"Later, circumstances forced me to leave... and to break up with him," she continued softly. "You probably wouldn’t expect it, but I was the one who ended things. He never wanted to."

She paused, studying my expression.

"You’ve noticed how he travels every July, haven’t you?"

My breath caught slightly.

"The truth is... he goes to see me," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "Because that’s the season we first met."

My breath hitched, my mind going blank as my heart trembled violently. I didn’t want to believe a single word Lilian said... but I couldn’t deny it either. Deep down, I knew she was telling the truth.

From the very first year of our marriage, Alexander had traveled every July—and those trips were always unusually long. I had foolishly assumed he was trying to reconnect with me.

But now I understood.

They had never lost contact.

Year after year, he went to see her... then returned as if nothing had happened, slipping effortlessly back into the role of the "perfect husband."

Alexander... how could you be this cruel?

Then what had these two years meant to me?

A hollow laugh echoed in my chest. I had once believed our marriage, imperfect as it was, still held something real—something worth holding onto.

But now I saw it clearly.

It was nothing more than a carefully constructed illusion.

A lie.

A scam.

"Your wedding anniversary is on September 25th, isn’t it?" Lilian’s voice cut through my thoughts like a blade. "That just so happens to be my birthday."

My entire body went rigid.

"No... that’s impossible..." I whispered, disbelief filling my voice.

"What’s so impossible about it?" she replied with a smirk. "If you don’t believe me, go ask Alexander yourself."

A chill spread through me, as if I had been plunged into ice. My fingers curled into tight fists, nails digging into my palms—but I felt nothing.

My wedding anniversary... was her birthday.

How ridiculous. How absurd.

And yet—

I remembered the day Alexander chose that date. He had said he’d carefully checked—it was an auspicious day.

So this was the truth behind it.

No wonder he drank so heavily every year on our anniversary... no wonder he always seemed so distant, so melancholic.

And I—

I had been naive enough to think it meant something.

That he felt something.

But the truth was, on the day that meant everything to me... he was thinking about another woman.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"What’s so funny?" Lilian’s expression faltered slightly.

"I’m laughing at you." I met her gaze without flinching. "You came all this way to say this, didn’t you? Hoping I’d step aside?"

I let out a soft scoff.

"Too bad. As long as Alexander and I are still married, you’ll always be the other woman. And even if we divorce... that won’t change what you are."

My voice dropped, cold and sharp.

"So I suggest you stop provoking me. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you regret it. I have more than enough ways to ruin you—and you won’t recover from it."

Lilian’s smile wavered.

"What’s the point of holding onto Alexander?" she shot back. "He won’t even spare you a glance. If you had any dignity, you’d divorce him immediately."

I smiled coldly. "Go on—say it louder. Loud enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear. Let them see exactly what kind of person the famous star Lilian really is."

Her eyes burned with restrained fury as she glared at me.

"Miss Summer, is there anything else?" I asked coolly. "If not, I’ll be leaving."

Without waiting for a reply, I turned and walked away.

I didn’t return to my seat right away.

Instead, I wandered aimlessly through the mall. Couples passed by—some laughing, some arguing, some simply walking side by side in quiet companionship.

And I felt like an outsider.

My two-year marriage had turned out to be nothing more than a carefully crafted lie. Flawless... because it had never been real to begin with.

A sharp pain pierced through my chest, stealing my breath.

Just then, my phone rang—it was Sophie.

I answered quickly. "Sophie, I ran into someone I know and stopped to chat for a bit. I’ll be back soon."

After hanging up, I took a deep breath and headed back.

Looking at the clothes I had just bought using Alexander’s card, I sighed.

"Sophie, after dinner, I want to return these."

"Return them? Why?" she asked, confused.

"The card isn’t mine," I said lightly. "It belongs to someone in my family. I don’t like spending their money unnecessarily... so it’s better to return them."

"Alright, I’ll go with you."

The staff handled the return quickly and efficiently. Once it was done, I took out my own card and paid for the clothes again.

Sophie laughed. "You’re really making things difficult for yourself. Why not just transfer the money later?"

I only smiled faintly, offering no explanation.

After parting ways with Sophie, I headed toward the theater.

Alexander probably wouldn’t show up—but I had already promised my grandmother. I would treat this as the last time.

By the time I arrived, it was nearly 7:30. The hall buzzed with conversation, most seats already filled. It was a performance by a renowned pianist.

I took a seat in the front row.

The seat beside me remained empty.

At 7:30, the lights dimmed, leaving only the stage illuminated.

The performance began.

Yet, as my gaze drifted to the empty seat beside me, a quiet disappointment settled in my chest.

As expected... he wasn’t coming.

That seat had long since become nothing more than a place for my belongings.

At first, I felt restless. But gradually, I allowed myself to be drawn into the performance, losing myself in the music.

I didn’t know how much time had passed when suddenly, someone walked past me.

Frowning slightly, I glanced up, annoyed at the disturbance.

Then, to my surprise, the man stopped beside me, reached down, moved my things aside—and sat down.

I instinctively covered my belongings, snapping, "What are you doing—?"

But the moment I saw his face—

I froze.

It was Alexander.

Noticing the attention from those around us, he met my gaze briefly. I quickly moved my things to the floor as he settled into the seat.

"Sorry I’m late," he whispered.

"Don’t talk," I replied flatly, gesturing toward the stage. "Just watch."

He said nothing more, his attention returning to the performance.

The show ended around 9:30, the audience erupting into applause.

I stood, picking up my things from the floor, ready to leave.

Before I could, Alexander took the bags from my hands.

"Let’s go," he said quietly.

We walked toward the car, Alexander carrying my shopping bags.

I circled to the other side and slipped into the backseat, turning my gaze to the window as the city lights flickered past in a blur. The silence inside the car felt suffocating.

Jim remained focused on the road, his eyes fixed ahead. Outside, horns blared and voices drifted through the night air—but inside, everything was eerily still.

Then Alexander’s voice cut through the silence.

"The card I gave you... you already used it. Why return the items just to pay again?"

I didn’t look at him. My eyes stayed on the passing lights as a bitter smile tugged at my lips.

"I’ll spend it if I want to," I replied calmly. "And if I don’t, I won’t. It’s none of your concern."

A pause.

"Is it because I had dinner with Lilian?" he asked.

A quiet scoff escaped me.

"How many things have you already done for her?" I said coldly. "Why would this one matter? Why would I be upset?"

I leaned back and closed my eyes.

"Then what’s wrong?" he pressed.

What’s wrong?

I wondered the same thing.