Chapter 2

Sophia's POV

The party ended in disgrace. Outside, the rainstorm continued to pour.

I sat in the back seat of the Maybach. The air pressure inside the car was suffocatingly low.

Xander didn't sit with me. He sat in the passenger seat, head down, replying to messages.

The light from his phone screen illuminated his face with a kind of gentle vitality I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Because of her?"

I broke the silence.

He nodded, admitting it readily. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Sophia, look at yourself in the mirror."

Xander lit a cigarette. Through the swirling smoke, his expression was blurred.

"Look at what you've become. Dignified, perfect, like a programmed robot. You've lost that edge you used to have."

My nails dug into my palms.

"What edge?"

"That wild spirit."

Xander exhaled a smoke ring.

"Meeting Luna reminded me. I fell in love with the Sophia who dared to smash a bottle over a harasser's head. Not this version of you. This polished Mrs. Shaw who only knows how to arrange flowers, pick out dresses, and smile like a pageant queen."

I laughed.

Laughed so hard tears nearly fell.

These past five years, who made me take etiquette lessons?

Who made me restrain my sharp edges for the Shaw family's reputation?

Who said, "Sophia, from now on I'll handle the dirty work. You just need to be my clean, perfect princess"?

He pulled out my thorns, clipped my wings, and locked me in a gilded cage.

Now, he complained I couldn't fly.

"She's a lot like I used to be, isn't she?"

I asked.

"Very much so."

Xander admitted frankly.

"Seeing her protect that cat in the rain, standing up to people-I felt something. That feeling, I can't find it in you anymore."

"So that's your excuse for cheating?"

"It's not cheating."

Xander corrected me, his tone matter-of-fact.

"Sophia, our souls stopped resonating long ago. All I have left for you is obligation. Rather than torturing each other, we should let go. The villa is yours. I'll give you a satisfactory alimony amount."

The car stopped at the entrance.

Xander showed no intention of getting out.

"I'm not going in. Luna is afraid of thunder. I need to go keep her company."

He said it so openly, as if he were just heading to a meeting.

I sat in the darkness, looking at this man who once swore he'd protect me with his life.

"Xander."

I called out to him as he was about to push the door open.

"What is it?"

"What if I don't agree to the divorce?"

Xander paused, then turned his head.

Those eyes that once held such deep affection were now frozen over.

"Sophia, don't force my hand. You know my methods. Let's part amicably and leave you with some dignity. Don't burn through the last bit of goodwill between us."

The car door closed.

A black umbrella opened as he strode into the rain, climbing into a Porsche that had been waiting by the roadside.

That was Luna's car.

I watched the taillights of both cars disappear into the rainy night, slowly reaching up to touch the necklace around my neck.

It was a pink diamond, worth a fortune.

Xander had won it at auction last month and given it to me as a "warm-up gift."

Now it seemed clear-this wasn't a gift at all. It was severance pay.

I pushed the door open and stepped out. I didn't bother with an umbrella.

The icy rain instantly soaked through my expensive gown. My makeup ran, leaving me a complete mess.

I walked into the empty villa.

On the wall hung our enormous wedding photo.

In the picture, Xander looked at me with eyes full of love.

I walked over, grabbed the ashtray from the table, and hurled it at the photo with all my strength.

The wedding portrait shattered.

I crouched on the floor, hugging my knees, and finally allowed myself to cry.