Chapter 2

2

Three months ago, I accidentally caught her interacting with Justin on social media.

She posted a photo of the two of them with the caption: "The one that got away."

Then, in the comments section, she wrote: "Our love was always just one step short. My parents' disapproval forced us apart."

"My current marriage is so dull and flavorless that I have zero desire to keep going. Thankfully, he came back into my life, like my personal salvation."

In truth, Corinne and I used to have a great relationship.

It was never as worthless or boring as she claimed.

Everything began to unravel the moment Justin returned to town.

She started avoiding coming home, constantly claiming she had to work late.

She would stumble in well past midnight, and I stayed up late just to squeeze in a few words with her.

Even so, our conversations grew fewer and farther between, and her topics always revolved around Justin, her so-called savior.

Gradually, I realized Corinne's heart was no longer with me.

Her gaze, her smile, and even the tone of her voice no longer belonged to me.

During those days, I kept lying to myself, telling myself I was overthinking or that she was just temporarily confused.

But reality kept slapping me in the face, and that post shattered all my illusions.

One day while she was in the shower, her phone screen lit up, showing her chat with Justin.

The flirty banter between them was sickeningly obvious.

When I confronted her, she merely brushed it off with a faint smile. "It's just harmless banter between close friends."

Honestly, I had been pathetic back then.

I couldn't bear to let her go, as every little expression of hers tugged at my heartstrings.

Maybe it was my wounded pride and possessiveness, hoping she would eventually return to my side.

I even started blaming myself, wondering where I had fallen short.

I doubled down on treating her well, buying her designer bags and luxury cars, giving her everything she wanted.

Yet after accepting my gifts as if she deserved them, she merely tossed me a few sweet words like comforting a pet dog, before reverting right back to her cold self.

Corinne and Justin had known each other since high school.

She had always been obsessed with him, but her parents disapproved.

Justin came from a sketchy background, and his family's money wasn't clean.

His father was sentenced to over twenty years for predatory loans, and his mother remarried shortly after.

Corinne's family ran a decent small business, so they naturally refused to accept a petty delinquent like him.

They tried to break them apart, though their love only truly ended when Justin dumped her.

After that, Justin left for another state and vanished without a trace.

Back then, my family's business was booming, and many local entrepreneurs tried to network with us.

Corinne's parents were among them.

I fell for Corinne at first sight, though I kept it to myself until she took the initiative to add my number.

Her parents were thrilled and fully supported our relationship.

We naturally tied the knot, and our life had been peaceful and harmonious.

The only regret was that we never had children, as she always claimed she wasn't ready yet.

I respected all her choices, believing that even without kids, I would love and cherish her just the same.

All of that crumbled the moment Justin stepped back into our lives.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I slapped the divorce papers on the table.

She froze for a second, staring at me in shock before her eyes turned smug with realization.

"Declan, don't you get tired of playing these childish mind games? It's so cliché!"

"You're just jealous of Justin! Stop being so petty. Alright, cut it out already!"

She hurled the divorce agreement along with her purse violently to the floor and stormed into the bedroom.

As she brushed past me, the strong scent of men's cologne was nauseatingly pungent.