Chapter 2

"Are you really going to divorce Samuel?" Isabelle burst into Shelmaine's studio, grabbing her and bombarding her with questions. "Are you serious? You're just going to divorce him and hand Samuel over to Natasha on a silver platter? "You're practically pushing him into her arms! That witch, Natasha, will be laughing in her sleep! How could you be so foolish?" Shelmaine was still working on the design draft that the client had kept rejecting. No matter how many times she revised it, they were never satisfied. The truth was, they just wanted to get the most expensive jewelry at the cheapest price, and this was just something Shelmaine couldn't deliver. So, she was stuck with endlessly negotiating and revising the proposal. Shelmaine massaged her temples and found a moment to respond to Isabelle. She said, "The divorce is already done. It's too late to regret it now." "You—" Isabelle clutched her chest, feeling like she might have a heart attack. "No, listen, everyone knows Natasha's feelings for Samuel are one-sided. Samuel just sees her as a sister! "Even if there's a chance, as long as you don't divorce him, you're his wife! Natasha can't touch your position!" Isabelle said. Shelmaine remained silent, her eyes fixed on the computer screen. Upon seeing how calm she was, Isabelle grew even more frustrated. "Are you really just going to let it end like this? You're not even a little bitter? Weren't you two getting along well?" Isabelle asked this because she knew how deeply in love Shelmaine and Samuel had been. They were the perfect couple, so how could they divorce over someone like Natasha? "We got along well because there was no love," Shelmaine calmly replied. "He doesn't love me, so it doesn't matter who he marries. After all, I don't want to spend my life with someone who doesn't love me." Isabelle's eyes widened. "He told you that he doesn't love you?" Shelmaine's voice was soft and almost detached as she said, "One time, when he was drunk, he called out someone else's name. "It wasn't mine." Isabelle was speechless. She hadn't known about this, and Shelmaine had never mentioned it before either. She looked at Shelmaine's expressionless face and sighed. "I should have stopped you from rushing into the marriage…" Shelmaine fell silent as memories began flooding back to her. She had met Samuel at a party where she had been drunk and mistook him for a driver. She'd asked him to take her home, and after he dropped her off, they added each other on WhatsApp. Later on, a month of chatting turned into feelings. Shelmaine liked Samuel, and he'd agreed when she'd asked him out for dinner. They had a few drinks, and she invited him upstairs, and one thing led to another. The next morning, Shelmaine had felt a hint of regret. It had been her first time with a man, but she told herself that they were both adults and could move on without expecting anything more. She told him they could pretend it never happened. But Samuel was serious. "Some things can't be undone once they happen. I believe you can't ignore that either," he had said. He then suggested they get married, but Shelmaine didn't agree right away. "Then I want you to take responsibility for me," Samuel said, and he wasn't joking. Eventually, they got married, and Shelmaine couldn't deny it—she had fallen for him. They registered their marriage quickly and got married without a wedding nor a banquet. They hadn't even invited any friends. It was such a small event that only a few of her close friends, including Isabelle, knew about it. After the wedding, they bought a place, which was now the Hasting residence. Samuel had paid for it and had refused to let Shelmaine contribute. So, she took on the responsibility of renovating their home with her own savings. In many ways, Samuel was the ideal husband—gentle, considerate, with a respectable job and no bad habits. He was even thoughtful enough to send gifts on special occasions. He wasn't like other men—he was a bit of a clean freak and almost obsessively tidy. Their life together was fulfilling, and there wasn't anything to complain about. Shelmaine had even considered the possibility of having a child with him despite not being fond of children herself. But when she brought it up, his expression turned cold. "You're still young, practically a child yourself. There's no rush," he'd said. At first, she'd agreed with him. After all, he did have a point. So, she dropped the idea. After that, Samuel started staying out late and often went on business trips. This went on for months, and soon, Shelmaine began hearing rumors. Someone added her on WhatsApp and sent her messages saying that Samuel was seeing someone else and urged her to divorce him. At first, she thought that it was a prank. Besides, how could a man like Samuel not have a few exes? Then, earlier this year, Samuel returned from a trip with traces of another woman—perfume on his clothes. There were also late-night calls that she'd answered, and she'd found out that Samuel had married her out of spite. He didn't want to build a life with her; he just wanted to use their marriage to hurt someone else. And that someone was Natasha. There was no point in holding on to a man like that. Over the past few years, Shelmaine had gained something too. Samuel's body was incredible—lean and muscular. It wasn't a bad deal to have spent those nights with him. With that in mind, she found some comfort. As for him and Natasha, Shelmaine didn't want to dwell on it anymore. She had truly invested her emotions in the marriage, and now that the marriage was over, it felt like a part of her soul had been ripped away. Isabelle could see Shelmaine's thinly veiled despair and felt a pang of sympathy. "Don't worry about it, Shelly. Scumbags like him deserve to be with trashy women. We don't need him. Just forget about it. Don't let it get to you." "I'm not sad," Shelmaine quietly said. "I'm just grateful I didn't have a child with him." Shelmaine had a difficult childhood—her parents divorced when she was ten years old, and she was placed with her father. Later on, he had left her in the care of a nanny while he remarried and started a new family. Despite that, her father had never let her down financially. But once she turned 18 and started college, she stopped taking a cent from him, and they only met up for dinners during the festive seasons. Otherwise, they had no contact. That was part of the reason why she didn't want a big wedding with Samuel—she didn't want to involve her family. Isabelle knew all this and felt deeply sorry for Shelmaine. She said, "Don't worry. There's plenty of fish in the sea. You've got looks and money. You'll find someone better." Shelmaine couldn't help but smile. Upon seeing this, Isabelle finally felt a bit relieved. "So, what's your plan now? What about the house you two shared?" Shelmaine said, "I'll move out of the Hasting residence first. As for the house… I won't be living there. I'll sell it. "Belle, you have a friend who's a realtor, right? Can they help me sell it?" "Of course! Leave it to me." Isabelle patted her chest confidently. "Just wait for the good news!"