Chapter 2

Randy's choked voice and the steady thrum of his heartbeat filled my ears at once.

"Zoey, let's get married. I'll… try to love you."

I thought my devotion had finally melted his heart. But later, I realized it had all been wishful thinking on my part.

Not long ago, Jeanne's marriage collapsed, and she returned home in disgrace. To ensure he could see her the moment she landed, Randy sped to the airport and ended up in a car accident.

I stayed by his side for three days and nights without sleep, yet on that hospital bed, he called Jeanne's name a thousand times.

Five years of giving him everything still couldn't compare to a single tear from his precious Jeanne.

I knew then, my mission from five years ago would never be fulfilled.

Now, with Jeanne divorced and my contract with him at its end, everything fell into place with a cruel kind of inevitability.

After years of waiting, Randy finally had his beloved turn back to him, and the lock on my cage fell away.

I had been waiting for this moment for five years.

After dinner, Randy's mother called.

I stepped out onto the balcony and answered.

"Zoey, have you decided? Do you really want to divorce Randy?"

I gazed quietly out the window. Beneath the wall lamp, the petals of the cloud blossom were slowly unfolding.

After a long pause, I said, "Anne, Randy and I were bound only by that piece of paper. Now the contract has ended, and with Jeanne back, leaving is the best choice."

Anne Perkins' sigh drifted through the speaker and into my ear. "These years have been hard on you. Well, five years ago, you gave up the chance to study abroad for Randy. Now that you're divorcing, do you want me to help arrange things over there?"

My gaze shifted slightly. I looked at the blossom stretching ever wider and felt my lips curve faintly. "Thank you. I'd appreciate that."

Five years ago, I was a top art student. To help Randy escape his heartbreak, I gave up the chance to further my studies.

My life had been on pause for far too long. Now, at last, I could move forward again. My absurd marriage was finally coming to an end.

At some point, the cloud blossom outside had withered in silence, leaving only the wall lamp glowing alone.

"Who were you talking to?"

Perhaps noticing my absence, Randy had come to find me on the balcony. A faint trace of inquiry lingered between his brows, and his dark eyes fixed intently on me.

I turned calmly, my voice light. "No one."

That night, when the world fell silent, moonlight spilled through the window.

I sat motionless, staring at Randy's face.

His bone structure was exquisite, his thin lips pressed faintly together, long lashes casting shadows beneath his eyes, trembling ever so slightly with each rise and fall of his chest.

Perhaps dreaming, he turned over. And the next moment, murmured in his sleep.

"Jeanne…"

I froze for a heartbeat, then let out a bitter smile.

Even in dreams, it was her. He truly did love his childhood sweetheart.

The next morning, Randy stepped out of the bedroom fully dressed. When his eyes fell on the breakfast laid out on the table, his brows knitted.

His gaze on me carried an uncharacteristic edge of reproach.

"Didn't I tell you I don't like Nerovian dishes?"

I lowered my eyes, speared a bite, and placed it in my mouth.

"The only ingredients left in the house are for this," I said.

He didn't think much of it and sat down reluctantly.

In truth, the fridge still held plenty of other ingredients, but I was busy preparing to study abroad.

All the while, his attention never left his phone. His eyes were bright with anticipation, as though waiting for a message from someone.