Chapter 2


    “Hmm?” Neil, engrossed in his phone, didn’t even bother to look up.


    He was sporting ck shirt and trousers, both of top-notch quality. His lean figure and perfect


    proportions made him look super handsome. Adding to that, his good-looking face, and well-defined


    features, he was basically every teenage girl’s dream guy.


    I pulled my gaze away, staring at the man opposite me, my voice a bit h oa rse, “Let’s get a divorce.”


    Just as I finished speaking, I heard Neil’s sarcasticugh. He tossed his phone onto the sofa, looking at


    me with that familiar cold gaze, asking, “Irene, what’s your game this time?”


    “I mean it.” I sat up straight, staring into those oppressive eyes. “It’s been five years, you weren’t going


    to fall for me anyway. We should let each other live better lives?


    In a month, there would be a huge business conference in Rosemont, and Neil would meet Bonnie


    there, who would be working part-time as a receptionist. He would fall for her at first sight, deciding to


    get her no matter what it took.


    Such a romantic tale, I was not going to y the pathetic role in their legendary love story anymore.


    What I wanted to do, could do, should do, all of it was done and dusted in my past life, and I got the


    final results. In this life, I wouldn’t let myself be the butt of the joke, pushing my family into an abyss.


    I decided to drop out of this farce before Neil and Bonnie met. On their rocky path of love, I would step


    aside for them.


    Seeing the seriousness in my eyes, Neil’s face darkened instantly. He always had a bad temper, and if


    anyone made him ufortable, he’d definitely lose it.


    “Haha, looks like I’m the ything now, huh?” He chuckled, with coldness in his eyes. “Five years ago,


    you were the one who insisted on marrying me, and now you’re the one asking for a divorce. Irene, are


    you messing with me?”


    Five years ago, the Whitmore family and the Finch family were on good terms, so our elders arranged


    our marriage. Neil was stubborn, definitely not the obedient type, but the Whitmore family’s grandfather


    was seriously ill, so he had no choice but to marry me.


    For Neil, it was a humiliation. But he didn’t have someone he deeply loved, was taking over the family


    business at the time, and needed a good partner, so he spent five years with me as husband and wife.


    I smiled sadly, “Do you really want to keep up this sham of a marriage?”


    “A sham marriage?” Neil pondered the phrase, then raised an eyebrow, sarcastically asking, “Oh, are


    you feeling lonely?”


    “No, I just…” I carefully chose my words to respond to him.


    Neil had already stood up and walked over to me. He bent over, his hands on either side of the couch,


    his chest forming a circle with his arms, trapping me inside. His voice was seductive, “If you’re lonely,


    why didn’t youe to me? Now you’re considering a divorce, are you just too lustful?”


    Neil liked to smoke, and he always had a faint scent on him, a mix of his scent and the smell of


    tobo.


    Of course, he never held me, I just secretly sniffed his coat.


    Now, thatplex and alluring scent enveloped me. It should’ve made me excited and thrilled, and my


    face should’ve turned red from excitement, but in reality, I was just feeling suffocated.


    I was someone ready to leave; anything that could shake my resolve seemed ominous to me.


    “It’s not because of that!” I tried to exin, but I was already used to the loneliness that had been going


    on for days and nights.


    “Really?” Neil straightened up. He wasn’t really interested in me anyway, so the gesture of flirtation he


    just showed was only to embarrass me a bit. He wouldn’t lose control over it.


    As a 27-year-old married woman, I emitted a gloomy aura, not a charming scent like his.


    “Irene, I know today is our fifth wedding anniversary, but I don’t want to celebrate. If you want to use


    this as an excuse to ask for a divorce, I suggest you stop messing around.” Neil stood in front of me,


    looking down at me, his voice cold.


    ? ??? ?? ?? ?


    We never celebrated our wedding anniversary, so there’s no need to start this year.” I also stood up,


    looking up at Neil. “You should think about it, I’m probably not valuable to you anymore. You need


    freedom more than you need me, right?”


    After saying that, I turned and went up to the second-floor bedroom without saying anything else.


    Downstairs, the sound of a door being mmed shut echoed, followed by the sound of a car engine


    outside the window. I knew it was Neil leaving, but this time I was calm.


    Then, my phone rang. was my friend Ste.


    “Rena,e out and y, let’s hit up Cielo Nocturno!” Ste’s loud voice immediately chased away my


    gloominess. She was the same age as me but still single. After getting married, I seldom went out to


    party. Ste would invite me out, and I would reject her most of the time, but she kept insisting.


    “Okay!” I agreed immediately, leaving Ste silent on the other end of the line.


    Today is your wedding anniversary with Neil, are you sure you want to go out?” Ste finally spoke


    again, sounding skeptical and surprised. I had turned down Ste’s invitations for four years straight


    using my wedding anniversary as an excuse.


    “Yes, even though today is our anniversary, doesn’t mean I can’t go out and have fun, I’ll be right


    there.” I answered Ste decisively, then hung up the phone.


    I opened the closet, a bunch of ck, white, and grey clothes came into view, no blues, no purples.


    Each luxury brand of clothing offered all kinds of elegant design, yet I spent big bucks on the most


    boring styles.


    After ten minutes of selection, I chose a slightly lively V-neck strapless ck dress. The silk-like touch,


    the stic waistband of the ck dress could highlight my slim waist. My smooth arms were bare,


    revealing most of my back.


    I remembered this dress. I bought it specifically to attract Neil, but he didn’te home that entire


    month.


    The only thing that I wasn’t satisfied with was my t chest, which didn’t quite match the charm of this


    dress. I could onlyfort myself, “Just wear it, from now on, I’ll eat more to console myself:


    After changing and putting on makeup, I drove a red Porsche straight to Cielo Nocturno. It was a


    nightclub in Rosemont, the name had a wild artistic vibe


    After parking I walked into Cielo Nocturno, finding Ste at the bar. Back in college, Ste, Alicia,


    Barbara, and I were hailed as the four female wonders of the music department Everyone anticipatedThis belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.


    we would achieve great things after graduation, but it didn’t quite pan out that way. I got hitched early,


    Ste turned into a club hopper, Alicia snagged a management gig at her family’spany, and


    Barbara, the only one of us still on the music grind, was bouncing from one musicpetition to


    another, hellbent on bing a pop star


    “Long time no seer Ste, with her bossy vibe, hopped off her bar stool and grabbed my hand, gushing.


    The other two were nodding like bobbleheads, because after I tied the knot, I might as well have


    dropped off the face of the earth I’d given up my social life for Neil.


    or your funeral.”


    A few drinks in, Alicia said, a touch mncholic, “If you didn’t surface this time, I’d start to wonder if I


    attended your wedding five years ago Aren’t you supposed to be at home prepping a candlelit dinner?


    Ste asked curiously. She peered at my eyelids, even reaching out to touch myshes. “Come here,


    let me sée Has that jerk Neil been giving you the cold shoulder? Have you been crying?”


    Would you mind not messing up my fakeshes? I swatted Ste’s hand away.