Chapter 3

Josephine's heart jumped. Following his gaze downward, she realized there were still marks from last night on her neck.

She cursed Cornelius inwardly—that bastard. Any normal person would know not to leave visible marks, yet he'd been so blatant about it.

Though, it didn't really matter anymore.

Josephine scoffed. Looking at Gideon's dark expression, she said calmly, "Didn't you just experience this last night? How can you not recognize it now?"

Gideon's expression shifted, but he quickly composed himself. "Did you listen to gossip from outsiders again? That was all just business entertainment."

He hugged Josephine with a laugh. "You know how it is with business deals—you inevitably run into situations like that. Besides, how could I mess around? I worked so hard to win you over back then. I can't bear to let you go."

Gideon and Josephine were college alumni.

Back then, as the Carnegie family heir, his arrival on campus had caused a sensation.

Handsome and wealthy, he was the ideal boyfriend for countless girls.

But he'd set his sights on Josephine from the start, pursuing her with grand gestures—flowers and gifts in endless supply, even staging several spectacular confessions with fireworks and drones.

Josephine had been reluctant to accept at first. She thought rich heirs were just playing around.

But Gideon pursued her for a whole year. During that time, he coldly rejected anyone else who approached him, eventually winning Josephine's heart.

By graduation, everyone predicted they'd break up.

Including Josephine herself.

But to everyone's surprise, he proposed to Josephine on graduation day, even defying his family for her and enduring beatings from the elders.

In the end, the Carnegie family had no choice but to agree.

That was why Josephine had been so certain they'd make it to the end.

Yet...

All those grand gestures from the past now turned into knives stabbing at Josephine.

Tears welled uncontrollably in her eyes. "Your so-called business entertainment—was that sleeping with her in our wedding home?"

Gideon's expression turned panicked. "You saw everything?"

Josephine nodded. "Quite a show."

Gideon explained urgently, "Jojo, last night was just a moment of impulse. I promise I won't have any contact with her again. Can you trust me just once?"

Trust? How could she trust him?

She shoved Gideon away and demanded furiously, "Gideon, you were the one who said you'd never change your heart in this lifetime. You were the one who said you'd grow old with me. But it's only been five years—five years and you've already changed your heart. Why don't you just go die?"

Josephine opened her mouth, breathing heavily in large gulps.

The suffocating feeling that had wrapped around her heart since last night now became even more pronounced.

Two years of dating, five years of marriage. She'd thought they could grow old together, but now all her expectations and hopes had become a joke.

Gideon's chest tightened, losing his earlier composure. "Jojo, I'm sorry, I—"

"Don't tell me you're sorry. What good does sorry do?" Josephine forced herself to calm down. "You betrayed me. You betrayed this marriage."

"Let's get divorced."

The light tone fell like a heavy hammer.

Gideon panicked and hugged Josephine tightly. "No, I don't agree."

"You don't agree?" Josephine laughed coldly. "Fine. Then from now on, we'll each do our own thing. You find your mistress, I'll find my new lover."

"Josephine!" Gideon's voice was sharp. "Did you already have a man on the side? Is that why you came back to make this scene?"

"Who is he? Tell me!"

Josephine's heart went cold. The man before her suddenly seemed utterly unfamiliar.

She never imagined that even though Gideon was clearly in the wrong, he could so brazenly turn things around on her.

Gideon was already immersed in his own assumptions. "I gave you six months of freedom and you immediately started messing around. Do I need to lock you in the house before you'll behave?"

Back when Gideon loved Josephine most deeply, he'd thought everyone would try to steal her away.

So after marriage, he'd arranged for four bodyguards to follow her all day. Not only did he need to know her every movement, but when she came home, he'd check her phone to ensure she had no dealings with other men.

Josephine had been exasperated by his anxious attitude and said several times it wasn't necessary.

"That won't do." Gideon had been adamant. "Men out there are the best actors. I worked so hard to win you over—I can't let someone poach you."

Seeing his insecurity, Josephine had acquiesced to his behavior.

However, six months ago, Gideon had suddenly withdrawn the bodyguards and stopped checking her phone.

"Jojo, I trust you, so I'm giving you freedom." he'd explained.

At the time, Josephine had thought their relationship had stabilized, so Gideon was no longer so anxious.

In reality...

Josephine thought of the post she'd seen last night and smiled bitterly to herself.

Gideon had actually fallen for that girl back then. The bodyguards who used to watch her had switched to protecting that girl. The object of his anxiety had also become her.

"Jojo, answer me!" Gideon's voice was cold.

Josephine was pulled back from her thoughts. Her tone was calm. "Think whatever you want. Either way, I want a divorce."

"Over my dead body!" Gideon roared, suddenly pulling her into his arms. His eyes held panic and lust. "Jojo, let's not divorce, okay? I'll break it off with her, and you break it off with that guy."

"We'll start over."

"Didn't you say before you wanted a child? Let's have one now."

His large hand slipped into Josephine's clothes, urgent and demanding.

Josephine hadn't expected him to have such thoughts at this moment. She felt both absurd and disgusted. "Let go of me. We can't start over."

Gideon denied it. "How can we not? We still love each other. This is just a small hiccup!"

He kissed Josephine urgently, trying to cover the marks on her neck.

Unable to break free, Josephine's stomach began churning violently.

In desperation, she said angrily, "I don't love you anymore. Not now, not in the future, not ever... I will never love you again!"

Gideon froze, then overwhelming rage swept over him. "What did you say? Say that again?"

Josephine looked directly into his eyes. "I said—"

"Enough!" But Gideon didn't dare hear it again. He pinned Josephine's hands above her head. "No matter what, you'll never leave me in this lifetime."

"Even if I have to bind you with a child."

He leaned down to proceed to the next step.

Josephine hadn't expected him to be so shameless. Unable to struggle free, she could only let Gideon plant kisses all over her body.

She stared at the ceiling and suddenly calmed down. "Even if you bind me with a child, so what? My heart already belongs to someone else."

Josephine turned her head to look into his eyes. "From now on, every single moment I spend with you, I'll be thinking of him. I'll regret not being able to be with him. I'll be in pain."

"I'll hate you for tearing us apart, hate you for keeping me by your side, hate you—"

"Shut up! Shut your mouth!" Gideon cut her off sharply.