Chapter 3
“If that’s the case,” he said, his expression intent, “then I want you to do right by me.” The sincerity in his eyes left no doubt–he wasn’t joking.
In the end, they got married. Maybe it was his striking looks that clouded her judgment.
Everything that followed was quiet–almost underwhelming. There was no wedding, no ceremony, not even an announcement to family or friends. Only a handful of her closest friends knew.
Dianna was one of them.
After they got married, they bought an apartment in Serenity Estates. Kendrick handled the down payment and refused to let her contribute a single dime. Not wanting him to bear the entire financial burden, Silvana insisted on covering the cost of the interior decoration herself–she had savings of her own, after all.
To be fair, Kendrick turned out to be a good husband. He was gentle, considerate, and held a respectable job. He had no bad habits to speak of and was unexpectedly romantic, never failing to give her gifts on holidays or during getaways. What stood out even more was his attention to personal hygiene–he was, in fact, something of a clean freak, far more fastidious than most. And then there was the physical compatibility between them, which remained as perfect as that first night. She honestly couldn’t think of a single flaw in him.
She had truly begun to believe that growing old with him like this wouldn’t be a bad way to live a life.
She had never been particularly fond of children, but gradually, she found
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her mind changing–because of him.
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Yet when she cautiously brought up the idea, his gaze turned cool and detached almost instantly. “You’re still practically a child yourself,” he said. “There’s no rush.”
Fine.
Maybe he had a point.
So, she let the idea go.
Not long after, he began staying out late, then all night. Business trips grew more frequent, stretching from days to weeks. This went on for months–long enough for rumors to begin drifting her way. Until one day, a message came from an unknown number, warning her that he was seeing someone else and advising her to file for divorce.
At first, she brushed it off, thinking it a petty prank. A man like Kendrick -successful, magnetic–was bound to have jealous exes.
But then, around the beginning of the year, he started coming home from trips smelling faintly of women’s perfume. And late one night, his phone rang–a woman’s name flashing on the screen. Silvana answered. That was when she finally understood the real reason he had married her. He hadn’t wanted her. Rather, he’d only wanted to upset someone else. It didn’t matter who stood beside him at the altar, so long as it sent the right
message.
And that someone was Christina.
Silvana had no interest in clinging to a husband who saw her as a pawn.
It would be a lie to say nothing good came from those years.
Kendrick had a killer body–lean frame, impeccable lines. Sleeping with a
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man like that, even for just one night, would’ve been something to brag
about.
At the very least, she hadn’t lacked for physical pleasure.
As for whatever had happened–or was still happening–between him and Christina, she refused to dwell on it.
She had invested sincerely in their marriage. Now that it was over, it felt as though a piece of her soul had been drawn out with it.
Noticing the distant look in Silvana’s eyes, Dianna’s voice softened with concern. “Silvy, don’t be upset. A jerk like that doesn’t deserve you. Honestly, he and that bitch deserve each other. You dumped him–plain and simple.”
“I’m not upset,” Silvana replied calmly. “I’m just glad we didn’t have children.”
She’d had a rough childhood herself. Her parents divorced when she was ten, and she was placed in her father’s custody–only for him to hand her over to a nanny while he started a new family, complete with new
children. But at least he’d provided for her financially. Once she turned eighteen and left for college, she never asked him for another dime. They rarely spoke, meeting only for an occasional holiday meal.
It was part of the reason she and Kendrick hadn’t held a wedding banquet.
Dianna, who knew her family history well, understood exactly what she meant. “It’s fine,” Dianna said gently. “There are plenty of men out there. With your looks and money, you could have any one of them with just a crook of your finger.”
Silvana couldn’t help but chuckle.
Seeing her smile, Dianna felt a wave of relief. “So, what are your plans?
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What are you gonna do with the apartment?”
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“I’ll move out. And the apartment… Of course, I don’t want it anymore. I’ll sell it. Anna, you have connections in real estate, don’t you? Can you help
me?”
“Consider it done,” Dianna said, patting her chest confidently. “Leave it to me. Just wait for the good news.”
Silvana returned to Serenity Estates to pack her belongings. She didn’t own much–a few suitcases would suffice. The rest was Kendrick’s. Like her, he didn’t have much luggage either. What was more, his presence was marked mostly by work–related items. Worried she might accidentally leave behind something important of his, she hesitated for a moment, then decided to call and ask him to come collect his things himself.
But it wasn’t Kendrick who answered. It was Christina.
“Hello? Who’s this?”
Silvana’s breath caught, and no sound escaped her lips.
In the silence that followed, Christina’s voice came through again. “I know who this is. Ms. Mendoza, right?”
Slowly, tonelessly, Silvana replied without denial, “Yes. I need to speak with Kendrick.”
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