A Long Road, A Quiet Goodbye

I watched everything turn to ash.

The last thing I tossed into the flames was the certificate given by the Royal Astronomical Society of England.

George used to spoil me. Just because my name was Selena, he would buy expensive moon-gazing equipment and even used his connections to name an asteroid after me. Now, it was all meaningless.

As the fire crackled, George suddenly opened the door and frowned when he saw the empty wooden box.

“Arianne is pregnant,” he said sharply.

“She can’t handle the smell of smoke. What are you doing?”

Just then, George glanced at the flames. If he had looked closer, he might have seen the certificate and the letter inside. But his thoughts were filled with Arianne. He didn’t notice …. or care.

Grabbing my hand, he pulled me toward her room.

“Selena, Arianne wants to apologize to you.”

Arianne wanted to apologize? After everything she had gained?

Not long after that, Arianne stood before me. Her eyes glistening with false sincerity. It made me want to vomit.

“Arianne, I didn’t expect to get pregnant again. I guess I’m just ... too fertile,” she said, laughing softly.

“This is my second child. You’re so accepting, so I know you won’t mind, right?”

I said nothing.

George smiled awkwardly, trying to smooth things over.

“Selena’s not the jealous type. Don’t worry.”

I didn’t know when my mother-in-law had entered the room.

Her tone was as sharp and cold as ever as she added, “Hmph. She’s just a girl from an ordinary family. It was a huge privilege that she married into the Ratcliffe Family, so she should be grateful. So what if she can’t have a child? What’s there to be upset about?”

Mrs. Ratcliffe always looked down on me because of my background. In the past, George would’ve defended me without hesitation. However, he stayed silent this time.

His silence was louder than words.

George agreed with his mother. It was all because I couldn’t give him a child.

I smiled calmly, my heart numb.

“You’re right, Mom. I’ve held George back long enough. I’ll divorce him.”

The room erupted in shock. Arianne’s lips twitched into a faint smile. But George? He panicked.

“Selena, I’m sorry I’ve been neglecting you. Don’t be angry. I don’t want a divorce.”

Before I could answer, my mother-in-law grabbed my arm and slapped me harshly across my face. Pain exploded on my right cheek. But it didn’t matter.

“Selena! I tried to be nice to you! If you divorce now, their relationship will be exposed!”

I looked at George, tears brimming in my eyes. He rushed to get an ice pack for my cheek, but he never said a word to his mother. At that moment, everything became clear.

The moment Arianne announced her pregnancy, George had made his choice.

That night, I quietly returned to the bedroom. I packed my bags in silence, waiting for darkness to fall so I could slip away unnoticed. But I hadn’t expected him to cling to me like stubborn glue.

Even when Arianne faked a stomachache in the middle of the night, he stayed by my side instead of going to her. Then, my phone buzzed. It was a message confirming that my marriage status in my ID card had been changed.

I quietly deleted it.

George was obsessive. If I angered him, leaving would become even harder. What I didn’t expect was for him to see everything.

His sleepy voice came from behind me, filled with confusion.

“Selena, what are you doing with your ID card?”

I lied, saying I needed to change my ID card.

He wrapped his arms around me, murmuring, half-asleep, begging me not to leave him. And for a second … I almost believed him. Until I opened his WhatsApp messages with Arianne.

The chat with Arianne was full of sweet, honeyed words.

[George R: Selena’s too sensitive. If she left without warning, people would think we did something wrong.]

[George R: She’s not as good at pleasing me as you are. I should’ve married you in the first place.]