Chapter 1

After the miscarriage, Sabrina Frye finally became the wife Nester Blackwell had always wanted. She stopped sharing interesting details from her day with him, and no longer called him repeatedly when he stayed out all night. Even when she was blackmailed, taken to the police station, and told she could only leave if a family member came to bail her out, she calmly said she had none and spent a week in detention. Seven days later, the iron gates of the police station clanged open at dusk. Sabrina had just stepped down the stairs when a black Maybach screeched to a halt in front of her. The door opened before Nester stepped out in a tailored luxury suit. He was tall and lean with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Like always, he gave off a cold, elegant air. He strode up to her and frowned slightly. "Sabrina, why didn't you call me when you were in trouble?" She gave a faint smile. "I did, but was your phone turned on?" Yesterday, an old man suddenly fell in front of her car as she made her way home from work. When she got out to help, he grabbed her arm and started shouting, "She hit me! She hit me and tried to flee!" Footage from the security cameras proved her innocence, but regulations required a family member's signature for her release before she could leave. When she said she had no family, the police didn't believe her. They pulled up her marriage records and found Nester's number. They called, and the phone was apparently switched off. But even after they called again and again, it remained switched off. Nester's expression shifted slightly. "Della had a stomachache last night. I took her to the hospital, and since she doesn't like noise, I turned my phone off." He paused, then murmured, "I'm sorry." "It's fine," Sabrina said. "I didn't expect you to come anyway. You should focus on your own things." Her tone was too calm as she spoke, and her eyes were so placid they were like stagnant water without the slightest ripple. Nester looked at her and suddenly grabbed her wrist. His hand was warm, and his grip was so tight that she frowned. "Why aren't you upset?" he demanded, staring at her with confusion in his eyes. There was even a trace of unease he refused to acknowledge. Sabrina found it almost amusing. "Why should I be? You have a reason, and I'm being understanding. There's nothing to get upset about." "Sabrina—" "I'm tired. I want to go home." She pulled her hand free and stepped around him toward the car. Nester stayed where he was and watched her leave. She had lost a noticeable amount of weight after seven days apart. Even her shirt hung loosely on her frame. Back then, if he neglected her, she would pout with red-rimmed eyes and plaintively ask him, "Nester, do you care about me at all?" He used to think she was dramatic and immature. Now that she wasn't making a fuss or crying, he felt oddly unsettled to see her nod and say "okay" regardless of whatever he said. The car ride home was silent. In the front seat, the driver focused on the road while Sabrina sat by the window in the back, watching the city blur past. She no longer looked at Nester the way she used to. There was a time her eyes would seek his the moment she stepped into the car, and be so full of him. She no longer filled their private moments with chatter. In the past, even when his responses were cold, she would happily talk for hours on her own. Right now, she sat in complete silence as if he didn't exist beside her at all. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "Are you still upset about what happened back then?" Sabrina turned to look at him with a calm gaze and replied, "No. It's all in the past." "In the case, why—" "Nester," she said, cutting him off. "What do you want from me? Do you want me to cling to you every day like before, or not make a fuss and give you all the freedom you want, like right now?" Nester had no answer for her question. Of course, he wanted her not to make scenes or fight him over Della Green. But now that she had turned into the way he had always wanted, something felt… wrong. Everything felt off. "I just think you've changed," he said quietly. Sabrina turned back to the window. Had she changed? Maybe, but that was the truth of it—a woman in love and a woman who had decided to walk away were never the same people. The car plunged into silence once more. Nester was about to say something when his phone rang with a call from Della. When he answered, her sticky, syrupy voice immediately came through. "Where are you, Nester? I'm at the mall, and I bought so much stuff I can't carry it all. Could you come get me?" He glanced at Sabrina, who was still looking out the window as if she hadn't heard a thing. A sudden wave of irritation washed over him. "You're an adult, Della. Stop counting on me for everything, and we have nothing to do with each other anymore." "But you've spoiled me for so many years that I've gotten used to it," Della replied matter-of-factly. "You never said no whenever I asked you to pick me up." His voice turned cold as he snapped, "That was before. You were my girlfriend then, but now I'm married." "Married? Do you even love her?" She scoffed. "Stop lying to yourself, Nester. If you won't come, I'll just get another man to carry my stuff. There were plenty of men willing to do it anyway." Nester clenched his phone. Della knew him all too well to understand that he couldn't stand the thought of her turning to another man. "Wait there," he said through gritted teeth, then hung up. After taking a deep breath, he turned to Sabrina. "Sabrina, I—" "I'll just grab a cab," she said, already pushing the door open. "Go pick her up." She moved so fast that he barely had time to react. "Sabrina!" he yelled before getting out to chase after her and grab her arm. "I swear that nothing's going on between Della and me, but we grew up together. Our families know each other, so I can't just cut her off completely." Sabrina nodded. "I get it. I understand." The way she always said "I get it" and "I understand" made her seem like an emotionless machine. Seeing her so lifeless fed the fire in Nester's chest, but he received another call from Della, who incessantly urged him to come over. "Go home. I'll be back later…" He was about to say "later tonight", but Sabrina had flagged down a cab. She got in, closed the door, and didn't bother to look back at him at all. After the cab drove off, Nester stood where he was, watching the taillights disappear into the traffic. For the first time, he felt like something truly wasn't the same anymore. Meanwhile, in the cab, Sabrina's phone rang. It was a call from her company's HR department. "Congratulations, Ms. Frye! Your overseas posting has been approved!" the voice on the other end chirped. "You'll be heading to the Elyndorian headquarters, which is a rare, incredible opportunity. "But will your husband be okay with it? You'll be indefinitely stationed there, and that's a long way to go for a long-distance relationship." Sabrine watched the neon lights blur past beyond the windows and softly replied, "I don't have a husband. "I filed for a divorce the same day I applied for the overseas posting, so I can leave once the divorce certificate is issued."