Chapter 2

"Leon... don't be mad at her, it's all my fault..." Serafina sobbed.

Just then, a nurse pushed the door open to change her dressings.

Having zero interest in watching the rest of her pathetic performance, I seized the opportunity to slip out of the suffocating hospital room.

Three days later, Serafina was discharged.

Since it coincided with her birthday, Eleanor hosted a grand outdoor party in the backyard. The guest list was packed with elite relatives and business partners.

I originally had no intention of attending, but today, I needed to end things once and for all.

Out in the garden, Serafina sat with a white silk ribbon blindfolding her eyes, looking as delicate as a fragile little princess.

Carter, my husband, was leaning over, intimately feeding her a slice of cake. The undeniable chemistry between them was practically on display for everyone to see.

Seeing me approach, Carter didn't even bother to pull away. Instead, he had the nerve to lecture me. "Valora, it's Serafina's birthday. Who exactly are you giving that attitude to? You should learn a thing or two from her about being considerate."

This was the man I married. In my past life, when I was trapped in my burning studio, coughing up toxic smoke and begging him for help, he impatiently scolded me over the phone for acting out of petty jealousy.

Now, just looking at his face made my stomach churn.

I fished my wedding ring out of my bag and threw it right at him. The heavy diamond bounced hard off Carter's chest and clattered to the ground.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Carter snapped, severely agitated.

I met his gaze with a cold sneer, enunciating every word clearly. "Carter, I want a divorce."

The entire crowd erupted in shocked gasps.

Leon instantly stormed over and roared at me, "Are you out of your mind?! Carter is our absolute most important business partner!"

"Then let's keep all the good things in the family and let Serafina have him," I retorted, my eyes brimming with pure mockery. "After all, she can't even eat a piece of cake without him feeding her. They're a match made in heaven."

Without another word, I ignored Leon's furious shouting and Carter's livid expression, turning on my heel and heading straight back to my room.

Once inside, I yanked out my suitcase without hesitation and started packing my things. I didn't want to spend another second in this house full of hypocrisy and calculation.

My gaze fell upon a glass bottle resting on my desk.

It was a custom essential oil I had pulled three all-nighters and called in every favor to get—practically begging an expert to extract it through dozens of complex processes using premium blue tansy specially air-freighted from Madagascar.

My mother, Eleanor, suffered from severe migraines, and this was the only blend that could help her get a peaceful night's sleep. I had originally planned to give it to her today.

Just as I was about to pack the precious bottle into my suitcase, the partially closed door creaked open.

I didn't know when, but Serafina had rolled her wheelchair in, following right behind me. Still wearing her blindfold, she patted the air helplessly for a moment, then wheeled herself closer to the desk and reached out a hand.

I watched the scene unfold with cold detachment—those hands of hers, which supposedly couldn't see a thing, navigated past the sharp edge of the desk and my water glass with pinpoint accuracy, zeroing in straight for my essential oil without a hint of hesitation.

In my previous life, I had screamed and lunged forward to stop her. But not only did the oil shatter anyway, I was also framed for allegedly pushing her.

Crash. The crisp sound of shattering glass echoed through the room.

"Ah!" Serafina jerked her hand back like a frightened rabbit, tears already streaming down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, sister, I'm so sorry! I didn't know there was something there, I really can't see anything... I didn't mean to knock over your perfume..."

Leon stormed in, marching right up to my face and pointing an angry finger at me. "You malicious bitch! Serafina is totally blind, and you're still in here messing with your cheap, worthless perfumes?! Hurry up and grab a broom to clean this up! If so much as a single shard scratches Serafina, I swear I'll make you pay!"

Catching up behind him, Eleanor took one look at the mess on the floor, her brow instantly furrowing in deep disapproval.

"Valora! Why on earth would you leave your cluttered jars and bottles right on the edge of the desk? You know perfectly well that Serafina can't see! Are you deliberately trying to get her hurt with broken glass?!"

Looking at my so-called family, blindly and shamelessly defending Serafina without a shred of decency, I suddenly felt like an absolute joke.

But what's done is done. If it's ruined, so be it. They better not regret it later.