Chapter 2

The text read: "Thank you for the necklace, Mr. Sterling. I love it so much."

Luna.

The moon.

That crescent moon necklace that wasn't meant for me.

I closed my eyes, feeling like a drowning victim. My seemingly perfect marriage was sinking into a pitch-black ocean.

So, I wasn't the end of his search for a replacement. I was just a temporary port.

And now, a new "moon" had arrived.

The next day, I was completely checked out.

The name "Luna" was like a poisoned thorn festering in my chest.

In the afternoon, I fabricated a lie about dropping off some urgent financial documents and drove over to his corporate headquarters.

Instead of torturing myself with doubts, I wanted to see the truth.

Some things must be seen with your own eyes before you can completely let go.

Christian’s company occupied the top floors of a prestigious skyscraper in the financial district. The receptionist immediately offered a sweet, professional smile. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Sterling. Mr. Sterling is in a board meeting. Would you like to wait in the executive lounge?"

"No, thank you. I'll just wait here," I replied with a polite smile, but my eyes were already scanning the open-concept office space.

I had imagined a hundred versions of "Luna."

Maybe she was a sultry femme fatale, or a sharp, sophisticated corporate climber.

But I never expected her to look like this.

Near the reception desk, a girl in a white sundress was laughing and chatting with a coworker.

She had long, straight, jet-black hair—exactly like Summer’s in those college photos.

When she laughed, the corners of her eyes tilted down slightly, giving her an innocent, vulnerable look.

But most importantly, around her pale neck, the silver crescent moon pendant caught the harsh fluorescent light, glaring right into my eyes.

My blood turned to ice.

The resemblance was uncanny.

She looked far more like a young, flawless Summer than I did now.

Over the years of our marriage, I had gradually shed the awkward, imitated habits of Summer and become more like my true self.

The irony was painful. I thought I was finally allowed to be Vivian, but it turned out the ghost of Summer was the only thing that actually mattered to him.

A passing employee waved at her. "Hey, Luna, grab lunch with us later?"

The girl beamed. "Sure thing!"

Luna.

So her real name was Luna Brooks.

I caught sight of her intern badge: Luna Brooks, Marketing Intern.

An intern.

Christian’s lie was a brutal slap to my face, leaving it burning with humiliation.

"Corporate vendor gift?" "Sent to her whole department?" All complete garbage.

He had deliberately gone out of his way to buy a special welcoming gift for this fresh, new replica of his ex.

While I stood there frozen, the conference room doors opened.

Christian emerged, flanked by a dozen executives. He spotted me immediately.

He walked over quickly, naturally wrapping his arm around my waist in front of everyone. "Vivian? What are you doing here? You should have called."

His hand was warm against my lower back, but it made me shudder.

I looked past his shoulder, staring directly at Luna.

Luna was looking back at us. Her gaze flickered between Christian and me with a mix of curiosity and subtle calculation.

Christian clearly noticed where I was looking.

His body went rigid for a split second. Then, he did something that made my heart turn to ash.

He turned around and called out in a professional, yet overly familiar tone, "Luna, come over here for a second."