Chapter 2

"Dad, you were right all along. Winston will never love me the way I love him. I've finally realized my mistake, and I'll return home now."

Millie's hoarse voice echoed through the empty living room.

Not only were the Caldwells the most affluent family in Lumina City, but they were also renowned for their medical lineage.

Millie's grandfather, Arthur Caldwell, was a successful businessman, and her grandmother, Layla Cadmore, was a renowned cardiothoracic surgery professor. They were considered a match made in heaven.

Millie had been studying medicine with her grandmother since she was a child. Layla had even said that she was a genius destined for the medical field!

Her grandparents had laid the groundwork for her future, her father had amassed a vast fortune for her to inherit, and her mother had assured her that she could always live freely under her protection.

Yet she sacrificed everything for Winston and reduced herself to this sorry state.

At that time, she was very idealistic about love, thinking she could overcome anything for the sake of it.

She must have been out of her mind back then.

Millie took a deep breath, then went upstairs to take a shower. After that, she changed her clothes and put on some light makeup.

She had already cleared out all of her belongings.

A painting of a sunset was hanging on the wall behind the living room couch. It was a piece that she and Winston had painted together.

Millie stood before it and gently touched it. She couldn't help but reminisce about the time when she happily got married to Winston.

At that time, Gloria said Winston was willing to marry her. However, there wouldn't be any wedding ceremony.

Millie didn't think it mattered. As long as she could marry Winston, the wedding wasn't that important.

However, Terrence was enraged when he found out about it. Back then, he had even warned her that she was rushing into the marriage and would live to regret it.

Millie held back her tears and took down the painting. She ruthlessly destroyed it and threw it into the trash can.

Terrence was right. She'd almost lost her life in this marriage. She regretted it now.

Henceforth, she was ready to put the past behind her and start anew.

Millie placed the divorce papers that Winston had thrown at her on their wedding night on the coffee table.

She smiled gently, her face glowing as she said, "Winston, you've got what you wanted. I hope you're happy now."

After closing the door of the villa, Millie turned around and saw the purple Pagani parked at the entrance, which belonged exclusively to her.

A young man stepped out of the car and his lips curled into a playful smile as he spoke, "Ms. Caldwell, it seems like you've finally decided to leave this hell hole."

"You didn't take long." Millie circled the car and got into the driver's seat.

Marvin Maddock was Millie's loyal follower. When he was a child, he was very naughty. One day, he nearly drowned in the swimming pool and it was Millie who saved him back then.

Since then, he had been at Millie's beck and call, never once complaining about the tasks she gave him.

"Of course! I've been waiting for this for three years!"

A wave of sadness washed over Millie as she secured her seatbelt. "Did all of you think that my marriage would end up in failure?"

Marvin glanced at Millie warily, and his silence spoke volumes.

Millie's doe eyes dimmed slightly.

Despite everyone's warning, she still fell head over heels for Winston. She even went ahead and married him!

Millie's heart clenched as she thought about it.

She took the wheel in one hand and shifted gears with the other. After that, she floored the accelerator and drove away, leaving a trail of dust behind her.

As the Pagani sped down the road, its engine roared angrily like a beast—just like its owner.

Before long, they pulled over in front of a tattoo parlor. Millie got out of the car and went inside, with Marvin right behind her.

"Ryan, I'd like this tattoo." Millie handed the iPad to the man beside her.

It was a butterfly design. It was unique, beautiful, and incredibly lifelike.

"Where do you want it inked?" Ryan Newman asked Millie.

Millie took off her coat, revealing a black tank top underneath. She had smooth skin and a perfect figure.

There was a deep scar on Millie's right shoulder.

Ryan exclaimed in surprise, "This is—"

Before Millie could respond, Marvin said, "She was truly young and reckless back then. She got this when she saved that scumbag."

Ryan figured it out right away. That scumbag was most likely Winston.

Everyone knew that Millie liked Winston a lot. It was quite a sensational affair back then.

Besides Winston, there was no one worth risking her life for.

Millie laid face down on the bed and said, "There's no need to apply numbing cream. You can just go ahead and start inking."

Ryan wanted to tell Millie that it would hurt. However, he ultimately decided to do what Millie wanted instead.

Millie had always been stubborn. Once she made up her mind, nothing could sway her.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten herself into such a mess with Winston.

"It's quite a severe scar."

Ryan's voice was filled with pain as he said, "I never knew you had a scar on your back before. You really sacrificed a lot for that scumbag. What did you get in return, huh?"

Millie closed her eyes, and her mind wandered back to four years ago.

Winston was kidnapped, and the kidnappers were after his life. She secretly followed them by herself to stall time.

After being discovered, the kidnappers were captivated by her beauty and wanted to exchange her for Winston. She readily agreed to it.

