Chapter 2
780 Words
Vivienne's words were as sharp and stinging as the dark green cat-eye manicure on her fingertips. Seraphina stared at her for a long moment, then smiled. "Do you know why our cups are labeled?"
Vivienne turned an inquisitive gaze toward her.
Seraphina continued, "Because Damian has Helicobacter pylori, so his cutlery and cups are always kept separate."
Vivienne's face stiffened, her expression shifting in a way that was quite entertaining to watch. Perhaps feeling that she had lost the upper hand, she quickly grabbed her son and prepared to leave.
Seraphina had won this round, but she couldn't bring herself to feel happy about it. Damian wasn't actually sick, of course; the separation of their tableware was purely because of his mysophobia. Yet, based on what Vivienne had let slip, she and Damian were sharing tableware. The deeper implication was clear: they were living together.
Seraphina felt a wave of nausea, as if she had swallowed a fly. Her mind was in chaos. As soon as Vivienne and her son left, Leo shoved Seraphina hard and lashed out at her.
"Bad mom, why did you have to lie and drive Vivienne away? Daddy is sick of you. That's why he uses a separate cup. I'm going to get my own cup from now on too, so I don't have to use yours!"
Every word was a knife to the heart. Breathless, Seraphina forced herself to press for the truth. "Leo, how do you know your father is sick of me?"
Leo rolled his eyes, his tone dripping with undisguised disdain. "Every time Daddy kisses you, he goes to brush his teeth. I saw it when I was little. Daddy is really sick of you."
Seraphina sat stunned for a long time. She couldn't bring herself to accept that Damian had been disgusted by her even before Vivienne appeared.
At seven in the evening, Damian returned. At the dinner table, Seraphina reached out to hand him her cup, as if trying to verify something. "Here's the coconut water you like."
Damian recoiled. "No, thanks." He refused without a moment's hesitation.
Seraphina's heart sank to the bottom of an abyss. The child had been telling the truth.
Night fell. When Seraphina reached out to him in bed, Damian rolled over, avoiding her touch. A sliver of moonlight shone through the window, illuminating Seraphina's fragile face. Tears fell silently. Seraphina was a proud woman; she never cried in front of others, only hiding under her quilt in the dead of night to let the tears flow.
In the years when he loved her most, Damian would always sense Seraphina's moods, even waking from a deep sleep to cover her face with his warm palm. Whenever she cried in secret, he would sigh and pull her into his arms from behind, coaxing her to let her emotions out. "What's wrong? If you're upset, just have an argument with me. Don't keep it bottled up."
Now, in the twelfth year of their marriage, he was awake and knew she was crying, yet he remained utterly indifferent. Time was truly cruel. How could a person just stop loving someone like that?
The next day was the weekend, and it was time for their family day outing. The activity, horseback riding, had been decided the previous week via a game of darts. Leo and Damian were up early getting ready, but Seraphina had no intention of joining them. She took out the divorce agreement she had prepared and held it out for Damian to sign.
"Damian, sign this. Let's part on good terms."
Damian's gaze landed on the words Divorce Agreement, and his brow furrowed. "What is this?"
Seraphina flipped straight to the signature page and handed him the pen. "Since you've fallen for Vivienne, I'll grant you your wish."
Damian didn't take the pen, instead staring coldly at Seraphina. "I never realized you were so generous before." He reached out to feel her forehead, furrowing his brow in a show of concern. "Do you have a fever?"
Seraphina turned her head, dodging his touch.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Leo's eyes lit up, and he ran excitedly to open the door. "Daddy, it must be Vivienne! Great, I'm going to go horseback riding and archery with her!"
Seraphina froze. Damian had actually agreed to let Leo invite Vivienne on their family day, and she hadn't known anything about it.
Vivienne glided into the house, impeccably dressed. She wore a white, sleeveless top with a deep V-neck, and that emerald Heart of Green Flame hung around her fair neck, dazzling and conspicuous. It was identical to the anniversary gift Damian had given her not long ago.
- Writer
