Chapter 4
Actually, during our eight years of marriage, Julian was very good to me.
In hazy moments, it felt as though Blair had never even existed.
He became known in our circles as a total doting husband.
I even started to believe he had fallen in love with me.
Julian frequently took me to various galas, openly marking his territory.
It was as if he couldn’t bear to be apart from me for a second.
Every time, he’d prepare a gorgeous gown for me in advance.
Watching me put it on, his eyes would be filled with tenderness and adoration, and he’d softly say, “My Sera is truly beautiful.”
At banquets, when others toasted, he would subtly shield me, take the glass, and drink it all down, whispering, “I’m here.”
When I stumbled accidentally, he’d quickly catch me, his concerned gaze fixed. “Sera, are you hurt?”
His anxious look made the other rich kids tease, “Julian, you’re still so sweet on Sera after all these years.”
When Julian wasn’t busy, he’d take me on vacations to a private island.
In the island villa, he’d personally cook breakfast for me, the apron softening his usual sharp business edge.
Sunlight streamed into the kitchen as he served the fried eggs onto a plate, smiling as he called out, “Come, try it. I hope it’s to your taste.”
Walking on the beach, I spotted a seashell.
Me, Miss Miller, the heiress to such a powerful family, what expensive trinket haven’t I seen?
Suddenly, a playful thought sparked in my mind.
“Julian, I like this shell.”
Julian didn’t care for his expensive suit getting soaked by the seawater.
He stepped into the shallows, picked it up, wiped it clean, and handed it to me. “You’re like a little kid.”
But who wouldn’t turn into a child when they feel loved?
At night, when nightmares startled me awake, he’d immediately pull me gently into his arms, murmuring like he was soothing a child, “It’s okay, Sera, I’m right here.”
Once, a project I was in charge of ran into trouble, leaving me frowning with worry.
I didn’t want to tell my parents; I wanted to prove my own capabilities.
When Julian found out, he immediately used his connections and even personally got involved in the planning.
He gently stroked my hair, coaxing, “Don’t worry, Sera, I’m here.”
In that moment, tears welled up in my eyes, brimming with gratitude.
I knew that from the moment I agreed to marry him,
I’d been burdened by the heavy shackles of being a “stand-in.”
Whenever night fell, those doubting voices echoed in my heart, yet I stubbornly searched for a flicker of love in the darkness.
Perhaps, Julian’s intentions weren’t pure at first.
But in the years of our marriage, every little moment was real.
Eight years had accumulated, perhaps he had long forgotten Blair.
I immersed myself in Julian’s favoritism towards me.
This exception was real and tangible.
I tried to break free from the constant cycle of searching for evidence of his love for me in every detail, every day.
I gradually stopped thinking about the past.
Their past.
It would get better.
Everything was slowly getting better.
But then,
Blair came back.
And my love story came crashing down.
Turns out, my proud marriage was so fragile, so easily shattered.