Chapter 2My Marriage Was His Secret Penance

I felt nothing. The warmth was gone. The man holding me wasn't my husband; he was a stranger who had hollowed out my life to build a shrine for someone else.

I closed my eyes, letting a single tear slip. He thought it was affection.

I helped him into bed and tucked him in. The alcohol took hold quickly, and soon his breathing leveled out into a deep sleep.

I sat on the edge of the bed and picked up his phone.

I only had to guess the passcode once. I tried Gemma’s birthday.

The screen glowed to life instantly.

I started scrolling through his files. Contract after contract. Every single one was a partnership with Harrison Cole’s firm—Harrison, the man Gemma had chosen over him. I wasn't a corporate expert, but even I could see the patterns. Xavier was bleeding his own company dry, handing over lucrative projects and taking massive hits just to ensure Gemma’s husband stayed successful. Just to ensure Gemma stayed rich.

The brand ambassadors he hired? Gemma’s favorite actors.

The project locations? Places Gemma had mentioned in passing on social media.

Even the final payment amounts on the invoices were codes: her birthday, her wedding anniversary, the day they first met.

My hands shook as I opened his private photo vault.

A thousand photos. All of them were of Gemma.

There she was at a gala. There she was laughing at a cafe. There she was celebrating a success with Harrison. In every photo, Harrison had been meticulously cropped out, leaving only Gemma. A digital obsession spanning five years.

I checked the records from the major auction houses. Millions of dollars in jewelry, all shipped anonymously to Gemma’s address, disguised as "corporate gifts from a silent partner."

The "White Moonlight" trope wasn't just a story. It was my husband’s religion.

I looked at the necklace on my own nightstand. It was a "gift" he’d given me last month. I realized now it was a promotional freebie from the same auction house where he’d bought Gemma a five-carat diamond.

I laughed, a quiet, broken sound. I didn't need to see any more.

I picked up my laptop and booked a one-way ticket out of the country for three days from now.

I began the process of deactivating my accounts and filing for a name change. Three days to erase five years. It was more than enough.

I didn't sleep.

When the sun rose, I went to the bathroom to wash my face. My phone buzzed on the counter.

Xavier’s voice came from the doorway, curious and groggy. "Nora? What’s this notification about an identity deactivation?"

I snatched the phone away, my face a mask of calm. "Nothing. My ID is expiring. I’m just making an appointment at the DMV to get it renewed."

"Don't you have a meeting today?" I added, turning the faucet on. "You should get going."

He didn't suspect a thing. He just wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, nuzzling into my neck. "Thank you, honey. I’m the luckiest man in the world to have a wife as graceful as you."

I smiled at his reflection in the mirror. I said nothing.

"As a reward, I’m going to bring you home something special today, okay?"

"Okay. I’ll be waiting."

As soon as Xavier left, his assistant arrived with a gourmet breakfast from my favorite bistro. For five years, he had ordered this for me every single morning. I used to think it was love. Now I realized it was just a routine to keep me occupied, a way to keep the "compensation" flowing so he could focus on Gemma.

If he truly loved me, wouldn't he have learned to cook at least one thing I liked in five years?

I dumped the expensive pastries into the trash and walked out the door. This five-year masquerade was over.

I filled out my paperwork at the government office and then headed straight to a lawyer. The divorce papers were standard—I wanted nothing. No alimony, no assets, no house. I just wanted my name back.

I took the envelope to Xavier’s office.

As I walked through the lobby, I heard the whispers of the staff.

"Is that Mrs. Knight? She’s so elegant. No wonder the boss keeps her hidden away like a treasure."

"Definitely her. That necklace she’s wearing? I personally delivered the paperwork for it a week ago. Five hundred thousand dollars! I’d have to work three lifetimes to afford that. She’s so lucky."