Chapter 4

　　Sienna

　　THE NEXT morning, I met Maya for breakfast at the hotel restaurant.

　　She was already seated when I arrived, scrolling through her phone with one hand and stirring her coffee with the other.

　　"You're late," she said without looking up.

　　"I'm on time," I replied, sitting across from her.

　　She finally glanced at me. Then stopped as if she'd seen something strange, her expression shifted immediately.

　　"What is that?" she asked, eyes narrowing at me.

　　I followed her gaze instinctively and she was looking at my collar, at the faint marks along my neck. But I didn't bother adjusting it.

　　"It's nothing," I said casually.

　　Maya raised an eyebrow. "That does not look like nothing."

　　I picked up my glass of water and took a slow sip. "It isn't important."

　　Her eyes narrowed slightly once again. "Sienna."

　　I exhaled lightly. "I met someone at the bar."

　　That made her pause. Then her lips curved slightly. "Oh."

　　I didn't elaborate because I don't feel the need to.

　　She leaned back in her chair, watching me now with clear interest. "So you actually did it."

　　"Yes."

　　"Was it good?"

　　I looked at her. She wasn't teasing in a careless way. She was observing with a testing tone and trying to understand how far I had gone from myself.

　　"Yes," I said simply.

　　Maya hummed. "Better than Marcus?"

　　I didn't answer that. Instead, I reached for the menu.

　　"Don't start," I said as I scanned the list of food.

　　She laughed softly. "You started it by sleeping with a stranger."

　　I ignored her and changed direction completely. "I'm getting a divorce."

　　That shut her up immediately. Her hand stopped mid-air, cup halfway to her lips.

　　"You're serious?" she asked after a beat, eyes a bit wide in surprise.

　　"Yes," I replied without hesitation.

　　Maya set her cup down slowly. "Sienna… that's not simple. You know that."

　　"I know."

　　"Marcus's family won't just accept it," she said, stressing in every word.

　　"I know that too."

　　"And yours?" she added carefully.

　　That one landed differently, but I didn't react right away. I just stared at the table for a moment before answering.

　　"They'll have opinions," I said.

　　Maya studied me. "That's an understatement."

　　I gave a faint, almost amused smile. "Let them."

　　She leaned forward slightly. "What about the scandal? The pressure? The legal mess—"

　　"I'll handle it," I cut off, my tone was too calm that even Maya noticed it.

　　She frowned slightly. "You're saying that like you've already accepted losing everything."

　　That made me pause, but not because she was wrong, but because she was close.

　　I leaned back in my chair slightly, exhaling through my nose. "I didn't lose anything," I said. "I just realized I never had it."

　　Maya didn't respond immediately.

　　So I continued.

　　"Marcus didn't marry me because he knew me," I said. "He married me because I fit what he wanted. And I gave him exactly that."

　　Maya's eyes softened slightly. "Sienna…"

　　But I wasn't finished.

　　"I played the role well," I said. "The perfect wife. Supportive. Warm. Dependent when he needed it. Independent enough to impress his friends. Emotional when it benefited him. Quiet when it mattered."

　　I took another sip of water. Calm, detached, and almost clinical.

　　Maya didn't interrupt. So I kept going.

　　"Even in bed," I added, "I made sure I was what he wanted."

　　Maya shifted slightly in her seat. "You're talking like it was… intentional."

　　"It was," I said, keeping my gaze steady. I almost felt nothing.

　　Silence filled the space between us as if Maya couldn't believe I endured everything. I set my glass down.

　　"He pursued me for months," I said. "Everyone thought I was the lucky one. The one who got chosen." I let out a quiet breath. "That was the joke."

　　Maya frowned. "So why stay?"

　　That question lingered longer than the others. I didn't answer immediately Because the honest answer wasn't simple.

　　So I gave her the version that was.

　　"He had status," I said. "Stability. Reputation. On paper, it made sense."

　　Maya tilted her head slightly. "And off paper?"

　　I met her gaze. "On paper was enough."

　　That was the truth I had lived with. Until it wasn't.

　　Maya exhaled slowly. "So what changed?"

　　I looked down at my hands for a moment. Then back up.

　　"He broke the contract," I said. That was all.

　　She understood immediately when her expression shifted. "Oh," she said quietly.

　　I nodded once, not emotionally, but just factual.

　　Then I leaned back slightly. "I found out by accident," I added. "I came home early. I was going to surprise him. It was his birthday."

　　Maya stayed quiet. She's just looking at me, listening to every word that comes out from my mouth like a recorder.

　　"I brought decorations, you know," I continued and laughed. "A cake. Something small. Nothing complicated. But so stupid."

　　Maya didn't speak.

　　"I walked into the house," I said and heaved a sigh, "and there were women's clothes on the living room floor."

　　My voice stayed steady and detached. Like I was describing something that happened to someone else.

　　"I didn't even go upstairs at first," I continued. "I already knew."

　　Maya's fingers tightened slightly around her cup. "Sienna—"

　　"But I still did," I said and paused. "I heard everything."

　　Maya looked away slightly, jaw tightening. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

　　I shrugged once. "No point." I exhaled lightly. "That's when I decided that there was nothing left to preserve."

　　Maya nodded slowly. "So this divorce… it's not impulsive."

　　"No."

　　"It's calculated."

　　"Yes."

　　That was easier to say because it was clean.

　　Maya leaned back, processing everything. "So what now?" she asked. "What will you present in court as grounds?"

　　"Evidence," I said without hesitation. "Everything I need for court. Clean exit. No loopholes."

　　Maya nodded immediately. "I'll get you a private investigator," she said. "Send me everything you have. I'll handle it today."

　　I watched her for a moment. Then, nodded. "Thanks."

　　She waved it off. "Don't thank me yet. This is going to get messy."

　　I took another sip on my water. "I know."

　　When she put her phone down again, she asked, "Have you wanted this for a long time?"

　　"I didn't have a reason before," I replied.

　　Maya frowned. "That sounds like you were waiting."

　　I shrugged lightly. "Maybe."

　　Her gaze sharpened. "Do you still… love him?"

　　I took my time before answering, measuring everything whether it mattered.

　　Then I looked at her. "Does love mean staying when someone keeps breaking the same promise?" I asked. "I didn't leave because I stopped feeling something… I left because I finally saw what it was worth."