Chapter 2

2.

The bracelet alone wasn't enough to make me give up on him entirely.

Everyone knew how much he had protected and cherished me for years.

How could I believe it was all a performance? How could I believe it was just his way of suffering for Lana's sake?

But then I found that jewelry box in his study two days ago. It destroyed every excuse I had left.

It was Sean's most prized possession, kept right next to his desk. It was clear he touched it every single day.

The box had the word "Engagement" written on it, but it wasn't for me. It wasn't on my marriage list.

Inside was a white jade pendant, intricately carved with orchids.

Orchids represent purity and are usually a symbol for gentlemen, not something women in our circle often wore.

But in this city, everyone knew Lana Thorne. She loved orchids more than life itself.

My face went pale. The pain in my stomach was nothing compared to the hole in my heart.

Only one thought remained clear in my mind.

"Sean Sterling, I want a divorce."

I dragged my exhausted body to the desk and wrote the papers, stroke by stroke.

Memories of our years together flashed before my eyes. Things that never made sense before suddenly had answers.

On our wedding day, he gave me a lavish ceremony. It happened on the exact same day the Crown Prince took Lana as his mistress.

He had cried when he lifted my veil. "Maddy, I finally got to marry you."

I thought they were tears of joy. Now I knew his heart was simply breaking for someone else.

Last year, during the Prince's birthday gala, Lana and I were both startled by a stray cat and fell into the lake.

I've been terrified of water since I was a child. Sean knew that better than anyone.

Yet, he jumped in without a second thought and pulled Lana to safety first.

Later, he held my hand and explained himself. "Lana is the Prince's woman. Saving her was just a way to show my loyalty to the Prince."

But I had seen his eyes when he looked at her. They were full of a tenderness he never showed me.

I nearly died in that freezing water. My health never fully recovered, and it took me three months just to walk again.

Looking back, the signs were everywhere.

I was the fool for letting myself be blinded.

Fortunately, it wasn't too late to leave.

I finished writing and tucked the divorce papers into the small cabinet by the bed.

My mother-in-law's birthday was in a month. She had always been kind to me. I decided to wait until her celebration was over before I walked away forever.