Chapter 2

When Michael saw me, a flicker of unease crossed his face, but he quickly masked it with forced composure.

“Want to head in together?” he asked.

I didn’t refuse. I simply nodded and walked inside.

Dinner was painfully awkward.

My parents still hadn’t let go of what happened at the wedding, so they weren’t exactly warm toward Michael.

If this had been before, I might’ve stepped in to smooth things over. Instead, I let him sit there, alone in his discomfort.

Once dinner was over, I was about to call a ride home when Michael pulled up in front of me.

I didn’t hesitate. I opened the car door and got in, only to see a sticker on the passenger seat that read: “Susie’s Seat.”

Michael cleared his throat, looking a little awkward as he explained, “Susie insisted on putting it there. Besides, you usually drive yourself anyway.”

I nodded, my tone indifferent. “Yeah. That’s how it always starts.”

Michael frowned, as if wanting to say something else, but before he could, my phone buzzed.

Ignoring him, I lowered my head and focused on my messages.

By the time I was done responding, Michael had pulled up in front of a villa.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, Susie came running straight into his arms.

“Michael, I missed you so much! Did you miss me?”

Since I was right there, Michael looked uncomfortable. He quickly stopped her from kissing him on the cheek.

“Alright, alright. We’re not kids anymore.”

Susie shot me a triumphant glance before deliberately pouting. “So what if we’re older? That doesn’t mean I’m not still your little sister.”

I ignored them completely and walked inside.

As soon as I reached the entrance, my eyes landed on the large digital screen inside, where a slideshow of pictures was playing on a loop.

Every single one was of Michael and Susie—them watching the sunset together, having dinner, laughing…

Then, at the very end, a picture of them locked in a deep, passionate kiss.

I had barely glanced at it before Michael rushed to my side, panicking.

“Diana, these photos aren’t real! Please, believe me. Don’t be mad, okay?”

I turned to look at him and caught the guilt flashing in his eyes.

I nodded, though.

“Mm. The pictures turned out nice.”

Susie’s smile faltered.

“Diana, you’re not angry?”

My expression remained calm.

“No.”

The moment I spoke, my phone rang.

It was the doctor calling to discuss my hospitalization for tomorrow.

I had gone for a check-up a while ago, and they had found something concerning in my lungs.

Now, it seemed the results were in.

…

I stepped aside to take the call, ignoring whatever expression was on Michael’s face.

By the time I finished and returned to the hall, I saw Michael shielding Susie, loudly berating someone.

From their exchange, it wasn’t hard to figure out what had happened. Someone had accidentally spilled a little wine on the hem of Susie’s dress, and Michael wasn’t letting it go until they apologized.

Watching the scene unfold, a memory from years ago suddenly resurfaced.

Back then, Michael and I had attended a similar dinner party together. As I passed by a champagne tower in the center of the hall, Susie deliberately gave me a shove.

I lost my balance and crashed straight into the tower.

The glass shattered instantly. Champagne mixed with my blood as it soaked into my dress, seeping into my skin.

I had turned to Michael for help.

However, in front of everyone, he yelled at me in fury instead of helping me.

“Do you even know how to walk?! That champagne tower was huge. How could you not see it?!

“You just had to crash into it? Do you even realize how important this event is? Honestly, I don’t know why someone as useless as you is even alive.

“If I were you, I’d just slam my head into a wall and end it already!”

As my mind returned to the present, I looked at the scene before me and couldn’t help but find it laughable.

Without hesitation, I turned and left.

That night, Michael didn’t come home.

I wasn’t surprised. This wasn’t the first time.

The next morning, as I was freshening up, I saw Michael return with breakfast, Susie trailing right behind him.

When he noticed me, he set the breakfast on the table and, surprisingly, offered an explanation.

“We stayed out late last night, and I got scared driving alone, so I just crashed at Susie’s place. You’re not mad, right?”

Before I could respond, Susie immediately wrapped an arm around Michael’s shoulders and smirked.

“Yeah, Diana. You’re not mad, are you?”

I simply nodded without saying anything.

Michael must have sensed my indifference, because his voice softened as he spoke again.

“You’ve been wanting to watch that new movie, right?

“I finally have time today. Let’s go watch it together.”

That movie had received stellar reviews since its release. I had asked him to go with me multiple times, but he turned me down every time.

He always claimed work was too busy. Yet, just a few days later, I had seen Susie’s post.

[The best movie deserves the best company.]

While the picture didn’t show their faces, the interlocked fingers in the photo were enough. I knew it was him.

Now, standing in front of him, I could faintly catch the lingering scent of women’s perfume on his clothes.

Without hesitation, I refused.

“No need. I have plans today.”

Michael’s expression stiffened slightly, but before he could say anything else, Susie, already lounging on the couch, looked at me with a smirk.

“Say, Diana, your plans wouldn’t happen to be meeting up with an old high school friend, would they?”

…

I glanced at her, puzzled.

The only people who knew about my divorce plans were me and my lawyer.

There was no way Michael, and certainly not Susie, would know. Let alone the fact that my lawyer was a friend from high school.

Noticing my reaction, Susie put on a worried expression, as if afraid this would upset Michael.

“Michael, don’t be mad, okay? A friend said they saw Diana at a cafe the other day. She was with her high school friend, and their interaction seemed a bit…”

She deliberately paused, dragging out the suspense before adding in an innocent voice, “Intimate.

“But maybe my friend saw it wrong. I mean, Diana loves you so much. There’s no way she’d cheat on you, right?”

The moment those words left her mouth, Michael’s expression darkened instantly.

His hand shot out, knocking over the vase on the table. The ceramic shattered against the floor, fragments scattering at my feet.

He glared at me, his voice thunderous with rage.

“Diana! So you’re refusing to see a movie with me because you want to sneak around with some other guy?!

“How shameless can you be?!”

I lowered my gaze and stared at the broken shards on the floor. Before I could respond, Susie once again spoke up, feigning concern.

“Michael, don’t get too upset. Let’s talk things through calmly.

“Really, can you blame Diana for acting this way? I mean, after all, wasn’t her mom the same? Didn’t she also cheat—”

Before she could finish, I grabbed the tissue box from the table and hurled it straight at her.

Insult me all you want, but my mother? That was off-limits.

The spot where the tissue box hit her immediately turned red, and Michael rushed to her side.

He grabbed her wrist, his expression full of concern.

Seeing Susie put on such a pitiful act only made Michael angrier. He pointed at me and cursed.

“Diana, you’ve really disappointed me!

“Even if what Susie said isn’t true, that still doesn’t give you the right to hit her! You should at least—”

I cut him off before he could continue.

“So, you know she’s lying?”

Michael stiffened. His face twitched slightly, but he quickly composed himself, straightening his posture and pointing at me with righteous indignation.

“Yeah, I saw you that day, too. But getting physical isn’t the answer.

“So apologize to Susie right now. If you don’t, we’re getting a divorce!”

A chilling numbness spread through my body. I stared at him, momentarily speechless.

“Michael, do you even hear yourself?”

He scoffed, as if I had just said something ridiculous.

“Diana, I know exactly what I’m saying.

“No matter what, you shouldn’t have hit Susie. Now hurry up and apologize, or we’re filing for divorce right now!”

I let out a laugh. I reached for the divorce papers I had prepared and slammed them onto the table before him.

“Perfect. Let’s do it.”