Chapter 2

Natalie's POV

Early the next morning, Julian left for the office.

By afternoon, I was sitting on the sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, shears in hand, pruning the delicate orchid Julian loved most. It was a temperamental plant. I had spent three years nurturing it, and only this year had it finally produced buds.

That was when Chloe Sterling walked in.

"Natalie, so this is where you are."

The sweet, delicate voice rang out behind me. My hands paused.

Chloe held a steaming cup of coffee, carrying herself with an ease that suggested she was the true mistress of this house.

She looked at me, her eyes dropping to the shears in my hands, a flash of blatant contempt crossing her face.

"Still taking such good care of the things he likes? You really work too hard," Chloe purred, stepping forward to sit on the sofa opposite me.

I didn't look up, asking flatly, "What are you doing here?"

"To thank you, of course." Chloe let out a soft laugh, lifting her coffee cup for a delicate sip.

With that movement, I caught sight of the pink diamond ring glinting on her ring finger.

It was a flawless stone, refracting a blinding sparkle under the overcast sky.

My grip on the shears tightened instantly.

It was the centerpiece sold at Sotheby's last month for an astronomical price.

Everyone in high society had whispered that Mr. Vance spent a fortune just to please his wife.

It turned out he bought it to please his first love.

"Honestly, yesterday didn't scare me at all," Chloe said, placing her cup down and deliberately stroking the diamond. "Julian was so worried I'd feel stressed that he cleared his entire schedule this morning to take me to a private jewelry show. He told me everything was taken care of and that I should just focus on my exhibition."

My hands froze completely.

"Natalie, don't blame Julian," Chloe leaned forward slightly, her voice dripping with condescending pity. "You know how businessmen are—always maximizing profit. Trading a placeholder wife in exchange for keeping me completely clean? It's a deal where he wins no matter what."

I listened silently, forcing down the violent surge of fury inside my chest.

I was furious at my own three years of sheer stupidity.

"Is that so?" I set the shears down, doing my best to keep my voice steady. "Then congratulations. You won't have to go to prison."

Chloe clearly hadn't expected me to remain so unfazed.

A flash of irritation and defeat flickered across her face.

"Drop the righteous act!" The gentle facade cracked, her voice turning shrill. "Do you really think Julian will protect you? You're nothing more than a scapegoat he threw to the wolves to save me!"

Her hand shook violently, and a few drops of scalding coffee splashed onto the pale skin of her hand.

"Ouch—!"

Chloe let out a sharp cry of pain, her hand trembling as the ceramic cup shattered against the carpet.

Right at that exact second, the front door swung open.

"What's going on?"

A deep, commanding voice cut through the air.

I turned my head. Julian was striding in with his phone in hand.

So they had come back together. Julian had only stepped outside to take a business call, and Chloe couldn't wait a single minute to come inside and gloat.

Before I could say a word, Chloe rushed toward him with teary eyes. "Julian, I just wanted to come thank Natalie... I wasn't careful with the cup..."

Julian's eyes landed on the scalded red patch on her hand, his brow instantly knitting into a tight knot.

Without sparing me a glance, he grabbed Chloe's hand, his voice laced with raw concern. "How did this happen?"

"It's not Natalie's fault. I was just clumsy," Chloe whimpered, biting her lip, her eyes subtly darting in my direction.

It was a manipulative hint so clumsy even a toddler wouldn't fall for it.

Yet Julian swallowed it whole.

He pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket, bending his head to meticulously dab the coffee stains off her hand.

I watched my husband shower another woman with a gentleness I had never once received.

"It seems three years haven't been enough for you to learn how to behave as Mrs. Vance."

Julian's sharp eyes finally snapped to me, brimming with frosty warning.

"What did I tell you last night? Don't provoke her." His gaze swept over the shattered porcelain on the floor, his voice dangerously low.

My heart shrank into a cold, suffocating ball.

Bone-chilling cold.

I stared at Julian for a long time.

So long that his brow furrowed with impatient irritation once more.

Suddenly, I stood up.

I picked up the shears from the table.

Julian's eyes hardened, instinctively shielding Chloe behind him, his tone turning venomous. "Natalie, what the hell are you doing?"

"Snip."

The sharp sound of severed stems echoed through the room.

I turned around and sheared off Julian's prized orchid with a single cut.

The fragile buds, which hadn't even had the chance to bloom, tumbled lifelessly onto the carpet.