Chapter 3
Nicolas was busy loosening his tie, raising an eyebrow and giving a smirk.
“What are you talking about? Isn’t that why we’re in this position right now?”
I never imagined he could go to such lengths just to annoy me.
His warm breath was close behind me and
I couldn’t hold back any longer–I started gagging.
Nicolas almost instantly backed away, his face showing clear signs of disgust and anger. Once I managed to compose myself, he grabbed my face firmly.
“So now I’m repulsive to you, huh? But didn’t you say you loved me, what happened? Can‘ t no longer keep up the act, Rowena?”
Tears started to slide down my cheeks and he let go quickly, as if burned by my
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reaction.
I forced a smile, feeling a strange calm inside me.
“I don’t love you anymore. A cheating man is like a rotting carcass – foul, repulsive and impossible to ignore once the stench fills the air. No matter how well you try to hide it, the decay always seeps through, leaving nothing but disgust and betrayal.”
Nicolas‘ face changed and he seemed ready to argue, but when he saw how pale I had become, he shut his mouth.
“Say whatever you want, but you have to remember that I own you, Rowena. and I’ll make you regret ever saying that to me,” he muttered, throwing those words. at me before walking into the bathroom. with his clothes in hand.
I held back my disgust and walked to the living room, gulping down a glass of water. Tears spilled uncontrollably, blurring my
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vision.
Nicolas wasn‘ t wrong- he did owe me.
The weather report show had already been canceled and the rain outside picked up, pattering against the windows.
My phone buzzed a few times. It was a message from Annette.
She sent a few screenshots of her bank transfers, along with a few lines of Nicolas‘ complaints about me.
“I really can’t stand her. Always walking around with that sour face, acting like I really owe her something!”
“She has no sense of fun! Every time something good happens, she always ruins the mood–so boring!”
“Are you done with work yet? Change into something nice, I’ll pick you up.”
I opened a voice message from Annette and her playful, naive voice filled my ears.
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“Did you watch my show, Rowena? It’s my first time on screen. Nicolas said I did better than you, so he even sent me five million for luxury items.”
“By the way, I heard Nicolas said you were upset because of your layoff? I’m here to talk some sense into you. Being upset will only make you age faster. After all, you‘ re already twenty–six, so you can’t compare with us twenty–year–old girls.”
I closed my eyes, already used to Annette‘ s occasional provocations. But right now, I couldn’t take it anymore. Opening my eyes again, I clicked on my brother‘ s chat.
Last year, my brother had sent me an application for a job opportunity at a major network. Back then, I still wanted to give Nicolas one last chance and had turned my brother down. After thinking it over, I realized how foolish I had been at the time.
But now, I had given Nicolas three chances and with the layoff and the two incidents
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that followed, all the chances I’d given him were gone. My feelings for him had completely faded.
“About that application you mentioned last year–if I fill it out now, will it still be valid?”
His reply came almost immediately. “It will be.”
“But… have you really thought this through?”
“Yeah,” I replied, wiping away my tears.
“And what about the offer I made to you? What do you say?”
“I’ve made up my mind. I do, Kyle.
Although my brother was an adopted son, my father had once considered him as potential son–in–law before he passed away. If my parents were still around, I didn’t think they would have opposed it. As for Nicolas and me, there was no need to drag it out anymore. My feelings to him and our
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marriage had reached their end.
Nicolas didn’t say a word after h
