Chapter 2

Nicole had always hoped that her journey to prison would bring her the love she sought from Abel, but that was not the case.

As she stared at him, tears flooded her eyes. Abel stood before her, his face as immaculate as ever, his features cold and unfeeling. A chilling aura surrounded him, sending an icy shiver down her spine. He saw the tears but felt no remorse. His eyes only darkened, becoming more indifferent.

"Please, Abel, can we not get divorced?" Nicole begged, her voice trembling. 

She dropped to her knees, grabbing the fabric of his tuxedo in desperation.

 "Please don't do this to me. I beg you. I still want to be your wife, even if you don't want me."

Her pleading only fueled his anger. He lifted his leg and kicked her to the ground, watching with disdain as she fell.

"You’re just a gold digger," Abel sneered. "You would stay married to me even if I didn’t love you—just for my money."

Nicole’s heart shattered. She had hoped for more—for love, for understanding—but all he saw in her was greed.

"Your pleading won’t change anything," he continued, his voice cold and final. "I can’t live in this nightmare any longer. A marriage without love is nothing but a nightmare."

Nicole's lips quivered as tears continued to stream down her face. "I... I love you, Abel. Please don’t leave me."

Abel's expression remained unchanged. "We had an arrangement. The three years we agreed on are over. But I haven’t forgotten my promise. I’m leaving one of my estates, worth 100 million, in your name, and I’ll also transfer money into your account once you sign the divorce papers. Isn't that what you always wanted? Now you have it. Just take it and leave."

Nicole couldn’t believe what she was hearing. After all this time, Abel still thought she had married him for the money, for the compensation he had promised. 

Summoning what little strength she had left, Nicole asked the question that had haunted her: "Did Grandpa know about your decision?"

Abel’s eyes hardened. "Do you think his knowledge would change anything? Even Grandpa can’t stop me this time. So don’t rely on him to save you."

"But I didn’t want—"

"Yes, I know you didn’t want this marriage. But I’m done with it. Tired of this nightmare. Now that your job is done, I don’t need you anymore. Just sign the divorce papers."

Nicole’s heart sank as she wiped away her tears. Her three years of sacrifice, her love—nothing had mattered to Abel. To him, she was nothing but a burden, a gold digger to be discarded.

With trembling hands, she picked up the pen from the table and signed the divorce papers.

"You can stay here until the divorce is finalized," Abel said, his tone still indifferent. "Afterward, you can move to one of the houses on the estate."

Just as he finished speaking, his phone rang. Nicole saw the name on the screen, and her heart tightened. It was Riana—Abel’s first love.

Nicole slumped onto the couch, her chest tightening with an unexplainable pain. This wasn’t the reunion she had hoped for. This wasn’t the love she had dreamed of.

Three years ago, Nicole had agreed to marry Abel, believing that love would grow between them. Back then, he had made it clear that their marriage would only last for three years. After that, they would part ways. 

Nicole had agreed, thinking that in time, Abel would learn to love her. She had hoped that by giving him everything, by being faithful and devoted, he would eventually see her for who she truly was and return her love.

But it wasn’t to be. Abel had always seen her as nothing more than a gold digger—a woman who had married him only for the wealth and the privileges his name brought.

Then, eleven months into their marriage, Riana came to her with an offer she couldn’t refuse: she promised to leave Abel if Nicole would go to prison in his place. At the time, Abel had been falsely accused of money laundering.

Nicole and Abel had worked at Meghan's Group, a company owned by Riana’s family. Riana, who was head of finance, had the power to shift the blame onto Nicole. In a desperate attempt to save her marriage, Nicole agreed to take the fall and was sent to prison.

What Nicole didn’t know was that Abel had no idea of the truth. Riana had lied to him, claiming that Nicole was guilty of fraud. Abel, always suspicious of Nicole and believing her to be a gold digger, believed the lie without question.

To him, their marriage had always been a contract—nothing more. Nicole had only been in it for the benefits, for the money. And because his grandfather had favored her over Riana, Abel had tolerated her presence.

Nicole had been naive, believing that Riana would leave Abel for her. The reality was a crushing blow, one that shattered her already fragile heart. Two years of sacrifice, two years of love, were nothing but a waste to him.

Abel answered the call, his voice soft and tender as he spoke to Riana. 

"Riana, dear, how are you?" he asked, his tone so different from how he had just spoken to Nicole. 

In the past, he had always treated Riana with love and respect, something Nicole had never experienced.

"Abel, I have a big surprise for you," Riana’s voice chimed from the other end of the line.

"A surprise? What could that be?" Abel said with genuine interest.

Nicole felt a sharp pang of pain in her chest. The realization hit her like a blow—Abel would always love Riana, not her. She had never stood a chance.