Chapter 2

Three months ago, I accidentally saw his interactions with Clara on Snapchat.

He had posted a throwback photo of the two of them with the caption: The one that got away.

Then, in the comments, he wrote:

"Our love was always a second too late. My parents' moving us apart made our paths diverge. “

“My current marriage is flat and tasteless, with zero spark left. But luckily, she's back in my life now. She is my absolute savior."

Actually, Julian and I used to have a great relationship. It wasn't "tasteless" or "worthless" like he claimed. Everything changed the moment Clara returned to the city.

He started avoiding coming home, using "late nights at the office" as an excuse. He would come home past midnight. To accommodate his schedule, I used to stay up late just to have a few words with him.

But even then, we barely talked. When he did speak, the conversation always drifted back to Clara, his so-called "savior."

Slowly, I realized Julian’s heart was no longer with me.

His eyes, his smile, even his tone of voice—they didn't belong to me anymore.

During those dark days, I kept telling myself I was just being paranoid. Maybe he was just going through a mid-life crisis.

But reality kept slapping me in the face. That Snapchat post stripped away my last bit of self-delusion.

One night, while he was in the shower, his phone lit up. It was a Snapchat thread with Clara.

The flirtatious messages were too raw, too intimate for me to ignore.

When I confronted him, he just shrugged and smiled. "It's just banter, Audrey. We're old friends. It doesn't mean anything."

To be honest, I was pathetic back then. I couldn't let go of him. His every smile and frown dictated my mood.

Or maybe it was just a toxic possessiveness. I desperately wanted Julian to choose me over Clara.

I started questioning myself. Was I not good enough?

I began trying twice as hard. I bought him designer watch, leased him a new sports car—anything he wanted, I gave him.

But after taking my gifts with a few sweet words, treating me like a pet, his attitude would go right back to cold indifference.

Clara and Julian had known each other since high school. Julian had been obsessed with her, but his parents had forbidden them from being together.

Clara's family background was messy, to say the least. Her father had been sentenced to federal prison for racketeering, and her mother was a serial gold digger who remarried whenever she ran out of cash.

Julian’s family, on the other hand, ran a decent local business. They were never going to accept a girl from a family like Clara's.

So, they forced them apart. But it was actually Clara who ended things and moved to another state, disappearing for years.

Around that time, my family's firm was thriving, and many local business owners wanted to network with us.

Julian’s parents were among them.

I fell for Julian at first sight, though I kept it to myself. To my surprise, Julian was the one who reached out to me first on Snapchat.

His parents were thrilled, pushing us together.

It seemed natural, and we eventually got married. Our life seemed peaceful.

My only regret was that we didn't have children. He always said he wasn't ready.

I respected his decision. Even without kids, I loved him just the same.

But all of that shattered the moment Clara came back.

Pulling myself back to reality, I tapped the divorce papers on the table.

Julian stared at me, dumbfounded. Then, a look of smug realization crossed his face.

"Audrey, are you really playing the jealousy card? This is so cliché!"

He scoffed. "You're just throwing a tantrum because of Clara. Stop being so petty. Alright, enough."

He grabbed the divorce papers and my purse, threw them carelessly onto the floor, and turned to walk into the bedroom.

As he brushed past me, the strong scent of cheap women's perfume on him was sickening.