Chapter 2

2.

It was only then that Julian remembered. Sophia was throwing a tantrum, she had run away from home.

He carelessly tossed his jacket aside, switched on the light, and headed straight for the bathroom.

It was better without her anyway. He was just returning to the freedom he had seven years ago.

…

Julian had never considered what his world would be like without Sophia.

A week passed.

He either had his assistants deliver his meals or hired a cleaning service.

He was a neat freak and didn't like strangers living in his house.

But the manor was still a mess. It seemed no one could meet Sophia's standards of cleanliness.

Morning.

The food delivery was late. Julian, dressed in a black silk robe, went to the kitchen to get some milk from the fridge.

There, he saw the various sticky notes Sophia had left on the door.

5:40 AM: Wake up, prepare breakfast. Julian likes his milk warm.

10:50 AM: Ask Julian if he's coming home for lunch. Remember, he can't eat spicy food.

6:00 PM: Julian is home. Don't forget to prepare his bath.

8:00 PM: Julian has plans. Not coming home tonight. Don't forget.

…

Countless notes were layered on top of each other. Julian read them one by one, a strange tightness building in his chest.

"Idiot. Who needs to write this stuff down?"

He ripped all the notes off and threw them in the trash.

After clearing the outside of the fridge, he opened the door. Inside were various ingredients Sophia had prepared, but some were already starting to rot.

He frowned, took out a carton of milk, and was about to pour it into a glass.

But then, he saw another note.

It read: "Julian only drinks warm milk. Remember this, or he'll get angry."

Julian's sharp eyes froze. He threw the cold milk directly into the trash.

Back in the living room, Julian sat down. His phone rang.

He instinctively thought it was Sophia and answered immediately, but it was his assistant's apologetic voice on the other end.

"I'm so sorry, boss. I overslept and forgot to order your breakfast. My apologies…"

Julian's eyes darkened, but he only said, "I see."

After hanging up, he closed his eyes. A dull ache started in his stomach. He vaguely remembered a time when Sophia had handed him cold milk.

He had swiped it away, spilling it all over her.

"Can't you even warm up a glass of milk? Did I marry you just for decoration?"

A throbbing pain started in his temples.

Finally, he couldn't resist. He picked up the phone, wanting to call Sophia and ask where she had gone.

But when he opened his contacts, he realized he had never saved her number.

The only place she could have gone, he thought, was to her family.

He called her father's number. Strangely, the line was disconnected.

Frustrated, he tried her mother's number. Also disconnected.

"Sophia, you've got guts, hiding from me like this? You better hide for the rest of your life!"

Clutching his stomach, Julian changed his clothes and called his usual crowd of friends, heading straight for the most exclusive club in the city.

Inside the club.

His friend, Vincent, the club owner, was shocked.

"Drinking this early in the morning? What a rare sight. Did Sophia finally let you off the leash?"

Sophia was a good wife. She listened to Julian in everything.

Except she wouldn't let him drink excessively. Once, Julian was out late for a business dinner.

Sophia had shown up and drunk a whole bottle of brandy on his behalf, ending up in the hospital.

Vincent had been there and thought at the time that this woman was something else.

Julian nonchalantly downed a large glass of liquor.

"She went back to her parents."

At his words, the private room fell silent.

Vincent's eyes widened.

"What parents? Didn't Sophia's parents pass away three years ago?"

Sophia’s parents passed away three years ago…

Julian's deep-set eyes froze. He couldn't process the words.

Vincent looked at him, astonished. "Don't tell me you, their son-in-law, didn't know?"

Julian didn't answer. He grabbed his coat and rushed out of the club.

Outside, the January wind was bitingly cold.

Julian called his personal assistant. "Did you know about Sophia's parents?"

The assistant on the other end hesitated. "Well, I knew…"

"Explain!"

The assistant had no choice but to tell him everything.

"Boss, three years ago, Mrs. Costello's parents were in a fatal car accident. But you were in Dubai handling a major deal. I was going to tell you, but you said…"

The assistant didn't dare finish the sentence.

Julian remembered. He had said that whatever Sophia was dealing with couldn't be important and told his assistant to ignore it.

Not important…

Julian finally understood why Sophia had been so melancholic when he returned that year.

"Do you have her number?" he asked, his voice heavy.

Although the assistant was confused why his boss didn't have his own wife's number, he quickly sent it over.

It was a three-year-old number. Sophia hadn't called the assistant since then.

But even with the number, Julian didn't call right away.

He decided to wait for her to contact him. After all, her parents had been gone for three years. Her wanting a divorce now wasn't because of that.

Back at the office.

After finishing his work, Julian glanced at his phone. No calls.

His expression darkened.

Six-thirty PM.

The driver pulled the black Lincoln up to Costello Manor on time.

As Julian got out of the car, before he even reached the gate, he saw an elegant figure standing in front of the manor.

Sophia!

Without thinking, he strode forward and grabbed the woman's wrist.

"Sophia! Are you ready to admit you were wrong?"

But when the woman turned, it was a different, delicate face.

"Julian, I'm back. I've missed you so much." Ava’s eyes were filled with tears as her slender arms wrapped around Julian's tall frame. "I heard Sophia finally agreed to let you go, so I took the earliest flight back."

Julian froze, his gaze turning cold. He pulled Ava away from him.

Ava was his first love. They had broken up due to the vast difference in their family backgrounds.

After Julian married Sophia, she went abroad to study.

"So, what is this?" Julian asked, his eyes calm.

Ava knew he was a neat freak and disliked physical contact, so she slowly lowered her hands.

"Julian, all these years abroad, I thought of you every single second." Her eyes were full of hope. "Let's start over."

But Julian remained cold. "Ava, I'm not divorced yet."

"I can wait!" Ava looked at Julian, her eyes brimming with tears. "I know you never liked Sophia. Everyone said she was nothing more than a maid to you. Now you can finally be free, and we can…"

"Enough!"

Julian cut her off and had his bodyguards "escort" her from Costello Manor.

He returned to the empty manor alone.

Not seeing the familiar figure, he sank onto the sofa, exhausted, Ava's words echoing in his mind.

Everyone said she was nothing more than a maid to you!

Julian leaned back and slowly closed his eyes.

Just then, his phone rang.

He opened his eyes, picked up the phone, and saw the caller ID: "Sophia."