Chapter 2

Vivian’s POV

After submitting the visa paperwork, the approval would still take two weeks.

I set a clear goal for myself: the moment that visa was in my hands, I would book a flight and leave immediately.

First, I cleared out the master walk-in closet.

Over the years, the clothes, shoes, and bags Henry bought me took up three entire walls.

Back then, I thought this was proof of how much he cared. He was never one to say "I love you," but he never hesitated to spend money on me.

Now, those things were only good for turning into cash.

I called a luxury consignment service. A representative showed up with three movers to box everything up. It took three van loads just to empty it all out.

All that remained were a few worn-out shirts Henry gave me back when we first started dating, items the resale shop wouldn't take.

I pulled a pair of scissors from a drawer, sat on the floor, and shredded every single piece into ribbons.

The vows he whispered when he pressed those car keys into my hands were cut down into useless scraps in a trash can.

Over the next few days, Henry only sent two text messages, both claiming he was working late at the office and telling me not to wait up.

It wasn't until the night of the fourth day that he finally came home. As he swapped into his slippers by the door, he casually asked, "Why are all the shelves empty in the closet?"

"Changing out the season," I replied evenly. "I packed everything into storage."

Henry gave an offhand grunt, asking nothing more, and tossed his wallet onto the entryway table.

It was a brand-new black leather wallet with a gleaming metal logo.

The old wallet I bought him with my very first paycheck had long since been thrown away.

How long ago he tossed it, I didn't know, and Henry never once mentioned it.

Henry came out of the master bathroom after his shower and sat down next to me on the bed. "Next Wednesday is your birthday. I rented out a grand ballroom at the hotel and invited everyone from our circle. I'm going to throw you a proper birthday party."

He looked at me with complete focus when he said it.

In all the years we had been married, he had never thrown me a celebration like that.

My heart sank, heavy and dull.

I had already made up my mind to leave, yet hearing this still tasted like bitter irony.

"Okay," I nodded.

The night of the party, the hotel ballroom was laid out with a plush red carpet.

I walked in with my arm looped through Henry's. Glancing over at the head table, my steps froze.

Chloe was sitting right in the most prominent seat.

She wore an off-white gown, her hair swept up elegantly, chatting and laughing with the guests around her.

A few familiar business acquaintances walked over with their drinks to greet her, casually calling her "Mrs. Miller."

Chloe neither denied it nor agreed; she merely covered her mouth, giggling with obvious delight.

Henry's brow furrowed, and he started to pull away to walk over, but I clamped my hand down on his wrist.

"You brought her here?"

"She's just a student. I wanted her to get some exposure. I specifically had her seated in the corner—she won't cause any trouble."

Henry pried my fingers off his arm and hurried toward her.

I stared at that seat right in the middle of the head table, sneering inwardly.

That was the most eye-catching spot in the entire ballroom.

Henry stood by Chloe's side, his hand resting protectively against the small of her back as he helped her make small talk with the older executives.

A familiar business partner approached, glass in hand. "Henry, you and your wife look wonderful tonight."

Henry kept his arm around Chloe's shoulders without letting go, turning to wave at me where I stood a short distance away. "Mr. Lewis has got it wrong—this over here is my wife. The lady sitting here is my wife's relative. She just moved to New York for grad school, so I brought her along to see how things are done."

Every pair of eyes in the hall snapped directly toward me.

With a single sentence, Chloe became my family.

From now on, whenever high society ran into this woman, they would politely call her "Mrs. Miller's relative."

He was using my birthday party as a stepping stone to introduce Chloe into his world.

I stood rooted to the spot. Raising my glass, I offered Mr. Lewis a polite nod, going along with the lie.

If I made a scene, it would only turn the Miller family into a laughingstock for the entire room.

I wasn't about to lose my mind in public over the two of them.

The guests immediately swarmed over with practiced smiles.

Henry guided Chloe around, table by table, introducing her to everyone.

Chloe clung tightly to Henry's arm, smiling at every face, and murmurs about how well-suited the pair looked rippled through the room.

A few socialite acquaintances approached me, champagne flutes in hand, keeping their voices low as they whispered.

"I ran into Henry at the dealership the other day. He bought two luxury cars straight off the floor. Said the red one was for family—turns out it was just a daily driver for your relative."

"Last week my husband and I were dining at that Michelin-starred spot, and we saw Henry escorting a young lady into a private room. So that was your relative, too."

"And that luxury baby boutique downtown—last month when I was ordering a custom crib, I ran into Henry helping this very lady pick out nursery items."

The dealership, the fine-dining restaurants, the baby boutiques.

I had never been taken to a single one.

Every piece of the lavish new life Henry was carefully building outside our home was now poured into my ears through the gossiping mouths of these women.

My fingers dug into the stem of my glass until my knuckles turned stark white.

Someone stepped up to wish me a happy birthday.

Without letting my expression waver, I clinked my glass against theirs, tipped my head back, and swallowed the rest of the chilled wine in one gulp.