"If you ever want a divorce, you can have it at any time." That was what Julian told me on our wedding day. I believed him. Two months later, the day his true love returned, I placed the divorce papers in front of him. Julian looked out the window, his expression completely blank. "It's raining." "I'm in a bad mood. Let's divorce next time." I stared at him. What?! 1 On the very night his beloved Chloe returned, fueled by the liquid courage of too many drinks, I slept with Julian. The trail of discarded clothes, starting right from the front door, was a testament to the desperate urgency of the encounter. Julian fought to keep his rationality, trying to push me away. His bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at me, his Adam's apple bobbing slowly. "Mia, look at me. Look closely at who I am." "If we keep going, don't regret it." I was panting slightly. Looking up at him, I grabbed his collar, stood on my tiptoes, and kissed him. What a joke. I'm sleeping with my legal husband. What's there to regret? It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that I actually started regretting it. This guy's stamina was terrifying. I tried to sneak away, but a hand wrapped around my ankle and dragged me right back. Warm breath ghosted over my ear. Julian's voice was deep and husky, brushing against the back of my neck and sending shivers down my spine. "Be a good girl. Quitting halfway through is strictly prohibited." 2 It was a night of pure, reckless indulgence. When I woke up, the space beside me was empty. A glass of milk and a sandwich sat on the nightstand, along with a sticky note from Julian. The words were overflowing with tender concern. Since our wedding, Julian had diligently played the role of the perfect husband. I often caught myself under the illusion that I was actually loved. But rationality always pulled me back. Julian was in love with Chloe. The person he was originally supposed to marry was Chloe. But my sister, who had always done exactly as she pleased, became a runaway bride. I heard Julian chased her all the way to the airport. For whatever reason, she didn't get on that flight to France. Out of spite and anger. Later, when the families tried to shove me—the older sister he barely knew—at him as a replacement, he didn't fight it. It was only when I excused myself to the restroom that he finally let slip a hint of exhausted apathy toward our relatives' endless teasing: "Do I even have the right to refuse?" "Since you've all decided, I don't care." Because I wasn't the person in his heart, it didn't matter who it was. Anyone would do. On our wedding day, the very first thing Julian said to me was: "If you ever want a divorce, you can have it at any time." I didn't expect that a mere two months after the wedding, Chloe would return. I've always known exactly where I stand. Ignoring the breakfast on the nightstand, I picked up my phone and called my lawyer, Elena. "Draft a divorce agreement for me, please." Elena's shocked, dramatic squawking echoed through the phone. Outside, the sun was shining brightly, but a sudden, heavy downpour began. I couldn't help but zone out, lost in thought. 3 That same evening, I placed the divorce papers directly in front of Julian. In the quiet study, the man sat there in a crisp white dress shirt, radiating an aura of aristocratic elegance and gentleness. He was completely different from the boy in my memories. I had only seen Julian fight once. It was in a filthy, secluded alley near the old campus of the university. To inflict maximum pain, he held a solid metal Zippo lighter in his fist, his strikes brutal and merciless. The sound of shattering bone echoed in the air, mixing with the other man's agonizing screams. His slightly youthful, handsome face looked almost demonic as it became splattered with crimson blood. That was the first time I met the person Chloe talked about constantly. The sole heir to the Sterling Conglomerate. Violent, arrogant, and entirely fearless. Perhaps because that summer was unusually hot and suffocatingly humid, I inexplicably despised him. My thoughts snapped back to the present. Julian was still staring silently at the piece of paper. It had been so long I started to question his literacy. I couldn't help but ask: "Do you not know how to read?" Julian finally moved. He turned his head to look out the window, his expression completely blank. "It rained all day today." I followed his gaze to the damp windowpanes. Okay, and? "I'm in a bad mood. Let's divorce next time." Me: ??? ... Over the next two days, Julian and I engaged in a bizarre, unspoken tug-of-war. Our text history was stuck on a message I sent that morning, reminding him to sign the papers. He had intentionally ignored me again. Me: [You're running away.] Julian: [Running away is shameful, but it works.] A moment later, my phone buzzed a few more times. [You sleep with me and then dump me. You're heartless.] What is he talking about?! Aren't I graciously making way for his true love? [Are you mad because I made you uncomfortable last night?] [Fine, I admit I don't have much experience, but you acting like this is really embarrassing for me.] [Besides, you were clearly enjoying it later on. /frustrated emoji] His blatant, shameless texts made my face burn. [You were the one who said I could have a divorce anytime I wanted.] Julian: [...] [You talk too much. I'm blocking you for half a day.] When I tried to reply. A system message popped up: The recipient has rejected your message. Me: ??? This guy is acting like a literal child. 4 I originally planned to go home tonight, tie him to a chair, and force him to sign the papers. But halfway there, I got a call from my family's main estate. Sighing, I turned the car around and drove to the family home. As soon as I walked in, I heard laughter and cheerful chatter spilling from the living room. "Chloe is getting prettier every day." Chloe was sitting in the center of the room. The teasing and compliments from our relatives had turned her face a flush, delicate pink, making her look like a perfectly ripe peach. "She looks so perfect with that Sterling boy. Such a shame." "If you hadn't run away from the wedding, you'd be the future matriarch of the Sterling family right now." Chloe quickly tried to stop them. "Julian is already married to my sister. It's inappropriate to make jokes like that." The relatives were completely dismissive. "What's inappropriate about it? They're married, but they can still get divorced." "As long as the Sterling family agrees, swapping brides is nothing." These were all relatives from my father's side of the family. They had never liked me. Because I looked exactly like my biological mother. That poor, tragic woman. She risked her entire inheritance from her father to help a ruined man rebuild his business empire from scratch. And in return, she was betrayed over and over again. Ultimately, driven insane by depression, she died alone in a remote sanatorium. I scoffed, clapping my hands slowly as I walked toward the crowd. "Since when did the Harrison family start encouraging girls to steal their brother-in-law?" "But you are right about one thing." "I've already handed the divorce papers to Julian." I stopped walking, locking eyes with Chloe's wide, innocent doe eyes. The corners of my mouth curled into a mocking smirk. "Do you want to go cry and whine to him so he kicks me out faster? Then you can finally take my place." "Just like your mother did." Chloe's face instantly drained of color. Tears immediately pooled in her eyes, creating a picture of fragile victimization that would make anyone's heart ache. "You ungrateful wretch!" My father's furious roar echoed from behind me. I whipped around, only to unexpectedly lock eyes with a pair of dark, deep-set eyes swirling with unreadable emotions. "..." Why the hell was Julian here?!
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