Chapter 2

2

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. It took a while for them to process what I had said.

At first, they thought I was just venting or having a lovers' spat.

They even wondered if something had traumatized me.

In my previous life, they had tried to talk to me seriously many times, asking me to reconsider marrying Jace.

But back then, I was blinded by what I thought was love. I stubbornly believed I was being brave.

I even fought with them multiple times just to stay with him.

In the end, I paid the ultimate price for my blindness.

Pulling my thoughts back to the present, I spoke with a steady voice.

"Mom, Dad, I really don't love Jace anymore. He isn't someone I can trust with my life."

"I'm actually interested in that marriage alliance with the Sterling family you mentioned before."

Realizing I wasn't joking, both of them breathed a massive sigh of relief.

"It's good that you finally see clearly. Whatever you decide, your mother and I will support you."

"I'll handle the guests. As for the marriage alliance, we won't force you. Your life is yours to live, we just want you to be happy."

Hearing my parents' concern, tears began to flow uncontrollably.

I was so lucky to have this second chance and to have parents who loved me so much.

Jace didn't come back that night. There were no texts and no calls.

His usual tactic was the cold shoulder. He was confident I'd cave and eventually come crawling back to apologize.

In the past, every single fight ended with me saying sorry first.

But I was no longer the Nyla Grayson of the past. I wouldn't crawl for scraps of affection.

Once I was sure of my decision, I gathered everything I had ever cherished that reminded me of Jace and threw it into a fire.

I deleted every trace of him from my phone until it was completely clean.

After doing all that, I felt an incredible weight lift off my shoulders.

I made a cup of coffee, took a long bath, and was relaxing on the sofa watching TV.

Finally, after being missing for twenty-four hours, Jace returned home.

He walked in as if nothing had happened and sat down on the sofa next to me.

Even from a few feet away, I could smell the cloying, sweet perfume on him.

It was Seraphina's scent.

I instinctively pulled away, my brows furrowing. Before I could speak, Jace interrupted me.

"I picked this out specifically for you. It's your favorite style."

He placed a jewelry box containing a necklace in my hand, looking smugly expectant of my praise.

To his surprise, I didn't even glance at it before tossing it aside.

Sensing something was wrong, Jace showed a rare bit of patience to explain.

"I shouldn't have spoken to you that way yesterday. I apologize."

"But you have to understand me. Seraphina's father was my dad's best friend. He entrusted her to me on his deathbed. I can't just abandon her."

"Be a good girl. If you agree to let her stay in the villa, I promise I'll take you to Saint Tropez after the engagement..."

I didn't let him finish the sentence.

"If you want to be responsible for her, go buy her a place yourself."

Seeing that I still wasn't budging, Jace's patience evaporated instantly.

"I already apologized! What more do you want? Stop being so damn difficult!"

"Are you trying to force me to cancel the engagement? Is that what will make you happy?"

In my previous life, Jace had fought with me countless times over Seraphina.

I had always felt something was off, but I could never put my finger on it.

Whenever I asked if he had feelings for her, he would deny it and call me paranoid.

I believed him and married him without looking back.

But after the wedding, he only got worse, ignoring my pain while staying entangled with her.

Even when Seraphina was with other men, he never stopped contacting her.

Those hundred hotel stays were a mockery of my years of self-sacrifice.

Now, he was trying to use the same old manipulation to make me submit.

He was betting that I loved him too much to let him go, which gave him his arrogant confidence.

But this time, his calculations were dead wrong.

A smirk played on my lips as I said without hesitation, "Then let's cancel it. Jace, we're over. We're breaking up."

Jace froze, the color draining from his face as shock flickered in his eyes.

"You... what did you just say?"

He clearly hadn't expected me to be so firm. He frowned, his expression turning to anger.

"Do you even know what you're saying? Our engagement party is in days. Are you playing games with me?"

Watching his outrage, I couldn't help but let out a mocking laugh.

"Jace, you were the one who threatened to call it off just now. Why are you acting like the victim now that I've agreed?"

Jace choked on his words. "Even if I said it, how could you agree? Aren't you afraid I'll actually leave you?"

I stared at him, feeling like I must have been dropped on my head in my past life.

I had loved this man to death. It was truly pathetic.

"If I don't help your little mistress, you want to call off the engagement. Why would I want to marry a selfish, cheating, shameless loser like you?"

Jace had never heard such harsh words from my mouth.

His face turned a bruised shade of purple, and his lip trembled with rage.

"You're crazy! You've completely lost your mind!"

"Nyla Grayson! Don't you dare come crying to me later!"

He glared at me with bloodshot eyes before slamming the door and storming out.

I stood there as the echo of the door died down, feeling nothing but pure satisfaction.