Chapter 2
Then, Julian Thorne’s voice continued.
“You just wanted to test if I could resist other women’s temptations, right? If you don’t believe me, let her get tested. I swear I haven’t touched her!”
“Besides, our marriage certificate is fake. If you’re willing, I can marry you right now!”
These words, undoubtedly, shattered all her love for Julian over the past three years. Every moment of warmth and affection turned into a cruel joke!
So, everything was fake.
The marriage certificate was fake, the love was fake, and even the substitute marriage was fake!
She was just an experiment, a tool for her sister to test Julian’s loyalty.
She was just a pathetic pawn in her sister’s and her husband’s twisted love game.
For three years, she had indeed never shared a room with Julian.
Julian had told her he had a medical condition that prevented conjugal relations.
From the moment she got married, she decided to love Julian and uphold her wedding vows, staying by his side no matter what.
So, she was willing to keep his secret. For three years, her mother-in-law constantly pushed for children, and Hazel, to protect her husband’s dignity, had always claimed it was her own problem.
But she never imagined that Julian wasn’t unable to be intimate; he just refused to be intimate *with her*!
Julian and Seraphina emerged from the room. The moment Julian saw Hazel, an uncomfortable flicker crossed his face.
But he immediately demanded,
“Why are you back? Didn’t you say you were going out to buy groceries?”
Her nails dug into her palms. Hazel took a deep breath and asked, “Why is Seraphina in my room?”
Seraphina smiled sweetly, “What do you mean, sis? Your husband was just showing me your wedding room.”
Julian, however, grabbed Hazel’s arm, pulling her aside and scolding, “Seraphina’s finally back. Is this your attitude as a sister? Go buy groceries, now!”
Seraphina also came over, taking Hazel’s hand, putting on a show of sisterly affection. “You know what I like to eat, don’t you? Your cooking is the best. I love your dishes!”
In the past, if Seraphina said she wanted something, Hazel would be thrilled to learn how to make it for her on the spot.
But now, she just felt a suffocating tightness in her chest.
“Julian, today is our wedding anniversary,” she insisted, unwilling to let it go.
Julian’s brow furrowed deeper.
“Wedding anniversaries happen every year. Seraphina’s been abroad for three years and this is her first time back. Can’t you tell what’s more important?”
“Besides, she’s your sister. If it weren’t for her, would you even be a Miller? Would you have married me?”
Every word Julian spoke felt like a slap across Hazel’s face.
Seraphina, however, feigned understanding. “Since it’s your anniversary, if you don’t want to cook, that’s fine. I’ll treat you both to dinner out, how about it?”
“Don’t spoil her. This is her duty. And didn’t you say you love her cooking?”
Julian then ordered Hazel, “You *must* cook today. Go buy groceries now. And remember to get bamboo shoots; Seraphina loves them most!”
That one sentence completely shattered any lingering hope she had.
Right, Seraphina loved bamboo shoots the most.
She knew, and her husband knew too.
How ridiculous that for three years, Julian had never bothered to learn what *she* liked or disliked to eat.
She’d thought he was just careless, but it turned out: a willing heart needs no teaching, an unwilling heart will never learn, no matter how much you try.
Enough. If everything was fake, what was there left for her to hold onto?
After leaving the house, she immediately called her professor.
“Professor, I’ve decided to take part in the study abroad program.”
The professor on the phone sounded both surprised and delighted.
“Why the sudden change of heart? Didn’t you say you wanted to focus on family after marriage?”
“There’s no marriage, and no family,” Hazel said firmly.
In ten days, she would exit this love game.