Chapter 2
The next time Silvana met Kendrick was at the courthouse to process the divorce.
He seemed to be on a tight schedule, his phone always buzzing.
She sat to the side quietly, not uttering a single unnecessary word or even glancing his way. After he ended the call, she said gently, “The paperwork is all prepared. It just needs your signature.”
She had taken care of everything while he was on the phone.
For some reason, the courthouse was quiet for divorces that day. But on her way there, she had seen a long, happy queue outside the City Hall- couples waiting to get married.
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her profile gentle under the light makeup she’d applied. The bright red dress she wore accentuated her curves. She didn’t notice Kendrick’s gaze lingering on her. By the time she turned, he had already looked away, his glance so imperceptible she missed it completely.
“Here are your divorce decrees.”
She tucked hers into her bag, her mood a stark contrast to the day they had received their marriage license.
Outside the courthouse, she saw Kendrick’s car by the roadside. As he turned and glanced at her, she spoke before he could, “Goodbye.”
He blurted out, “You’re leaving just like this?”
She eyed him with confusion.
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With one hand tucked in his pocket, Kendrick stood perfectly still. He was undeniably striking, drawing attention without effort–as evidenced by the lingering glances of passersby, which he had long grown accustomed to ignoring. His eyes, deep and unreadable, fixed on Silvana in a red dress. “You really don’t want anything?” he asked.
“No.” She shook her head, her confusion growing.
“Are you worried I’ll pester you? Don’t be. I won’t. I’m just glad you can finally be with the one you love.”
Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang again, ill–timed as ever. He’d cleared his busy schedule for this, and yet her eagerness to finalize the divorce surprised him—it felt as if she couldn’t wait to be with someone else.
With nothing left to say, she turned away. Her ride arrived moments later, and she left without hesitation.
“A divorce? Are you serious?”
g an
Dianna had somehow gotten wind of the news and stormed into the studio. She grabbed Silvana’s arm, answer. “What the hell? Do you even realize that by doing this, you’re pushing Kendrick right into Christina’s arms? That bitch is probably so over the moon she’s waking up laughing in the middle of the night! How could you hand her such a victory? Have you completely lost your mind?”
Silvana was still fine–tuning the draft. Her client remained unsatisfied, and the reason was simple enough–they were trying to take advantage. It was impossible to create top–tier jewelry designs on a shoestring budget, so she’d been caught in endless negotiations and revisions. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she finally made time to respond. “The divorce is finalized. There’s no point grilling me about it now.”
“You…” Dianna pressed a hand to her chest, as if on the verge of a heart
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attack from sheer frustration. “Everyone knows Christina has feelings for Kendrick, but he’s only ever seen her as a sister. Even if there was something more, as long as you held on, you were still his legal wife. No one could’ve threatened your position–not even Christina!”
Silvana said nothing, her eyes fixed on the computer screen.
Her calm demeanor only fueled Dianna’s fury. “Are you seriously OK with just walking away like this?” she fumed. “You and Kendrick were doing fine, weren’t you? You never even argued!”
Dianna was genuinely puzzled. To everyone looking in, Kendrick and Silvana had seemed like the perfect couple–harmonious and well- matched in every way. How could they possibly get a divorce so suddenly over Christina?
“We never argued because we never had the chance to,” Silvana replied. “He doesn’t love me, so he couldn’t even be bothered to fight with me. I have no intention of staying tied to a man who doesn’t love me. Anyone could fill the role of his wife.”
“He told you he didn’t love you?” Dianna asked, eyes wide.
“He got drunk once and called me by another woman’s name.”
Dianna opened her mouth, but no words came out. Silvana had never mentioned this before. Studying the quiet resolve on Silvana’s face, she finally sighed in defeat, “What did I tell you back then? I warned you not to rush into a marriage so quickly…”
This time, it was Silvana who fell silent.
She first met Kendrick at a wine tasting event. Having drunk a bit too much, she mistook him for her designated driver and asked him to take her home–even exchanging numbers before stumbling out. They started chatting on WhatsApp. After a month, she felt a real connection, so she
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asked him out to dinner. He agreed. They shared a meal, drank a little more, and then, on impulse, she invited him upstairs for coffee. One thing led to another, and they ended up in bed.
It turned out… they were perfectly in sync, even in that.
When she woke the next morning, a flicker of regret surfaced. Though it had been her first time, it was fully consensual–she was an adult, fully responsible for her own choices. She didn’t expect anything from him, no apologies or promises. So she told him, “You can just pretend nothing happened.”
But he looked at her, completely serious, and said, “What happened, happened. Some things can’t be ignored. I think you feel the same.”
Then he proposed to marry her, but she refused.
