Chapter 2

Diana POV

After returning home, I did two things.

First, I reviewed all assets under my name.

To my relief, my parents' trust fund and inheritance remained intact, and the balance in my personal account was untouched.

Nathan was immensely wealthy. After our marriage, he couldn't stand the thought of me working, so he insisted I become a full-time homemaker. A generous monthly allowance was deposited directly into my account.

But I only liked spending money on him.

In the walk-in closet, all his suits, ties, luxury watches, even his shoes-I'd carefully selected and bought them all.

Beyond that, I'd barely touched that cash.

Over the years, it had accumulated into quite a substantial sum.

Then I applied for an overseas visa and a new passport.

"Ma'am, your visa procedures will be completed within fifteen business days. Please watch for our phone notification."

"Okay, thank you."

Since Nathan had personally manipulated legal loopholes to sever our marital relationship, once I went abroad, I'd have a way to make sure he could never find me again.

Just half a month more, and we'd have nothing to do with each other.

The night Nathan returned, I'd already gone to bed.

He quietly got into bed and, as usual, reached out to pull me into his arms, gently kissing my forehead.

"Honey, I'm back."

His honeymoon with Juliet was over, and he'd finally deigned to come home?

My heart stung with sarcasm as I pushed his hand away.

I sat up and moved back, creating distance between us, pretending to rub my eyes sleepily.

"Did the case go smoothly this time?"

"Pretty smooth. I just need to follow up locally from now on."

Watching him lie so effortlessly without changing expression, I hadn't expected his acting skills to be this good.

Nathan reached over and turned on the bedside lamp, looking at me in the bright light.

"What's been going on with you these past couple days? You haven't replied to messages or answered calls."

Since he'd refused my video call request on the beach, I'd ignored all his calls and messages.

Nathan thought I was throwing a tantrum about it. "Are you angry?"

I forced a smile. "No, you're busy with work. I didn't want to disturb you."

To Nathan's ears, this only confirmed I was sulking about that incident.

He reached out and pulled me into his arms, kissing my cheek.

"It's my fault. I promise from now on, I'll put you first in everything. Don't be angry anymore, okay?"

He coaxed softly, burying his face in the curve of my neck, breathing in the scent of my body wash.

"I haven't seen you in over a week. I missed you so much. Did you miss me?"

As he tried to kiss me, my gaze inadvertently swept over his bare ring finger.

Startled, I instinctively asked, "Where's our wedding ring?"

Only then did Nathan notice something was missing from his hand.

A flash of panic crossed his eyes before he explained seamlessly:

"I had some business entertainment before. I was afraid I'd lose the ring if I drank too much, so I took it off and had my assistant keep it safe. I'll get it back from my assistant tomorrow."

My heart ached with cold disappointment. "But before, you never took off our ring."

Nathan's heart panicked slightly. Just as he was about to change the subject through a kiss, his phone rang.

Seeing the message content, he frowned and said to me:

"The law firm has an emergency case. I need to go handle it."

"I probably won't be back tonight. Get some rest early."

He grabbed his coat and left quickly. I couldn't help but laugh mockingly.

I'd seen who messaged him-it was clearly Juliet.

Soon, my phone also received a message.

"Ms. Diana, I heard that when you and Nathan got married, you just registered at the government office without a wedding ceremony, right?"

"Such a happy moment, and you never got to experience it. What a shame."

She immediately sent several photos from the beach wedding.

In the photos, Nathan looked gentlemanly and elegant, standing with Juliet in her luxury brand wedding dress-they looked perfectly matched.

I gripped my phone tightly, my knuckles turning white.

In his youth, Nathan's billionaire father had an affair. Not only did he have the mistress bear a child, but he also drove Nathan's mother, who suffered from severe depression, to her death. Nathan was subsequently expelled from the family home and left homeless.

When no relative was willing to take him in, it was my father who found him unconscious from hunger and cold in the dead of winter and, unable to bear it, brought him back to our home.

From the time I was twelve, Nathan and I had lived under the same roof.

We were high school sweethearts, and we registered our marriage after college graduation.

When we married, I'd fantasized about having a wedding, but he said he wanted to wait until he had fame and confidence before giving me the grandest wedding.

I knew he hated his father and was determined to take revenge on the family that abandoned him.

So I didn't insist on having a wedding.

Later, he got his wish. He collected evidence and used legal means to drag that cold-blooded family into the abyss, successfully sending his father to prison.

He became famous in one battle, becoming a sought-after top lawyer.

He finally achieved success and fame, gained confidence and status, but never mentioned that promised wedding again.

The wedding Nathan never gave me, he'd now given to another woman.

Seeing my long silence, Juliet sent another image.

It was a dazzlingly brilliant diamond necklace.

"Isn't this necklace beautiful? Nathan just took me to an auction and, to make me happy, bought it without even looking at the price."

"Did he ever go to such lengths to make you happy before?"

"Oh, by the way, I threw your old rings in a roadside trash can at the beach. Even if Nathan wanted to find them, he couldn't."

"They're things from the past anyway. Not important anymore, right?"