Chapter 2

Everyone at the gathering turned to look at the door, and an awkward silence descended upon the room. Alyssa immediately saw Sebastian sitting in the middle of the room. His gaze was clear—he wasn't drunk at all. She knew Daisy had tricked her. Sebastian's pupils constricted when he saw Alyssa. Everyone who'd pushed him to accept Daisy's confession, including Timothy, looked embarrassed. This wasn't a place Alyssa should be. Daisy was the first to break the silence. "Don't get us wrong, Liss. Timothy was just joking around. Bash and I are just friends now." Before Alyssa could say anything, Sebastian got up, looking impatient. "You don't need to explain anything to her." Then, he strode toward Alyssa. "What are you doing here?" "I came to take you home because I thought you were drunk," she said honestly. He sneered. "Looks like you don't remember a single thing I've told you." He lowered his voice so only they could hear his words. "Do you think everyone's forgotten how you tricked me three years ago? Did you come here to jog their memories?" Alyssa was taken aback. He looked at her coldly. "Don't try to make yourself out to be a big deal. You'll only make me despise you more like this!" After that, he turned and left, leaving Alyssa standing there dazedly. She watched him disappear. The scions in the private room didn't pity her despite seeing her being left behind. Timothy couldn't care less about her and turned to Daisy, who was pretending to look upset. "You're just too nice, Dee-Dee. What's the point of explaining these things? If not for Alyssa tricking Seb into marrying her, you would now be his wife. You wouldn't have needed to suffer abroad." Alyssa's ears rang, but she still heard everything clearly. She knew better than anyone that Sebastian would never have married Daisy, who didn't come from a powerful family. Even if he hadn't married Alyssa, Daisy would never have become his wife. Daisy knew that, too. That was why she'd chosen to break up with him and leave the country. How had it now ended up as Alyssa's fault? … When Alyssa left Sense Club with an umbrella over her head, she felt like she was shrouded in darkness. Suddenly, a beautiful figure approached her. It was Daisy in her painstakingly chosen outfit and heels. She looked smug. "It's cold tonight, isn't it? How does it feel to have Bash mock you when you've come all the way here for him?" she asked. Alyssa didn't respond, but that didn't faze Daisy. She continued, "I think you're pitiful, really. You've never experienced what love is like, right? When Bash was with me, he would cook for me. "He would also come to my side as soon as possible when I fell sick… Has Bash ever told you he loves you, Alyssa? He used to say it to me all the time." Alyssa listened to her and thought back on the three years she'd spent with Sebastian. He'd never once set foot in the kitchen… He'd also never expressed his concern for her when she was sick. As for love, he'd never mentioned it. That night, Alyssa lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. It turned out the man she'd admired and loved for 12 years had once been madly in love with someone else. In that instant, she suddenly felt like it was time for her to give up. After a sleepless night, Alyssa got out of bed. Sebastian came home and looked at her, his gaze colder than usual. "How desperate are you for my family's money? How scared are you of losing me, your money-making machine?" She was taken aback. She didn't know what was wrong with him today, but she explained, "I've never wanted your money." He was all she cared about. He sneered. "What was up with your mother coming to my office and asking me to give you a child, then?" Alyssa was dumbfounded. She looked into Sebastian's icy eyes and realized that he wasn't mad about what had happened last night. He didn't linger and waste his time on her. Instead, he said something before storming off. "If you want to remain in the Gray family and keep the Somner family alive, tell your mother to settle down." … Before Alyssa could go to Heather, the latter came knocking. She dropped her usual icy attitude and held Alyssa's hand, saying gently, "You need to beg Seb to give you a child, Liss. Anything is fine, even if you have to opt for medical procedures for it." Medical procedures? Alyssa stared at her and listened as she continued, "Daisy has already told me that Seb has never touched you over the past three years." Perhaps this was the straw that broke the camel's back. Alyssa couldn't understand why Sebastian had told Daisy about this. Maybe he really did love her that much… She suddenly felt like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. "Mom, it's time to let go." Heather didn't expect that. She frowned and asked, "What are you talking about?" "I'm tired. I want to divorce Sebastian—" Heather slapped her hard before she could finish. She dropped her "loving mother" act and pointed at Alyssa, screeching, "What right do you have to talk about divorce? Once you leave the Gray family, who else would want you when you're disabled and divorced?" Alyssa sat there numbly. Heather had never liked her, even as a child. She was a renowned dancer, but her daughter was hearing-impaired. It was a perpetual thorn in her side. And so, she'd thrown Alyssa to a nanny, only allowing Alyssa to return to the Somner residence when she was at a schooling age. In the past, Alyssa had always heard people say that no mother wouldn't love their children. So, she'd worked hard to make herself outstanding so she could earn Heather's love. Despite her weak hearing, she was still the best in her class at dancing, music, art, and linguistics. But no matter how well she performed, she still wasn't the daughter Heather wanted. It was just as Heather had said—Alyssa was disabled. Not only was she physically disabled, but she was also flawed when it came to her familial relationships and marriage… After Heather left, Alyssa concealed the handprint on her face with some foundation and quietly packed her things. Despite being married for over three years, she found she had so few things that one suitcase was enough to carry everything. After packing, she mustered the courage to text Sebastian. "Are you free tonight? I have something to discuss with you." He didn't reply. Her gaze dulled, knowing that he wasn't even willing to reply to her texts anymore. It looked like she had no choice but to wait for him to return the following morning. Alyssa thought Sebastian wouldn't be back that night, but he returned at midnight. She wasn't asleep, so she approached him and took his coat and briefcase. Her actions were familiar—it was like they were a normal married couple. "Don't text me for no reason in the future," Sebastian said icily, breaking the silence. Alyssa faltered while hanging his coat. She murmured, "Okay. It won't ever happen anymore." He didn't hear how odd her words were and headed to the study. These past few years, that was where he spent most of his time whenever he was at home. Perhaps he thought everything was silent in a hearing-impaired person's world, or perhaps he just didn't care about Alyssa—when he got to the study, he talked about business as usual, even if he was talking about acquiring Somner Group… Alyssa brought him something warm to drink as usual. She heard him confidently discussing the acquisition of her father's company with his subordinate. She didn't know how to feel about that. It was within her expectations that something like this would happen sooner or later since her brother didn't know how to run a company properly. Still, she didn't expect her husband to be the one to make the first move. "Seb." Her voice interrupted Sebastian. He faltered and hurriedly ended his video call before shutting his laptop. It was hard to tell whether he felt diffident or just didn't want to talk with her around. Alyssa pretended not to notice his actions and entered the room, placing the warm drink before him. "Remember to rest early after drinking this, Seb. Your health matters more than anything else." For some reason, Sebastian relaxed when he heard her gentle voice. She probably hadn't heard him. He didn't know whether it was guilt or something else, but he stopped her when she turned to leave. "Didn't you say you had something to discuss with me? What was it?" Alyssa looked at his familiar face. Then, she said, "I just wanted to ask you whether you'd be free in the morning. Can we go get divorced?"