Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I sat on the cold floor, numbly picking up the broken shards around me.

Even when a piece of glass sliced my finger, I did not stop.

When Garrett and I first got together, everyone called us a match made in heaven.

Our romance was the envy of everyone around us.

He came from an elite, wealthy family from the Upper East Side, a world far beyond my reach.

Back then, I could never have imagined that such a brilliant golden boy would fall for a girl with nothing to her name.

Yet his arrival had pulled me out of my personal hell.

When a man of his pride was willing to move mountains for me, it felt sweeter than any love poem ever written.

When I first arrived in this world, I resisted the task of winning him over.

I refused to let a relationship begin on calculated lies.

My entire upbringing had been tainted by deception and survival.

I hated that world, yet I had worn a mask every single day just to stay alive.

I despised myself and the cruel reality around me.

Garrett had been different.

He loved me with pure sincerity, giving me the warmth and encouragement I had craved my entire life.

I had once built our home with hopeful anticipation, believing I had finally found a safe harbor in this vast universe.

Now, the shattered glass covering the floor mirrored our ruined marriage.

Our wedding portrait still hung on the bedroom wall.

In the photo, I wore a radiant smile, and his gaze was filled with adoration rather than the disgust he showed today.

When exactly did everything fall apart?

Consumed by a surge of bitter resentment, I rose slowly to my feet.

Staring at the portrait, I hurled my mug straight at the frame.

The glass shattered into a million pieces, taking with it my last desire to grow old with him.

"System, how much time do I have left?"

"Seven days. You have seven days to say goodbye to this world."

I cast my eyes downward, acknowledging the countdown.

Even though my original world was far from ideal, I had no reason to stay here anymore.

Garrett's betrayal taught me that no one in this world is truly dependable.

Instead of placing my happiness in someone else's hands, I needed to take control of my own life.

Meanwhile, a trending topic quietly exploded across social media.

A video showed Garrett and Brianna strolling together in Paris, looking every bit like a pair of blissful newlyweds.

Garrett's expression was gentle as he patiently coaxed the pouting young woman, whispering sweet reassurances.

Whatever he said made her burst into laughter, wrapping her arms around his neck in delight.

A sharp, stabbing ache flared in my chest.

He used to look at me the exact same way, but now he gave all his devotion to someone else.

I felt completely detached from the pain.

Moments later, my phone rang with an incoming call from Garrett.

He demanded that I issue a public statement to dispel the rumors.

As the CEO of his family's enterprise, the scandal had caused their company stock to plunge, and he needed me to do damage control.

How ironic that he only remembered his wife when his financial interests were on the line.

"I told you, Brianna is just a distraction. If the stock crashes, you won't be able to enjoy this luxury lifestyle either."

"Put out a statement immediately to clear her name. She's in tears right now. And remember, don't do anything unnecessary."

His tone dripped with impatience.

It must have been exhausting for him, rushing straight to his mistress right after our fight.

"I understand."

Perhaps my calm demeanor caught him off guard, or perhaps he was shocked that I did not scream about Brianna this time.

He fell silent for a few seconds.

"Good. It's about time you learned to be sensible. If you had acted like this sooner, we wouldn't have had all those fights."

"You should be trying to please me, Annette. Just like you are right now."

His voice was thick with smug satisfaction.

I hung up immediately, refusing to waste another breath on him.

Just hearing his voice brought back vivid images of his deceit, turning my stomach.

Five years ago, when Garrett married me, he gave me a lavish fairy-tale wedding in front of the entire city.

Everyone believed he was a rare, devoted gentleman.

I had foolishly believed it too.

Yet only a year into our marriage, Brianna showed up at our front door.

She had looked at me with a coy, coquettish smile, her eyes filled with subtle provocation.

"Hello, I'm Mr. Sterling's assistant. He said he left an important file in the study and asked me to pick it up."

Her gaze boldly swept over me from head to toe.

I frowned and led her toward the study, but she stopped me at the door.

"Mr. Sterling said this document is strictly confidential. I'm afraid you'll have to wait out here while I grab it."

Her words instantly raised my guard.

When Garrett returned home that night, I brought up the incident, but he simply laughed it off.

"She's the daughter of an important business partner. They asked me to mentor her."

"If it bothers you, I can reassign her tomorrow."

He had sounded so earnest, and because he had never crossed any lines before, I shook my head.

"It's fine. Removing her abruptly might hurt your business deal. I don't mind."

I never imagined that encounter would be my first introduction to his kept mistress.

Later on, I noticed they frequently disappeared together on business trips.

The illusion finally shattered the day I caught them passionately kissing inside the underground parking garage.

I had trusted every single lie he spun, genuinely believing he was working hard for our future.

One night, Garrett stumbled home completely drunk, pulling me into a tight embrace as he murmured against my neck.

"Brianna, why did you lose so much weight? Did you change your perfume?"

I froze, feeling as though I had been struck by lightning.

The man who had once promised me the world was holding me while whispering another woman's name.

That night marked our very first screaming match, an agonizing memory forever burned into my mind.

Once the truth was out, Garrett stopped hiding it altogether, texting Brianna openly right in front of my face.

He had sneered at me with cold disdain.

"If you were as obedient and enthusiastic in bed as Brianna, I wouldn't have had to look elsewhere."

With those words, he shoved me straight into the abyss.