After returning from Northgate University, Marjorie slept for two full days at the villa.
She was exhausted.
The hatred for Christian, the pain of the past, the fury of betrayal. These tangled emotions wound around her heart like a thousand threads pulled tight, leaving her barely able to breathe.
When she finally woke, Marjorie stretched and drew two heavy circles on the calendar.
Two more days. In two days, Scarface would deliver on his promise, and she'd have a front-row seat to the show.
By then, Christian's reputation in this country would be in ruins, and she'd be settling into a new life in Switzerland, one that was entirely her own.
The thought alone made her feel lighter than she had in months.
She ate a quick breakfast and started packing.
The villa was full of gifts Christian had given her over the years.
She'd once treated them like reasons to keep living. After their "reconciliation," she'd rushed to move every last one into Hillside Villa, where she could look at them daily, savoring the memories.
Now, the sight of them turned her stomach.
A yellow teddy bear, his gift for her tenth birthday. Marjorie built a fire in the backyard and tossed it into the flames.
A blue preserved flower arrangement, the token he'd given her when they first got together. He'd told her his love would last as long as those flowers. Marjorie let out a cold laugh, picked up a pair of scissors, and cut the arrangement in half.
A one-carat diamond ring, his proposal gift. Marjorie held it up, turned it once in the light, and flicked it into the stream behind the villa.
By the time she'd finished disposing of the trash, it was already afternoon. Marjorie turned back toward the villa to pack her own luggage and found Christian standing in the living room.
He seemed to have just arrived. He hadn't even taken off his coat.
Marjorie didn't know why he was here. She took an instinctive step back.
"What do you want?"
Before the words had fully left her mouth, he pulled her into his arms.
The familiar scent of sandalwood filled her nose. She used to love it. Now, laced with the unmistakable trace of a woman's perfume, it made her want to gag.
"Marjorie, did you forget? I come to see you once a week."
His voice dripped with practiced tenderness. She couldn't stand another second of it. She shoved him hard and slapped him across the face.
"You cheated on me, and you still expect us to play house?"
"Why not?"
Christian turned his head with the blow. A red mark bloomed across his cheek, but he didn't look angry.
"You slept with another man, and I forgave you, didn't I? Marjorie, as long as we love each other, we can always be together. You're still living in this villa. You haven't moved out. That proves you still have feelings for me, doesn't it?"
"I know Bridget's existence upsets you. But in circles like ours, who only has one partner their whole life? Bridget and I are just dating. In my heart, Mrs. Sanchez will always be you."
His arm tightened around her as he spoke. Marjorie could barely breathe against his grip, but inside, she was laughing.
She hadn't moved out because every property under her name had been converted to liquid assets and transferred overseas.
She couldn't be bothered to rent another place, so she'd stayed here to sort through the leftover garbage.
As for the cheating, that had been his doing from start to finish. And now he had the audacity to dress it up like some noble arrangement. In two days, he'd pay the price he owed.
But none of that was something she could tell him.
Just as she was about to struggle free, his phone rang.
It was Bridget. Christian didn't bother stepping away. He answered right in front of her.
"Christian, I miss you."
Bridget's syrupy voice poured through the speaker, ringing clear through the empty villa.
Marjorie had been wondering how to get rid of him. Hearing that voice, she grabbed his sleeve and gestured toward the door, urging him to go.
She was trying to push him out. But through Christian's eyes, it looked like Marjorie was being accommodating.
He gave a self-satisfied nod, hung up the call, and pressed a light kiss to her forehead.
"See, Marjorie? That's the grace of a real wife. Don't worry. In my heart, you'll always come first."
She watched him leave, eager as a dog called to heel. She didn't feel sad. But something gnawed at the edges of her calm, a low hum of unease she couldn't place.
She went back to the bedroom to finish packing. It wasn't until she saw the empty jewelry box that she understood where the feeling had come from.
Her mother's jade bracelet was gone.
The only thing her mother had ever left her.
At the same moment, her phone buzzed.
An unknown number had sent her a voice message.
Marjorie tapped it open. Bridget's gloating voice spilled from the speaker.
"I threw a little tantrum with Christian and told him to bring me the thing you care about most. And guess what? He did. Your mommy's bracelet is so pretty, Marjorie. It's just a shame that something like this... breaks so easily."
