You Humiliated Me, I Left No Trace

Chapter 2

Adrian's head snapped up. He stared at Lila, paralyzed in disbelief.

A cold smile curved her lips. "A title that was never yours to begin with. Is it really worth clinging to so desperately?"

Her words struck like a physical blow, driving a dull, suffocating ache deep into his ribs.

Everyone in high society knew they had been pledged to each other since childhood, bound by their families. But in Lila's eyes, he had never been a fiancé—only an intruder who had stolen what belonged to another man.

Adrian's mouth twisted into a bitter, broken smile. "I came into this marriage willingly," he whispered, his voice spent.

His quiet confession came far too late. Lila's patience had evaporated long ago. Without another word, she turned and walked away, Dorian at her side, never once looking back.

The words dissolved into the night air, heavy with unspoken grief. Nobody cared. Nobody answered.

Adrian watched her figure disappear into the dark until a bone-deep chill stiffened his limbs.

It took every ounce of his remaining strength to push himself off the ground. Dizzy and unsteady, he stumbled back to his quarters.

The moment he crossed the threshold, the illness he had been suppressing broke through his defenses. A violent coughing fit folded him in half. Blood burst from his lips, splattering across the polished marble floor in dark, damning crimson.

His vision swam. Adrian collapsed, the hard floor rushing up to meet him.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Robin's tear-streaks and the grave face of Dr. Grace Granville, his private physician.

Adrian forced himself upright against the pillows, his voice raspy. "I'm sorry to trouble you, Dr. Granville."

Grace met his gaze, her expression composed but her tone laced with grim reality. "The damage has spread too deep into your organs, Mr. Sheldon. Even with my full regimen of targeted herbal therapies, I can only guarantee you six months. At most."

Adrian didn't flinch. There was no flicker of fear in his eyes—only a vast, hollow quiet.

After a long pause, he asked softly, "If I stop taking the medication... how much faster would it be?"

Silence descended on the room like lead.

Grace, unfailingly calm and unshakeable, actually stiffened in surprise.

Adrian looked at her with quiet desperation. Every storm threatening his family, every piece of their crumbling life—it had all started with him. If he ceased to exist, would Lila finally let go of her vendetta? Would she leave the Sheldons in peace?

A sharp click shattered the quiet.

Grace snapped her medical case shut, her eyes cold. "If you've already decided to surrender, Mr. Sheldon, don't bother calling me again."

She slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out without a backward glance.

Adrian stared at the empty doorway as a wave of bitter exhaustion pulled him under.

Three days passed in a blur of numb silence.

The villa's front gates were kicked open with a thunderous crash.

Lila's tall, imposing silhouette filled the doorway. Adrian rose out of instinct to greet her.

She didn't glance his way. "Extinguish the herbal burners," she ordered, her voice absolute ice.

The bodyguards behind her moved instantly, shoving Robin aside and dousing the clay pots where his daily remedies were simmering. Fire sputtered out; dark, aromatic steam filled the air.

Adrian's pupils contracted. "Lila... why are you doing this?"

Her face was a mask of cold arrogance. "The smell of these concoctions hangs in the air. It's bothering Dorian when he walks through the gardens. From today on, no more brewing medicine on this estate."

To spare her lover a moment's discomfort, she was stripping Adrian of his right to survive—even in the privacy of his own residence.

The cruelty hit him like a physical strike. All color drained from his face.

Lila turned and walked out, her back straight, devoid of a second thought.

Robin's eyes burned with angry tears. "Mr. Sheldon! How can she treat you like this? You're her husband!"

Adrian stood frozen for a long time, his throat parched. When he finally spoke, his voice was nothing more than a hollow whisper. "She never cared, Robin. Whether I'm well or dying... I never mattered to her."

The next morning, Adrian visited his pregnant sister at the Holloway estate, carrying a box containing two silver baby bangles he had carefully selected and blessed for her unborn child.

As he reached the entrance of the main hall, the furious roar of his brother-in-law, Victor Holloway, echoed from within.

"Celia! Your damn brother is going to drag this entire family into the grave with him!"

Adrian's chest seized. He pushed the door open, stepping inside just as Victor raised his hand toward Celia.

"Stop!"

Adrian lunged forward, shielding his sister behind him, his eyes burning with cold fury. "Have you lost your mind? She's carrying your child! How dare you raise your hand to her?"

Victor startled at his sudden appearance. His face twisted with immediate resentment.

After a suffocating pause, Victor spat out a cruel sneer. "Playing the big protector, are we? If you were half as capable at the Sterling house as you act here, our family wouldn't be losing every contract in the city! We're hitting dead ends everywhere because of you!"

Adrian went rigid. His lips parted, but no words came. He had no defense.

A gentle hand tugged at his sleeve.

Celia stepped in front of him, taking the brunt of Victor's glare. Her voice was quiet, but unyielding. "That's enough, Victor. Whatever grievances you have with the world, take them out on me. Leave my brother alone."

Victor glared at her for a long, tense moment before letting out a harsh laugh and storming out of the house.

Once the front door slammed, Celia turned to Adrian, patting his shoulder with a weary smile. "Don't mind him, Adrian. He's just under a lot of pressure."

But Adrian saw right through it—the bone-deep exhaustion in her eyes, the bruises hidden under her long sleeves. A crushing weight of guilt settled on his lungs, strangling the breath out of him.

Leaving the Holloway residence, Adrian returned straight to the Sterling estate.

He sat alone in his room for hours, staring into the dark. Finally, he picked up a pen, signed his name on the documents, and walked toward the main gates.

Outside, as Lila's sleek black limousine rounded the driveway, Adrian's hands trembled slightly.

The car came to a smooth stop.

Under the stunned gazes of the servants and passing pedestrians, Adrian stepped into the driveway and dropped to his knees on the hard asphalt.

Whispers broke out among the staff.

The rear door opened, and Lila stepped out. She looked down at the man kneeling in the dust, her eyes completely devoid of warmth.

Adrian raised the signed divorce papers in his right hand, his voice clear, steady, and stripped of all hesitation.

"Today, I, Adrian Sheldon, voluntarily sever my marriage with the Sterling family. From this moment on, I release you from every obligation. I only ask that Miss Sterling honor her word—and leave my family alone."