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Sabrina's POV

When I got home, I stayed in my private room. For hours, I drowned in suffocating sadness.

"It turns out that my presence means nothing to my husband. Is this what is called old love, the real winner?" I said softly and sadly.

Not long after that, a loud car horn was heard.

"He's home." I opened the curtains and peeked down.

It turned out to be true; it was the sound of Nicholas's car. Slowly, I stood up, left the room, and rushed to meet my husband in the bedroom.

I pulled the doorknob of the room and stepped inside. I saw Nicholas, who was taking off his black tuxedo.

"You're home? It's so rare to be out so late..." I said while walking carefully towards Nicholas. "Where have you been?”

"There's important business outside," Nicholas answered indifferently while unbuttoning his shirt sleeve.

The answer my husband gave made me feel suffocated. He was clearly lying; my husband was dishonest. How could Nicholas lie to me for his ex-wife?

When Nicholas was about to walk away, I held his arm and looked up at Nicholas's handsome face with a sad gaze.

"If I may ask... have you been spending your time with Hazel all day?" I asked, trying to suppress the rumbling in my chest.

Nicholas stared at me for a moment, then said, "Whoever I meet, it has nothing to do with you, Sabrina!"

"I-I'm just asking..." I said, surprised by my husband's harsh words.

Nicholas released my hand from his arm. "I'm very tired today; don't upset me."

"I-I understand." I turned around, walked closer to the bed, and sat down.

My husband was now taking off his white shirt. Nicholas was about to walk to the bathroom, but the ringing of his cellphone caught his attention. He quickly answered the call, which seemed very important.

"Hello... What?! Accident?! Which hospital are you in now? I'll be there soon; wait until I get there. Don't go anywhere!"

Nicholas's voice sounded filled with anxiety. The man immediately hung up the call. Nicholas hurriedly grabbed a shirt from the closet and put it on in a hurry.

His face and expression showed that he was very worried about something.

I, who was curious, approached my husband and asked, "What's wrong? Where are you going at this time of night?"

"I have to go to the hospital," Nicholas answered flatly.

My face became tense. "Hospital? Who's sick?"

"Hazel had an accident a few minutes ago. I have to go there immediately!"

Hearing Hazel's name mentioned by my husband, I stood there frozen with a hurt feeling.

Hazel again. In every situation, it seemed clear that I would always lose to that woman.

"Doesn't she have another family that you have to go to?" I dared to ask in a last-ditch effort at self-defense.

Nicholas clicked his tongue when he heard my question. "Tsk! I'm in a hurry, Sabrina! Hazel is alone there! What if she is badly injured?!"

My lips immediately closed tightly. My fingers squeezed the edge of the dress I was now wearing.

The lines of panic and anxiety on Nicholas's face were so clear; how worried he was to hear the news of his ex-wife's accident.

When Nicholas was about to step toward the door, I grabbed his arm. "You'll come back home later, right?" I asked in a trembling voice.

"Not if she's badly injured," Nicholas said, letting go of my hand just like that.

My husband walked hurriedly away from me and went back to meet his ex, who was injured in the hospital.

I was silent, staring blankly at the still-open bedroom door.

"Even though he never panicked when I was sick, he looked very afraid if that woman was hurt...."

Tears began to well up in my eyes. It felt like something was tearing my heart apart, creating unbearable pain. Why did I feel this way? Why was this jealousy and heartache so excruciating?

I thought back to all the moments we had together. When I was sick, he always remained calm, as if there was nothing to worry about. However, when his ex-wife was injured, he seemed to lose control. There was something I couldn’t ignore—a feeling that I wasn’t the most important thing in his life.

My head was spinning, trying to process all of this. Was I just a substitute? Was the love he gave me not comparable to the love he had for his ex? These questions kept spinning in my mind, making me sink deeper and deeper.

I tried to stand up, but my legs felt weak. I reached for my phone, wanting to call him, but my hand stopped. What should I say? I didn’t want to look weak, but on the other hand, I couldn’t hold back my feelings.

Finally, I decided to go out to the balcony. The cool night air touched my skin, bringing a little calm amidst my storm of emotions. I stared at the twinkling stars in the sky, hoping to find an answer among them.

“Should I hold on?” I whispered to myself. “Or will I continue to get hurt like this?”