Chapter 2

"Ouch!" Before Tracy could even react, a cup of scalding coffee was splashed straight on her face. The heat burned so badly that she cried out in pain. Almost immediately, a slap landed across Tracy's cheek. "So, you're Seb's secretary, huh? Are you trying to seduce him by standing outside his office like this? I'll beat the hell out of you, bitch!" Tracy raised her arm to block the next strike and shouted back, "I'm not!" At that moment, the office door behind them flew open, and Sebastian strode out. "Sebastian…" Tracy called his name instinctively, hoping he would stand up for her. However, he walked right past Tracy without so much as a glance, heading straight for Whitney. "Why are you here?" He took Whitney's hands in his own with practiced ease, rubbing them together to warm them. His expression was serious, but the concern in his eyes was impossible to hide. Watching the scene unfold, Tracy felt her heart pierced all over again. She and Sebastian had been married for two years. In all that time, he had never once touched her of his own accord, let alone shown her such intimacy. Whitney pointed at Tracy, her tone smug. "Seb, I just taught your disobedient secretary a lesson. Was I amazing?" Only then did Sebastian finally look at Tracy. Seeing her drenched in coffee, looking miserable and disheveled, there was not the slightest flicker of sympathy in his eyes. Instead, his brows tightened. "What did you do to yourself? You're filthy." Tracy noticed it immediately. Sebastian was shielding Whitney behind him, as if afraid the "filth" on her might somehow contaminate Whitney from a distance. In that instant, the pain in Tracy's chest became suffocating. Sebastian's care and disgust were so starkly defined that she could no longer cling to even the smallest hope. He truly didn't love her, not even a little. "Seb, say something. Wasn't I amazing? She was even eavesdropping outside your office, trying to seduce you!" Upon hearing that, Sebastian froze. There was a faint nervousness in his voice when he asked, "What… What did you hear just now?" Tracy's eyes were still red, and she let out a cold laugh. Just as she was about to say she had heard everything, Whitney's shrill scream tore through the air. "Help!" It all happened in an instant. As if controlled by some unseen force, Whitney suddenly collapsed to the floor. Her limbs convulsed violently as she clawed at the air, her entire body trembling. The spasms grew worse by the second. "Whit's condition is acting up! Quick, call the ambulance!" Sebastian's roar snapped Tracy out of her frozen state. She hurriedly pulled out her phone and called for an ambulance. As she relayed their location to the operator, Tracy's eyes never left Sebastian. It was bitterly ironic. In their two years of marriage, this was the first time she had ever seen him so frantic, and it was for another woman. He was drenched in sweat, his muscles trembling uncontrollably, yet his actions remained precise and orderly. One arm supported Whitney's back, pulling her tightly against him, while the other delivered her medication to her lips. After taking the medicine, Whitney began to convulse and retch. Sebastian, infamous for his extreme obsession with cleanliness, didn't hesitate for even a second. He cupped his hand beneath her chin, his voice gentle as he soothed her. "If you need to throw up, just do it. I don't mind." Tracy clenched her fists, her heart feeling as though it were being carved apart. She suddenly remembered what had happened a year earlier. At the time, she was suffering from a stomach hemorrhage. Her face was pale with pain, and she desperately needed to go to the hospital. Sebastian was sitting on the couch nearby, reading. His eyes flicked over her face for barely a moment before returning to his book. He turned a page and said in an indifferent tone, "Trace, you know I have a cleanliness issue. I don't want you throwing up in my car. You should just take a cab to the hospital yourself." Watching the scene before her now, Tracy suddenly laughed. His love and his indifference were so painfully obvious. It was her own blindness, her own foolish heart, that had refused to see it before. Tears welled up in the corners of Whitney's eyes as she continued to gag, though she stubbornly held it back. Her gaze drifted toward Tracy, her voice broken. "I can't, Seb… Someone's watching… I can't…" Almost instantly, Sebastian whipped his head around. The ferocity in his eyes was sharp enough to cut. "Get out. Now!" Tracy felt as though a massive hand was clenched around her heart. Without saying a word, she turned and walked away. The last shred of hope she had for this marriage vanished completely. She no longer loved Sebastian. The night breeze dried the tears on her face as she walked alone through the bustling streets. The grief in her chest felt like a mountain, heavy enough to crush her whole. It took an hour to walk home. Tracy allowed herself to be weak for that one hour only. As she neared home, she gathered herself and called her former advisor from when she had studied abroad. "Professor, I regret it now. Is that project still short on people?" The voice on the other end sounded hesitant. "You're a senior technical talent. Of course, we'd want you. But didn't you turn it down before because you didn't want to relocate overseas as per the contract?" Back then, she had still been clinging to love and family. Now, reality had answered her with a brutal slap. Tracy wiped her face and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm willing to relocate now." There was a clear sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. You've finally changed your mind. I'll book the flight for you. You'll fly in seven days. Is that alright?" Without the slightest hesitation, Tracy replied, "Yes." In seven days, she would leave this place behind, and she would have nothing to do with Sebastian ever again.