The Wife He Lost Too Late

Chapter 3

That day, Alexander's security had a man pinned to the ground.

He, who was always calm and composed, grabbed the man by his collar, a fierce anger I had never seen before creeping into the corners of his eyes.

Afraid of things would spiral out of control, I reached out to stop him,

"Alexander, that's enough."

He turned his head sharply.

The look was so cold it felt unfamiliar.

"What gives you the right to stop me?"

My fingers went rigid.

The next second, a woman ran over in tears and threw her arms around him.

"Alexander, stop hitting him."

He fell completely silent.

This was the first time I had ever seen so many emotions on his face.

Shock, heartache, guilt, and a longing and love so intense they threatened to overflow.

Seeing the red marks on the woman's neck, he immediately took off his coat to wrap around her and led her away, never once realizing that his actual wife was standing just steps away.

My hands and feet went ice-cold. I looked up, only to meet the gazes of several of his friends, pitying yet unsurprised.

"Five years, and Alexander still can't let go of Selena."

"Was she his first love?" someone asked.

"More than that," his childhood friend said softly. "Back then, the Grant family didn't approve. Selena couldn't withstand the pressure and married someone else. Alexander always felt he had failed to protect her."

"Then why did he suddenly agree to the arranged marriage?"

"To put Selena's mind at ease."

He paused and looked at me.

"He wanted her to know that he was married too, that he was living well. That way, she wouldn't feel guilty anymore about leaving him back then."

My mind went blank.

So our marriage was nothing more than a prop in Alexander's act.

A grand deception that had kept me completely in the dark.

No wonder he, who was so aloof and detached in private, would defend me time and again in public.

It wasn't the favoritism I had taken it for, but merely an act deliberately put on for his first love to see.

No wonder he, who had always hated the media, would allow over a hundred entertainment media outlets into our wedding estate.

It wasn't about cherishing me; he simply needed this marriage to look grand and happy enough for the word to reach another woman's ears.

As a cascade of dull pangs overwhelmed me, I heard someone mention that name once again.

Selena.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Once I found out I was pregnant, Alexander picked out the name Selin Carter for the baby.

At the time, I couldn't contain my joy,

"You already picked a name so fast. Does that mean you've been looking forward to this little one just as much as I have?"

I took his silence as a yes, my heart brimming with sweetness.

Little did I know that "Selin" was derived from Selena's name.

It was Alexander's way of pouring out his longing for Selena to a room full of guests.

Only I was left playing the role of the ridiculous fool.

Huddled in a dim corner, I placed a call, my knuckles white from gripping the phone.

"Laura, prepare the divorce papers for me."

Despite my trembling, hoarse voice, I spoke each word clearly and deliberately,

"I'm divorcing Alexander Grant."

I, Ivy Carter, had always been wild and free, getting whatever I wanted since I was a kid.

I wouldn't deny that I once loved Alexander deeply.

But for a marriage founded on deception, even if walking away would rip my heart out, I would never stay.