His Secret Wedding Photo, I Left Him

Chapter 4

Jessica stared at me with a jumble of emotions flickering across her face: shock, smug satisfaction at my misfortune, and even a hint of pity.

"Tsk, beauty really is fleeting, isn't it? The former campus queen of State University is nothing to write home about these days."

I said nothing. I knew perfectly well she was taking a jab at my current figure.

Back in the day, I had gotten into State University as the top-ranked dance arts major, and I was the universally acknowledged campus queen. Back then, my skin was taut and firm. I weighed less than 100 pounds, light as a feather on my feet. Now? I had stopped dancing for years, and my weight had crept up to nearly 145 pounds. It wasn't like I was massively overweight, but I was a far cry from the Lily who had been the campus queen all those years ago.

"Don't tell me you asked me out just for this."

Annoyed that she had not managed to get a rise out of me, Jessica scowled.

"I heard you and Sean filed for divorce. That's how it should be. It's way better to set him free than cling to a partner you have nothing in common with. You know what? Sean has complained to me more than once that he can't hold a decent conversation with you.

"He tells you he just calculated the mass of a planet, and all you do is ask if steak sounds good for dinner. Total bore. I know you're probably going to call me a homewrecker, but I can say this with a clear conscience: I've loved him for just as long as you have!"

Seeing that Jessica had nothing of actual substance to say, I stood up straight away.

"Then I wish you two a lifetime of happiness."

Jessica stomped her foot hard in frustration. She yelled after my retreating back, "You think Sean can't bear to leave you, don't you? I'll prove to you who actually matters more to him!"

While we were waiting out the divorce process, Sean was unnervingly attentive. He checked in on me constantly whenever he had a spare minute, baked my favorite cakes from scratch, and dropped them off at my parents' house every single day, just like he had back when he was chasing me.

When only one day was left before everything was finalized, Sean showed up empty-handed. He stood alone on my parents' doorstep, his face grim.

"Lily, are you really that underhanded, just to force me to go through with the divorce? Why did you report Jessica to her workplace? She put in so much hard work to qualify for this academic research project. Isn't it petty to take your personal grudge out on her like this?"

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Sean shook his head, disappointment written all over his face.

"If you're that dead set on ending this, I won't force you to stay. We can get divorced. The house and car go to me, and we split all our shared income evenly."

I nodded without a second of hesitation. "Fine."

Stunned that I had agreed so readily, Sean froze for a second before he spoke through gritted teeth.

"Do you have any idea what that means? Lily, you haven't worked in years. You have no clue how tough the outside world is. That little bit of money won't be nearly enough for a woman like you to get by on. And let's be real, you don't have any marketable skills, and your figure's gone to—"

Sean cut himself off the second he realized he had gone too far, clamping his mouth shut.

I just smiled, completely unbothered.

"Sean, you think I'm fat and ugly and useless now. That's why you forgot what I told you when I married you: if I ever found out you'd cheated on me, I'd leave you without looking back."

The next day, outside the courthouse.

Sean and I each clutched a fresh divorce certificate. He opened his mouth like he had something to say, but I did not give him the chance. I spun on my heel and walked away without a second glance.

Three years later.

I had picked up dancing again, and my body was back to its old shape. Actually, it was even better than it had been when I was twenty. Back then, I had just been skinny, but now my figure was toned and defined with lean, strong muscle. No one would ever guess I was already in my thirties.

One day, I was in my studio leading my students through their dance practice when I got a call from a close friend from college. She invited me to a class reunion that night. Thinking about the good friends I had not seen in ages, I decided to go.

Just as I was about to push the door open, I heard teasing voices coming from inside:

"You'll never guess it, but the nerd couple I shipped back in college is actually endgame! I always said all that bickering between you two was just obvious unresolved chemistry."

"Jessica is the only one perfect for Sean. That Lily was just a pretty face who could dance, big deal. When you're picking a partner, you need someone you can actually connect with. What could an art student like her possibly understand?"

"Women are like flowers, right? I heard Lily quit dancing completely after marrying Sean, got all frumpy and out of shape..."

Right then, I pushed the door open with a soft click, a bright, easy smile on my face.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone."