Chapter 2

I fell straight to the floor.

Ethan continued holding his little lover without the slightest concern and said,

“Avery, are you done with this act yet?”

I called his name carefully, just as I had during our honeymoon.

“Ethan…”

I wanted to tell him that it wasn’t like that.

I wasn’t playing games.

I was just…

I was just in so much pain.

So much pain that I couldn’t even hold on to the last shred of my dignity.

I reached out to him, my eyes full of hope.

He didn’t move.

Tessa spoke from the side.

“Ethan, aren’t you going to help her? She looks like she’s really hurt.”

She pretended to plead for me, but she was really showing off the fact that Ethan only cared about her.

Sure enough, Ethan spoke.

“Touching her would dirty my hands.”

He wrapped an arm around Tessa’s waist.

Before leaving, he tossed one final sentence at me.

“Remember to sign the divorce papers.”

What?

Divorce papers?

The words struck me like lightning from a clear sky.

He wanted a divorce?

It took several seconds for the meaning to sink in.

I forgot all about the pain in my body and somehow found the strength to stagger after them.

But by the time I reached the driveway, their car was already pulling away.

I ran after it, crying as I shouted Ethan’s name.

“Ethan, I was wrong! Please don’t leave me!”

“I’m sorry! It was all my fault! I know I was wrong! I’ll never interfere in your affairs again. Please, don’t abandon me!”

Tears blurred my vision. My throat felt as if it had been scraped raw by a knife.

Their car disappeared into the distance. There was no way I could catch it.

They didn’t stop.

I clearly saw Tessa glance back at me.

Ethan knew.

He had simply made up his mind to divorce me.

But what was I supposed to do?

He didn’t want me anymore.

What was I supposed to do?

My foot caught on something, and I fell heavily onto the ground.

My head spun. Tears dripped onto the pavement.

I murmured,

“Ethan, I really, really love you…”

A car stopped beside me.

Had he come back?

Maybe he had only wanted to teach me a lesson. Maybe he had driven away to frighten me and make me remember my place.

I struggled to sit up, my heart suddenly full of hope.

But the man who stepped out was someone I had never seen before.

My head drooped in disappointment.

It wasn’t him.

“Miss, you’re hurt. Let me take you to the hospital.”

The man was handsome and refined, with a gentle, polished air.

He was showing concern for a complete stranger.

Carefully avoiding my injuries, he helped me to my feet.

“Thank you.”

I thanked him sincerely.

Then I gently removed his hand.

Ethan hated it when I had too much contact with other men.

The stranger didn’t say anything. He simply stepped back with gentlemanly courtesy.

“Those wounds need to be treated.”

He pointed at the injuries covering my body. There were several, both large and small.

Some had been scraped badly enough to tear away flesh. A few were deep.

But I couldn’t think about my injuries right now.

Finding Ethan and begging for his forgiveness was more important than anything else.