Chapter 2

A short while later, Julian arrived.

Seeing him, Vivian tried to suppress a smile, pretending to still be pouting.

"Just because you came to pick me up doesn't mean I forgive you."

Julian offered a half-hearted apology, exactly the way he used to brush me off in the past.

Then his gaze shifted to me.

"Nora, has Dominic been treating you well?"

At that question, both Vivian's and Dominic's faces darkened.

Dominic stepped between us, repeating his trademark line.

"My wife's well-being is none of your concern."

A faint smile crossed my lips.

I gave Julian a casual wave, then looked at Dominic with mock innocence.

"Your father isn't here, Dominic. There's no audience. It's just a friendly greeting."

"Right, Julian?"

Dominic's jaw clenched.

Vivian glared at me, but with Julian standing right there, she didn't dare act out like she did earlier.

Ever since Dominic and I married, Julian's dynamic with Vivian had changed.

Every time Dominic flaunted our relationship in public, Julian looked ready to murder someone.

Desperate to pull Julian away from me, Vivian grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door.

Once they were gone, Dominic sighed with exasperation. He reached out to ruffle my hair, his lips twitching with mild amusement.

"Are you jealous? Since when did you get so petty?"

I pulled away from his touch.

"I'm not jealous. I just realized how exhausting this is."

Dominic looked confused. I met his eyes steadily.

"Both you and Julian are hopelessly obsessed with Vivian. Why did either of you drag me into this?"

Dominic's expression flickered.

"What are you talking about?"

I didn't answer. After a tense silence, Dominic said smoothly:

"Vivian grew up with us. She's family, like a younger sister. That's all it is."

"Besides, we're married. The day I put a ring on your finger, I committed to taking care of you."

I couldn't help laughing out loud.

"How touching. Too bad I don't care anymore."

"Dominic, let's get a divorce."

Dominic froze, staring at me as if I had spoken in another language. Then, he chuckled.

"A divorce? You're joking. Where would you even go without me?"

I looked down, understanding his arrogance.

To the outside world, I was an orphan whose career was tied directly to Sterling Enterprises.

My comfortable life, my status, my job. Everything seemed entirely dependent on the Sterling family.

Walking away didn't make logical sense.

Too bad for him, I was done being collateral damage in their twisted family dynamic.

Seeing my silence, Dominic smirked, completely convinced that I was powerless to leave.

He looked identical to Julian back when Julian took me for granted.

A wave of exhaustion washed over me. I grabbed my purse and walked out the front door.

Once outside, the cool evening air hit my face. I walked aimlessly for a while, eventually ending up at a familiar venue.

The gallery where Dominic and I first met.

Standing before the glass facade, memories flooded back.

I had been a college senior, entering my very first major jewelry design competition.

I poured a month of sleepless nights into that piece.

Yet the day before the exhibition, someone tampered with my blueprints, attempting to steal credit for my concepts.

I had no money, no connections, and no one to turn to.

Dominic was one of the guest judges that day.

With a single glance, he had recognized the forgery.

"These lines aren't from your original draft," he had said.

I was stunned.

He pointed at the blueprint, his voice quiet and sure.

"Your original concept had negative space here."

He had remembered my initial submission.

With his backing, I was able to present my authentic work and place in the finals.

After the awards, he approached me directly.

"Would you be interested in joining Sterling Enterprises?"

I had been over the moon.

That was how I joined the company, and how I eventually met Julian.

After Dominic and I married, I once asked him why he had helped a nobody like me.

He had looked me in the eyes and said:

"Because talent like yours deserves to be seen."

I had held onto those words like a lifeline.

Because of that sentence, I let my guard down completely, believing that beneath his cold exterior, he truly cared for me.

Looking back now, it was all calculated groundwork. How utterly pathetic.