Chapter 3

Ash sneered and went through the door.

Justine watched his hulking frame, suddenly recalling hazy memories of her teenage past: a younger version of him, tall and lean, with his back against her.

Despite her earlier calm, she felt a sharp pain in her chest.

"Justine…" He had stopped by the door and turned to face her. "I no longer answer to my grandfather, Justine. So there's zero chance of you going back to being my wife after this. Don't regret it.

"And most importantly—don't give Jenny shit. You've tormented her enough."

Ash understood how obsessive her love had been.

Justine's life was so devoid of meaning that the only two things she had were ballet and him. This was why Ash was convinced that Justine's sudden change of attitude stemmed from spite after seeing Jenny.

Once she calmed down, he was sure she would regret this decision.

His job was to ensure her regret was futile. She could no longer return to him—and he would never accept her.

Justine was kind and courteous to everyone except Jenny. Ash had never managed to protect her well enough—the poor girl had endured much of Justine's wrath.

That was why he was determined not to let Jenny suffer for him any longer, no matter how hysterical Justine could be.

"Trust me, Mr. Vanderbilt. You should say this to her," Justine signed, her eyes gentle as always. "She should not mess with me."

Otherwise, Jenny would suffer worse.

-

Justine was nothing if not determined.

When Ash was her prize, no one—not even God—could have gotten in her way. But now that she wanted him out of her life, she wouldn't shed a tear for him.

After Ash left, Justine cleaned up the room.

She picked up the torn pieces of her favorite ballet dress. It had been tailor-made for her—a piece of luxury she had won in an international competition.

Fixing it would require a lot of money.

She had to demand compensation for it in the divorce agreement!

Just then, she heard Iris' voice from outside. "Jean? Are you up?"

The performances had ended a while ago. Iris had arrived earlier, but the light in the room had been off, so she had assumed Justine had been sleeping.

Justine lit a lavender candle, and once the stench of Ash's intrusion faded, she opened the door.

"It's over?" she signed.

"Other troupes have all left except for your group! Everyone's waiting for you at the party," Iris replied, doing her best to mask her sadness.

Yes, it was a party, all right—a farewell party.

Suddenly, Justine's phone rang, startling her.

Few people ever called her phone. Those who knew her preferred video calls. But this was an audio call.

"Looks like a landline number," Iris murmured.

She quickly looked it up on the Internet. "That's… Eudaimonia Home in Saintwood. Why is a nursing home calling you at this hour?"

Justine answered the call before Iris finished her explanation.

"Is this Justine Thorpe? Good evening. This is Eudaimonia Home. Mrs. Aurora Roch hasn't been feeling too well for the past two days. If you can, please come here as soon as possible. She would like to meet you."

Justine was shocked.

-

The trip took three hours, and it was already one in the morning when Justine arrived.

The nurse who had called her led Justine to Aurora's room.

"She's been expecting you," the young woman said.

The sight of a sickly, bony woman on a sickbed greeted Justine.

Aurora had once been the director of Glascape Orphanage and had been a mother figure who raised Justine. She was the one who had recognized the potential ballerina in her and let her shine.

Three years ago…

While suffering from an incurable disease, Justine's grandfather found her in the orphanage and wanted her to return home.

Justine refused—until some bloggers discovered Glascape Island.

The rustic beauty of the fishing town quickly spread across the Internet, attracting several corporations eager to transform it into a tourist destination.

At that critical moment, Aurora was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Justine faced a difficult choice. She needed money to prevent the island's purchase and save Aurora. Thus, she approached her grandfather and agreed to a deal.

Soon after, Aurora informed Justine that she had contacted a hospital abroad where she would receive treatment. They parted ways but promised to stay in touch.

"The treatment went well," she would say. "I met someone I love in the wonderful continent of Aestra. I would like to spend my last few years there."

Justine believed her. Aurora had discovered her stomach cancer at an early stage, so her chances of recovery were high.

Justine sincerely hoped Aurora was living happily out there, free from any shackles.

Then Justine decided to marry Ash. That was when Aurora suddenly came to see her. They had a big argument, and afterward, Aurora stopped contacting Justine.

-

For years, Justine had been trying to locate Aurora. She would ask around and chase down leads, but she never managed to find her—until today.

On her way to the hospital, the nurse provided details about Aurora's illness. The cancer cells had been spreading even back when they had their fight.

"Jean, is that you?"

Aurora's voice sounded familiar and foreign at the same time.

Justine approached her, choking back tears.

Aurora examined her face and smiled.

"Oh, Jean. You're even more beautiful now!" she whispered.

Justine studied her in disbelief.

God, suffering had taken so much from her. Aurora was left with nothing but bones and skin!

Justine could not help but cry.

"I thought you found someone you love! A-And you're spending your last days somewhere in Aestra!" Justine signed slowly. "So why are you here? Why are you… dying?"

Aurora's eyes reddened. "I'm so sorry. I lied."

Justine cast her eyes at Aurora's face, shakily holding her hands. She pressed her forehead against the back of Aurora's hands—just like she used to when she was a child.

But there was no warmth left in Aurora's hands. They were frighteningly cold.

"Love, you're all grown up now. You have to… learn to accept death… Mine… and Ares'..."

Ares…

Justine felt her blood freeze.

Memories flooded her—it was a beautiful day. A young man ran across the white waves as they rolled. He laughed and turned back to her, his smile brighter than the sun.

"Come over here for a hug, Little Justine!" he had called.

Pain coursed through Justine’s limbs. She met Aurora's gaze, her eyes brimming with tears of agony.