Chapter 2

I hurried out of the cemetery, the night wind scattering the tears from my eyes.

As I walked down the street, three years of memories flooded back like a tide.

I remembered the first time I met Marcus.

It was a rainy night, and I was an intern waitress at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

Near closing time, a man, soaked to the bone, pushed open the glass door.

He was impeccably dressed in a suit, but he looked utterly disheveled and miserable.

I should have politely turned away a customer at that hour, but something in his eyes softened my resolve.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but could I get a hot coffee?”

His voice was pleasant, carrying a hint of exhaustion.

I led him to a seat by the fireplace and brought him the last slice of tiramisu and a hot Americano.

Not long after, I heard muffled sobs.

“Are you alright?” I offered him a tissue.

He looked up, tears blurring his handsome face. “My father kicked me out of the house.”

Looking at his exquisite features, my heart unexpectedly fluttered.

I thought it was just a typical family spat that would soon blow over.

Only later did I realize how wrong I was.

That night, he talked to me about many things, staying until dawn before he left.

Before walking out, he asked, “Can I come back tomorrow to talk to you again?”

Seeing the hopeful glint in his eyes, I found myself nodding, almost against my will.

And so, he began to frequent the restaurant.

Each time, he was the last customer, always ordering the same coffee and dessert.

He spoke softly, his manners elegant.

Gradually, I fell into the tender trap he’d woven.

Until that day, when he pointed to my intern name tag and said, “Scarlett, do you believe that this restaurant is actually my family’s business?”

I chuckled, teasing him, “Mr. Marcus, your storytelling skills are truly exceptional.”

“Don’t believe me?”

He pulled out his phone, pointing to a business news article. “See who this is?”

I froze.

The heir to the powerful Shen Group, featured in the news, was indeed the man sitting before me.

“Actually, I wasn’t kicked out. I left on my own.”

His eyes darkened. “My father wanted me to enter an arranged marriage, but I didn’t want to sacrifice myself to marry a woman I didn’t even know.”

“Meeting you was the greatest stroke of luck.”

He took my hand. “Scarlett, I have an unusual request…”

Watching his hesitant expression, my heart melted.

“I need a marriage. That way, my father can’t force me into an arranged marriage anymore.”

My heart plummeted. “Are you saying…”

He leaned in close, his warm breath caressing my ear. “I want to marry you, Scarlett.”

In that moment, all my rationality was swept away.

Later, we met his family.

His family surprisingly didn't object, even buying us a beautiful lakeside villa.

But we never officially registered our marriage.

I started to feel a profound unease.

How could an ordinary girl like me be worthy of the Shen family heir?

Finally, one late night, I packed my bags and fled back to my hometown.

But the very next day, he followed me.

“Why did you run? The moment I found you gone, my world fell apart.”

He traveled two thousand miles, desperate to find me.

I tried to explain, but he simply kissed me, silencing my words.

Then he pulled me to City Hall.

The sun shone brightly that day, bathing our marriage certificate in a golden glow.

If only I had known it was all a meticulously planned deception…

If only I had known I was nothing but a pawn in his game…

If only I had known his heart had never truly belonged to me…

Perhaps, I wouldn’t have hurt so much.

I sat in the darkened living room, my fingers tracing the worn cover of my father’s old notebook.

“Dad, you were right. We truly belong to different worlds.”

“Like a moth to a flame, I was bound to get burned.”

I pressed my necklace to my chest, as if seeking my father’s forgiveness.

My signature on the divorce papers was already dry.

All that was missing was Marcus’s final stroke, and this farce could finally end.

Night fell, and the sound of laughter echoed from the villa’s doorway.

Their joyous voices pierced my eardrums, a stark contrast to the deadly silent living room.

Marcus pushed open the door. The moment he saw me, the smile froze on his lips.

His gaze flickered in the darkness, then settled into an expression of disgust.

“What? You can’t even afford to turn on the lights? Are you too poor to pay the electricity bill?”

Then he tossed a beautifully wrapped box at me.

“A new Hermès Birkin, global limited edition.”

“Remember to pair it with the Cartier jewelry set I bought you. Don’t embarrass me out there.”

This was his usual routine.

Every time we had an argument, he’d send me a luxury item, as if offering a peace offering.

But this time, I suddenly had no desire to play along.

I picked up the documents from the coffee table and flung them directly at his face.

“Sign it.”