Chapter 5

In the living room, Sienna was kneeling in front of Leo, gently consoling him.

I walked past them, expressionless.

Behind me, Leo wailed louder, "Why is that bad woman ignoring me?!"

He stomped his feet, throwing a tantrum.

He was used to me immediately crying, hugging him, and apologizing every time he threw a fit.

So when I didn't even spare him a glance, he felt wronged.

Austin said nothing, but I could feel the icy glare burning holes in my back.

I didn't stop.

Just as I reached for the front door, his furious voice boomed through the hall: "Stop right there!"

I paused.

"Come back here and apologize to Leo," he demanded. "You shoved him. You scared him."

I closed my eyes.

Realizing this would probably be the last time we ever spoke, I didn't want to waste energy arguing.

I walked back and knelt in front of Leo.

"I'm sorry," I said, looking into his eyes one last time. "I shouldn't have shoved you."

Leo sniffled, and suddenly, he spat right in my face.

The warm saliva slid down my cheek.

He said in his cute, childish voice, "Dirty woman. You deserve it."

Austin watched coldly, adding a flat remark: "You're so busy sleeping around that even your own son can't stand you."

I slowly raised my hand, wiping my cheek.

I let out a soft laugh.

"Me? Sleeping around?"

These three "affairs" were set up so poorly. Did he honestly not see the loopholes?

Or maybe he did, but chose to ignore them because he wanted an excuse.

Fine. If that's what he believed, so be it.

"We’ve been married for four years, Austin, and you’ve been parading around with her for four years!"

"You even sent my son to stay at her place. Who is the one sleeping around here?"

"We're getting a divorce. Can we stop lying to ourselves?"

Sienna’s face drained of color.

Tears welled up in her eyes instantly. "Elena, how could you slander me like this? Austin, I..."

"Elena, it's been four years. Are you ever going to stop this drama?" Austin glared at me, taking a slow step forward.

"Fine. Since you're so convinced we're sleeping together..." He grabbed my wrist, dragging me toward the bedroom.

The moment the door slammed shut, he pinned me down, took off his silk tie, and bound my wrists tightly before tossing me onto the floor.

Then he turned, pulling Sienna into his arms, leaning close to her ear.

"Do you want me?"

Sienna gasped softly, then wrapped her arms around his neck. "Austin, I've waited so long for this..."

The two of them immediately began tearing at each other's clothes, shedding them onto the carpet.

I bit my lip so hard it bled, my voice scraping out of my throat:

"Austin, we're getting a divorce! You can do whatever you want later! Why do you have to humiliate me like this?!"

He paused, his hand gripping my jaw tightly. "Humiliate you? Elena, do you really think you still have any dignity left to be humiliated?"

"Austin, don't get distracted..."

Sienna wrapped herself around him from behind, blowing softly against his neck.

He let go of me, turning back to sink into her embrace.

I closed my eyes, tears silent and bitter, running down my face.

Suddenly, my phone, which had fallen onto the carpet, began to vibrate.

It was my mother’s number.

I struggled, dragging myself across the floor to answer it with my chin.

But it wasn't my mother. It was the frantic voice of her nurse:

"Elena! You need to get here right now! Your mother heard rumors that you're getting a divorce. She thinks she's a burden to you and has climbed onto the roof of the hospice—"

"What?!"

"She said... "static"..."