Chapter 2
Returning from the hospital, I looked down at the wedding ring on my finger and felt a wave of nausea wash over me. Without a second thought, I pulled it off, letting it slip from my fingers into the trash. The deep imprint it left on my skin was a stark reminder of a union now shattered.
Julien Ramirez, who once begged me to wear the ring, had long since replaced his with a matching couple's band he shared with Salem Gomez. Now that I had removed mine, I felt an unexpected sense of relief, as if the chains had finally fallen away.
I opened the small box Julien had given me. Inside was a snow globe, a simple memento of something I had always longed to see. I picked it up, feeling its coldness seep into my hands, though it couldn't touch the chill in my heart.
Salem's latest post had just been updated. The photo showcased a magnificent, icy castle. The caption read: "Love is action. Because I said I wanted to see snow every day, the one I love built me a castle and even got me a pet."
Julien looked at her adoringly, cradling Blizzard, the snow fox. I glanced down at the snow globe in my hands—it was merely a small token, discarded and forgotten.
Seeing Julien openly embracing the snow fox triggered a storm of emotions in me. After we got married, Julien traveled frequently for work, so I got a dog named Bailey to keep me company. One day, I returned from grocery shopping to find that Bailey had disappeared.
Noticing dog hair on his suit, I held back tears as I questioned him. He replied with irritation, "This is our home. You shouldn't have gotten a dog without asking me first. You're lucky I didn't do worse."
Seeing my tear-filled eyes, he casually added, "I just gave it away. I didn't hurt it—I just don't like animals."
Julien's rare returns came at the cost of banishing my dog. Now, as he held Salem's beloved Blizzard, I finally understood. It wasn't that Julien disliked animals; he just despised anything associated with me.
That night, when Julien came home, I was already asleep. He entered the bedroom, surprised to find the lights off.
"Arielle, why didn't you wait up for me?"
I was exhausted and needed rest. Without stirring, I kept my eyes shut, pretending to sleep. There was a time when I would stay up late waiting for him, preparing his favorite midnight snacks, hoping to share the bed and night with my husband.
Each time, he complained about my supposed snoring, choosing to sleep in the guest room instead. Yet I had verified with a doctor—I didn't snore.
This time, Julien lay down beside me, something he rarely did. His hand wandered over, forcing me to face him. Only then did I see the lipstick mark on his collar—a mocking challenge.
Desire burned in his eyes as he whispered close to my ear, carrying the distinct scent of Salem's perfume. "Arielle, I want to..."
Instinctively, I pushed him away, rejecting his touch. His face darkened with anger, glowering at me. "Arielle, I'm here because I want to be with you. Don't be ungrateful."
In the past, I had initiated these moments, hoping to please him with outfits and props that never saw the light of day. Julien would smirk, seeing me as nothing more than a joke.
"When you wear those, you look ridiculous. They excite me on others, but not on a washed-up woman like you."
Now, I turned my back to him, saying, "It's that time of the month. I'm not in the mood."
He wouldn't remember my cycle anyway. Julien laughed bitterly.
"Arielle, playing hard to get with me? You'll come to me begging one day."
Fuming, he grabbed the blanket and stormed out, pausing at the doorway, perhaps expecting me to plead like before.
The first time we slept apart, I begged him in tears, but he refused, saying I disgusted him. Sleepless nights followed, even requiring sleeping pills to rest.
Now, I was used to nights without him, sleeping even more soundly.
With or without him, it made no difference.
As the door slammed shut, I opened Salem’s post. It revealed a man's hand, holding a cup of coffee, each finger perfectly defined. The caption read: "When Salem's time of the month comes, my childhood sweetheart makes me a comforting cup of coffee. Salem is so lucky~"
My heart remained indifferent, yet my grip on the phone turned my knuckles white as nausea swirled in my stomach.
Julien disgusted me.
No wonder he sought me out; Salem was unavailable, and he needed someone to satisfy his needs.
My mind drifted. Julien once loved me with such attention to detail.
Back then, I was a Mason heir, suddenly moved to fund a student from a poor background—Julien. I covered all his college expenses. He didn't disappoint, attending a top-tier university and, with my help, launching a company, entering high society.
I was drawn to his ambition, falling deeply in love. After he confessed, marriage followed naturally. He loved me, caring for every aspect of my life.
I thought we were destined for happiness, until his childhood friend Salem returned from abroad. Everything changed. Julien’s love shifted inexorably to her.
It became clear that old bonds triumphed over new ones. Desperate, I tried everything to keep him, but time passed, and familiar faces meant more than distant memories.
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