Chapter 2

They left after dinner. I sat alone in the vast, empty villa, looking out the windows at the overgrown yard. Once upon a time, it had been filled with flowers that we'd carefully tended. There used to be a cluster of white roses, which symbolized the pure love we once shared. But now, they'd all withered and died, just like my love for Abigail. Suddenly, I started coughing intensely. This Gebb's disease had ravaged my immune system. Even a mild cold could be fatal, and whenever the symptoms flared, it felt like every organ in my body was twisting in agony. I curled up on the floor as cold sweat soaked through my clothes. In a haze, my mind drifted back to the early days of our marriage. Abigail and I used to walk in the garden, hand in hand. The soft scent of her perfume would become intertwined with that of the roses, forming a fragrance that had once enchanted me. Perhaps she'd once truly loved me. But after I'd left her when she had needed me the most, all that love had turned to hatred. I remembered how she'd call me even when she had to leave briefly for an urgent errand. "I'm heading out to the office. Wait for me at home." Nowadays, every call she made was a command to prepare dinner for her and her latest fling. Sometimes, she would even ask me to fill a warm bath for them. The phone buzzed beside me. I was in so much pain that the screen was a blur. I answered after struggling a little. "Abi, I'm waiting for you at home. When will you be back? I think I'm about to die," I whispered. In my feverish daze, I saw a graceful figure push through the door urgently. "Abi, welcome home…" When I came to, I was lying in our old bed. Ever since Abigail started cheating on me, I'd been sleeping in the guest room. The sheets here still held her familiar scent mixed with Ted's cologne, which was a reminder of what they had done here together earlier. The thought made me gag. I tried to crawl out of bed, but my body gave out. I managed to brace myself against the wall, only to see Ted standing before me. He smiled at me mockingly. "Samuel, you're pretty good at playing the pathetic card. You're a grown man, yet you're acting so weak and pitiful. It's disgusting." I frowned slightly but said nothing as I brushed past him and left the room. I was met with the sight of Abigail sitting calmly on the couch. What had happened wasn't a dream. I fell into a state of confusion. Abigail looked at me and asked, "You skipped a meal, didn't you? Why didn't you eat the lamb chops we had earlier? You know that you have low blood sugar levels, so stop pretending that you're fine." Her gentle tone took me by surprise. It had been ages since Abigail had shown any concern for me. She handed me a warm glass of milk before I could process it. "I added some sugar to this. It should help." I took the glass and stared at it in silence before saying, "I'm lactose intolerant, so I can't drink milk." Abigail's smile froze. Ted scoffed from behind me. "Abi gave you the milk, so you should drink it even if it kills you. Stop being so ungrateful." "Ted, you should leave," Abigail said coldly. Ted froze, but he quickly put on a playful smile and wrapped his arms around Abigail's waist. "Come on, Abi. Didn't we agree that tonight…" Before he could finish speaking, a hard slap landed on his face. "Don't you understand what I'm saying? Leave!" Abigail yelled. Ted's face flushed red, and he quickly left. I felt amused as I watched him retreat in defeat. He was such a fool for thinking that a few nights with Abigail would win her over. All she wanted was a compliant plaything. The key was to be obedient. The moment any of her men stepped out of line, she'd discard them without a second thought. Ted was no exception. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" I asked after dumping the milk down the sink. She wouldn't drink anything I'd already touched anyway. Abigail leaned against the doorway and sneered. "Didn't you say that you were dying? I rushed back to see you, but you look fine. Samuel, were you trying to scare me, or was that your attempt at seduction? Since when did you resort to using these tricks?" I realized that she had rushed back just to make sure that I was truly dead. I looked at her blankly and replied, "I had no intention of doing that. Since you broke up with Ted, I won't be making dinner for him tonight." After what had happened this morning, I was sure that my indifference was the sharpest weapon against her. She wanted revenge, so my lack of reaction only made it worse for her. Sure enough, her face twisted with fury, and her eyes narrowed with anger. "Tell me. Have you ever regretted leaving me? Do you even feel the slightest bit of guilt for what you did?" Abigail asked coldly. I smiled and shook my head. "Never." "Fine!" Abigail spun around and stormed out, slamming the door behind her. … Later that night, every central news platform reported a headline that ignited a media frenzy. Photos showed Abigail at a pool, playfully embracing and kissing the latest heartthrob in the entertainment world. She was an unattainable ice queen and also a billionaire. So, every move she made would gain attention. News of her marrying an ordinary man like me had shaken up the city back then. Now, her latest cheating scandal wasn't exactly news. Everyone knew she swapped men every other week, and I was labeled a cuckold. But this time, Abigail was making a statement. Usually, she kept her affairs low-key by either bringing them to our home or retreating to a private villa. But now, the leaked photos captured her in the pool from every angle. Her newest fling, Joshua Levine, was a young actor who was skyrocketing to fame. He was known for his charm and good looks, which made fans swoon over him. But no amount of adoring fans could compare to the benefits he'd gain from being with Abigail, even for a day. Just then, my phone rang. When I answered it, Abigail said, "Samuel…" It was that familiar tone. I'd heard it countless times in bed and then through the walls as it echoed from the next room. "Alright." I sighed and got up. I knew what she wanted. She wanted to humiliate me in public. As expected, the paparazzi swarmed me the moment I stepped into the hotel.