LOGINVivienne’s POV
My body trembled violently. I could barely stand. There wasn’t a lot of air in the room. I couldn't stand it anymore, so I turned and ran to the toilet. The ringing in my head drowned out Julian's words, which I couldn't hear. After getting to the bathroom, I started vomiting so much that my body went limp. I had no idea if it was the disgust of what I'd heard or whether it felt like the tumor was crushing me physically.? A worker from the company squirmed as she gazed at me in the bathroom. Her face covered in panic as she quickly handed me some tissues. I seized the tissue with red-eyed eyes and made a bitter smile, whispering, "Thank you. Julian, please stay quiet about your presence.” After twisting around, I left with my body in a state of motion. Each move was a heavy weight, as if I were being pulled along like someone else's hollow man. The memory of my first meeting Julian made me feel like I was walking down the corridor from my room to my new home, seven years ago. In those days, I continued to be a prominent jewelry designer on the international stage, working for my elder brother's high-end label. I felt I was respected in the international fashion world, confident and independent. Julian was completely unfamiliar to me. During a business trip, something embarrassing occurred. I left the hotel when my gown suddenly ripped. In public, my body was almost completely exposed. I felt a sense of panic and shame as I was frozen in place, until he was stopped by slender Maybach. Julian Fitzgerald, the man who would change my life forever, was present from that car. He bent down, took off his suit jacket which had been well-worn on and handed it to me. He calmly stated, "You can tie it around your waist." That brief remark immediately calmed the nerves in my heart. Upon seeing his graceful and beautiful face, I immediately fell in love with him. That's when I knew he was still there. To get closer to Julian, I requested my brother to find a way for me to work with his company. I started to approach him slowly, aware that his heart remained attached to his first love, Ophelia, despite her not having left him without saying goodbye. I didn't give up even though I knew what I was doing. Then one night, everything changed. We both had been drinking at a bar. That night, we crossed a line after crossing one. My pregnancy led to marriage. My memory of our wedding night is still fresh. Gathering all my strength, I asked why he had chosen to marry me even though I never took any responsibility. For the first time, Julian, who is usually cold and aloof, looked up to me with suspicion. He made it clear that his intention was to have a family with the person and their child. The answer gave me confidence in him. From that point on, I was fully invested in our marriage. My brother's strong disapproval was ignored as I adored Julian, took care of Maximilian, and even gave up my career. I desired to settle down and enjoy being a wife and mother without any worries. But now, everything had crumbled. My decision to end my marriage was a futile sacrifice. Julian had never been married to me since the beginning. His heart had been entirely possessed by another woman for seven years, and he had only been pretending. I felt a sudden tightness in my chest, almost as though someone was punching me. My life was nothing more than a cruel joke, everything I believed was true. Despite the agony, I had a choice. In the event of a successful surgery in ten days, I would opt for Maximilian and depart. Julian would no longer be a source of concern for us. He would have the freedom to marry anyone he desired, including Ophelia. But I was moved again by the memory of my son. I hurried home. Upon entering the house, I became frozen as Maximilian's voice interrupted my conversation with the head butler. This caused me to become frowning. “Mr. Butler, if Mommy would feel sad upon realizing that my father was only pretending to be married to another woman,” Maximilian asked. My heart stopped. The attendant gave a faint smile and asked, "What's the next step? Mr. Julian doesn't love Mrs. Vivienne. That's something you already know, young man.” Standing there, I experienced a burning sensation in my eyes. Maximilian chuckled and expressed his disapproval, saying, "I don't like Mommy either." I like Aunt Ophelia better. She's so gentle. Whenever Mommy brings me to Daddy's office, my Aunt Ophelia provides me with delicious treats and toys. Those words consumed my soul to tears. "Mom always complains about snacks and tell me to study all the time. She's so annoying! I desire that Aunt Ophelia and Daddy wed." I grasped my fists tightly, and my nails pierced through my palms. Thank goodness. It hurt like a dream, and I thought I might just collapse there." Julian and I were raised with love and care, but the boy I spent ten months in was just like me. Cold. Unfeeling. Each time I looked back, the tender memories of our family life were all around me. They were not happiness, but a beautifully packaged delusion that I could see clearly. I recollected my brother, who had always opposed my marriage. He had expressed his belief that I would simply suffer. I should've listened. The knowledge of Julian and Maximilian would likely result in their separation without any mercy. My eyes burned again. With tears streaming down my face, I drew closer to the stairs and moved towards them. My belief that I was living for my husband and son led me to live without fear of death. For that reason, I opted for the hazardous surgery. But all that hope had been shattered by those reasons. I walked into the living room, held my phone with shaking hands and dialed the number I had memorized. When I heard the line coming, I spoke softly and with a strong