Chapter 5

"What?!"

Julian froze, staring at me in total disbelief.

"It's true," I said, turning my face away.

"I was terrified you would leave me, so I made up that lie to keep you."

He hesitated, still doubtful. "But he knew everything about my childhood. Things only I know."

I let out a soft laugh. "Julian, I've known you since we were kids. I know every single detail of your life. I knew exactly how to make the threat believable."

Julian went dead silent, his brows furrowing as he stared at me, trying to read my mind.

I pressed my forehead against the floor, hiding my expression.

This was the first time in our entire lives that I had lied to him.

Maybe there really was a call from ten years later.

Maybe he really would regret everything.

But I didn't care anymore. I was too exhausted.

I sniffled, looking up at him with a smirk.

"So, what's it going to be? Are you signing or not?"

"If you don't sign now, I might change my mind."

"Slap!"

Julian's hand whipped across my face.

My cheek burned instantly.

"You can play your crazy games all you want, Seraphina, but this is crossing the line!"

"You are a psycho!"

He turned to his assistant. "Print out a new copy of the divorce papers. We are signing them right now!"

I thought I couldn't feel pain anymore.

But the hollow space in my chest still felt ice-cold and aching.

The new papers were brought in. Julian signed them furiously and threw them in my face.

"You get half of my assets. I won't keep a single penny from you."

"But mark my words, I never want to see your face again."

The bodyguards finally let go of me.

I scrambled up from the floor, gathered the papers, and walked out without looking back.

On my drive home, it started pouring again.

The rain soaked me to the bone, but my mind had never been clearer.

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was an unknown number.

"Seraphina, this is you from ten years in the future. You have to divorce Julian!"

"But please, don't do anything stupid. Don't hurt yourself, and don't start a fire. Otherwise, Julian will torment you for the rest of your life!"

I stayed quiet for a couple of seconds.

"I already signed the papers. And I'm not going to do anything stupid."

The "me" on the other end let out a massive sigh of relief. "Thank God."

"Go live your life, Seraphina. Be happy."

"I will," I said, and hung up.

Two phone calls from the future, predicting two completely different endings.

But I didn't care which one was real anymore.

I was done living in fear.

Back at the villa, I packed my things.

A few old clothes, my passport, and some documents. That was all I had to show for my years with him.

But the framed sketch of the two of us on the nightstand caught my eye.

Julian always said he hated taking photos.

In our ten years together, we didn't even have a single wedding photo.

Yet Chloe’s place was covered with pictures of them. Surfing on the beach, skiing in the snow. They had traveled the world together.

While he and I were just like the two sketched figures in this frame—living under the same roof, but worlds apart.

I smashed the frame, tore the drawing in half, and took my half of the memories with me.

When I reached the airport, my phone started buzzing.

It was Julian.

I declined the call.

He kept calling. I kept declining.

Then came the text messages:

"I never told anyone about the scar on the sole of my foot! How did the caller know?!"

"Was the call real?!"

"You lied to me! You never lie to me!"

"Seraphina! Where the hell are you?!"

I turned off my phone and buckled my seatbelt.

An hour ago, I had called my father.

His private jet was already taking me to a city where it never rained.