Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After Jace left, the cold, robotic voice of the System rang in my ears.

"Host, I must remind you. If you divorce, your mission will be considered a failure. Your memories will be wiped. You cannot agree to this."

I sat at the dining table alone. The house felt like a tomb. Suddenly, my phone chimed with a notification. Jace had just posted on social media.

It was a photo of him holding a birthday cake, smiling brighter than I had seen him smile in years. In the corner of the frame, you could see half of a woman's face.

The caption read: "Spending the best time with the best person." He had tagged it so I would be sure to see it.

Even though she was barely in the shot, I knew it was Elena.

I didn't even think about what I was doing. Before I knew it, I was in my car driving to the hospital.

I knew which room she was in because Jace had mentioned it before.

I walked down the quiet hallway and stopped at her door. I pushed it open just a crack.

"Jace, I heard today was your anniversary. You shouldn't have come all this way for my birthday. Is Jade going to be angry?" Elena's voice was soft and sweet.

Jace was sitting by her bed peeling an apple. At the mention of my name, his face twisted with annoyance.

"Don't talk about her. She's such a buzzkill."

"If you hadn't left me back then, I never would have agreed to marry her in the first place."

I felt like I couldn't breathe. He had married me out of spite, not love.

Jace gently fed a slice of apple to Elena. Then, he leaned forward and let her pull him into a hug.

I saw a flash of triumph in Elena's eyes. She whispered, "Jace, do you... do you still love me most?"

Jace paused for a second. "Elena, no matter who I married, my heart has always belonged to you."

The pain in my chest was unbearable.

I forced myself to dial his number.

Jace looked at his vibrating phone. He looked annoyed and tried to ignore it.

But Elena was faster. She reached out and tapped the answer button for him.

"Jace, where are you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

"Didn't you see my post? I'm with Elena. Stop bothering me," Jace snapped.

I felt a chill run down my spine. He wouldn't even bother to lie to me anymore.

Behind his back, Elena flashed me a smug, victorious grin.

She knew I was there. She had planned for me to see all of this.

She leaned down and whispered something in Jace's ear. He jerked his head around and saw me standing in the doorway.

"Jade! What the hell are you doing here? This is disgusting. Are you seriously stalking me now?" He wasn't even embarrassed. He was furious.

I felt like I was dying inside, but I forced a bitter, broken laugh.

"So, I was just a consolation prize? A second choice? Did you feel that sorry for yourself, Jace?" I stared him down, demanding an answer.

Jace blinked, looking confused by my sudden backbone.

Elena sensed the shift in the room and put on her best "victim" face. "I'm so sorry, Jade. I shouldn't have come back. It's my fault you're fighting."

"Jace, it's all my fault. Don't be mad at Jade. Take it out on me instead." She actually bowed to me, looking like a kicked puppy.

It was like throwing gasoline on a fire. Jace immediately pulled her behind him to protect her.

"You're damn right I married you out of pity. I never loved you, Jade. Not for a single second."