Chapter 2

Elodie pulled her hand away from Silas. "Maybe I accidentally lost it when I was out earlier." He immediately reached for his phone. "I'll have someone look for it right now." She shook her head. "It's alright. Just consider it gone." "How can we just let it go like that? That is our wedding ring. It's a symbol of our love." A symbol of love? His repeated betrayals had long disfigured their love. Elodie laughed. "It's just a piece of jewelry. It doesn't guarantee love." He replied, "Diamonds are the hardest thing in the world. They represent my unwavering love for you." "What if you betray me one day?" "That's impossible." "I said 'what if.'" He looked into her eyes with solemn sincerity and swore. "If I ever betray you, may I be stabbed in the heart a thousand times and die a miserable death." She looked away, unwilling to watch his feigned devotion. She would immediately rush over to kiss him if she heard such a serious vow back when she still loved him. She would have felt guilty for even doubting him and pushing him to such extremes. However, she didn't love him anymore. His words sounded like a joke to her. "Elodie." He pulled her into his arms from behind and sounded a little aggrieved. "Why did I feel like something's off with you lately? You seem distant." "I'm fine." "No, you're not." He continued, "Are you upset because I've been too busy to spend time with you lately?" "I said I'm fine. Can you let go of me first?" "I won't." He held her tighter. "Next week marks our fifth wedding anniversary. I've prepared a surprise for you…" His phone rang as he spoke. He released her almost instantly and checked his phone. She could see the subtle smirk on his face from where she stood. He glanced at the screen, and his expression shifted into something playful and flirtatious. He typed a quick reply before turning back to her and saying in an apologetic tone. "Elodie, something urgent just came up at the company. I have to head over now." A flicker of hope rose in her heart. "When will you be back?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on her forehead. "Probably not tonight. How about I bring you your favorite pastries tomorrow morning?" With that, he was gone. His tablet was still lying on the couch in the living room. She picked it up and noticed that his WhatsApp was still in sync. Two minutes ago, a message came in from someone saved under the contact name "Peaches". It was a photo. The woman in it was dressed in a revealing bunny girl costume. She wore black mesh stockings and scarlet stilettos. Her eyes were hazy, her cheeks flushed, and she ran her tongue over her fingers. Silas asked, "Are you thinking about it again?" Peaches replied, "Someone's feeling lonely without her master here tonight." Silas sent, "We've done it seven times earlier today. Are you still not satisfied?" Peaches asked, "Are you coming over or not? I'm all yours tonight. I'll let you do whatever you want with me…" Silas replied in two words, "Wait there." Elodie turned off the screen and closed her eyes in agony. She thought she had stopped caring. Yet, it still felt like someone had stabbed her hard in the chest the moment she saw those messages. Tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes. She had no idea when she had fallen asleep. All she could remember was that her dreams were filled with scenes of a woman and a man tangled together. The man had Silas' face. Her phone vibrated. She tapped on the screen. It was a video. The footage of the video looked exactly like the one in her dream. The man and the woman were entangled in a fiery embrace. It was even more intense than the ones in her dream. Silas' face was twisted with lust. Her stomach churned at the sight of that. Avery sent her another message. "Have you ever seen him like this? He said only with me can he let himself go like this." The clip lasted barely a minute before it looped over and over again. Elodie watched it repeatedly as if to punish herself. She wanted to burn his image into her brain, to erase even the last shred of love she had for him, and to drive him out of her heart completely. She had already asked her lawyer to prepare a divorce agreement. She wiped her tears, placed the agreement into a delicate gift box, and tied it with a ribbon. Silas came home around noon the next day and carried a box of pastries. "My sweet girl, I've kept my promise. I brought you your favorite treats. Aren't you happy?" She gave him a short and cold response. He noticed her reddened eyes and cupped her face as he kissed her tears away. "Why are you crying? Who upset you? Tell me. I'll make them pay." He still carried a mix of that cloying scent that lingered after a night of intimacy and the smell of a woman's makeup. It made her feel even more nauseated. She pushed his hands away and stepped back. "No one. I just watched a really emotional movie last night." He pulled her into his arms tenderly. "Don't watch things like that alone anymore. Wait for me next time. We'll watch it together." They'd watch it together? He had already given all his time to Avery. Elodie wanted to ask if he even had any time left for her. Silas pointed at the delicate gift box on the coffee table. His eyes lit up as he said, "Elodie, is this for me?" She nodded. "Didn't you say you have a surprise for me for our anniversary? Well, I have a surprise for you too." He looked delighted, holding the gift like it was a treasure. "Can I open it now?" "Open it a week from now on our anniversary."