Chapter 2

I went to Esther's office the same day.

This was not an office at all. It was an exact replica of our home.

The same dark-green velvet couch sat against the wall, and the floor lamp Esther had picked out herself stood in the corner. Even the bouquet on the coffee table was identical to the one we had just arranged at home.

The only difference was the wall where our wedding portrait should have hung. Instead, it was covered from edge to edge with photos of Adam.

There was one of him chopping vegetables in the kitchen, another of him asleep on the couch, and countless others.

Every photo had been framed and lit with the utmost care. Even through the glossy paper, I could feel a love so deep it could drown a person.

A sharp pain twisted through my chest.

I remembered our honeymoon. I had happily begged Esther to take a picture of me. She had only snapped a few half-hearted photos, and every one of them came out blurry and awkward.

It turned out she did not hate taking pictures.

She had simply given all her patience and devotion to Adam long ago.

Footsteps sounded outside the door.

Jolted out of my daze, I hurried into the closet and hid.

The door swung open.

"Let go of me!"

Adam's voice was thick with restrained tears as he jerked his hand free from Esther's grip.

Esther, however, had completely lost control. She grabbed him and shoved him against her.

"Adam, I can't do this anymore! When I saw him holding that knife today, all I could think was that if he actually went through with it, maybe we'd finally be free."

Adam slapped her across the face.

"Esther, you monster! He's your husband!"

"But I don't love him at all!"

Esther's eyes were red, and despair filled her voice.

"You have no idea how suffocating it is to lie beside him every night. Adam, what if I tell him everything? As long as he lets me go, I'll give him every cent I have!"

Adam broke down completely.

"No! If you tell him now, you'll be pushing him to his death!"

Esther buried her face in the crook of his neck and pleaded like a drowning woman.

"What about me? You feel sorry for him, but who's going to feel sorry for me?"

Adam's voice cracked with grief.

"When I was 10, he pushed me out of the way and got hit by a truck. I swore I'd protect him for the rest of my life, even if it killed me. Instead, I fell in love with his wife, and I couldn't stop myself.

"And when that business deal of yours made you enemies, he was the one who got trapped in that parking garage instead of you. That's how his right leg was broken. If it weren't for us, Hugo would've never gotten sick. How can we do this to him?"

Esther trembled as she kissed away his tears.

Inside the closet, my nails dug into the wound on my palm. Fresh blood welled up, yet I felt no pain at all.

Now it all made sense.

How moving.

One had given up the woman he loved to repay the brother who had saved his life. The other endured everything in silence because of guilt.

In their grand and tragic love story, what role had I played?

I did not know how much time passed before the room finally fell silent.

I climbed out of the closet and staggered out of the building.

The winter wind sliced across my face and dried my tears.

I suddenly remembered the day Esther had thrown divorce papers in front of me. She had been determined to leave, even if it meant walking away with nothing. Later, she abruptly stopped bringing it up.

It turned out she had been afraid of having my death on her conscience. She had also been afraid Adam would never be able to live with himself for the rest of his life.

Since they were suffering so much, I would give them exactly what they wanted.

I pulled out my phone and numbly called my lawyer.

"Ms. Penrose, could you draw up divorce papers for me? As soon as possible."

A long silence followed on the other end.

"Mr. Abernathy, is this some kind of joke?"

Her voice carried a trace of pity.

"There's no record of your marriage anywhere in the county system. Mr. Abernathy, in the eyes of the law, you've never been married."