Chapter 4

Our third anniversary was coming up, and I had been planning to shed my disguise.

I wanted to be completely honest with Julian.

I wanted to tell him that he had passed my test.

I was going to tell him that he would never have to endure people laughing at his "ugly wife" anymore.

He could proudly show me off to the world.

But I never got the chance. He had already strayed.

My chest felt incredibly tight, as if an invisible hand was squeezing my heart.

"I'm a public figure, Chloe. A woman like you is an embarrassment. I can't take you to events."

"Seraphina never wanted to take your place as my wife, but you just had to push it. Ruining my life won't do you any good. If you want to keep any shred of dignity, pack your trash and get the hell out of here."

Julian looked at me with pure disgust.

To make his point, he grabbed a trash bag that hadn't been tied up and threw it at me.

The bag broke, and foul, rotten garbage juice splashed all over my jeans.

"Julian, don't forget that if it wasn't for me, you'd still be a miserable, low-paid assistant at that studio!"

I had believed we were a couple that could survive anything together.

Now I realized we could only share the struggle, but someone else was going to enjoy the reward.

Julian let out a mocking laugh.

"Chloe, you really think highly of yourself, don't you?"

"Sure, you introduced me to the CEO of the entertainment agency. But if I didn't have talent, do you think I'd be where I am today?"

"I became a top photographer because of my unique style and my own networking skills! It had absolutely nothing to do with you!"

My heart turned to ice.

His words were like a blunt knife carving into my chest.

The path I paved for him, the financial backing I secretly provided, the elite connections I handed to him on a silver platter...

I had built him up with my own hands.

And he dismissed it all in two sentences.

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms, but the physical pain couldn't numb the agony in my chest.

Seraphina whimpered, clutch her stomach. Her weak voice instantly drew Julian’s attention.

"Julian... it hurts so bad."

"Please stop fighting. My head is spinning."

Julian ignored me completely.

He rushed to her side, kneeling in front of the sofa, gently cupping her face.

Staying here would only bring more humiliation.

I turned on my heel and walked out of the penthouse.

I spent the next twenty-four hours at the clinic having my braces removed, washing off the fake freckles, and getting a professional blowout. Then, I went on a shopping spree for designer clothes.

Hiding my face for a man was the stupidest thing I had ever done.

I wanted to see if Julian could survive in this industry without me.