Chapter 2

Ethan didn't come home for days, which was completely out of character.

Usually, on the second day of his silent treatment, I would break down, call him, apologize profusely, and beg him to come back.

And after I debased myself enough, he would reluctantly accept my apology and return home like a generous king.

Not this time.

I was sick of apologizing. I would never say sorry to him again.

The next morning, I hired a divorce lawyer to draft the settlement papers.

Seeing that I hadn't made a single move to contact Ethan, Chloe took to Instagram.

She posted a photo of their hands intertwined against a golden sunset, flaunting custom matching rings engraved with their initials.

Her caption read: *Until death do us part.*

I knew she was flaunting it just to get under my skin. So, I didn't hesitate. I tapped the screen and gave it a double-tap like.

Then, I left a comment: *May you two stay together forever.*

Right around that moment, my lawyer sent over the finalized divorce petition.

By the time I finished reviewing the documents and checked Instagram again, Chloe had already deleted the post.

A second later, my phone buzzed violently. It was Ethan.

"Sienna! What the hell did you mean by commenting on Chloe’s post?!"

"Chloe already felt awful about causing a fight between us. Your petty comment made her cry so hard she passed out!"

"What right do you have to act like the injured party? Don't forget, you were the one who manipulated my grandmother into forcing me to marry you! You stole Chloe’s rightful place from the start!"

"Chloe was generous enough to let it slide, and you're still throwing these pathetic tantrums?!"

Listening to his ferocious yelling on the other end of the line, my heart felt eerily still.

After a long pause, I replied calmly,

"I'm not throwing a tantrum. If you think I wronged her, I'm more than happy to step aside."

"My lawyer has already drafted the divorce papers. Come sign them whenever you find the time."

A stunned silence fell over the other end of the line.

He tried to say something, but I hung up on him before he could.

I didn't care about his harsh words anymore.

Still, hearing venom repeated over and over always leaves a sting.

Days passed and Ethan never showed up, finally wearing out the last shred of my patience.

I decided not to wait around.

Whatever good memories I had of him had already been ground to dust over the years.

Right now, all I wanted was to escape this luxurious prison.

I rarely went out, and Ethan never let me accompany him to public events.

Because of that, my closet was surprisingly bare.

Before leaving, I wanted to erase every trace of my existence from this house.

I packed meticulously, leaving no corner untouched.

As for the expensive jewelry Ethan had thrown at me over the years, I planned to take it all and liquidate it at a pawn shop.

I was fully aware that after being isolated in this penthouse for five years, I was completely disconnected from the world.

The computer science degree I once took pride in had grown rusty with time.

Before walking away from this marriage, I needed cash.

One by one, I pulled the velvet boxes from the safe until it was nearly empty.

Just as I was about to shut the heavy metal door, I noticed a tiny box tucked into the furthest corner.

My breath caught. I reached in and took it out.

The moment the lid popped open, a fatal, agonizing pain that I had buried deep in my soul clawed its way back to the surface.

It was an intricately engraved silver baby locket.

It had belonged to my baby boy—the child who never made it past his first birthday.