Chapter 2

Rosalind tore up our marriage certificate three months into our marriage.

That day, I came home early and found her in the walk-in closet, trying on an emerald necklace I'd never seen before.

Over a dozen luxury shopping bags were scattered across the vanity. The receipt on the top showed the total of over 500 thousand dollars spent.

"You went shopping again?" I asked as I picked up the receipt.

Rosalind didn't even turn around. "Yeah. I used your card."

Back then, my company was in the middle of a critical funding round. That was considered a significant amount of money.

I tried to keep my voice soft. "Next time, can we talk about it first before you make a big purchase?"

Rosalind's hand froze halfway while she was fastening the necklace. "Talk about it? What do you mean by that?"

When she turned, the necklace caught in her hair. She suddenly went amok and yanked it off, hurling it to the floor. An emerald necklace over 300 thousand dollars shattered just like that.

Rosalind demanded, "What did you promise me when you were pursuing me, Hendery?"

Before I could answer, she pulled our marriage certificate from her bag and ripped it in half right in front of me. "We're done!"

The torn pieces fell onto my shoes as Rosalind yelled, "I'm leaving the country now!"

I received her location three hours later. It was sent from the airport.

In the photo, Rosalind was wearing sunglasses. Behind her was the departure board for a flight to Ireya. Her caption read, "It's always comfortable flying first class."

I could barely make out Jackson's silhouette in the reflection of her sunglasses.

I called Rosalind over a dozen times, and she declined every single one of them. Eventually, I had to wire her 100 thousand dollars for her to rebook a flight back.

"Don't ever yell at me again," she said on the phone. I heard the pop of a champagne bottle in the background.

I waited at the airport until 3:00 am.

Rosalind was dressed in a brand-new dress when she finally showed up. Around her neck was a new emerald necklace, one more expensive than the one she'd shattered earlier.

…

The tenth time Rosalind tore up our marriage certificate was on our first wedding anniversary.

That day, I'd cancelled all my meetings and cooked her favorite dishes myself.

At the center of the dining table sat a gift box I'd spent half a year preparing. Inside was a pair of custom wedding rings, with Rosalind's name engraved on the inside.

"What about the old ones?" she asked.

I replied, "Didn't you say the design was outdated—"

Rosalind shot up suddenly. The ring box fell to the floor.

Only then did I notice her eyes were red and swollen. "What's wrong?"

"Jackson got fired," Rosalind replied.

Jackson was her childhood friend living next door. He was two years younger than me.

"For what?" I asked as I bent down to pick up the rings.

"They're accusing him of misappropriating confidential data!" Rosalind grabbed a plate from the table and flipped it over violently. Steak sauce splattered everywhere.

"You have to help him," she said.

I frowned.

I saw Jackson just last week. The watch on his wrist was clearly not something a mere employee like him could afford.

"Let's eat first. I'll reach out to his company tomorrow—"

"Eat, my ass!" Rosalind completely lost it as she flipped the dining table. A candle toppled into spilled red wine. Its flames flared before sputtering out.

"I'm telling you—do it right now!" She pulled our marriage certificate from her bag and shredded it into pieces. "Or else, I'll divorce you!"

Three days later, Jackson drove his brand-new Porsche back to work to accept their so-called apology.

That same day, I came home early to grab some documents and saw the Porsche parked in my garage. The windows weren't fully closed, so I could hear Rosalind's laughter… and some other sounds entirely.

I stood beside the car, my nails digging into my palms.

The window suddenly slid down, and Rosalind leaned out. "What are you standing there for? Jackson is showing me how to operate his new car."

From the back seat, Jackson grinned at me. A lock of her hair was wrapped around his finger while he looked at me smugly.