Chapter 2

Ruby returned home by herself, knowing that Lars was not going to be home that night.

She stepped onto the bedroom balcony and looked back inside. She stared silently at the framed wedding photo on the wall.

Some time ago, she had smashed the photo. Lars had the frame replaced as a gesture of their reconciliation.

However, she noticed there was still a shard of glass embedded in the corner of the photo.

It was a metaphor for their relationship.

Even if they tried to maintain a façade of harmony, cracks remained.

In the photo, the man regarded Ruby with such an affectionate look. He was playfully bumping his fingers against her nose.

He was wearing the same white shirt he wore when they first met.

Ruby had grown up in an orphanage. The first time she met Lars was when he was admitted to the orphanage following the death of his parents.

The wind had been strong that day. As Ruby watched it tousle the boy's hair, she experienced the flutter of first love for the first time.

The boy who was otherwise a recluse often spent time with the girl who was known for her cheery personality. They would often dream about their future on the swing in the garden.

Ruby had mentioned then, "I want to be a painter."

That was when Lars had taken her hand for the first time and vowed, "In that case, I'll work hard to make a lot of money so you can focus on becoming the best painter in the world."

When Ruby turned sixteen, the director of the orphanage decided to arrange for her to be married to an abusive old man.

On the same day, Lars took her hand and ran away from the orphanage with her.

The director was furious. He shouted after them, "Lars! Let's see if you can take care of her for life!"

He turned around then with a youthful arrogance brimming in his eyes.

"I'll do it! I'll show you!"

After that, Lars sold the pendant, which was the only inheritance his parents had left behind. The money was just enough to help them rent an apartment.

He worked very hard, often spending his time drinking with clients to secure deals.

Ruby ended up not becoming a painter. Instead, she travelled with him across the country for work.

Lars drank to the point of nearly having a stomach hemorrhage. Whenever clients pressed him to drink, Ruby drank in his place.

When they secured their first million-dollar sales order, they celebrated amid tears and warm embraces in the rental apartment.

Life began to improve from there on. They eventually moved out of the rented apartment, and every house they moved into grew larger in size since. Their company gradually became more established.

Soon, Lars found himself surrounded by all sorts of women.

One day, when Ruby discovered a hickey on his collarbone, a violent argument ensued.

"You should understand the position I'm in. I have to entertain clients sometimes! All you need to do is be a good housewife. I never expected you to do anything more than that!"

"We promised to stay together for the rest of our lives—not one day less!"

Neither of them was willing to give in. They were at each other's throats.

Over time, Ruby grew increasingly paranoid and made it her mission to monitor Lars. Whenever he told her he was working overtime, she sneaked into his office to find out if he was lying.

As if to get back at her, Lars eventually did cheat on her.

He went from one woman to another. At his worst, he even showed Ruby the scratch marks on his back as if to taunt her.

It was all to punish her for being so possessive of him.

Ruby felt like she was going mad. She knew it was best to let him go, but she couldn't do it.

They had been together for over a decade and had become nearly inseparable by that point.

She could not handle the agony of separation, but they were also wearing each other out by staying together.

A year later, Lars' behavior suddenly changed. He got rid of all the women around him save for one particular girl, Vera Paige.

Ruby had someone investigate her. When she was presented with the photo of a girl who looked just like herself, she had a breakdown.

The girl was nearly a doppelganger of herself.

She possessed the same youth and innocence Ruby had when she was sixteen.

Lars would rather choose an imitation of Ruby from years ago rather than the person herself.

In the end, Ruby tried to take her own life in the bathtub.

Lars was frantic. He carried her to the hospital in his arms.

When he sat by the bedside, his eyes were red and swollen. "Let's go back to the way we were and quit being so foolish. I don't want anyone else. I only want you."

Ruby felt exhausted as she lay in the hospital bed. She could not understand why her heart continued to ache despite his promise.

Later that day, she received a call informing her that her biological parents had been identified. At the same time, she witnessed Lars embracing Vera downstairs.

"I'm sorry, Vera. Ruby is very emotionally unstable now. She won't make it without me.

"I promise you that I'll make sure you have everything you need even if I cannot be by your side. You deserve better than this."

They looked like a pair of star-crossed lovers. It was impossible to separate them.

It was then that Ruby felt something rip inside her. It was a clean break that left a gaping hole.

The pain was sharper than anything she knew, but she could not make a sound.

After lying in bed for seven days, she had a breakthrough at last.

She wanted to leave Lars for good. She was going to end it all herself.

From that moment on, Ruby changed. She tricked Lars into signing the divorce papers.

After that, he was away for three whole days.

Ruby did not bother to ask where he was. She focused on finalizing the divorce and selling the apartment she had bought in the past.

When she reached the front door of the apartment with the potential buyer, she noticed the front door was ajar.

Inside, a pair of hands were braced against the table. Another hand rested over them, wearing a wedding ring identical to Ruby's.

A rhythmic thud echoed through the silent apartment.