from shame, but from forced frustration. He looked at me with a gaze that felt completely foreign, the gaze of a man who believed he controlled everything because of the numbers in his bank account.

“Casandra, every man wants more than one woman in bed,” he said casually, as if he were explaining an undeniable law of nature. There was no trace of regret in his voice—only a disgusting sense of justification.

I jerked my hand free from his grip. The heat from where he held me lingered, but it was nothing compared to the burning anger in my chest. I looked at him with whatever dignity I still had left.

“So as your wife, I’m supposed to agree with your desires?” I asked, my voice trembling from the anger I was struggling to contain. “You want me to sit quietly at home, preparing your meals, while you spend your nights in another woman’s arms?”

Bastian scoffed and brushed his hair back arrogantly. He stepped closer, narrowing the distance between us, trying to intimidate me with his taller frame.

“Casandra, you know I have a lot of money. Even if I live like that, you’ll never lack anything!” he said, emphasizing the word money. “Look at the bag you’re carrying, the car you drive, the luxury house we live in. All of that comes from my passion in business. Now, I just need a different kind of passion in bed. What’s so hard to understand about that?”

His words felt like a hard slap across my face. So this whole time, he thought my loyalty could be bought? That my devotion over the past five years was nothing more than a transaction—paid for with luxury so he could betray me freely?

“Your money can’t buy my dignity, Bastian,” I hissed sharply. I stared into his dark eyes, searching for the man I once loved, but all I found was arrogant emptiness. “If you think money is everything, then go buy that passion somewhere else. Because I’m not for sale.”

“Don’t be naive, Casandra! There are plenty of women out there who would beg to be in your position—being the wife of someone like me, with all the facilities, even if they have to share a little space!” he snapped.

I closed my eyes for a moment, inhaling the suffocating evening air. This betrayal had reached its peak. He hadn’t just ruined our marriage—he had destroyed my very understanding of love.

“Fine… let’s just get divorced,” I said, my voice now eerily calm—the kind of calm that comes after a storm has destroyed everything.

Bastian fell silent for a moment. He hadn’t expected those words to come out so quickly. But instead of panicking, he let out another dry, mocking laugh. He stepped closer again, trying to touch my cheek, but I immediately pulled away in visible disgust.

“Casandra, we’ll only be divorced for three months. Don’t worry—once I get bored with Vivian, I’ll marry you again!”

The words slipped so lightly from his mouth, as if marriage and divorce were nothing more than a game. As if I were supposed to sit on the sidelines while he tried something new, then welcome him back when he was done.

“Three months?” I repeated in disbelief. “What do you think I am? A substitute player you can call in when your star gets injured? Do you think my heart is a hotel you can check out of and back into whenever you like?”

“It’s just a technical matter, Cas,” he replied lightly. “Vivian wants a status, so I’ll give it to her for now. Once my curiosity about her is satisfied, I’ll kick her out and come back to you. You’re the best wife when it comes to running a household—I know that. I just need some variety.”

I looked at him with pity—pity for a man who had lost his sanity to wealth and desire. He truly believed I would stand there waiting for him with open arms after he had been with another woman.

“You’re truly sick, Bastian,” I whispered. “You see loyalty as a burden and betrayal as a privilege. And you expect me to be part of this twisted scenario?”

I stepped back, moving away from him—away from the shadow of the man who once meant everything to me. I glanced toward Vivian’s house, where she was probably waiting with anticipation. They were a perfect match—two people equally devoid of conscience.

“Listen carefully, Sebastian,” I said firmly. “There will be no three months. There will be no second marriage. The moment I walk out of here and file for divorce, that’s when our relationship ends forever. I am not a backup, and I am not something you can store away.”

“Casandra! Don’t be foolish! You’ll lose everything if you dare go against me!” he shouted, his emotions finally erupting at my resolve.