Chapter 3

Asher decided to give Juliet some time to cool down. He stayed at the office and deliberately prevented himself from thinking about her. Once she had calmed down, she would realize how much she needed him. However, all Asher got was a call from their housekeeper, Agnes Weller. "Mr. Greene, Mrs. Greene has called a moving company." Asher was holding a pen. He froze slightly, and the ink blotted on the document in front of him. "We're moving?" "Mrs. Greene only gave instructions for them to move her personal items. She didn't touch any of the things you gave her," Agnes said anxiously. Asher felt hollow, and anger flared up at once. "Let her do what she wants. She'll move back in by this afternoon." Asher hung up and flung the document down viciously on the table. Juliet was getting bold, wasn't she? She'd better not come begging to him that night! … Meanwhile, the workers from the moving company put the last box into the van. Agnes stood beside them, her eyes red and filled with sorrow. She had been with Juliet and Asher since the beginning. However, she had also seen how Juliet had gradually become quiet and reticent over the years, and how the light had slowly gone out of her eyes. "Mrs. Greene, a-are you really leaving?" Agnes hesitated. "Mr. Greene is just short-tempered. He does care for you." Juliet looked at Agnes and felt a warm feeling in her heart. She knew that Agnes truly cared for her, so she walked over and gave her a hug. "Thank you for taking care of me over the years, Agnes. You have to take good care of yourself from now on." No one knew how much Juliet had suffered over the years. "But Mrs. Greene, Mr. Greene—" "Things between us have come to an end." Juliet let go and did not look back again. She moved into an apartment that she'd bought before getting married. It was only around 800 square feet in size and wasn't very big, but it was in a good area and got plenty of sunlight. She had earned the money for it by working as an interpreter. It was where she could finally have freedom, and where she would no longer need to cater to anyone else. Juliet changed into comfortable clothes and began tidying up her new home. She put her books on her bookshelves, placed her drafts in her art studio, and displayed all her ornaments on the shelves. When she put down the last ornament, she felt as if she were finally alive again. Juliet picked up her phone to order some food, but she paused when she saw her call records. Asher's name was still at the top of her contact list. She selected it and blocked his number, then deleted it. She opened the food delivery app once more and ordered herself a meal. It was evening, and the last rays of sunlight spilled over the entire living room. Her phone vibrated with a message from Zachary. "Juliet, did you move out? Why didn't you tell me? Where are you living now?" Juliet replied, "Thanks, but it's all taken care of. My new place is in a bit of a mess right now, but I'll invite you in the future." Zachary looked at her carefully composed reply, and his smile widened. Excellent. It was time to add fuel to the fire. … Meanwhile, Asher stayed at the office until late that night. He had thought that he would get a call from Juliet, but his phone had remained silent for the entire day. Asher could no longer stand it, so he drove back to their villa. He had left her alone for the entire day. Surely she was no longer angry. He drove steadily into the garage. Asher got out of the car and went into the foyer. He called out from habit, "I'm back." There was no answer. The villa was empty, and it was eerily quiet. He frowned and felt a tinge of displeasure. Was she still sulking? Had she sent Agnes away too? He turned on the lights, and the living room looked just as sumptuous as it always did. However, all the photos of Juliet had been taken down from the wall of photos. Only the frames were left, looking like empty, gaping holes. Asher went upstairs. The branded clothes he had bought her were all still in the closet, but the clothes she usually wore were all gone. The room felt as if its soul had been sucked out. Every change in the villa felt like a voice telling him that Juliet was gone. She wasn't sulking. She had left decisively, without lingering. Asher felt a flash of panic once more. "No! Why would she leave?" He took out his phone and called the first number on the speed dial. "Sorry, but the number you have called is currently busy. Please call later." He refused to accept it and called again, only to receive the same robotic message. He opened his WhatsApp and sent her a message. She was pinned to the top of his contact list. However, his message did not go through. She had blocked him on every channel that he could contact her on, including WhatsApp. Asher stood in the empty living room and laughed out of sheer anger as he looked at the obstinate single tick on his phone screen. His chest heaved violently. Fine! Juliet was going all out this time! He refused to believe that she would be able to survive out of his world. He also could not believe that she would actually leave his world.