Chapter 1

Five years into our marriage, the rising starlet Vera Chase posted on Instagram:

【In the end, it was always you!】

The photo showed her celebrating on a yacht, clinking glasses with my husband, Trenton Rhodes. The post blew up online overnight.

I liked the post and left a congratulatory comment. Within minutes, texts and calls flooded in from friends and family, either offering comfort or digging for gossip.

Right then, Trenton called.

His voice was ice-cold as he warned me not to run my mouth, claiming it was just a PR stunt arranged by his agency and telling me not to overthink it.

I listened quietly.

I didn't scream or interrogate him like I used to, making a scene that embarrassed everyone.

This time, I was completely done with him.

……

1

Trenton didn't come home until the following afternoon.

I was lying on the couch with my eyes closed, my head heavy and throbbing.

Yesterday had been our fifth wedding anniversary.

He had promised to come home for dinner, so I spent hours preparing a lavish table of food, waiting for him with genuine excitement.

I reheated the dishes over and over, but he never showed up.

If Vera hadn't flaunted that post online, I probably would have sat there waiting like a fool all night.

Trenton collapsed onto the armchair with an exhausted sigh and said dismissively, "Something came up at the agency last night. I didn't have time to text you."

"It was just to boost Vera's engagement numbers. Stop making a big deal out of it."

In the past, hearing his excuse would have softened my heart and made me nod in understanding.

Now, I was simply drained. I had zero desire to fight.

Seeing no reaction from me, Trenton frowned and pulled out a sleek designer box.

"Didn't you say you loved that Cartier necklace?"

"I had someone pull strings to get it for you. Try it on."

After every cold war, Trenton would buy me an expensive gift.

I used to cave every single time, convincing myself that he still cared deep down.

This time, I didn't even twitch.

Fury flared in his eyes.

He grabbed my right wrist, hauling me upright with raw irritation. "Lana, my patience is wearing thin. Are you done throwing a tantrum?"

I struggled to lift my head and look at him.

When I tried to speak, my throat felt like sandpaper, and my entire body was completely sapped of strength.

Trenton caught the lifeless look in my eyes and finally realized I was burning up with a fever.

His anger subsided into annoyance.

He marched into the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and brought it back out.

"Lana, if you can't even take care of yourself, what can you actually do?"

Right then, his phone on the coffee table began to buzz.

The caller ID lit up: Vera.

In all our years of marriage, he had always called me coldly by my full name, never once using a term of endearment.

Trenton walked over.

Seeing my gaze locked on the screen, he slammed the water glass down hard on the table and snatched his phone.

The sudden movement knocked the gift box off the edge, sending the necklace spilling across the rug.

He threw me a guarded look and stepped into the hallway to answer.

"Trenton, I'm so scared... Someone keeps banging on my front door," Vera's tearful, fragile voice wafted through the speaker.

"Can you please come over?"

Trenton's expression shifted instantly.

He softened his voice to soothe her, promising he would be there in minutes and ordering her not to open the door until he arrived.

Watching his frantic concern, I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

My own husband was rushing off to comfort another woman while I lay sick on the couch. What a pathetic failure of a wife I was.

Trenton hung up and turned back to look at my weak state.

A flicker of guilt crossed his face before hardening into a cold mask.

"Something happened at Vera's place. I have to go. Stop being difficult, and remember to take some medicine."

He clearly expected me to beg him to stay.

Instead, I looked at him calmly. "Sure. Go ahead."

Trenton froze.

Hearing Vera's name used to drive me crazy, yet now I acted like a complete stranger. It threw him off completely.

He hesitated for several seconds, staring intently at me. "I'm leaving then?"

"Okay."

I closed my eyes.

My head was pounding, and I had no energy to entertain his lingering guilt.

Seeing that I genuinely didn't care, Trenton scowled in frustration.

He opened his mouth to say something, but his phone buzzed again. He hastily grabbed his coat and rushed out into the corridor.

The front door clicked shut.

I opened my eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling, feeling an empty ache in my chest.

I forced myself up, swallowed some fever medicine, and collapsed into bed.

A few hours later, my fever finally broke, but Trenton still wasn't back.

I didn't have much of an appetite, so I boiled a simple bowl of noodles.

After a quick shower, I lay in bed scrolling through my phone.

The front door opened, followed by a loud stumble in the hallway.

A moment later, Trenton walked into the bedroom, limping slightly.

His face was full of displeasure as he snapped, "Why didn't you leave a light on tonight?"

I used to be so stupid.

Every night, I would wait up for him. If I couldn't stay awake, I would leave the hallway lights on so he wouldn't trip in the dark.

More often than not, I would fall asleep on the couch until morning.

Now, none of that mattered anymore.

"Didn't I tell you I was coming back tonight?" he demanded.

I gave him a bored glance.

"I didn't check my phone. Besides, I'm in the bedroom―why would I waste electricity on the living room?"

Trenton bristled at my indifference.

He walked over, towering above me with a sneer. "Lana, playing hard to get doesn't work on me."

"What, were you just faking it all those times you waited on the couch until midnight?"

So he knew all along.

He had simply watched me demean myself like a clown, trying to win his affection.

I pressed my lips together, clinging to the last shred of my dignity.

"You're right. I don't feel like faking it anymore. Be with whoever you want―it has nothing to do with me."

"If it makes things easier, I can step aside and give your lover the title."

As a public figure, Vera's every move was tracked by the paparazzi, especially her rumors with the Rhodes family heir.

Just minutes ago, my feed pushed an article about Trenton and Vera attending a gala together. The comment section was raving about what a gorgeous power couple they made.

And what about me, his legal wife?

Aside from our parents and a handful of his close buddies, who even knew I existed?

Trenton exploded with rage.

He swept everything off the nightstand, sending glass shattering across the floor.

"Lana! I told you Vera and I are just friends! Stop projecting your own dirty thoughts onto other people!"

"Besides, do you really think you have the guts to give up being Mrs. Rhodes?"

I answered evenly, "Think whatever you want."

A flicker of panic flashed in Trenton's eyes, quickly masked by an arrogant sneer.

"Behave yourself, and you'll always be Mrs. Rhodes."

"I'll let it slide this time. Pull this stunt again, and you'll stay locked in this house until you learn your lesson."

He stormed off to the guest room, though his stiff back looked more like a retreat.