Chapter 1

"Why did you push her into the pool?"

Julian Sterling gripped my wrist so hard it bruised, his voice cold as ice as he demanded I apologize to the woman in his arms.

I looked at Chloe Mercer, who was shivering against his chest, and a bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"If I told you she pulled me in first, would you even believe me?"

There was nothing but pure disgust in his eyes.

"Seraphina, I saw you push her with my own eyes. Are you still going to lie?"

I stopped defending myself.

Because I knew that in his eyes, I would always be the wicked woman who stole her sister's husband.

But who could have guessed? That very night, after being forced to drink an entire table of alcohol, I suffered a severe allergic reaction and went into anaphylactic shock. Julian walked away, holding Chloe, without even looking back.

I had to dial 911 myself, collapsing onto the cold hardwood floor.

Later, an old high school photo went viral online.

In the photo, Julian and I were in our school uniforms, leaning against each other with bright, genuine smiles.

Only then did everyone realize that the "mistress" who had been dragged through the mud for four years was actually his first love.

But Julian personally posted a statement to clear the air:

"Serene was the only woman I have ever loved."

At that moment, I finally made up my mind.

This ridiculous marriage? I was done with it.

Seraphina's POV

After an old high school love letter was leaked online, I went from being the prep school’s most beloved teacher to a homewrecking whore, ripped apart by the entire internet.

All because the man I supposedly coveted was my late sister’s husband.

The person who leaked the letter even claimed—

Four years ago, on the night of my sister Serene’s funeral, I drugged Julian Sterling, crawled into his bed, and forced him into a shotgun marriage.

The rumor spread like wildfire. The school’s online forum was buzzing with the scandal. Parents started demanding my firing, colleagues crossed the hallway to avoid me, and anonymous hate letters piled up on my desk.

But I didn't issue a statement. I didn't fight back. I just quietly put the hate mail into my drawer.

As I walked out of the school building, I heard the nasty whispers of some intern teachers behind me.

"She acts so innocent and high-and-mighty, but she’s actually a snake..."

"Her sister was barely in the ground before she drugged the husband and forced him to marry her. Talk about shameless."

"To think I actually looked up to her. It makes me sick."

Each word felt like a physical blow to my chest.

I kept walking. It was only when I got into my car and locked the doors that my hands started shaking. I pulled out my phone and dialed Julian’s number.

But a woman answered. "Hello?"

"Where is Julian?" My face turned pale. "Put him on."

"Julian is in the shower right now. It's not a good time. If there's something you need, you can tell me. I'll pass it along."

I didn't want to waste my breath on her and was about to hang up.

Suddenly, she spoke up. "You're Mrs. Sterling, right? Let me guess—you're calling to ask Julian if he was the one who leaked that love letter?"

My grip on the phone tightened until my knuckles turned white.

"Well, you're blaming the wrong guy. Julian doesn't have the time to ruin your precious reputation. It was the maid. She was cleaning the villa, found your old love letter, and posted it on Twitter."

The woman's voice was smug and slow. "Julian already fired her. But don't get the wrong idea. He didn't do it to protect you. He just hated that she touched his things."

My lips trembled. "I see."

I hung up the phone and slumped over the steering wheel, a suffocating pain gripping my chest.

The "spiked drink" incident four years ago had forced me into this miserable marriage with Julian.

And it made him hate me with every fiber of his being.

Occasionally, his name would pop up on Instagram gossip pages alongside different women.

Every single one of them had a face that resembled my late sister, Serene.

I knew he did it on purpose to humiliate me.

To show me that he would rather sleep with cheap lookalikes than look at me. To him, I wasn't even worth a single hair on Serene's head.

The pain had evolved from a sharp, agonizing stab to a dull, numb ache over the years.

I thought I was used to being the villain in his story.

But I never expected my old, private love letter to him would be exposed to the public, turning me into a social pariah.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed.

It was a text from Julian: [We’re going to the Sterling estate on Saturday. I need your signature for the shares transfer.]

I stared at the screen. My thumb hovered over the keyboard for a long time before I finally typed:

[Fine.]

The Sterling estate was brightly lit when I arrived.

As I walked in, the woman sitting next to Julian looked up at me—

I recognized her.

Chloe Mercer. The girl who had been spotted with Julian in the tabloids all week. His latest flavor of the month.

And the voice behind the phone call.

Before today, I thought Chloe was just another temporary lookalike.

But when I saw her face clearly under the chandelier, my heart stopped.

Chloe looked almost identical to my late sister, Serene.

"Hi, Mrs. Sterling," Chloe said, wrapping her arm intimately around Julian's. Her voice was sweet, devoid of any shame. "I'm Chloe. Julian's girlfriend."

How pathetic.

My husband's mistress was standing in front of me, introducing herself with pride, completely unbothered by the fact that she was playing house with a married man.

She didn't just share Serene's face; she shared her bold, unapologetic attitude.

Without saying a word, I looked away and signed the transfer papers quickly.

"Anywhere else I need to sign?"

Julian clearly didn't expect me to be this compliant. He froze for a second.

Then, a cynical smirk played on his lips. "No screaming, no crying? You're giving up the shares just like that? That doesn't sound like you, Seraphina. What kind of game are you playing now?"

Instead of explaining, I pulled another document out of my bag and slid it across the table.

"Since I've signed the shares over to you, you can sign this."

"Divorce papers?"

Julian stared at the document, stunned.

I spoke calmly, "You have no feelings for me, and I'm tired of holding onto this dead marriage. Let's end this. I'm letting you go, so you and Ms. Mercer can be together legally."

Chloe's eyes lit up instantly.

Julian, after recovering from his shock, let out a harsh laugh. Without another word, he snatched the pen and scribbled his signature on the divorce agreement.

He tossed the papers back at me, his eyes filled with disdain. "Playing hard to get won't work on me, Seraphina. No matter what trick you're trying to pull, the outcome remains the same."

He didn't believe I would actually divorce him. After all, every time he had a public affair over the past four years, I had threatened divorce.

But I had never followed through.

Under his mocking gaze, I kept my silence. I picked up the signed divorce papers, turned around, and walked out.

He had no idea that this time, I was entirely serious.