Chapter 4
It began with what-to him-was a trifle. For the first time, I truly felt that Hawthorne and I couldn’t go on anymore.
It all began with the popular outdoor variety show that recently invited both Lily and me. The filming had been relatively smooth, and everything had gone well.
Lily played the bubbly ingénue, while I did my part in the games, making sure to stand out.
One day, Hawthorne unexpectedly mad a rare visit to set. The directors around him were all eager to greet him, the CEO of
Hawthorne Industries.
That was when the accident happened. The bamboo bridge by the lake, which had been in disrepair for years, suddenly snapped when Lily and I both stood on it.
Both of us fell into the lake.
Chaos erupted around us, and the staff rushed to jump in and save us.
But no one expected that Hawthorne, the CEO of Hawthorne Industries, would be the first one to jump into the water.
I couldn’t swim, and when I saw Hawthorne jump in, I thought he was coming to save me. After all, I was his wife.
But when I saw him grab Lily and start swimming toward the shore, my heart sank.
In that moment, I realized something-after three years, he didn’t love me.
It seemed like he didn’t even notice I had fallen in. He picked up Lily and hurriedly put her into his Maybach. His urgency, his concern for her… When I sank beneath the water, all I could see was the car driving away.
By the time the staff pulled me out of the water, I was unconscious.
It was ironic. Everyone assumed someone would save me, but in the chaos, Hawthorne distracted everyone. They forgot about me entirely. It wasn’t until the assistant director shouted for help that anyone even remembered I was there.
I was rushed to the hospital, and the show was paused.
When I woke up, the only person by my side was my manager, Mrs. Hargrove.
She looked terrified, her eyes red from crying as she stared at me.
I moved a little, feeling like there wasn’t much harm done.
“Mrs. Hargrove, I’m not dead.”
“Evelyn, You scared me half to death! How could you be so unlucky? It’s all Mr. Hawthorne’s fault for making such a big deal about saving that fake lady, everyone just forgot about you. Doesn’t it hurt?”
“I don’t feel bad.”
I felt calm, as though I had already known deep down that I was nothing more than an accessory to Mr. Hawthorne’s life. I had been so naive, thinking that as his wife, we were one-reality had just given me a harsh slap.
I thought, Mr. Hawthorne and I were done, this was the end.
That afternoon, after being discharged from the hospital, I saw Mr. Hawthorne. He was holding Lily, with my parents
Chapter 4
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following behind them.
They were all smiling, looking like a happy family. Lily leaned against Mr. Hawthorne, and my parents gently draped a coat
over her.
It was as though they had completely forgotten about me.
I stood there, staring at their backs in a daze, pulling out my phone to find the number for the lawyer Mrs. Hargrove had recommended. I had him start drafting a divorce agreement.