voice. “I want a divorce. Would you mind coming to see me?”Vivienne's POV This morning arrived with a gentle light too gentle for a body that still felt unbearably heavy. I moved slowly around the small apartment, as if every step had to be negotiated first with the pounding in my head. Sea air slipped in through the slightly open window, carrying a salty scent that clung to my skin and hair. I usually loved it. Today, it tasted bitter. I took my morning medication with a glass of warm water, waiting for the nausea that always came late but never failed to arrive. I sat on the edge of the bed for a long while, counting my breaths, waiting for the world to stop spinning. When I finally stood up, my legs still felt foreign, as if they didn’t belong to me. I let the wall support me, moving slowly toward the living area. The apartment was quiet. Too quiet. There was no small laughter. No hurried footsteps. No innocent questions filling every corner. I swallowed the sting in my chest and forced
Julian's POV I hugged Maximilian, feeling his small body shake with emotion. “Yes, Maximilian. Today.”He hugged me back tighter than usual. As if he were afraid that if he let go, my words would disappear like a morning dream.“Dad, I miss Mom Vivienne,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I miss her so much.”My chest tightened. I know, sweetheart. But I couldn’t say it. I could only rub his back and nod slowly.“Me too,” I finally said. “That’s why today we’re going to Mom’s place. We’ll see Mom Vivienne together.”He lifted his face, wet with tears he hadn’t realized were falling. “Really?”“Really.”But beneath that certainty, I felt nervous. Afraid. A mix of emotions I couldn’t fully explain.Because I didn’t know how Vivienne would react to seeing both of us. I didn’t know if it would make her happy or only make things harder for her. I didn’t know whether this was the right decision, or one driven by guilt that never stopped gnawing at m
Julian's POV Ophelia gave a faint nod and went to the bedroom to get ready. I stayed seated, staring at her untouched cup of coffee. Cold like her heart this morning. Flat, silent, and somehow making me feel like I was losing something I couldn’t fix with words.About half an hour later, Ophelia emerged, neatly dressed. Without much to say, she took her car keys and stood in the doorway.“Don’t forget Maximilian’s breakfast,” she said briefly.“Ophelia,” I called before she could leave completely.She looked at me for a moment. I wanted to tell her that I appreciated her. That I was sorry. That I didn’t want our relationship to fracture like this. That I wanted to do everything right. But no words came out.Because whatever I said would only sound like an excuse.“Take care,” I finally said.Ophelia gave a small, forced smile, trying to look fine. “You too.”Then the door closed, leaving behind a silence too large for this small living room to c
Julian's POV I woke up far earlier than usual. It was still dark outside, the curtains untouched, the room cold. But what pulled me from sleep wasn’t the air, it was the weight in my chest, the sense that whatever I had done last night hadn’t truly resolved anything.I had been honest with Ophelia. I had told her the real reason Vivienne was sick. A brain tumor. That was why I couldn’t walk away from her, even while trying to build something with Ophelia. That should have been enough, right? It should have made everything clearer. And yet, somehow, it didn’t feel that way.I stared at the ceiling, letting my thoughts drift without direction. The clock ticked softly, each second a reminder that time was moving forward while I remained stuck caught between two lives I couldn’t merge.Honestly, I had hoped that telling Ophelia the truth would bring some relief. Like loosening a knot that had been tightening around my chest for too long. Instead, what remained was a sha
Ophelia's POV Julian's answer didn’t ease the weight in my chest. It made it heavier. Because I knew what that fear meant: Vivienne still held a place too large in his heart. Not just as the mother of his child. But as someone he had once and perhaps still loved.I closed my eyes for a moment. A shameful, cruel envy crept in. Envy because Vivienne received the most honest version of Julian. The one who cried. Who regretted it? Who set aside his ego just to be by her side. A version that somehow had never fully been mine.When I opened my eyes again, my gaze fell on his hands. The same hands that once held mine with promises of a future. Now they trembled, as if they didn’t know where to hold on anymore.Inside my head, questions spun endlessly. Was I selfish for feeling hurt? Was I cruel for being jealous of a dying woman? Was my love strong enough to stand in the middle of this reality?I took a deep breath, trying to calm the tremor in my chest. Julian’s face
Ophelia's POV I wiped my tears quickly when I heard Julian’s footsteps outside the room. A soft knock on the door made my chest tighten.“Ophelia?” he called.I stood, staring at his silhouette behind the frosted glass door. My body trembled faintly. Part of me wanted him to pull me into his arms, apologize and reassure me that I still mattered most.But another part of me felt unready to hear anything at all.Because whatever came out of his mouth next might destroy me even more.I looked at Maximilian one last time, then whispered, “I just want to be loved. That’s all ”I wiped away the remaining tears, steadied my breath, and walked toward the door, hoping I still had a place in Julian’s life. Yet deep down, I was afraid the answer would no longer be what I hoped for.Hesitantly, I opened it.Julian looked exhausted, like someone who had just lost his sense of direction. But his expression changed the moment he saw my face. His eyes, once co







