Chapter 2

Chloe POV

The more Amber acted distant and proud, the hotter the passion burned in Ethan's eyes.

He turned his gaze toward me, where I sat quietly in the corner of the studio.

"Chloe has a gentle heart. She won't mind," Ethan said smoothly.

"Take Amber to the fitting room and try the dress on. See what needs to be adjusted."

I twitched the corner of my mouth, said nothing, and stood up. "Miss Rose, follow me."

The moment the fitting room curtain pulled back, even Ethan, who was used to seeing beautiful women, had a flash of awe in his eyes.

The dress hugged Amber's slender figure perfectly, complementing her cold, aloof vibe. It made her look like an ethereal fairy.

Ethan's Adam's apple bobbed. He walked over to her, his eyes filled with intense possessiveness. "You look beautiful."

Amber rotated her wrists, but her brows knitted together slightly.

"It is a beautiful dress. But the waist is too tight, and the train is a bit too long. It's uncomfortable to walk in. I have to take huge steps, which completely ruins my posture."

Hearing her complaints, Ethan didn't think she was being difficult. Instead, he comforted her gently and turned to order me:

"Chloe, fix it for her. Adjust it until she's comfortable."

The room went dead silent.

This dress was my masterpiece for the international competition. Every single seam, every proportion was the result of countless calculations.

If I altered it to fit Amber's body, the original structure of the design would be completely ruined.

More than that, Ethan was asking me, his legal wife, to act as a personal tailor for his mistress.

It was humiliating.

I didn't move. I just stared at Ethan.

Ethan's brow furrowed, a hint of annoyance creeping into his voice. "Adjust it for her."

He was absolutely sure that I wouldn't dare defy him right now.

My fingers curled tight inside my sleeves.

Finally, I let out a self-deprecating laugh, grabbed the pins from my sewing kit, and slowly knelt on the floor.

The moment my knees touched the cold marble, an icy pain shot straight into my bones.

This was the permanent damage left from kneeling in that freezing cellar for three days just to marry him.

Once, during the winter, Ethan would cup my knees with his warm hands, his eyes red as he begged me to forgive him for letting me suffer.

But now, he stood there, completely indifferent, watching me kneel at another woman's feet.

Seeing me kneel so submissively, Amber looked slightly uncomfortable and took a half-step back. "Mrs. Smith, you don't have to do this yourself..."

"Hold still, Miss Rose," my voice was calm, completely devoid of emotion. "I am a designer. Altering clothes is part of my job."

I kept my head down, focusing all my attention on pinning the hem of Amber's skirt.

I did a sloppy job. In fact, I was practically ruining my own artwork.

But this dress didn't belong to me anymore. I didn't want it.

Ethan stood by, looking at Amber with warm eyes, occasionally glancing down at me.

His voice softened. "Chloe, if Amber wins an award in this dress, it will be great publicity for your studio too. Don't overthink this."

I didn't reply. My hands trembled as a sharp pang of pain shot through my knee joints, distracting me.

The sharp pin in my hand slipped and stabbed deep into my thumb.

A bead of bright red blood welled up instantly.

Without even flinching, I casually wiped the blood onto the inside lining of the dress, hiding the stain in the deepest, darkest fold of the fabric.

"Done."

I stood up. But because I stood up too fast, my vision went black, and I swayed on my feet.

Ethan saw me stumble and instinctively reached out to catch me.

But then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Amber watching. Remembering how much Amber hated my status as his wife, he pulled his hand back.

I caught his retreating motion, laughing silently at myself.

To show his loyalty to his mistress, there was truly nothing he wouldn't do.

"The fabric of this dress is very delicate. Make sure to steam it before wearing it," I advised flatly, purely out of professional habit.

Amber looked at me with her usual haughty expression.

But in front of Ethan, she managed a nod. "Thanks."

Ethan let out a sigh of relief, thinking I was finally being "obedient."

He wrapped his arm around Amber's waist and led her out of the studio.

The moment the door closed, my phone buzzed.

It was a text from Grandpa Arthur's lawyer:

"Miss Chloe, your divorce petition has been fast-tracked and approved by the court."

"Your plane ticket and enrollment paperwork for Paris are all set."

I stared at the screen, slowly closing my eyes. I wiped the remaining smear of blood from my finger onto the cold marble table.

A soft smile played on my lips as I looked in the direction Ethan had gone. I felt completely at peace.

I was actually a little curious.

Next week, when Ethan realized he was single again...

How would he react?

Probably not at all. Our love had died a long time ago anyway.