Chapter 2
Xavier’s eyes were fixed on my fingers. The moment he realized I was calling the police, he reacted quickly, snatching my phone and ending
the call.
“Camille, why are you calling the cops?” He looked at me, frustrated.
His nervousness was almost funny. Clearly, he knew he was in the wrong.
I scoffed. “Didn’t you say I falsely accused Kimberly? Then let’s have the police come and find out who’s really at fault.
“While we’re at it, they can investigate the missing diamond ring. With all the security cameras in the office, it won’t be hard to get to the truth.”
A flicker of panic flashed in Kimberly’s eyes.
Xavier opened his mouth to argue, but Kimberly grabbed his arm and whispered, “Forget it, Xavier. We’re all colleagues. There’s no need to escalate this to the police. We don’t want to make a scene and embarrass the company.”
Xavier’s gaze softened as he looked at her pitifully.
Then he turned back to me, his face darkening with anger. He jabbed a finger at my forehead and snapped, “Camille, you’re getting worse and
worse.
“Consider yourself lucky that Kimberly is mature enough not to stoop to your level.”
The ever–mature Kimberly took the opportunity to shoot me a glare when Xavier wasn’t looking. Then she smiled sweetly and said, “I’ll get back to work now. Xavier, you and Camille should talk.”
She finished speaking and turned to leave.
Watching her back, I could already imagine the smug smile on her face. She knew that Xavier wasn’t just talking to me. He was also standing up for her.
As soon as Kimberly walked out, Xavier started scolding me, saying I was no match for her. He accused me of growing pettier with age, unlike a young girl who knew better.
After venting his frustration, Xavier finally pulled out the diamond ring from our wedding. His voice was heavy with meaning.
“Do you really think I favor her over you? Everything I do is for your own good. I just want you to rest and make sure we keep the best talent for
the company.”
Saying this, he reached out, trying to slip the ring back onto my finger.
Looking at him now, so gentle and sincere, I knew that the old me would have believed him in a heartbeat, but not anymore. I could see what it was for. It was just another sweet gesture after a hard blow.
I let out a soft scoff and dodged him without hesitation.
“Kimberly lost over eight million for the company, and you call that talent?
“Xavier, tell me, is it me who needs to rest, or is it you?”
“You…”
His face turned red. He wanted to explode but managed to hold himself back.
“If that’s how you see it, then there’s nothing left for us to talk about.”
With that, he threw the ring at my face and stormed out.
I knew what he was doing; he was giving me the silent treatment.
This was his go–to tactic whenever he was in the wrong He used it to force me into apologizing Into giving in.
6:55 AM
<
This was his go–to tactic whenever he was in the wrong. He used it to force me into apologizing, into giving in.
But this time, I wasn’t anxious or afraid. I didn’t scramble to fix things. I simply glanced at the ring on the floor, now crushed under his heel, then turned and walked out.
That night, Xavier still hadn’t come home by the time it was past midnight.
Meanwhile, Kimberly sent a message in the company’s group chat.
[The new luxury car Xavier gave me is just stunning! Hard work always pays off. Keep going, everyone, you’ll get there too!]
Attached was a picture of her beaming in front of a limited–edition car, with Xavier beside her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. His
V eyes were full of admiration, his smile sweet.
Colleagues flooded the comments, liking and congratulating her.
At the very end, Xavier himself left a cute emoji, along with a message.
[This is a reward for your outstanding performance. You earned it. I just wish some people would learn from you.]
There was no need to guess who some people referred to.
I knew exactly what he was doing. He was deliberately trying to make me jealous and force me into submission.
A female colleague couldn’t help but message me privately.
“Camille, what’s going on? I thought you and Mr. Thornton used to be madly in love?”
I recognized her. She was one of the earliest employees who had fought alongside Xavier and me. She left years ago to focus on her family but had recently returned when I rehired her.
Her message stirred up old memories.
Back then, Xavier and I were in love.
When I was sick, he stayed up for three days straight, watching over me. When I craved green mangoes, he worked nonstop for a whole week, then drove across state lines just to buy them for me. On my birthday, he went all out, surprising me with a luxury car in the middle of a busy
street…
That car was over a decade old now. Worn out, just like our love.
I didn’t reply to her message. Instead, I quietly packed my things.
Since I had already decided to leave, there was no reason to hold on to anything. I sold what I could and threw out the rest. In the end, all that remained were our photos.
After a moment of thought, I took out a fire pit.
One by one, I tossed the pictures into the flames, watching them curl and burn.
Just then, the door swung open.
Xavier walked in, his eyes fixed on his phone, a small smile on his lips as he typed.
When he saw me, the smile on his face disappeared on purpose. He glanced at me and spoke with clear disdain.
“Why are you here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Got nothing better to do?”
I knew he was frustrated because his attempt to provoke me had failed.
But back when we were still in love, he would sometimes go out late at night to meet friends. I couldn’t go with him, but I knew he was afraid of the dark. So, I would leave the lights on and fight off my sleepiness, waiting for him in the living room.
6:55 AM
<
Love and indifference were obvious at a glance.
I didn’t explain myself. I simply continued burning the photos in my hands.
Xavier never liked taking pictures. Most of them were taken because I had begged him to.
I thought he wouldn’t care. But to my surprise, he suddenly showed interest, leaning down to take the photos from my hands, flipping through them one by one.
“When were these taken? I don’t remember any of them.”
He looked surprised, and for some reason, his tone softened.
“This one… My side profile looks pretty good. Who was the photographer?
“Why does this one look so funny? You look like a little fox.
“Camille, look at you back then. You were so cute, all chubby and adorable.”
He reminisced to himself, his smile unconsciously growing.
I didn’t respond.
Three seconds of silence passed.
Then, as if suddenly realizing we were still in a cold war, he cleared his throat and frowned slightly.
“Why are you burning these photos?”
“I don’t need them anymore,” I said calmly.
“Come on. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”
Xavier smirked confidently, stood up, and shoved the photos back into my hands.
“You did this on purpose, so I’d see it, didn’t you? Stop being stubborn. Bring your ID tomorrow afternoon. We’re going to City Hall.”
His tone was arrogant as if marrying me was some kind of generous favor.
I let out a cold laugh and tossed the rest of the photos into the fire.
The last remnants of our past were completely consumed.
Xavier’s brows furrowed instantly. “What are you doing?”
“Xavier, we…”
Before I could finish, his phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID, and his eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he walked into the bedroom to answer.
Laughter drifted through the closed door.
I stood outside, staring at the pile of ashes left from the burned photos, just like our relationship, nothing but dust.
Nearly half an hour passed before he finally came out, still smiling.
“There’s something at work. I need to head out. I’ll probably be back late.”
He tried to keep his tone casual to avoid giving anything away. But I knew exactly who had called Kimberly. Over the years, he had used work as an excuse to meet with her countless times.
6:56 AM J
<
I didn’t expose him. I just nodded.
He went back to the bedroom to change, even spraying on cologne.
One phone call and he had completely forgotten about me. Forgotten about the photos I burned.
“Oh, right. What were you about to say earlier?”
He finally remembered when he was about to leave, pausing by the door to ask.
