Chapter 2 The Promise He Forgot

After sending the message, I dug an old, yellowed notebook out of my desk drawer.

Cassian had written it himself five years ago, back when he proposed to me.

"20 Things I Must Do to Marry Sienna" was the title.

"Firstly, Sienna has night blindness. Whenever we're out at night, I have to hold her hand tightly and never let go."

"Secondly, Sienna has always struggled with insecurity. Once we get married, there can never be another woman in my life."

"Thirdly, I must never make Sienna cry. If I do, I'll walk away with nothing and never be able to turn my life around again."

…

How had everything changed in just five short years?

The next morning, I picked up the divorce agreement from the law firm.

The moment I opened the front door, I found Celine standing inside. She was wearing my silk robe, with my fuzzy slippers on her feet. "You're back, Sienna."

My fingers jerked, and I instinctively tightened my grip on the documents in my hand.

"I'm sorry, Sienna. I should've told you I was coming. Cassian felt bad that my commute on the subway is so exhausting, so he asked me to move in for a while. That way, I can ride to work with him every day."

Stay here? Ride to work with him?

A bitter, absurd laugh almost escaped my throat.

Cassian happened to walk out of the master bedroom. Seeing me frozen in the doorway, he barely reacted. "Don't get the wrong idea. Celine lives in a run-down neighborhood way out of the way. I'm just helping a friend out. It's no big deal. You shouldn't have a problem with it, right?"

"No big deal?" I lifted my eyes, my gaze stern. "Cassian, your office is on the southern side of the city, while hers is on the north. That's a 31-mile round trip. All that effort, just to give her a ride? What, are you driving around the equator?"

The moment I finished speaking, her shoulders jerked, and her eyes instantly reddened. Like a frightened rabbit, she timidly took a step behind him.

Cassian slammed the glass in his hand onto the table and whipped around to glare at me.

"Sienna, what kind of filthy thoughts are you filling your head with? No wonder none of our relatives have liked you all these years. Now, I finally understand just how unreasonable you are."

It felt as though someone had torn a hole straight through my heart.

I forced down the nausea churning in my stomach and slapped the divorce agreement down in front of him. "Sign it."

Cassian frowned and gave it a dismissive glance.

The moment he saw the words at the top, he let out a mocking scoff. "Are you seriously taking things this far just because I didn't come pick you up yesterday? Sienna, you're 26, not six. Throwing a childish tantrum like this in front of Celine will only make her laugh at you."

He pulled a cigarette pack from his pocket. After taking a deep drag, he spoke with the air of someone granting me a favor.

"Fine. Let's say you really were in danger last night. You're angry and want to give me a hard time. I happen to know the owner of a security company. Starting tomorrow, I'll get you a full-time bodyguard who can double as your driver. They'll pick you up and drop you off at work every day. How does that sound?"

I didn't back down.

I simply met his eyes, calm and resolute. "What if I'm determined to get a divorce?"

Cassian's hand froze.

He strode toward me and, right in front of Celine, stripped away every last shred of my dignity.

"You really want a divorce? Sienna, where do you think you'll go once you leave me? A father who's a gambling addict, a mother who has to rely on medication just to stay alive, and a younger brother still in school who's depending on you. Who'd be willing to take on all that baggage?"

I bit my lower lip.

Only when I tasted the sharp tang of blood did I manage to hold back the tears in my eyes.

"Even if I have to beg under an overpass to survive, I'll never rely on you for anything again."

"Fine, then. Let's see how long you can keep that attitude up. Sienna, I'll be waiting for the day you come crawling back and begging me."

With that, he grabbed Celine by the wrist and stormed out, slamming the door behind him without looking back.

The deafening crash made the entire house tremble.

I slumped against the cold wall and slowly slid to the floor.

Just then, a message appeared on my phone from the hospital. "Congratulations, Ms. Calloway. You're pregnant."