Chapter 2

While everyone watched, Melody walked out with her new boy toy.

I was left standing there, feeling like a fool.

A few minutes later, a group of bodyguards arrived. Their leader carried a contract and a briefcase full of cash.

They were there to delete the security footage and pay everyone off.

This was the Thorne family way.

After settling things, the head bodyguard walked over to me. "Mr. Reed, you know how she is. Why provoke her?"

"In the end, you're the only one who suffers."

"When you live under someone else's roof, you have to learn to bow your head. Just endure it."

I turned my head away, my eyes full of sadness.

My wife was constantly cuckolding me. How was I supposed to just endure that?

I smiled sadly. "Go back. I'll handle my own life."

The guard sighed. "You can't have both pride and money. You're a smart man, Justin. You should know that."

Then he left with his men.

I sat in the seat Melody had just left and ordered a coffee.

I sat there for the entire day.

I didn't go back to the villa until early the next morning.

The house was empty. Melody hadn't come home. She was probably still with her new lover.

I went upstairs to the closet and packed a few casual clothes.

Usually, a divorce involves lawyers and fighting over assets or kids.

But between Melody and me, there was nothing.

Only that emerald pendant.

People thought our high-society wedding was the event of the century. But the truth was, we never even signed the papers.

I still remembered what she told me on our wedding day.

She said, "Justin, I'm only marrying you to fulfill my mentor's dying wish. My heart belongs to Adrian, and it always will. Don't dream of things that aren't yours."

Even so, I walked down that aisle. Being with her was my biggest dream.

I loved her. I was willing to do anything just to stay near her.

I believed that if I gave her enough love, she would eventually love me back. But reality slapped me in the face.

Love isn't something you can force.

No matter what I did, Melody never respected me.

I decided to leave the Thorne estate and just travel.

I had spent my whole adult life orbiting Melody. I had no life of my own.

It was time to step out of her shadow.

I headed north, carrying a backpack and staying in cheap hostels. Eventually, I settled in a quiet mountain town in Vermont.

It was far from the city noise and the cutthroat business world. The people were simple and kind.

I rented a small cottage for almost nothing.

After two days of cleaning, someone knocked on my door.

I opened it to find a girl in a casual sweater. She was holding two baskets of homemade muffins, her face glowing with energy. She looked like she was in her early twenties.

"You don't look like a local. Are you here on vacation?" she asked.

I nodded.

"I'm a volunteer teacher at the local school. These are for you. I made them myself. We're neighbors now, so let me know if you need anything!"

I thanked her. She asked how long I was staying, but I didn't have an answer.

Over the next few weeks, we started hanging out. Her name was Lily Vance. She had been teaching here for two years and was moving on soon.

"By the way, we're having a school party tonight. Want to come?"

"The kids are great. They'd love to meet someone new."

I liked kids. But Melody hated them. Or rather, she hated the idea of having a child with me.

The Thorne family had pressured her about heirs many times.

Every time it came up, she would throw a fit. Once, she didn't come home for a whole year just to spite them.

After that, no one dared mention it again.

I agreed to Lily's invitation.

When I arrived at the school, it looked old and weathered.

I walked into the classroom on the third floor, and a confetti popper went off over my head.

The kids cheered, and Lily's voice rose above the noise. "Let's welcome our new friend!"

The children rushed forward to give me small handmade gifts. Lily stood in the corner, smiling at me.

I didn't know how to handle the warmth. I was so used to being ignored. Lily finally stepped in to save me.

She clapped her hands. "Okay, everyone! Let's get back to our seats for the performances!"

The kids were so well-behaved.

I hadn't seen such pure, innocent smiles in years.

At home with Melody, everything was cold. She only spoke to me about work or logistics.

I tried so many times to go on normal dates with her, but she always said no.

Lily pulled me down to sit next to her.

That night, we talked about everything. Mostly, I just listened.

My old life was so repetitive.

Lily told me my past sounded like I was a living ghost.

But she was different. She told me she wanted to be a famous educator and change the world.

When she said that, I saw a flash of my old mentor in her.

He was so proud of his students.

"Is your family proud of you?" I asked.

She went quiet for a second, then shook her head. "Actually, my parents hated the idea of me teaching in the middle of nowhere. I had to sneak out and apply on my own."

I was stunned by her courage.

"You have to try things that seem impossible," she said. "I couldn't stay trapped in the path they chose for me."

I never thought a girl half my age would be the one to wake me up.

She was so full of life, like nothing could ever break her spirit.

"What about you?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

"I don't want to be trapped anymore either. That's why I'm here."

With Melody, I had no identity. Every move I made was for her reputation.

"So, what's next? What do you want to do after your trip?"

I looked down, unsure of how to answer Lily.

She had dreams. I was just lost.

My only plan used to be working hard enough to be worthy of Melody.

Now that I had left her, I felt like I had no engine.