Chapter 6

Seraphina's POV

A swarm of paparazzi rushed out from the shadows, surrounding us instantly.

Under the blinding flash of the cameras, Julian's expression changed.

His very first instinct was to violently shove me forward, using my body to block the lenses, while he quickly pulled Vivian into his arms, wrapping his designer suit jacket around her head to shield her.

"Move!"

He shielded Vivian, pushing through the crowd.

I was thrown off balance by his shove. My forehead slammed hard against the sharp metal edge of a paparazzi's heavy camera.

A sharp pain exploded in my head. Warm blood instantly flowed down my forehead, staining my eyelashes and blurring my vision in one eye.

I clutched my head, my hand instantly covered in thick, warm blood.

In the midst of the chaos and dizziness, I raised my eyes, searching for that familiar figure through the gaps in the crowd.

In the past, whenever we were in a crowded place, Julian would always pull me into his arms immediately, shielding me from the world.

But now, all I saw was his back as he carefully ushered Vivian into the passenger seat of his car.

He was so protective, so desperate to keep her safe.

He didn't even turn around to look at me, the wife he had shoved to the ground, bleeding and surrounded by vultures. He just drove away, leaving me behind.

When did he start changing? I wondered dizzily as the paparazzi screamed questions at me, pushing their microphones into my face.

Was it when Vivian drugged him? Or did he simply never love me as much as I thought?

Swallowing the bitterness in my throat, I forced myself to stand and pushed through the suffocating crowd.

I went to the hospital alone, got my forehead stitched, and dragged my exhausted body back to the villa, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

I don't know how much time had passed when I heard footsteps approaching.

A cool hand, carrying a familiar warmth I once craved, gently touched the bandage on my forehead.

"How did you get this cut on your head?"

Julian's voice echoed in the dark room, carrying a hint of genuine worry.

I snapped my eyes open.

The next second, before he could pull me into his arms, I pushed him away with all my might.

"Don't touch me," I said coldly. "You disgust me."

The air in the room froze instantly.

Julian's hands hovered in mid-air. The warmth in his eyes slowly turned to ice.

"I disgust you?" He let out a low, humorless laugh. "Seraphina, you're a high school dropout. You married me and enjoyed a life of luxury because of me. If I hadn't protected you all these years, do you really think you could have lived so peacefully as Mrs. Sinclair?"

He leaned down, his shadow towering over me with suffocating pressure. "I only wanted a child of my own bloodline. What did I do wrong?"

Every word felt like a poisoned needle, piercing the most vulnerable part of my heart.

A high school dropout.

This had actually become the weapon he used to humiliate me today.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them back, my chest aching.

I didn't drop out of school because I was stupid or lazy.

Quite the opposite. I was a straight-A student, on track for a full scholarship.

But during my senior year, my parents died in a horrific car crash, leaving behind massive debts. The predatory lenders practically invaded my parents' funeral, threatening to desecrate their graves if I didn't pay.

I had no choice but to drop out, working three jobs a day, dragging myself through the mud just to survive.

Six years ago, Julian met me while I was working at a coffee shop. He pursued me relentlessly, promising to pay off all my debts if I stayed with him.

At the time, I had rejected him. "I didn't even finish high school. I don't fit into your world."

But he had held my hand, looking into my eyes with pure sincerity. "Sera, I love you, not your resume. I don't need a wife with a prestigious degree to secure my status. The only thing I want in this life is you."

I hadn't believed him at first.

Not until a speeding car had hurtled toward us, and he had thrown his own body to shield me, taking the impact himself.

That was the moment I believed that a savior had truly entered my dark world.

Looking back, maybe his love was real then. But now, he simply didn't love me anymore.

"Since you think my education is too low for me to carry your child," my voice trembled.

"Why did you pursue me so desperately back then? Why did you go through the trouble of swapping my medicine?"

"You made me live in guilt and misery for six years. You made me think I was the broken one."

I looked up, tears spilling over. "Julian, if you had just said the word, I would have happily walked away. I would have divorced you and handed the title of Mrs. Sinclair to Vivian."