Chapter 2

Seven days remained before my flight.

In those seven days, I prepared the divorce papers, granting Lucian full custody of Ryan, and slipped the agreement behind the frame of our wedding photo.

I was crouched on the floor, stuffing books and clothes into my suitcase, when a pair of leather shoes appeared in my line of sight.

Lucian stood there, staring coldly at my luggage. "Where are you going?"

I almost answered honestly, but then, I remembered he'd said he didn't care about my plans. So, I made an excuse and replied casually, "Just a business trip."

His expression eased. He let out a small breath. "Good. If you're gone, I won't have to worry about you doing something to Chloe out of jealousy while she's living here."

Chloe peeked out from behind him, her face all innocence. "Maybe I should just move out. I don't want to make you unhappy because of me."

I pulled the handle of my suitcase upright. "Stay. I won't be coming back."

At that, Lucian's face darkened. "Are you threatening me? Do you think I wouldn't dare throw you out?"

Ryan chimed in, "Yeah! Bad woman! Don't ever come back!"

I didn't reply. I wheeled my suitcase out the door.

The moment I stepped across the threshold, the door slammed hard behind me.

"If you've got the guts, don't ever come back! And don't beg us to let you in!" Lucian snapped from inside the door.

It was snowing heavily outside, fat flakes swirling down. I hadn't brought my winter coat.

After hearing his words, I stepped into the snow without looking back.

The snow was so thick that not a single car was on the road. I wasn't sure if there was even a convenience store nearby where I could warm up.

Maybe it was the exhaustion from handling all the travel paperwork, or maybe the cold had gotten to me, but my vision suddenly went black.

The ice underfoot was slick. I lost my balance and was about to fall when a strong arm caught me.

Blinking hard to clear the snow from my lashes, I saw it was Jacob Reed, a colleague from my lab. His car sat parked in the white expanse.

Before I could react, he grabbed my suitcase and walked toward the trunk.

Just then, Lucian suddenly appeared and stepped in front of him, blocking his path. He glared at me and asked, "Sarah, who the hell is this? Is he your secret lover?"

He had probably followed me out just to watch me suffer in the snow.

Jacob shoved Lucian aside and put my suitcase into the trunk. "Who I am is none of your business. And Sarah's none of your business anymore either. She's leaving in a few days."

Lucian gave a mocking laugh. "It's just a short business trip. She'll still come crawling back to me. You'd better keep your hands to yourself. Sarah is my wife."

Jacob ignored him, pushing me firmly into the passenger seat. "I've never seen a man throw his wife out in the middle of winter. You call her your wife? You're not worthy of her."

Lucian was left speechless. By the time he recovered, Jacob was already behind the wheel, locking every door and window.

As the car pulled away, I saw Lucian still standing there in the rearview mirror, not moving.

Jacob's voice was tight with anger. "Lucian is a jerk! I honestly don't know how you could have married him."

My hands twisted into the fabric of my coat. It was a long time before I answered quietly, "He used to be good to me."

My parents had died in a lab explosion. During those dark days, Lucian had been the one by my side, caring for me and encouraging me.

When I had a fever and craved cream of chicken soup, he went out in a downpour and searched three streets to find the ingredients.

When I told him I wanted a romantic wedding, he spent six months planning it and used a significant portion of his savings to arrange a trip around the world so we could exchange vows in different countries.

During our trip, Ryan was born.

Back then, I thought I was the happiest woman in the world. But it all fell apart when Lucian came across a letter while sorting through his late parents' belongings.

It turned out his parents had been sponsoring a poor girl for years. To honor their wishes, Lucian decided to keep supporting her until she reached adulthood.

After some searching, Lucian finally found Chloe and brought her into our home.

At first, I felt nothing but sympathy for Chloe. I treated her as if she were my own daughter.

But it didn't last. Chloe's true colors began to show.

Chloe broke my belongings more than once. She deleted an important work file I had spent three sleepless nights preparing before I could save it.

When I confronted Lucian, he lashed out at me. "Chloe is just a child. She doesn't know any better. You're a grown woman. Do you really have to be so petty?"

I still don't understand how eight years of love could mean less to him than a stranger who had only just entered our lives.