Chapter 2

Ethan didn't come home for days, which was highly unusual.

In the past, by the second day of his silent treatment, I would have already sent him dozens of texts, apologizing and begging him to come back.

And after making me squirm, he would reluctantly "agree" and return home.

But not this time.

I was sick of apologizing. I was never doing it again.

I called a lawyer and had them draft a divorce agreement.

Maybe because she noticed my silence, Chloe posted a new update on her Instagram.

It was a photo of her and Ethan holding hands tightly against a sunset. On their fingers were matching rings engraved with their initials.

The caption read: Forever and always.

I knew she did this to get under my skin. So, I didn't hold back. I double-tapped and liked the post.

Then, I left a comment: Wishing you two the best.

Just then, my lawyer emailed me the finalized divorce papers.

By the time I finished reviewing them and went back to Instagram, Chloe had already deleted the post.

A second later, my phone vibrated. Ethan was calling.

"Elena, what the hell is the meaning of your comment on Chloe’s Instagram?"

"Chloe already felt incredibly guilty about our argument. Because of your petty comment, she just cried herself to sleep!"

"What are you even throwing a fit for? Don't forget, you used dirty tricks to force your way into the Reed family in the first place! You stole Chloe’s rightful place!"

"Chloe is being nice enough not to hold a grudge, but you just can't stop, can you?"

Hearing him scream through the phone, my heart felt completely numb. There was no pain, just emptiness.

After a long silence, I spoke calmly.

"I’m not throwing a fit, Ethan. Since you think I wronged her, I’m stepping aside."

"My lawyer has drafted the divorce papers. Come sign them when you have time."

The line went dead silent.

He seemed stunned. He wanted to say something, but I hung up on him before he could.

Even though I didn't care about his harsh words anymore, listening to them still felt like a waste of energy.

Ethan’s refusal to show up was draining my patience.

I didn't want to wait anymore.

Any good memories I had of him had already been burned to ashes.

Now, I just wanted to leave this prison.

I rarely went out, and Ethan never let me accompany him to public events. Naturally, my wardrobe was incredibly sparse.

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

I packed meticulously, leaving no corner unchecked.

I decided to take all the jewelry in the safe and sell it for cash later.

I knew very well that after being a housewife for five years, I was completely disconnected from society.

The knowledge and skills I once excelled at in college had faded over time.

Before divorcing Ethan, I needed financial security.

I counted the jewelry pieces one by one until the safe was almost empty.

Just as I was about to lock it, I noticed a tiny box hidden in the very back corner.

I pulled it out and opened it. The moment I saw what was inside, a sharp, suffocating pain pierced through my chest.

It was an engraved silver baby locket.

It belonged to my baby boy, who didn't even get to celebrate his first birthday.