Chapter 2

Day after day passed, but that dress never appeared.

Finally, after another night Julian returned empty-handed, Lily ran to her room and buried her face in her pillow, crying softly.

Julian didn't even notice.

Before I knew what I was doing, my hand struck his face.

Julian froze, staring at me in disbelief.

"Natalie, have you lost your mind?"

He was the one who got slapped, yet I was the one on the verge of tears.

"Where is the dress you promised Lily?"

A flash of irritation crossed Julian's face.

"What's the rush? I'll buy it once I pay off this month's loan."

Lily and I had heard those words countless times over the past few years.

"Wait a little longer. Don't rush. Pay off the debts first. Maybe later."

I had reached my limit. I pushed open Lily's bedroom door.

Pulling back her blanket, I looked into her tearful eyes and asked:

"If Daddy and Mommy split up, who do you want to live with?"

Lily froze, pure terror lacing her voice.

"Mommy, please don't leave me."

I pulled her fragile body into my arms, my voice catching.

"If you stay with Daddy, you might have a better life."

Lily shook her head, weeping.

"Mommy, can we wait just one more week? Please?"

I agreed.

After putting Lily to sleep, I felt compelled to open Julian's company website.

The liquidation notice was still posted on the homepage.

I searched the news. Most articles reported on his company's demise.

Everything looked completely legitimate.

Yet all I could see was Julian holding that girl at the castle, his face glowing with relaxed, carefree happiness.

That wasn't the face of a man suffocating under crushing debt.

The next morning, after dropping Lily off at kindergarten, I went to work as usual.

I used to be a top graduate in foreign languages with plenty of promising job offers.

But when I got pregnant shortly after marriage, and Julian's business took off, I chose to become a stay-at-home mom.

When his sudden "bankruptcy" struck, I was forced back into the workforce, only to find the job market had completely changed.

To earn more, I had to juggle three jobs.

By day, I worked the front desk at a tutoring center. At night, I took shifts at a convenience store. On weekends, I did bookkeeping for two small firms.

Even so, the money was just a drop in the ocean compared to the massive debt Julian claimed to have.

Still, I never once considered giving up.

I believed that as long as we fought together, we would overcome this storm.

Only now did I realize the hardship I thought we shared was nothing more than a web of lies he carefully spun.

"Natalie, there's a parent inquiring in Classroom 3. Go handle it."

Snapping out of my thoughts, I answered and walked toward the room.

The very next second, my eyes locked with Julian's.

Julian's expression instantly soured. Sitting right beside him was Evelyn, his first love.

Elegant, flawless, exuding effortless grace.

Compared to her, I looked haggard and worn out, the fine lines around my eyes telling tales of relentless exhaustion.

Yet I didn't feel sad. I felt a surge of cold fury.

Because Evelyn's daughter was wearing the exact princess dress Lily had longed for.

Evelyn glanced over the curriculum and picked the most expensive private coaching package.

Julian spoke up: "Bella is still young. Please give her extra care during lessons."

Evelyn smiled softly. "If you're so worried about her, why don't you teach her yourself?"

It sounded like a complaint, but the underlying intimacy was undeniable.

My knuckles turned white around the clipboard. My face burned as if slapped.

Stumbling back toward the reception desk, my distraction caused me to bump straight into my supervisor, who was carrying a cup of hot coffee.

In an instant, scalding coffee drenched my clothes.

Before I could react, my supervisor was already screaming at me:

"Natalie! If you keep zoning out on the job, you're fired!"

Julian shot up, his brow furrowing as he moved toward me.

The next second, Evelyn held her forehead and let out a soft groan.

Julian instantly halted, turning to support Evelyn with frantic concern as he guided her toward the exit.

Evelyn leaned delicately against his shoulder, meeting my gaze with calm superiority.

In that silent battle, I was utterly defeated.