Chapter 2

Ethan' s expression didn' t change. He looked almost bored.

"Your parents sent over a list of your preferences and allergies when we first married," he said, his voice smooth and dismissive. "Hoping I' d 'take better care of you.' I glanced at it once. Mangoes stuck in my mind. Such a common fruit for such a dramatic reaction."

His explanation was plausible. Too plausible. It felt like a carefully constructed lie, designed to extinguish the sudden, wild hope that had flared within me.

He didn't wait for my response.

"Bella is being discharged tomorrow. I need to be there."

He turned and walked out, leaving me alone with the sterile scent of the hospital and the crushing weight of his indifference.

My hope flickered and died. He was just cruel. Or perhaps he truly didn't remember.

The days that followed were a blur of quiet suffering.

Nurses at the hospital whispered, their pitying glances following me. "Poor Mrs. Cole. Mr. Cole seems so devoted to Miss Vance."

The tabloids and gossip sites were filled with pictures of Ethan doting on Bella, helping her into cars, his arm protectively around her. Each image was a fresh stab of pain.

My resolve hardened. This marriage was a sham, a cruel joke.

As soon as I was discharged, I called my lawyer.

"I want to start divorce proceedings," I told him, my voice firm. "Irreconcilable differences. Emotional abuse. I'll waive any claim to Cole assets. I just want out."

I sat at my desk in the small study of the townhouse Ethan technically owned, the one we technically shared, and began to write out the terms for the separation agreement. Each word felt like severing a tie to a past that was both a cherished memory and a current nightmare.

The next week, I saw them.

I was at a quiet cafe, trying to find a moment of peace.

A notification popped up on my phone. A celebrity gossip site.

Ethan Cole and Bella Vance: A Love Story for the Ages?

The article featured a series of photos: Ethan and Bella laughing at a private dinner, Ethan tenderly adjusting Bella' s scarf, Ethan gazing at Bella with an expression of pure adoration.

An expression I remembered.

An expression he used to reserve only for me, in that other life.

My chest ached. It was a physical pain, sharp and deep. He had replaced me so completely.

I pushed the phone away, my appetite gone.

My lawyer, Mr. Henderson, was efficient. He was an old family friend, discreet and kind.

"Mia, are you sure about waiving all assets? The Cole fortune is immense."

"I'm sure, Mr. Henderson. I don't want his money. I just want my freedom."

He nodded, his expression sympathetic. He didn't know the half of it, of course. He didn't know about the rebirths, the past lives, the tangled web of love and betrayal.

He simply saw a young woman desperate to escape a powerful, cold husband.

He promised to draw up the papers and have them couriered to Ethan' s office.

A few days later, I had to go to Cole Innovations headquarters to sign some residual papers related to a joint charity initiative Hayes Hotels had been pressured into.

As I waited in the sleek, minimalist lobby, I saw them again.

Ethan was leading Bella through the atrium. She was leaning on him, looking pale and fragile, but her eyes, when they flicked towards me, held a spark of triumph.

He was murmuring something to her, his head bent low, a tender smile on his lips. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead.

It was a small gesture, intimate and loving.

A gesture he had done for me a thousand times in our first life.

After I' d woken from a nightmare. After I' d finally, reluctantly, agreed to a dance. After I' d cried over my family' s failing business, and he' d held me, promising to fix everything.

The memory hit me with the force of a physical blow. I felt the air leave my lungs.

He looked up, his eyes meeting mine. They were cold, dismissive. He didn't even nod. He just steered Bella towards the private elevator, his hand protectively on her arm.

Utterly replaced. Utterly forgotten.

The divorce papers arrived at Ethan' s office. Mr. Henderson called to tell me Ethan had signed them without comment, without any negotiation.

A wave of relief washed over me, so profound it left me weak. It was done. Or almost done. The legal formalities would take time, but the core agreement was signed.

But with the relief came a deep, aching sorrow. The Ethan I had loved, the Ethan who had loved me, was truly gone. This new, cruel Ethan was all that remained. And he wanted nothing to do with me.

That evening, Ethan found me in the library. Bella was with him, clinging to his arm, her expression a perfect blend of innocence and concern.

"Amelia," Ethan said, his voice devoid of any emotion. "I trust the legal matters are proceeding to your satisfaction."

"Yes," I said, my voice equally flat.

"Good." He paused. "Bella is feeling much better. She' ll be staying here for a while. For her recovery."

My eyes flicked to Bella. She gave me a small, saccharine smile.

"I hope that' s not too much of an inconvenience, Mia," Bella said, her voice soft and sweet. "Ethan has been so wonderfully attentive."

"The divorce will be final soon," I said, looking directly at Ethan. "It won't be an inconvenience for long."

Ethan' s jaw tightened. "Regardless. There's a charity gala next week. Cole Innovations is a primary sponsor. You will attend. With me. And Bella."

I stared at him. "Why? The papers are signed."

"Appearances, Amelia," he said, his voice like steel. "Until the ink is dry on the final decree, you are still Mrs. Cole. You will maintain the facade. Or Hayes Hotels will face... unforeseen complications."

His threat was clear. My family' s company, still fragile, still dependent on his goodwill.

I felt a surge of helpless anger, quickly followed by weary resignation. He still had me on a leash.

"Fine," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "I'll be there."

Bella' s smile widened. It didn' t reach her eyes.