Chapter 2

Sebastian came back quickly. His first words were: "Not dead yet? Changed tactics---now you want a divorce?"

Two sarcastic jabs, but he was stating facts.

In my previous life, I was able to marry Sebastian entirely because of a business partnership between our families.

At the time, the Whitmore family was on the verge of bankruptcy, their business set back decades. After I married in, it was essentially using the Sterling family's blood to fill the Whitmore family's bottomless pit.

So whenever I brought up divorce, Sebastian would compromise.

Back then, I thought his compromise was love, the only love he had for me.

Now I understand---it wasn't love, it was profit. Sebastian was compromising for the Whitmore family's development.

I adjusted my emotions and saw Melissa standing behind Sebastian.

Melissa was two years younger than me. The Whitmore family had adopted her from an orphanage years ago.

She had grown up with Sebastian since childhood---childhood sweethearts.

And I was just a willful, selfish, spoiled girl in his eyes.

I handed him the divorce papers. "Sign them."

Sebastian laughed mockingly and casually tore up the divorce agreement, not caring what I thought at all.

"Melissa is moving in. Give her your master bedroom. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

A problem?

How would I dare have a problem?

In my previous life, it was the same.

Melissa insisted on living in the master bedroom that Sebastian and I shared.

I refused, so she had to sleep in the side room. Then she fell out the window.

She claimed the bed in the side room was next to the floor-to-ceiling window, so she accidentally fell.

It was quite an accident indeed. What normal person sleeps without closing the floor-to-ceiling window?

Sebastian blamed me for that incident.

He said to teach me a lesson and locked me in a dark room without food or water. By the time he remembered me, I was barely alive.

My best friend defended me: "Get divorced, Charlotte. If you keep tormenting yourself like this, that scumbag Sebastian will be the death of you."

But back then, my brain was broken, and I actually argued back.

"Why does he only treat me badly and not others?"

"Why does he only want my life and not others'?"

"He loves me. He loves me to death."

Hearing these words, my friends gradually distanced themselves from me and stopped contacting me.

Thinking back on those words now, I was such a fool.

Since Melissa loved stealing nests so much, I'd give her this bird's nest.

"Fine."

I calmly agreed.

A flash of surprise crossed Melissa's eyes. All the schemes she had prepared were now useless.

She looked me up and down repeatedly, then tugged on Sebastian's arm.

"About that thing..."

Melissa trailed off suggestively.

Sebastian pushed up his gold-framed glasses---the movement refined and elegant. I used to love this gentleman-scoundrel act of his.

Now I realize, even if a dog did this, I would have loved it. Pure sickness.

Sebastian spoke: "Melissa's health isn't good, and she needs to prepare for pregnancy. Take care of her for the next two weeks. I remember you studied nursing, right?"

Yes, I studied nursing. For him.

Back then, Sebastian was constantly drinking at business dinners for the nearly bankrupt Whitmore family, which damaged his stomach. He lay in the hospital for over ten days.

He couldn't afford a nurse, so I taught myself for a few days and took care of him around the clock for two weeks.

I didn't even blink. When he raised his hand, I handed him water. When he turned over, I gave him a massage. I was more diligent than a servant.

I thought he would remember my kindness, but he only remembered me as a free nanny.

I readily agreed again, but I took back what should have been mine.

"Sebastian, give me back the three Sterling family seals I gave you, and I'll agree."

Those three seals were the great heroes that helped the Whitmore company rise from the dead.

Originally, my parents didn't agree to my marriage to Sebastian.

But I insisted on choosing him.

So my parents gave me three seals representing our entire family enterprise.

As long as I held these three seals, many companies would be willing to cooperate with the Whitmore family in the future.

Mom also told me that whenever I took back these three seals, they would come get me even if they were on the other side of the world.

When I gave Sebastian these three seals, I told him they would help his career.

In my previous life, I also brought this up with him.

Instead, he pointed at my nose and cursed.

"Charlotte, what the hell is your Sterling family? What are these three seals? You really think you're something special? Without your Sterling family, the Whitmore family can still rise again."

That's when I learned: you can't warm up an ungrateful wolf.

You can't warm up a heart made of stone either.

What he doesn't want, if I gave it to a dog, at least the dog would wag its tail at me.

Sebastian disdainfully pulled one out from his pocket and gave it to me. "The other two---I'll give you one every two weeks."

I knew what he meant. He wanted me to take good care of Melissa during this half-month period.

After giving them all, I would leave.

By then, my parents would naturally handle the divorce procedures for me.

I withdrew all my admiration for Sebastian. I desperately wanted to see---when he was no longer the Whitmore family's young master, when he was begging with a mountain of debt on his back, would Melissa still love only him?