Chapter 2

2.

I got home and opened the door.

The wedding portrait in the foyer was the first thing I saw.

Looking at the two people smiling at each other in the photo, I felt a sharp pang of disgust.

I remembered how much I loved her back then.

I wanted to see her every second, so I had remodeled the whole house.

I threw out the old furniture and filled the walls with giant prints of our wedding photos.

When Willow saw it, she called me childish.

She ordered me to put everything back the way it was.

Back then, I relied on her love to be stubborn, until she finally gave in.

Thinking back, I was so pathetic.

I kicked off my matching slippers and walked barefoot on the cold floor.

I tore every single wedding photo off the walls and dragged them down to the trash.

By the time I was done, I was drenched in sweat.

The house was empty, and so was my heart.

I fell in love with her at first sight back in college.

I chased her for a month before she agreed to be my girlfriend.

We were inseparable and sweet.

I swore I would treat her right forever.

But after graduation, Willow changed.

She became obsessed with status.

She started categorizing her old friends by their net worth.

She developed a taste for luxury brands and expensive restaurants.

To satisfy her, I worked day and night to build our business.

During the startup phase, Willow wasn't idle, but I was the one drinking until my stomach bled to close deals.

I was the one who drove through mountain storms and ended up with a broken leg in an accident just to meet a client.

Willow, on the other hand, just had to look pretty and enjoy the results of my labor.

Once the company stabilized, I moved to the background.

The world knew Willow as the CEO, but no one knew I was the one who built the empire.

I was happy to be the man behind her.

Until Xander, the rising star of the entertainment industry, appeared on her screen.

Willow used to look down on celebrities.

But one day, she came home dead drunk, and Xander was the one who brought her back.

I found out later that she had spent millions and exhausted her connections just to get him a supporting role.

I still remembered the smug look Xander gave me that night.

And the suspicious red marks on Willow's neck.

Even as I tried to take her from him, she clung to his arm and wouldn't let go.

I stayed up all night taking care of her.

But in her sleep, she kept whispering Xander's name.

I eventually found out that Xander was her high school sweetheart.

They had known each other since they were kids.

Xander was the heartthrob of the school back then.

Now that Willow had money and power, she felt she finally deserved him.

She stopped hiding her desires.

I had known for a long time that she loved him.

I was just lying to myself.

I arrogantly thought our years together would make her stay.

But it was all a delusion.

Now, I'm finally awake.

Thankfully, it's not too late.