Chapter 2

I didn't go straight home. Instead, I went to the house I'd just finished paying off.

The moment I opened the door, I froze.

The place that should have been clean and tidy was filled with traces of the life Jesse and Nicki had built together. Their wedding photos hung in the living room. Two pairs of slippers sat by the door, and the throw pillows on the couch were blue and pink.

Jesse had once promised to leave one room for Mom. Now, it had been turned into Nicki's walk-in closet. Even the master bedroom I'd painstakingly decorated for our marriage was crammed with their everyday belongings.

Every corner was evidence of how happy they had been together.

The five years Jesse and I had spent standing by each other through thick and thin had turned out to be nothing but an illusion.

The lock clicked, and Jesse walked in.

Compared to how he'd looked at the wedding, his expression was much gentler now. However, there wasn't the slightest hint of guilt.

Jesse said, "Just let Nicki keep this place. She's gotten used to living here. I'll buy you another place later."

My whole body trembled as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. "This is my home! I worked my butt off paying off that mortgage! What do you two take me for? I must have been blind to let you fool me for five whole years!"

Jesse let out a long, helpless sigh. "Calm down. After Dave abandoned Nicki, she almost took her own life. I couldn't just stand by and watch her die. Besides, you've already been through this once. So, you're strong enough to handle it. Can't you just pretend none of this happened?"

He said it so casually, as if nothing more than a minor inconvenience had occurred.

Meanwhile, I stood there shaking from head to toe, looking like some ridiculous joke.

"Jesse, we're over."

He froze for a moment. Then, he gently stroked the top of my head as if he were comforting a child.

He coaxed, "Stop acting out. You have depression, and your mother is paralyzed. How are the two of you supposed to survive without me? I'll give you the exact same wedding. Whatever she has, you'll have it too."

After saying those seemingly charitable words, he answered a call from Nicki and walked out without looking back.

I stumbled out of the apartment.

A reminder for our marriage registration appointment popped up on my phone. Only then did I remember that today was supposed to be the day we officially registered our marriage.

At that moment, the marriage certificate that had once filled me with longing and joy had become nothing more than an absurd joke.

I went straight to the city hall and showed them my identification. "Hello. I'd like to cancel my marriage registration appointment."

The clerk checked the records several times before looking up at me with a sympathetic look.

She said, "Ms. Lillard, the appointment confirmation you received was fake. It didn't come from our official website. And Mr. Culver is already married. His spouse is Ms. Nicki Jones."

A buzzing filled my mind.

Then, an anonymous video popped up on my phone.

Nicki was wrapped in a bathrobe, and she looked visibly agitated.

She exclaimed, "At first, I only wanted to have a little fun with you. But now, I can't do it anymore! When Raven was struggling with depression, you couldn't stand watching her threaten to take her own life, so you came to me for comfort.

"When her mother became seriously ill, you lied to her and told her something had gone wrong at your company. Then, you came over and slept with me. The truth is, I'm the one you wanted to marry, right?"

My ears were ringing. I held my breath and waited silently for what came next.

After a long silence, Jesse's voice finally came through. It was hoarse but unmistakably clear.

He said, "Yes."