Chapter 1

After remarrying Jesiah Spencer, I became the perfect, compliant wife.

Jesiah once said, "If you'd been this agreeable from the start, maybe we never would've divorced."

Even at a college reunion, his drunk friends would mock me,

"You really are Jesiah's slave, aren't you? Even after divorcing, you just had to get back with him. You totally messed up his chance to marry Serena."

The atmosphere instantly grew thick with awkwardness. Jesiah probably expected me to blow up like I used to.

But I just smiled, saying nothing.

They all thought I remarried Jesiah because I loved him too much.

The truth? I'd been so angry during our last divorce that I walked away with absolutely nothing, suffering a devastating financial loss.

This time, after we remarried, I immediately drafted a new prenuptial agreement.

When we divorced again, I wouldn't be the one left empty-handed.

After the party, Jesiah said to me in the car, "I feel like your attitude towards me has been off ever since we remarried…"

"You're being overly sensitive," I calmly replied.

"Before we got back together, I promised you repeatedly that I wouldn't let Serena interfere in our lives again, and I'd keep my distance from her. Even at the reunion tonight, she and I kept to ourselves. What more do you want from me?"

He wasn't known for his patience, so hearing him actually string together that many words was practically unheard of.

"I've told you countless times, if Serena's father hadn't helped me back then, I never would've made it out of that poor little town."

I locked my phone screen and stared at him, calmly meeting his impatience. "You don't need to explain, I know."

I'd heard the same story a million times.

That's why I'd endured it when, after graduation, Jesiah went to great lengths to fast-track Serena's recruitment into the hospital, keeping her by his side.

That's why I'd endured her frequent appearances in our lives, even on our wedding anniversaries, there was always a third person tagging along.

That's why I'd endured their endless sharing of daily details, while my own attempts at conversation were always met with cold, clipped words.

But when I came home early from a business trip and found them tangled up, naked, that was it.

I couldn't endure it anymore.

I demanded a divorce, willing to walk away with nothing just to cut ties with him.

But then, not long after, my mother was diagnosed with an aggressive tumor and needed surgery.

And it turned out, Jesiah was the only surgeon who could perform it.

So, I went and begged him.

What truly chilled me to the bone wasn't just my emotional backlash, but his utterly callous attitude.

"Chloe, you know I've been incredibly busy since my promotion."

"But if the patient were my own family, I'd definitely make time to operate myself."

"So… do you finally understand what you did wrong?"

I stared at him, stunned, and under his smug, self-satisfied expression, I nodded.

We remarried.

But our relationship was irrevocably broken.

Even sleeping in the same bed, we were strangers.

Just like today.

"Jesiah! I knew you hadn't left yet! I told you, you wouldn't abandon Serena!"

Serena's college friend, Sarah, waved from a distance. She helped a half-drunk Serena walk over to us.

"Serena's so beautiful, I just couldn't let her go home alone. Didn't you always take her home before?"

She glanced at me, subtly, her tone laced with mockery. "Chloe, you're pretty 'safe-looking,' you'll be fine going home by yourself, right?"

Jesiah looked at Serena, leaning against her friend, then at me.

He looked conflicted.

It stung, just as it always did, no matter how many times I witnessed his hesitation.

But unlike before, when I would shout and scream, this time I simply raised my phone, expressionless. "My ride's here. I'm leaving."

Just then, my Uber arrived. Jesiah helped Serena into the back seat, rolled down the window, and looked up at me. "You go home first and wait for me."

"Tomorrow is your mother's final surgery. We need to discuss the details tonight."

As expected, Jesiah didn't come home that night.

But thankfully, I wasn't like I used to be.

Foolishly waiting up for him.