Chapter 2 Yvette Is Home

"Why are you here?" I asked, startled. For some reason, I didn't feel the overwhelming hatred or resentment I thought I would when I saw her standing there. I also didn't feel the obsessive love I once had for her in my past life. Instead, all I felt was peace. It had been so long since I had seen the real Yvette. She looked exactly as I remembered—radiant and youthful. She could have stood next to the most famous actresses and still outshone them effortlessly. It wasn't surprising that she had captivated me and driven me mad with longing. Even after dying once, I couldn't deny that I still appreciated her beauty. But my heart no longer stirred, not even a little. Yvette's gaze swept over me, then shifted to the empty dishes on the table. A flicker of displeasure flashed in her bright eyes before she strode toward me, her steps carrying an air of suffocating authority. My chest tightened, and I instinctively took a few steps backward, my gaze wary. I was taller than her, even with her in heels. Even so, it felt like I was the one looking up at her. "What are you doing?" I asked. I knew it was only our first year of marriage, and Yvette hadn't yet realized how deeply she loved Randall. I hadn't done anything wrong, so she wouldn't go out of her way to make things hard for me. But as I retreated, I realized that I couldn't stop myself from wanting to keep my distance from her. After deciding to let her go, I no longer craved her attention. In fact, I found myself resisting it. Yvette's perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowed for a moment, confusion flashing in her eyes. Then, just as quickly, her lips curved into a mocking smile. "Owen, you went through all this trouble to trick me into coming back, and now you're acting like this? Who are you trying to fool?" I was confused. "What are you talking about?" Tricked her? If anything, I wished she would stay away forever. My answer made her frown deepen, and she reached up to grab the collar of my shirt. Her stunning eyes turned cold, and her breath brushed against my face as she spat, "Don't play dumb. Didn't you plan this with your cousin? He told me you were at death's door and forced me to come back to see you." A suffocating feeling washed over me, and pain shot through my neck as I instinctively shoved her away. "I didn't plan anything with him! I had no idea about any of this. He must have acted on his own." In my past life, I loved Yvette so pathetically. Birthdays, holidays, anniversaries—I never once demanded she come home and celebrate any of those days with me. And after dying once, I definitely wasn't going to start now. Yvette sneered. "You and your cousin are practically joined at the hip. Are you seriously going to claim you didn't know what he was up to?" As I looked at her annoyed expression and the impatient glint in her eyes, I couldn't help the bitter, mocking smile that spread on my lips. It wasn't aimed at her but at myself. In my past life, our relationship had started off polite and distant. She ignored me, using cold indifference as her weapon of choice. And me? I bent over backward trying to thaw her frozen heart. When I finally found out she loved someone else, I resorted to every desperate trick I could think of to keep her. But the more I tried, the more she loathed me. I used to convince myself that it was my fault, that I did something to make her dislike me. But I hadn't done anything in this life. All I did was come home on our anniversary with a stomach ache and have a bowl of chicken soup. Yet, she still looked at me with contempt and disdain. It was clear now that she didn't hate me because of anything I did. She simply hated me because she couldn't stand me. I straightened up and looked down slightly to meet her gaze. Then, I said, "Yvette, let's get a divorce." Yvette froze at my words. She looked genuinely caught off guard for a moment before a derisive smirk crept across her refined face. "Do you even hear yourself right now?" Of course I did. If I had a choice, I would have preferred to be reborn before we got married. I glanced down at the calluses on my palms. Because I loved her, I willingly gave up the future of inheriting my family's business. I became a househusband and revolved my entire life around her. After all the self-sacrifice and devotion… it turned out that I was the only one who had feelings in this relationship. "This was a marriage of convenience. I know you don't like me, so why don't we set each other free? Isn't that better for both of us?" Her expression darkened, and a rare look of fury cut through her usual icy demeanor. "You're unbelievable. You were the one who groveled in front of Grandpa and begged for this marriage. You said all sorts of nonsense until I had no choice but to marry you, and now you're asking for a divorce just because you want to? "What do you take me for? Do you think I'm some kind of toy you can toss aside whenever you feel like it?" She took a step forward, forcing me to look her in the eye. My heart skipped a beat. Even though our marriage was arranged, my family was far beneath hers in terms of wealth and status. If it hadn't been for our grandfathers arranging a childhood engagement between us, I wouldn't have even had the right to ask for her hand. Yvette had resisted the arranged marriage from the very start. If her grandfather, Alex Jenning, hadn't been seriously ill and forced her to marry me, she never would have agreed to become my wife. Now that I was proposing divorce, I was undoubtedly testing her limits. "I've never thought of you that way. I'm serious. I've met the guy you like. That doctor is handsome and has a great presence. Sure, his family background isn't as good as ours, but if I willingly step aside, you won't have to worry about dealing with your family. You'll be free to pursue him openly." Randall would soon be leaving the country. Once he was gone, Yvette would realize how deeply she loved him and how it was impossible for her to let him go. She wouldn't stop chasing him and miss out on this chance. And I, the tragic second male lead straight out of a cliché drama, couldn't repeat my past mistakes. I wouldn't cling onto her or sabotage things just to force her to notice me. This time, I would bow out before the drama even began. That was the only way I could avoid the heartbreak and humiliation of my last life. Yvette's expression turned stormy, and she looked panicked. "You've met him? That explains why you've been acting so differently lately. And you've even looked into his family background? What, are you planning to use him to threaten me?" She stepped closer, every step purposeful and suffocating. My heart pounded as I instinctively backed away until my back hit the wall and there was nowhere for me to go. She thought I was trying to use her prince charming against her? That I had gotten a hold of her weakness? The thought alone made me shudder, and I denied it quickly. "We've been married for a year. When have I ever threatened you? I just want a divorce. "You're out all the time and never home. I feel more like a bachelor than a husband. Sure, I like you, but do you expect me to stay a virgin until I'm old and gray? "You can't get the man you want, and you won't touch the one you don't want. Doesn't that exhaust you? Because it sure as hell wears me out." Yvette tilted her head up, her eyes locked on mine. She stood on her toes, and her red lips brushed against my collar. If I lowered my head even a fraction, our lips would have touched. In my past life, I would have been over the moon and unable to contain my excitement. Unfortunately, all I felt now was an overwhelming pressure bearing down on me. Her red lips parted, and she said mockingly, "A bachelor, huh? Seems like you're saying you're lonely because I won't touch you." I froze and felt the heat rush to my face. I hissed through gritted teeth, "That's not what I meant!" In my past life, she couldn't wait to divorce me. She practically chased me down to get it done. Even when I was on my deathbed, she wouldn't answer my calls. Now, when I was the one asking for a divorce, she should have been thrilled and ready to agree in a heartbeat. But instead, she was dodging the topic, bringing up random stuff, and overthinking everything! Yvette raised a manicured finger and scratched under my chin lightly. She looked at my face and leaned in closer, and my body stiffened instinctively. The corner of her lips quirked up. "It doesn't matter what you meant, Owen. You may have started this marriage, but it won't end just because you say so. If you're really feeling lonely, you're welcome to find someone else. As long as it doesn't damage my reputation, do whatever you want."