Chapter 2

Claire's POV

After dinner, I came across a post on Sophia's social media account.

She had uploaded a photo taken inside a bridal boutique.

In it, she wore a simple satin wedding gown. Beside her, a man's arm was partially visible.

The watch on his wrist was unmistakable. So were the silver cuff links he always wore.

They belonged to Ethan.

Her caption read:

"The one I lost has finally come back to me. This time, I'm not letting go."

I stared at those words for a long time.

Then I went into Ethan's study and opened the notebook he had left on his desk.

The exact same words were written inside.

I clicked on the account again. It was supposedly run by a friend of Sophia's, someone sharing in her happiness. Yet the posts were filled with intimate moments between the two of them, and every caption sounded exactly like Ethan.

He hadn't just betrayed me.

He had carefully prepared a whole story to cover his tracks.

I picked up my phone and contacted Daniel Foster, a college friend who had invited me to join his new company a few months earlier.

He was building a startup in Zermatt, Switzerland, and had offered me a co-founder position with a thirty-percent equity stake, without requiring me to invest any money of my own.

Back then, I had turned him down because I couldn't bear to walk away from my family or the company I had helped build from the ground up.

Now, at last, I had no reason to hesitate.

Daniel, is the co-founder position still available? I'll take it.

As soon as I sent the message, I followed up with another.

Also, please help me find a lawyer. I need to prepare divorce papers.

It was almost midnight when Ethan finally came home.

He smelled of alcohol. His shirt collar was slightly undone, and his burgundy tie had been carelessly stuffed into his coat pocket.

"Why are you still awake?" He walked over and instinctively leaned down to kiss my forehead. "Waiting for me?"

I caught the unfamiliar scent of perfume on him, but I felt nothing.

"How did the suit fitting go?"

His alcohol-fogged brain seemed unable to keep up with his own lies.

"Pretty good. The wedding dress Sophia tried on was really…"

He stopped abruptly, apparently realizing what he had just said.

Then he hurriedly corrected himself.

"I mean, she happened to be helping a friend look at wedding dresses at the same boutique. I just gave them my opinion. Don't overthink it."

I didn't press him.

Believing I had finally stopped questioning him, he headed straight for the bathroom.

Just then, I heard someone crying in Ella's bedroom.

I pushed open the door and found her sitting on her bed, clutching her phone as tears rolled down her cheeks.

On the screen was a photo of Sophia's daughter, Ava.

Ava was sitting in front of a brand-new white piano, holding the latest tablet in her hands and smiling from ear to ear.

The caption read:

"Thank you to the best mommy in the world for my favorite gifts."

"Mommy," Ella choked out, "I saw this piano on Daddy's computer before. He told me it was too expensive and not worth buying."

My chest tightened.

Ethan always said that little girls shouldn't be spoiled. Whenever Ella asked for a toy, he told her to wait until her birthday. When she wanted a new tablet, he said her old one still worked perfectly fine.

The tablet she used now was actually my old one, the device I had replaced years ago.

But when it came to Ava, Ethan never hesitated to spend money.

A piano, a new tablet, extravagant birthday parties. Whatever Ava wanted, he found a way to give her.

"It's okay, sweetheart." I wiped away her tears. "Whatever you want, Mommy will find a way to get it for you."

Ella sniffled.

"Daddy says asking for too many things will turn me into a spoiled, bad girl."

I pulled her into my arms, feeling as though a knife had been twisted in my heart.

She had already started wondering whether she wasn't good enough to deserve her father's love.

After I finally got her to sleep, I went to the living room and waited for Ethan.

When he emerged from the bathroom, I asked him directly, "Didn't you promise to bring Ella a present?"

Ethan slapped his forehead and gave me an apologetic smile.

"I completely forgot. I'll make it up to her next time. It's not like she needs more toys anyway."

"What about Ava? You'll buy her anything she asks for."

His expression darkened instantly.

"Can you stop comparing the kids all the time? It's just a gift. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

I stared at him and suddenly realized I had nothing left to say.

He didn't even understand how he was treating his own daughter.

"Fine," I said with a nod. "Next time, then."

Apparently satisfied with my answer, Ethan slipped an arm around my shoulders.

"That's more like it. Ella's birthday is coming up in a couple of days. I'll surprise her. You just relax and enjoy your trip to Switzerland. By the time you get back, everything will be fine."

I didn't push him away.

I simply made a quiet note of his promise.

Ella's birthday would be his last chance.