She got into a fight with the kidnappers and ended up getting stabbed in the back. When they realized that she was the heiress of the Caldwell family, the kidnappers knew that they wouldn't make it out alive as long as she was alive.

Therefore, they decided to kill her. They tied her up, weighed her down with a rock, and threw her into the sea!

She was submerged in the sea and she kept choking on water as her body kept sinking. She felt a sense of suffocation overwhelming her as she struggled.

Since then, she had a fear of drowning.

Millie gritted her teeth as the pain in her back intensified.

Once she covered the scar, it would erase any proof that she had ever loved him.

She chose not to use any numbing cream so that she could remember this pain vividly.

She was determined to live for herself from that moment on.

…

Meanwhile, Winston was peeling an apple by the hospital bed when he suddenly heard the woman say, "Win, maybe we should end things here."

Winston glanced at her and asked gently, "What are you talking about?"

"I know Mills loves you very much, and I don't want to hurt her," Joanna said as tears streamed down her face.

Winston frowned as he suddenly recalled what Millie had said about getting a divorce.

At that moment, he still found it hard to believe that Millie had asked for a divorce.

Was she trying to use such a despicable method to prove that she didn't push Joanna into the pool?

Winston handed Joanna a piece of neatly sliced apple and said indifferently, "I'll bring her over to apologize to you later."

Joanna's eyes were filled with despair and desolation. She bit her lips and didn't take the sliced apple. Instead, she said with a hint of grievance, "Win…"

"I said I'll take care of you, so I'll definitely marry you."

Winston reached out and gently tousled Joanna's hair, reassuring her not to dwell on it.

When she heard that, Joanna obediently nodded. Although she felt a sense of satisfaction deep down, she hated Millie to the core at the same time.

Millie was truly shameless for occupying the position of Winston's wife!

Winston felt somewhat restless, so he made up an excuse to leave the hospital. "I still have some things to attend to at the company. I'll come back later to check on you."

As Joanna watched Winston's retreating figure, her feigned look of grievance gradually faded away.

As she lowered her head, the thought of Millie filled her with burning hatred.

What exactly did Millie gain from clinging to a man who didn't love her?

After leaving the hospital, Winston received a call from Jake Webson.

Jake was from one of the Four Great Families in Yerwick, and he was the CEO of Webson Group. They had known each other since they were young and they had a very close relationship.

Jake sounded languid, with a touch of playful banter as he asked, "How's that damsel in distress of yours?"

Winston opened the car door and got inside. "Joanna is fine."

Jake said with a playful grin on his face, "Of course, she's fine. Everyone in the yard went over to help her, so what could possibly happen to her? What about your wife then?"

Winston sneered and said with disdain, "What could possibly happen to her?"

Jake excitedly exclaimed, "I was the one who saved your wife today! If it weren't for me, she would have drowned in the pool!"

Winston immediately frowned when he heard what Jake had said. Millie's pitiful appearance flashed through his mind, and he involuntarily tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

However, he quickly regained his composure and said, "Are you kidding me? She's fearless enough to explore the depths of the ocean, so how could a mere swimming pool drown her?"

"Is she faking it? It doesn't seem like it. If she is, then she's really good at it."

Jake sighed helplessly and continued, "Millie is really heartless. Doesn't she know that Joanna has a fear of drowning because she saved you after you were kidnapped? How could she still do such a thing to her?"

Others might not be aware of such an incident, but Jake was in the know.

Winston was determined to marry Joanna because she had saved him when he was kidnapped back then.

Since Joanna had saved his life, he felt compelled to protect her for the rest of his life—hence the marriage.

As Winston listened, he felt a creeping unease. A feeling of impending doom washed over him, and he said in a husky voice, "If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now."

"Are you up for going to Siren Club tonight?"

"I'm not going."

After saying that, Winston immediately hung up the phone.

As he looked at the red traffic light before him, he suddenly recalled what Jake had said.

"I was the one who saved your wife today! If it weren't for me, she would have drowned in the pool!"

Winston's brow furrowed as he recalled what Millie had said earlier as well.

"Winston, I also have a fear of drowning."

A frown formed on Winston's face as he wondered why Millie suddenly had a fear of drowning.

Winston slammed on the gas and found himself at the villa before he even knew it.

After he got out of the car and pushed open the door, he impatiently called out, "Millie!"

After changing his shoes, he walked across the hallway and made his way to the living room, yet Millie was still nowhere to be seen.

In the past, whenever he came home, Millie would either run down the stairs or be bustling about in the kitchen. She was always very cheerful every time.

Yet, on that day, the villa was eerily quiet.

After heading upstairs, Winston pushed open the bedroom door and was about to call for Millie. However, he discovered that the bedroom was surprisingly clean and tidy.

After a moment's pause, Winston noticed that the dressing room had been emptied as well.

In the washroom, only his toothbrush was left. Millie's toothbrush was nowhere to be seen.

Did Millie… really leave?