Chapter 3

3.

Early the next morning, I was packing my luggage.

Sienna knocked on the door.

She stood there looking pitiful, holding that basket of organic fruit.

"Nora, I heard you want to divorce Julian. Can you... can you not be so impulsive?"

I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, looking her up and down.

Sienna is Julian's executive assistant.

She came from a small town in Pennsylvania to make it in New York.

She works very hard.

But that effort isn't just applied to her job; it's applied to getting Julian's attention.

I’ve seen her use a million excuses to make Julian leave me for her.

Overtime until midnight needing a ride home.

Important clients only trusting her.

Company crises only she can handle.

Afterward, Julian would say I was overreacting and misunderstanding their "pure" relationship.

But what CEO is inseparable from his assistant, staying together late into the night?

I smiled, tears forming in the corners of my eyes.

"If I divorce him, you can take my spot legitimately. Isn't that what you want?"

Sienna's face went pale.

She explained with tears in her eyes, "Nora, I'm sorry. Julian said you lost the baby, I thought a pet would comfort you. I swear, there is nothing between Julian and me..."

"You knew I lost the baby before Julian did. Your methods are impressive."

"No," Sienna shook her head, tears falling.

She wanted to explain more, but she glanced at a corner of the hallway and suddenly shut her mouth.

She just stood there weeping silently.

"Nora, if you're angry, take it out on me. Leave Sienna out of it."

Julian appeared behind me.

He radiated a cold chill.

He immediately pulled Sienna into a protective embrace.

That "hero saving the damsel" scene.

That pitiful look.

I used to have that.

Once, Julian protected me like that.

Now, without a word, he took Sienna and left right in front of my face.

He didn't look back once.