Chapte, 2
I lingered outside for five endless hours until the final light in the building flickered out. Only then did Liam emerge into the night. Upon spotting me, his hand immediately enveloped mine in a gesture filled with concern. “Why didn’t you come inside? How long have you been here waiting?”
“Not too long. I just arrived, I replied, attempting to sound casual. “I know how hectic things have been for you, so I brought you some meals I prepared. Your secretary mentioned you were tied up in a meeting, so I waited outside.”
“Don’t do this again,” he gently admonished, drawing me into his embrace and planting a soft kiss on my forehead. His gentle demeanor remained unchanged, yet I no
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longer felt is warmth. Could someone truly go to such lengths for another?
He settled me into the passenger seat and began driving, casually broaching a topic. “Oh, by the way, Seraphina’s about to be released. You two were once quite close, and she’s paid her dues. Besides, we’ve got several projects with the Wellingtons. So perhaps-”
“It’s alright. That’s all in the past now. I’m not planning on reaching out to her. Don’t worry about it.”
He exhaled in relief, a subtle smile gracing his lips. “Thank you for being so understanding, honey. Having you is such a blessing.”
I turned away to gaze at the passing scenery, tears silently trailing down my cheeks.
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Back at home, while he showered, I unlocked his laptop. His password was a string of digits–Seraphina’s birthday. The wallpaper on the desktop was an image of the
Maldives, where she had resided for the past three years.
I logged into his social media account. To my discovery, his profile background was a photo of him with Seraphina. She was the only person he followed.
When I clicked on her profile, my eyes met countless images of Seraphina and her overseas life. The jewelry she adorned came from a brand owned by the Thorne Corporation. Draped over her shoulders was a shawl from their newest collection.
Even the villa location she tagged was a property from the Thorne Corporation’s
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internationa! hotel line, constructed three years ago their sole venture abroad.
My hands shook with disbelief as I opened his bank transfer records. The recipient was always Seraphina. One million dollars every single month–for three consecutive years.
As I sifted through each record, my heart grew colder with every entry. I recalled Liam’s social media bio: simply, “Waiting.”
Once, I questioned him about its meaning. He dismissed it as a random thought penned in haste, but now I grasped the truth.
Three years into our marriage, and the only photograph of us was the wedding portrait hanging on the wall. Regardless of my tears or pleas, Liam would insist that seeing each other daily meant keepsakes were unnecessary.
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Now it dawned on me that it wasn’t that they were unnecessary; it was that I wasn’t essential to him.
A bitter chuckle escaped my lips as I ceased my search. Instead, I booked a one–way flight, planning to exit the country in three days, and filed for the cancellation of all my identification documents.
Three days–that was all it took to bid farewell to three years. I set the countdown as my phone’s wallpaper, a constant
reminder to myself.
When he emerged from the bathroom, I was already lying in bed, feigning slumber. I didn’t close my eyes for a single moment throughout the night.
At dawn, I stepped outside to wash up as
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my phone rang. Liam’s voice, tinged with curiosity, came through. “Mireille, why are you canceling your documents?”
Quickly, I took hold of my phone and replied with a calm facade, “Oh, it’s nothing. My ID expired, so I set an appointment to renew it. Don’t you have a project meeting today? You should go attend to that.”
His suspicions were easily pacified. He wrapped me in a tender embrace, whispering words of endearment. “Thank you, honey. Marrying someone as kind and understanding as you is truly my greatest blessing.”
I forced a faint smile, remaining silent.
“As a reward, how about I give you a big gift today?”
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