He Wanted a Pet, I Left Him Behind

Chapter 2

Diane replied almost immediately.

Diane: At least you know your place. You have 1 week. As soon as you get your visa, leave.

Elena switched back to her other chats.

There were still no new messages.

In the past, by this time of day, her phone would have been flooded with messages from "Dummy".

Dummy: Where are you, Ellie?

Dummy: I warmed up some milk for you, Ellie.

Elena took a deep breath, called the program office, and withdrew from the investment course she had been taking for more than a year.

She had attended every week without fail and had finally started seeing results.

Back then, she had only wanted to become someone who could stand proudly beside Marcus.

Now the thought seemed ridiculous.

When she opened the front door of the Hale residence, she found Marcus's younger sister, Chloe Hale, and Sophia lounging on the couch in pajamas while several housekeepers stood by, ready to serve them.

"Oh, look who finally came home." Chloe gave Elena her usual mocking smile. "Mrs. Hale herself. Dressed like that, you'd think she worked here."

Sophia took a slow sip of coffee and smiled.

"Chloe, don't say that about Ms. Brooks." She looked up at Elena. "She came from a very different background. You have to give her time to adjust."

"Adjust?" Chloe raised her voice. "Sophia, you're too kind. A nobody like her..." She broke off, her chest heaving with anger. "My brother and Sophia grew up together. They were meant to be together. If you hadn't seduced him while he had no memory, they would've been a couple years ago."

The housekeepers lowered their heads. No one dared make a sound.

"Is that so?" Elena asked softly. "Without me, your brother might still be wandering the streets somewhere—or worse."

The room went silent.

Chloe's face turned livid.

She raised her hand to slap Elena.

"Enough."

A cool voice came from the curved staircase.

Marcus had appeared on the landing without anyone noticing.

Dressed in a tailored suit, Marcus came down the stairs at an unhurried pace.

Chloe immediately lowered her hand and pouted.

In the past, Marcus would already have rushed down the stairs, pulled Elena behind him, and angrily defended her.

Now he merely frowned.

"Chloe, watch what you say." Then he walked toward Elena. "Ellie, don't be angry." Marcus cupped her face, making her meet his dark, unreadable gaze. "Ellie, I got my memory back."

"Congratulations."

Elena gave him a perfectly composed smile.

The next moment, he pulled her into his arms.

But the hug was too light, too measured, nothing like the way he used to hold her.

Her throat tightened, and tears pricked at her eyes.

'How can the same person become so completely different?'

Marcus took her silence to mean Sophia's presence was bothering her.

His thumb brushed lightly across her shoulder.

"Sophia's parents aren't home. She'd be lonely if she stayed by herself."

"Mhm."

Elena turned toward the stairs, but as she took her first step, Marcus caught her wrist.

A cup clicked softly against a saucer.

His grip on Elena's wrist loosened at once.

She didn't turn around.

She simply went upstairs.

She needed to pack.

If the marriage certificate was fake, then soon she would have no connection to this house at all.

But she couldn't let Marcus know she was leaving yet.

She didn't want anything to interfere with her plan.

At the corner of the upstairs hallway, she stopped.

Below, Marcus leaned in to whisper something in Sophia's ear, a soft smile on his lips.

Sophia laughed and pushed lightly at his chest while Chloe teased them from beside the couch.

Elena turned away.

Late that night, she was carrying a glass of milk back to her room when she ran into Sophia.

A second later, Sophia's foot slid.

"Ah!"

At the scream, Chloe rushed out and found Sophia sitting on the floor.

"Elena Brooks!" she shouted. "How dare you push Sophia?"

Marcus strode out of the study.

His gaze swept over Sophia on the floor before settling on Elena.

"Ellie, you're Mrs. Hale. How could you stoop to something so petty?"