Chapter 2

By the time I woke up the next morning, Julian was already gone. There was a freshly made breakfast on the table, just like every other day of our one-year marriage.

Thinking back to last night, my head throbbed. Maybe I was being petty. How could I have brought up divorce so easily?

After breakfast, I decided to take Sugar out for a drive to clear my head. On my way back in the afternoon, I stopped to pick up a birthday gift for Julian's mother.

As I was driving safely in my lane, a car suddenly rear-ended me. Hard.

I got out of the car to check the damage. The driver of the other car stepped out, looking aggressive. "How the hell do you drive?"

"There are traffic cameras here. You hit me on purpose," I said, calmly pulling out my phone to call the police. But the man slapped my phone out of my hand. Sugar barked protectively from inside the car.

"Typical female driver. Can't drive for shit and now you're blaming me," the man sneered, scanning me up and down. "Driving such a nice car... who’s your Sugar Daddy?"

I clenched my fists, trying to keep my temper in check. "Sir—"

"Chloe."

I turned around. Julian was walking toward us. Given the distance, he must have heard everything.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of confidence.

"Oh, look, your Sugar Daddy is actually here," the man mocked.

Because of the massive class disparity between Julian's family and mine, there had been plenty of nasty rumors when we got married. But Julian had always defended me publicly.

He used to say, “I was the one who chased my wife. I belong to her. There is no such thing as a mismatch.”

But now, Julian didn't even take my hand. He didn't even ask what happened. He simply pulled out a thick stack of cash from his wallet and handed it to the man. His voice was laced with irritation. "Is this enough?"

The man's eyes lit up. Before leaving, he didn't miss the chance to throw one last insult. "See? I told you she was bought."

I wanted to speak up, but Julian silenced me with a cold, warning glare. It felt as if my attempt to stand up for myself was nothing but an embarrassment to him.

My car was badly damaged. It was clearly undrivable.

"Come with me," Julian said, grabbing my hand and leading me to his car. He glanced at Sugar, who was sitting by my feet.

"Call a pet taxi to take the dog back. You’re coming with me."

I pulled my hand out of his grip. "No need. Sugar will be scared in a stranger's car."

Julian let out a cold laugh. "Chloe, do you seriously have to pick a fight with me over this dog?"

I held onto the leash tightly, refusing to back down. As we stood in a tense standoff, the passenger window of his car rolled down.

A beautiful, elegantly dressed girl was sitting inside, holding a large dog in her arms. She flashed a sweet, innocent smile.

"Hi, sweetie. I'm Vivian Thorne. There have been rumors about a stalker on my way home lately, so Mr. Vance was kind enough to give me a ride."

The girl in the passenger seat, the dog in her lap... everything felt like a physical blow. The cautious, tiptoeing life Sugar and I had lived under Julian's roof suddenly felt like a massive joke.

"Julian, what is the meaning of this?" My nose burned, but I refused to let my tears fall in front of them.

"She’s the new assistant at the company, Vivian," Julian said, his expression completely blank. To him, a girl sitting in his passenger seat with a dog was perfectly normal.

"Mr. Vance, why don't you let her get in? She just got into an accident. She must be terrified."

Julian’s expression softened slightly. He pursed his lips. "Get in."

I froze. I had crawled on my knees begging him to let Sugar in his car, and he had refused. Now, with just one word from another woman, he agreed.

How pathetic.

I pulled open the back door and got in. Throughout the ride, Vivian’s dog kept barking aggressively at Sugar. Sugar just tucked her tail and curled up in my lap, trying to disappear.

For the past year, whenever Julian was around, Sugar never made a sound.

She had been suppressing her own nature, trying her best to minimize her existence.

Julian drove Vivian home. As she got out, she smiled sweetly at him. "Mr. Vance, thank you so much for the new bag. I absolutely love it!"

The bag in her hand was the exact new release from my favorite brand. So, he had already gone shopping with someone else.

My heart felt hollow.