The Pearl That Ended Us

After gathering my few belongings, I packed them into a small suitcase.

I did not take much, just the things I had brought with me at the start of my marriage.

I left behind the clothes, jewelry, and gifts Sylus had given me over the years. I did not want any reminders of a life that no longer belonged to me.

As I stood before the divorce papers, my hands trembled. I had made up my mind, but my heart felt heavy with the weight of what was to come.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to open the document. The pen was already there, waiting for my signature.

But as my eyes scanned the paper, I noticed that Sylus had yet to sign. It felt as though he was waiting for my decision, but I quickly brushed that thought away.

"He must be busy planning his wedding," I muttered to myself, trying to push down any lingering feelings.

With a final, steadying breath, I signed my name. Just as I finished, there was a knock at the door. Sylus stood there, holding a set of keys in his hand.

"This is the key to your villa," he said in that same indifferent tone I had grown used to. "As for money, I have transferred it to your account. Let me know if it is not enough."

I glanced at him, forcing a faint smile. "Okay. I have signed the divorce papers. Please find some time to sign them too." Without waiting for a response, I grabbed my suitcase and walked past him.

Once I was outside, I took out my phone to check the address of the villa. But my heart skipped a beat when I saw the balance in my account, ten million dollars.

He had kept his promise, ensuring that I could live comfortably for the rest of my life.

But the thought only deepened the ache in my chest. They had prepared everything so neatly, so meticulously, to build a future that had no place for me.

As I made my way downstairs, Charlotte was waiting for me, her face twisted in a sullen expression. Even on the day I was leaving, she could not resist stirring up trouble.

"Lily," she cried, her voice loud and trembling. "Please, give me back my ring. It is the engagement ring Sylus bought for me five years ago. It was custom-made. You can’t just take it for revenge."

I stared at her, taking in her frail figure. Her face might have resembled mine, but that was where the similarities ended. She was smaller, weaker, like a fragile doll that would break at the slightest touch.

I could not help but smirk. "Move aside, Charlotte," I said coldly. "I did not take your ring."

I pushed past her, but she fell to the floor, crying as though I had shoved her with all my might. "Ow, it hurts! Are you really doing this to punish me? Taking my ring?"

My anger flared, and I spun around to face her. "Charlotte, have you lost your mind? I said I didn’t take it!"

Her tearful expression shifted into something more sinister, her voice a venomous whisper. "Or did you swallow it again? Are you waiting for someone to cut your stomach open like last time?"

My blood ran cold. Memories of the last time they had forced me into submission rushed back, and my body began to tremble.

I was terrified that history would repeat itself, that they would hurt me again.

Soon, the commotion drew Sylus and Xavier to the scene.

Xavier immediately rushed to Charlotte’s side, demanding to know what had happened.

She wasted no time in accusing me of stealing her engagement ring, claiming I had taken it out of spite.

As a result, Xavier’s eyes burned with fury, and he moved toward me, ready to force me to hand over the ring. But Sylus, ever composed, simply ordered the guards to search my belongings.

They ripped open my suitcase, scattering the few things I had packed across the floor.

My heart broke at the sight of it. My life was reduced to that humiliating scene and my privacy violated once again.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I would not give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

A few minutes later, one of the guards whispered something to Sylus. They had not found anything, of course.

"Can I pack my things now?" I asked, my voice trembling but defiant.

Sylus did not even look at me as he spoke. "No. You don’t need to take anything from here. Leave the manor and go on your own."

His words felt like a final blow, cold and heartless. I watched as he turned and walked back upstairs without another word.

Charlotte looked momentarily stunned, but she quickly recovered, sneering as Xavier helped her to her feet.

I stood there for a moment, staring at the mess they had made of my things, before finally turning toward the door.

My hands still shook, but with each step, I felt a strange sense of freedom growing inside me.

That place had been my prison for far too long, so I would never come back there.

*

A few days later, Sylus appeared at my villa without knocking, without ringing the bell. It turned out he had a spare key.

I was in the living room when he strolled in, holding a small envelope in his hand. His face was unreadable as he looked at me. Then, with unnerving casualness, he extended the invitation towards me.

“Will you come to our wedding? I want to have your blessing.”