CHAPTER 3: She's Leaving

After that afternoon, they became friends. She couldn't wait for their playdates whenever she visited the orphanage. 

Then one day, he suddenly stopped coming.

The adults explained that he was busy preparing to inherit a massive corporate empire. Young Seraphina didn't understand what that meant, but she kept visiting the orphanage, finding solace in its warmth.

Even if he never returned to play, she treasured their fleeting time together. As she grew up, she continued watching him from afar, falling in love without even realizing it.

Before her grandfather died, he requested that she marry Alexander. Seraphina agreed to Grandma Eleonor Thorne's proposal without hesitation.

She hadn't even minded his absence at their marriage registration due to his international client meeting. Even though Alexander didn't show up for the registration, he signed the papers. It was enough to make her believe he truly wanted to marry her and fulfill the promise he made years ago.

Now, she saw it clearly. Alexander hadn’t skipped their marriage registration because of a corporate emergency, but because he simply didn’t want to waste his time on her. She had known it deep down all along, but she had denied it at first. How foolish.

Today, Alexander hadn't hesitated to abandon her to her captors, completely unbothered by what might happen to her safety. The stinging scrapes and heavy bruises across Seraphina’s body meant nothing compared to the quiet, hollow ache tearing through her heart.

Now, she truly understood her mother's last words.

"Seraphina, my sweet girl," her mother had whispered, her cold hand trembling as her breath faded. "Remember, you deserve real love. Protect your heart and give it only to someone who truly loves you."

She felt a suffocating pressure as the harsh reality set in. She had handed her heart to a man who treated it like trash.

Alexander, loving you was the easiest thing I ever did, but it brought me nothing but pain, she thought, a single tear finally slipping down her cheek. She realized she had been an idiot, anchoring her hope to the vow of a ten-year-old boy.

_

Seraphina snapped back to reality as the car pulled up to the gates of the massive, quiet matrimonial estate.

Rain parked the car. She was a junior from The Obsidian Shade, the martial arts school where Seraphina had been enrolled by her military grandfather as a child. Rain had loyally followed Seraphina for years, drawn to her strength and protective nature.

She turned to Seraphina, looking worried. "We’re here, Sera. Are you sure you don’t want me to come inside with you?"

Seraphina gave a faint, tired smile and shook her head. "No need, Rain. I’ll be fine." She paused, looking down at her bruised forearm. "Actually, I need you to help me arrange something. I’m leaving the country."

Rain stared at her in surprise. "Leaving? When?"

"Soon," Seraphina replied softly. "My professor offered me an overseas medical training assignment. After everything that happened today, it’s exactly what I need. Keep it quiet for now."

Rain saw the deep exhaustion in her eyes and nodded. "Understood. I'll get everything sorted for you immediately. For now, take care of yourself, Sera."

"Thank you," Seraphina said. She grabbed her bag and stepped outside. She walked up to the front entrance and pushed the door open. 

The luxurious villa was bright, but to Seraphina, it felt completely cold and empty.

Maria, their middle-aged butler, hurried into the foyer to greet her with a warm smile that instantly froze. She gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in horror. "Oh my goodness! Young Mrs. Thorne, what happened to you?"

Maria rushed forward, looking frantically at the raw scrapes on Seraphina's knees and the heavy bruise darkening on her forearm. "You're bleeding! Let me call the family doctor right away—"

"Maria, please, it's alright," Seraphina interrupted gently, placing a calming hand on the butler's trembling shoulder. She gave a small, reassuring nod despite the quiet ache in her chest. "It was just a minor mishap on the road. It looks much worse than it actually is. I'm completely fine, I promise."

"But, ma'am, those bruises—" Maria looked incredibly worried.

"I can handle it myself, Maria. I just need a little rest," Seraphina said, keeping her tone light to comfort the anxious woman. "Please don't worry."

Without waiting for a reply, Seraphina turned and walked up the grand staircase, heading straight toward the left wing. Alexander stayed in the right wing; they kept their spaces completely separate.

Closing the bedroom door behind her, she finally let out a long, heavy breath. She pulled out a compact medical kit from the drawer, sat on the edge of the bed, and began silently treating her own wounds.

The sharp bite of the antiseptic was painful, but the quiet ache in her heart hurt so much more.

She missed her grandparents. If they saw her like this, covered in bruises, they would turn the world upside down to find out what happened and wrap her in their arms. 

Still, she was thankful they weren't there to witness her in such a miserable state. Alexander’s cruel neglect would shatter them.

Silent tears slipped down her cheeks. Seraphina had always been careful to hide her pain, but tonight, she couldn't stop her tears from falling. 

The journey of loving Alexander was painful, but at least she had given everything to save their marriage before finally walking away.