Chapter 2

2

Snapping back to reality, I stepped onto the sofa and took down our wedding portrait.

Clutching the heavy frame to my chest, I finally broke down and wept uncontrollably.

My desperate sobs echoed through the empty apartment.

Only when I had exhausted every ounce of my energy did I finally wipe my tears away.

I could never accept living as someone's mistress.

This relationship had to end immediately.

Yet, as I walked out the door to confront Gavin and demand an end to everything, a harsh truth struck me.

Gavin and I had never actually registered our marriage at the courthouse.

Even our child's birth certificate and official records had been filed under my name as a single mother.

Back then, Gavin had told me his family controlled all his assets and documents.

He claimed he had no way to legally register our marriage or hold a public wedding ceremony.

I remembered how bitterly Gavin had cried back then, burying his face in my chest and repeatedly calling himself useless.

My heart had ached for him so much that I told him I did not care about a piece of paper or a fancy ceremony.

Later on, we planned a honeymoon trip to Bora Bora.

Yet on the night before our flight, he suddenly claimed his mother had fallen critically ill and that he needed to care for her.

No matter how disappointed I felt, I could not stop him from being a dutiful son.

So, in the end, we never had any real wedding at all.

A year later, our son was born, and without a marriage certificate, I had no choice but to list myself as a single mother.

Tracking the location on my phone, I drove straight to the address where Gavin was located.

It was an upscale, exquisite French bistro downtown.

However, the heavy front doors were shut, giving the impression that it was closed for the day.

As I stepped forward to push the door open, a server stepped out and offered an apologetic bow. "I am so sorry, ma'am, but our restaurant is fully booked for a private event today."

I asked instinctively, "Was it booked by Gavin Cross?"

The server paused for a moment before nodding with a bright smile. "Yes, Mr. Cross reserved the entire venue for his eighth wedding anniversary with Mrs. Cross. They look so deeply in love, it's truly enviable..."

I could barely process whatever the server said after that, stumbling back toward my car in a daze.

Once inside the vehicle, I collapsed against the steering wheel and sobbed.

So today was Gavin and Madeline's eighth wedding anniversary.

No wonder Gavin had texted me first thing this morning, claiming he would be too busy to see me.

Through the glass window of the bistro, I could see two figures sitting together inside.

Though the view was slightly blurred, I could clearly see them feeding each other and laughing warmly over candlelight.

Unable to hold back any longer, I grabbed my phone and dialed Gavin's number.

He declined my call at first, but I refused to give up and kept redialing relentlessly.

On the fifth attempt, he finally stepped outside the restaurant to pick up.

I leaned against my car, staring right at him across the pavement. "Gavin, where are you?"

Gavin nervously glanced back over his shoulder toward Madeline before replying, "I'm still at the office working overtime. Is something wrong?"

My face remained completely blank. "Nothing. I just missed you."

Gavin's voice softened with practiced tenderness. "I miss you too, babe. Once this big project wraps up, I'll take you and Nate out on a nice trip."

I said nothing, quietly stepping toward him through the dim evening light.

"Ror? Are you still there?"

Gavin's voice drifted through the receiver.

I walked up right behind him and called his name in a chillingly calm tone.

"Gavin."

Gavin jumped in fright and whipped around instantly.

The moment he saw me standing right in front of him, sheer terror washed over his face.

He shoved me roughly to the side and hissed in a panicked whisper, "What the hell are you doing here?"

His instinctive reaction made me feel like some piece of filthy garbage that needed to be hidden away.

Looking at Gavin, I felt as though I was staring at a complete stranger.

I asked coldly, "Gavin, how much longer were you planning on lying to me?"

Gavin frowned, pretending not to understand. "What are you talking about?"

"Your wife transferred Cece to my school today."

"You've been married for eight years and have a six-year-old daughter. Just how long did you think you could keep this from me?"

Gavin slapped his hand over my mouth instantly.

He dragged me further into the shadows of the alleyway, desperate to hush me.

"Ror, please listen to me. I never meant to deceive you like this."

How laughable. He had lied to me for six whole years, yet now claimed it was an accident.

Just as I opened my mouth to confront him, the restaurant door swung open.

Madeline's gentle voice followed closely behind. "Gavin? Who are you talking to out here?"

A flicker of panic flashed across Gavin's eyes, but he had no choice but to turn around slowly.

Madeline spotted me and blinked in surprise. "Miss Cole? You know Gavin?"

Gavin glanced back at me, frantically shaking his head to warn me against saying anything reckless.

Then, he stepped over to Madeline, wrapping an arm smoothly around her waist. "Madeline, why didn't you tell me you transferred Cece to a new school?"

"You've been so busy lately, so I didn't want to bother you with minor details."

Madeline leaned against Gavin's chest with a fond chuckle before turning her attention back to me.

"Do you two know each other? You didn't mention anything this afternoon, Miss Cole."

Gavin quickly cut in with an easy explanation. "We were just college classmates. We crossed paths a few times back in the day, but I doubt Miss Cole even remembered."

Gavin and I did attend the same university.

However, he was a year ahead of me, and we had never crossed paths back then.

Gavin stared at me, his eyes pleading desperately for me to play along.

Under his tense gaze, a slow, bitter smile spread across my lips.

"Yes, that's right. Gavin and I were just... ordinary classmates."