Chapter 2

2

Hale always claimed he only saw Sylvie as a sister.

But no matter what happened, she was always his number one priority.

I used to lie to myself, but the moment he pushed me aside in that fire, reality hit me like a ton of bricks.

I calmly got out of bed and handed him the paperwork I had prepared.

"Sign it. Let's divorce."

Hale took the papers, his face turning cold.

"You're divorcing me just because you're jealous of Sylvie? Really, Sienna?"

"Or maybe you've got a side piece and you're just looking for an excuse to dump me!"

I didn't even bother responding. He was just trying to shift the blame onto me.

My silence made him think he was right. He let out a condescending snort.

"Fine, Sienna. Let's see how long you can stay this stubborn."

He slammed the bedroom door and left.

We had been married for six years and together for eight.

Hale always took advantage of my love, losing his temper whenever he felt like it.

And every time, I was the one who crawled back and apologized.

But this time, I was done.

Losing my baby was like a bucket of ice water waking me up from a long nightmare.

The next morning, I went to my office and resigned.

The moment I decided to leave Hale, I knew I had no reason to stay in this city.

On my way back, my lawyer called.

"Ms. Summers, I was reviewing your assets and noticed something. The property at Emerald Heights has been used as collateral for a loan."

Collateral?

My heart skipped a beat.

I suddenly remembered a document Hale had asked me to sign a few weeks ago.

Did he seriously mortgage the house my parents bought for me?

My hands shook as I dialed his number.

He declined the call several times. I knew he thought I was calling to beg for forgiveness and wanted to make me suffer.

I stared at my phone and realized today was Sylvie's birthday.

Every year, she celebrated it at the Young family's house.

The Songs and the Youngs were close. Sylvie's parents had died ten years ago, so Hale's family basically raised her.

In the past, Hale would make me buy her expensive gifts weeks in advance.

But since we were fighting, he was too proud to ask.

And the rest of the Young family? They never called me.

Hale's parents always preferred Sylvie. They hated that I was from out of town and couldn't pull strings for Hale's career.

Plus, after six years without a kid, they liked me even less.

They had no idea that Hale was the one who never wanted children.

I drove straight to the Young residence.

Through the glass of the wine cabinet, I saw Sylvie surrounded by the family, making a wish over a cake.

After she blew out the candles, Hale tenderly wiped a bit of frosting off her face and handed her a gift.

Watching him, I couldn't help but think about our six years of marriage.

Hale always said he was a "simple guy" who didn't like holidays. Valentine's Day and anniversaries were always ignored.

The most I ever got was him coming home for a quick dinner.

Sylvie finally spotted me.

"Sienna? What are you doing here?"

She waddled over, cradling her stomach.

"Hale said you two were fighting. He was worried you'd be upset if we invited you. You aren't mad, are you?"

I didn't have the energy to play her games. I walked right past her to Hale.

"What was that document you tricked me into signing? Why is my house mortgaged?"

Hale didn't even look surprised. He just glanced at me and spoke calmly.

"We're family. I had an emergency. Why can't I use it for a bit?"

"No, you can't. That house was a gift from my parents. You have no right."

I was dead serious.

Hale's face darkened.

Sylvie jumped in again, sounding like a wounded puppy.

"Sienna, it's my fault. You know my health hasn't been great, and I've been so stressed lately. Hale wanted to buy me a place so I could have a quiet spot to raise the baby, but we were short on cash."

"If it makes you unhappy, I'll sell everything I own to pay you back. Just please don't fight with him. I'll do anything."

Her eyes started to well up with tears.

"That house is mine. It has absolutely nothing to do with you," I snapped.

I was vibrating with rage.

Hale had mortgaged my property to buy a house for his childhood sweetheart.

I looked at the rest of the family.

"I'm divorcing Hale."

"If that house isn't returned to me, I'm suing all of you for fraud."

I turned and walked out.

I used to have a soft heart, but Hale had pushed me too far. I couldn't even protect the gift my parents gave me.

I pulled out my phone and sent every intimate photo of Hale and Sylvie I had to a specific contact.

Then I called my lawyer. Since the house was a pre-marital asset, Hale's actions were illegal. I could get it back.

I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The next morning, I woke up to alerts from my bank. A large sum of money had been withdrawn from our joint account.

By the evening, thousands were gone.

I took screenshots of everything. Then I saw Sylvie's post.

Hale had taken her to a high school reunion.

To give his "sister" some status, Mr. Generous was footed the bill for the entire party.

I closed my phone and went to a dinner with my colleagues.

These people were my only real friends in the city.

Since I was leaving soon, I wanted to say goodbye.

After dinner, as I was walking to my car, I saw Hale and Sylvie walking hand in hand.

Of course. Their reunion was at the same venue.

I could hear people gushing about what a "devoted couple" they were.

People were congratulating Sylvie on finding such a great husband.

Neither of them corrected the mistake. They just stood there, looking like a pair of lovebirds.

Even after everyone left, they didn't let go of each other's hands.

"Hale, you're so good to me. Everyone was so jealous," Sylvie cooed.

She was holding a bouquet of flowers and leaned in to peck Hale on the cheek.

Hale held her waist, telling her to be careful with the baby.

They were laughing until they saw me. Their smiles vanished instantly.

"Sienna? Why are you here?" Sylvie asked, acting shocked.

She let go of Hale's hand, pretending to be flustered.

"Sienna, don't get the wrong idea. Hale just didn't want me to go to the reunion alone. That's all."

Hale ruffled her hair and told her she didn't need to explain herself.

Then he looked at me like I was the problem.

"Sylvie's pregnant and didn't want people judging her for being alone, so I stepped in as her husband for the night. You aren't that petty, right?"

I caught movement in the shadows nearby. A familiar face appeared.

I smiled. "I'm not petty at all. But I think someone else might be."

A man, trembling with rage, stormed out of the corner and slapped Sylvie across the face.

"You cheating brat! How dare you cuckold me!"