Chapter 2

The next morning, I changed into a professional suit and put on a touch of light makeup to hide the lingering pallor from the miscarriage.

Before I could even make it down the stairs, the piercing sound of shattering glass erupted from the first-floor dining room.

I paused, then continued down the steps.

In the dining room, Genevieve stood by the table, the shards of a broken mug scattered at her feet.

Years ago, when Genevieve suddenly vanished from Silas's world, he had hit rock bottom. He locked himself in his room all day, chain-smoking and drinking heavily, even ending up in the emergency room with a bleeding ulcer.

I was the one who pulled back the curtains to let the sunlight in every day. I endured his violent temper when he smashed things, silently cleaning up the mess. I stayed awake for countless nights, spoon-feeding him warm porridge, dragging him inch by inch out of that agonizing mud.

Then one day, he casually handed me a pair of couple's mugs.

In that moment, I thought the door he had always kept tightly shut against me had finally cracked open.

"Sorry, Aurora, I accidentally knocked it over while pouring water," Genevieve said, offering a breezy, nonchalant apology as I came downstairs.

She tilted her head slightly, a hidden trace of provocation in her eyes. "It's just an old mug. You wouldn't get mad at me over something so trivial, would you?"

She seemed to be waiting for me to explode so Silas could naturally take her side and scold me for being petty.

Silas, standing nearby, glanced at the shards on the floor with total indifference. "If it's broken, it's broken. It's just a mug. Have the maid sweep it up. I'll have someone buy you a more expensive set tomorrow."

I quietly looked at the debris.

In five years of marriage, that was one of his rare moments of actually paying attention to me.

Now it was shattered, much like the ridiculous marriage I had painstakingly tried to hold together for the past five years—reduced to a total mess.

I looked up at Silas, a faint smile even playing on my lips. "Okay."

Silas froze. He stared at my face instinctively, trying to catch any trace of suppressed anger, but my eyes were entirely placid.

I walked straight to the entryway and slipped on my heels.

"I need to get to the office. Enjoy your breakfast."

When I arrived at work, I went straight to the HR department.

"Aurora, have you really made up your mind?" The HR director looked at my transfer confirmation with deep regret. "You've worked hard here for five years. You were just about to be promoted to chief designer. Going to the Milan headquarters now means starting over from scratch."

"I'm certain." I signed my name.

Stepping out of the office, I called my attorney.

"Draft a divorce agreement for me." Watching the endless stream of traffic below, my voice was astonishingly calm.

That afternoon, I returned to the villa early.

The second-floor hallway was dead silent. As I passed the master bedroom, the door wasn't fully closed; it was left slightly ajar.

My steps faltered.

Inside the room, the neckline of Genevieve's nightgown had slipped, revealing a large expanse of pale skin. She was practically pressing herself into Silas's arms, her hands looped around his neck.

Standing on her tiptoes, her breath fanned provocatively against the side of his neck. Her voice was coy. "Silas, I was truly forced into running away from the wedding back then... All these years without you, I've missed you like crazy every single day. Look me in the eyes. In all those days and nights, did you never think of me?"

Silas remained silent, but his taut jawline betrayed his emotions.

"My family threatened to kill themselves to force my hand, I really had no choice... I've regretted leaving you every single day. You obviously still love me, don't you?" Genevieve's fingers traced his chest. "Aurora was just a placeholder you used to forget me. Now that I'm back, let's stop torturing each other, okay? Come back to me..."

I stood outside the door, watching this deeply affectionate drama unfold.

If this had been a month ago, stumbling upon a scene like this would have felt like the sky was falling.

But now, looking at the man I had poured my heart and soul into loving for five years, my heart didn't even skip a beat. All that was left was a bone-deep exhaustion.

I accidentally brushed against the door panel, letting out a faint creak.

The two in the room snapped their heads around.

The moment he realized it was me standing at the door, Silas's pupils constricted, and the color instantly drained from his face. Like he'd been electrocuted, he forcefully shoved Genevieve out of his arms.

"Aurora! Let me explain, it's not what you think..."

"Sorry to interrupt," I said mildly.

"Please, continue."

With that, I turned to leave.

It wasn't until my silhouette disappeared that Silas seemed to snap out of a trance, abruptly taking a step forward.

In the past, if he had paid even the slightest bit of attention to news about Genevieve, I would have burst into tears of grievance.

Yet at this moment, witnessing them stepping completely out of bounds, I didn't feel a hint of anger. I even thoughtfully pulled the door shut for them.

And I didn't spare him another backward glance.

It didn't matter. In two days, I would fly out to Milan and vanish from his world completely.

Whether they intended to kiss or sleep together next, I couldn't care less.