Chapter 2
1018 Words
Vanessa began handling two matters at once. She sought out a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement that would protect her rights to the greatest extent possible. At the same time, she started planning the return of her career.
Three years ago, she had been captivated by Adrian's striking appearance, and even more dazzled by the halo surrounding the title of criminal profiler. Back then, she had resigned without hesitation from her position as manager of a resort hotel in Camdenia, willing to fade into the background and become the shadow behind him.
Now, in countless late nights, she reopened the professional knowledge she had set aside for years, preparing to step back into the workplace.
On yet another night of studying until exhaustion, she rubbed her aching temples and suddenly realized that Adrian still had not returned home.
A trace of habitual worry rose in her chest. She sent him a message.
His reply contained only two cold words: Working late.
Almost at the same moment, a friend request from Selena popped up.
The message was courteous and impeccably worded, yet between the lines lay fine, hidden needles: Mrs. Sullivan, thank you for assisting Adrian with his work these past years. In order to take over as soon as possible, I'll need to understand the work habits he has developed. After all, I've missed far too much.
Vanessa stared at the screen, her fingertips turning cold. She replied quickly: "Hasn't Adrian told you? I am his legal wife.
Selena answered with astonishing speed: Of course I know. But we're discussing work, aren't we? I hope you can be more professional. No wonder Adrian often says that, professionally speaking, you are still lacking.
Vanessa closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and shut the conversation window.
The next second, she saw Selena's newly posted update.
A photo of drinks late at night. Adrian's profile was slightly blurred behind a wine glass.
The caption read: Thank you to my best partner for still being by my side after all these years.
Her fingers trembled uncontrollably. Almost without thinking, she tapped the like button.
In her memory, Adrian had always been composed and restrained. For three full years, she had never seen him touch alcohol. He used to say that alcohol impaired the brain's most precise judgment.
Even when accompanying her to her parents' home and faced with enthusiastic toasts from relatives, he would calmly refuse, leaving the table in awkward silence. In the end, it was always she who smoothed things over with a forced smile.
A sharp pain spread through her chest.
She kept telling herself that perhaps he had his reasons.
She did not know how long she waited. Her eyelids grew heavy and fought to stay open. At last, the sound of a key turning came from the entryway.
She immediately stood up, phone in hand, looking at him with grievance in her eyes.
"So this is what you meant by working late?" Her voice choked. "Drinking with Selena doesn't affect your judgment anymore?"
Adrian looked at her with complete unfamiliarity in his eyes. If not for her voice, he would have had no way of recognizing the woman who had shared his life for three years.
"Just a drink after work," he said, undisguised fatigue in his tone. "Since when do you interfere so much?"
"Is that so?" Vanessa's hand trembled as she held up her phone. "I asked your colleague. You left work on time today."
Adrian pressed his fingers hard against his brow, impatience evident in his voice. "Yes. Must you be so relentless and argumentative? I went drinking with Selena after work. I knew you would react like this, which is why I didn't want to say more. We've been married for three years. Can't you be a little more mature?"
He shifted all the blame onto her with casual ease. His excessive calmness only made Vanessa seem like someone irrational and hysterical.
Her eyes reddened instantly, her voice trembling uncontrollably. "You never drank before. Not once. Now you're making an exception for her and lying to me for her sake. And in the end, I'm the one who isn't mature? Adrian, can you be reasonable?"
He finally lost his patience, grabbing a change of clothes and heading toward the bathroom.
"She disappeared for three years. Now that she's finally back, I simply welcomed her. Enough. Stop overthinking. I'm tired."
Vanessa suddenly snatched the clothes from his hands and threw them hard onto the floor. "How am I supposed to believe you? Did welcoming her back have to mean the two of you alone?"
Adrian's restraint finally snapped, his voice rising sharply. "I've already explained myself. What more do you want? If there were really something between us, I wouldn't have married you in the first place. And besides."
He pointed at her phone, his gaze sharp. "I haven't even questioned what you meant by sarcastically liking that post. Vanessa, stop pushing your advantage."
Tears rolled down her face without warning. She stared at him in disbelief.
For three full years, Adrian had never once raised his voice at her.
Realizing his loss of control, he softened his tone and reached out to wipe the tears from her face.
"That's enough. Let's not argue." His fingertips were warm, his voice gentler now. "We should both calm down. Don't let something so small affect our relationship, all right?"
He bent down, picked up the clothes from the floor, and walked into the bathroom.
That night, they still lay in the same bed, yet each was immersed in entirely different thoughts.
The next day, Vanessa signed her name on the printed divorce agreement and gently placed it on the coffee table in the living room.
At that moment, a trending local post notification appeared on her phone, located in the western district of the city: Help! Where can I buy such a realistic toy gun? It looks too real. I just saw a few people doing cosplay who seemed completely out of control, shouting about planting bombs and going down together. It was terrifying.
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