Chapter 4

"You want a divorce over this?"

Chloe slammed her hand on the table and stood up, looking at me with pure disbelief. "Julian is my biggest client! His clothes got wet, so I let him change. What is the big deal?"

"If you're going to pick fights over nothing, maybe you should get a real job. You're clearly just bored from staying home all day."

Her face was twisted with disgust. But she seemed to forget that I had a job.

Sure, I didn't make as much as her, but over the years, my illustration contracts had brought in a very comfortable, steady income.

She always looked down on my career. But deep down, I knew she just looked down on me.

Because Julian could paint, too.

That was the second time I saw Julian.

He was standing right next to Chloe at an art gallery. I was standing a few feet behind them.

I heard Julian talking about how he had studied fine arts for over a decade.

He went on and on about the brushstrokes, the inspiration, and the history of the painting in front of them.

Chloe’s eyes were shining with admiration. She was so captivated by him that she didn't even notice me standing right there.

She probably forgot, but that wasn't the first time she had seen that painting.

During our first anniversary, I tried to plan a romantic date to bring us closer.

I asked her if she wanted to go out, and she told me to just plan whatever.

So, I bought two tickets to that exact art exhibition.

When she paused in front of this very painting, I excitedly started telling her about the artist’s background and the story behind the piece.

But halfway through my sentence, I realized she was just scrolling through her phone.

My feelings were deeply hurt, and it showed on my face.

Noticing my mood, she offered to buy me dinner. I thought she was finally starting to care about my feelings. Instead, she coldly told me:

"Justin, I'm just too busy for this. Let's not waste time on dates anymore."

I ate that dinner in silence. And I never planned another date.

So, seeing her gaze so passionately at Julian at the same gallery broke my heart.

Even then, my foolish heart tried to make excuses for her. I kept telling myself they hadn't actually slept together, that they were just business partners.

But now, I was done lying to myself.

I was done torturing myself. As Chloe herself said, if you're going to marry someone, you might as well choose someone who actually loves you—even if you don't love them back.