Chapter 2

Standing next to Ethan, Chloe lowered her eyes. Tears quickly welled up in her eyes.

"Ethan, lying to Hazel like this isn't a long-term solution."

"You're pretending to be mentally ill for my sake, letting people whisper behind your back. It makes me feel so guilty."

Hearing this, Ethan immediately turned and pulled her close.

He gently stroked her hair.

Chloe leaned into his chest, looking fragile and helpless.

"It’s nothing,"

Ethan’s voice was incredibly gentle, a stark contrast to the cold indifference he had used when talking about me.

"As long as you can escape the shadow of your past and find peace, I don't care how long I have to play this part."

Chloe buried her face in his shoulder, a small, triumphant smirk playing on her lips.

But when she looked up, her eyes were filled with fake fear and jealousy.

She let out a shaky sob.

"But when the thirty days are up, you two will still legally be husband and wife."

"Just thinking about you sharing a house with her makes me shake. I can't even sleep at night."

I stood hidden behind a maple tree, watching her pathetic, hypocritical act.

A wave of nausea hit my stomach.

Nobody knew Chloe’s true face better than I did.

She and Ethan were childhood sweethearts.

But when we were teenagers, Ethan fell for me first.

Since then, Chloe’s bullying had never stopped.

In high school, she locked me in a dark janitor’s closet during lunch, making me miss a crucial midterm exam.

She spread disgusting rumors that I would sleep with anyone for fifty bucks, making the whole school ostracize me.

During my period, she forced ice cubes into my underwear, laughing hysterically as I curled up on the bathroom floor, shaking in pain.

She even destroyed the birthday gift I had spent months making for Ethan.

She stepped on the shattered pieces and whispered in my ear that a girl like me would never be worthy of standing beside him.

Back then, I was insecure and naive. I craved Ethan's tiny scraps of affection so much that I swallowed all the abuse in silence.

Later, I managed to marry Ethan. I thought I had finally secured a peaceful life.

But the moment Chloe returned from abroad, she twisted the truth.

She painted herself as the victim, crying to the world that I was the one who had bullied her for years, leaving her with severe PTSD.

Ethan had gently patted her back to comfort her when she told him that lie.

His eyes had filled with a deep affection that I mistook for love.

"Let it go," he had told her. "I’ll punish her for you. But I still can’t divorce her just yet."

For a split second back then,

I actually thought he still had some lingering feelings for me.

Hearing those words now, Chloe's fingers clenched tightly behind Ethan's back.

I walked straight out from the shadow of the tree.

"Since it’s such a hassle for you, Ethan, you don't need to play this game anymore."

"Once the cooling-off period is over, we will sign the papers and go our separate ways. No one has to suffer."

Ethan didn't expect me to appear. His body froze.

Instinctively, he shielded Chloe behind his back. His voice was a mix of panic and defensiveness.

"What are you doing here?"

I let out a weak chuckle, my hand resting gently on my aching lower abdomen.

"My baby is dead, Ethan. Where else would I be if not at the hospital?"

He fell silent. A rare flash of panic crossed his eyes.

He took a step toward me, seemingly wanting to check on me.

I immediately took a massive step back.

"Don't come near me."

I kept my eyes down, avoiding his complicated gaze.

"If acting is this exhausting for you, let’s just stop."

"You don't have to play the crazy husband anymore, and Chloe won't have to feel disgusted seeing me every day. It's a win-win."