Chapter 3

I returned to the office and pulled out the divorce papers I'd had prepared long ago.

Actually, the first time I suspected him of being intimate with another woman, I had already consulted a lawyer and drafted them.

Back then, Julian had threatened self-harm, swearing it would never happen again.

Looking at the blood on the floor, my barely growing baby bump, and our fledgling business, I rationally chose to forgive him.

"Eleanor, they're here." Sarah, my assistant, knocked on the door.

After a series of negotiations, I sold all the shares I held in the company.

The company was indeed my brainchild, but something tainted and broken wasn't worth holding onto.

Besides my son, I wanted nothing from him.

My phone alarm went off. It was time to pick Leo up from preschool.

But at the preschool gate, I saw Julian.

Ivy was squatting beside my son, holding up a cool superhero-themed marshmallow.

Leo's joyful expression was one I'd never seen before.

"Leo, do you like me or your mommy more?" Ivy's voice was incredibly gentle.

Leo giggled, poking Ivy's dimple.

"What if I become your mommy and have a little brother for you to play with?"

My son nodded emphatically, standing on tiptoes to kiss Ivy's cheek.

Julian picked up Leo with one arm and held Ivy's hand as they crossed the street.

He spotted my car, his gaze shifting to the driver's seat.

He lingered on my face for only a moment before ushering them into his car.

I sat in my car, my mind blank, my face flushed from the AC.

It took a long time to shake off the daze.

Julian had deliberately made sure I saw that.

Ever since Leo started preschool, he had become increasingly resistant to my affection.

I used to think it was my strictness that pushed him away, but now, everything made sense.

It seemed my illusion of control, of a happy family, was nothing but a fragile bubble of my own making.

Too bad Julian had miscalculated. He still thought I would swallow my pride and stay for our son's sake.

No one, absolutely no one, would stop me from leaving now.

Back home, Leo was playing with the remote-control car Ivy had given him.

Julian, as if nothing had happened, wrapped his arms around my waist from behind.

"Didn't you want another daughter?"

"I'll give you one tonight."

His hollow attempt at reconciliation, born of guilt, only disgusted me more.

I struggled free of his grasp.

"You should save that for Ivy."

Julian, assuming I was still angry, only pressed closer, his hands starting to roam, trying to elicit a reaction from me.

Our usual pattern was that after an argument, a session in bed meant we'd made up.

This time, there would be no making up.

Julian gripped the back of my neck and shoved me forward.

Perhaps because we were so close, the lingering scent of my work-the coffee beans and flour from our early bakery days-made him instinctively turn his head away.

The more I struggled, the tighter his grip.

With a thud, my head hit the wall.

I instantly felt dizzy. He instinctively cupped the back of my head.

My phone rang.

A few seconds later, Julian released me, his face hardening, letting out a cold scoff.

"Fine, I respect your wishes. Saves me the trouble of needing medication to even be interested in you."

I didn't need to guess who was calling.

Julian changed his clothes, sprayed on cologne, and stormed out, tossing a final comment over his shoulder.

"That's enough drama. Make sure everything's ready for the annual gala next week."

Every year, he loved to make a big show of handing out employees' annual bonuses in cash.

More than once, he either gave too little or too much, causing numerous employee disputes.

Once, while handling company funds, I even got robbed and ended up in the hospital.

Now, with the company accounts drained by his lavish spending on Ivy, how could he save face?