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It had been three years of marriage.

Justine Thorpe finally found her husband, Ash Vanderbilt, in the OB-GYN clinic of a hospital. He hadn't shown up for three months.

However, he was not alone. Another woman—his mistress—was with him.

She bore more than a passing resemblance to Justine. Her name was Jenny Thorpe, and she had been living as Justine's replacement in the Thorpe family for 16 years.

Justine had suspected her husband of having an affair for at least six months, but she never imagined it would be with Jenny. Not that the revelation was entirely surprising, now that she thought about it.

Everyone in Sol's upper class knew that Ash's true love had always been his childhood friend.

Justine was the devil who had gotten in the way.

Seeing Ash and Jenny together somehow relieved Justine. The mystery was finally solved.

She watched them enter the elevator. Ash's delicate eyelashes were lowered as he spoke softly to his companion. Justine had never seen him this gentle before.

Jenny was grazing her slightly protruding belly, nodding bashfully.

Justine and Jenny closely resembled each other, yet Justine could never mimic the seductive femininity that Jenny exuded.

Suddenly, Jenny lifted her head and met Justine's gaze before ducking into Ash's arms as if frightened.

"Ashie!" she mumbled.

Just as always, Jenny was putting on a show again.

Ash looked up with a glare. His eyes met Justine's, and the gentleness on his face dissipated, replaced by that all-too-familiar apathy and annoyance.

Justine and Ash were married only because their parents had wanted them to be. She had lost her parents when she was three, though, and while she had been missing, Jenny had come out of nowhere and stolen Justine's identity.

By the time Justine was finally found. Ash's mind had already been set—he only cared for his "childhood friend".

The seniors in the family had had to force him to take Justine's hand.

Justine did not mind. The only thing she loved about Ash was his looks, but even that was beginning to wear thin. He seemed more and more like a stranger to her.

-

The elevator door shut.

Justine thought their encounter was dramatic. Just imagine how much of a soap opera episode it would be like if she ran at Ash, slapped him, and then confronted Jenny!

"Jean! When did you get here? I was just about to grab this medicine for you!"

Justine turned to meet Iris Carr, her manager. She smiled and signed, "An expecting mother needed help."

Iris studied her heart-stopping beauty and felt a pang in her heart. Justine was so gorgeous, kind, gentle, and an extraordinary dancer. She was a mute who outshone so many people Iris had known. She had even been the prima ballerina of a well-known ballet company, until…

"Here. Your painkillers," Iris said, her eyes reddening slightly as she choked back a sob. "How could you just… injure your spine? You finally managed to become the prima ballerina of the Academie Royale! If you could just finish this tour, you could have..."

Becoming the prima ballerina of the Academie Royale ballet company was the dream of countless dancers worldwide. And Justine had been considered after just one interview—it was incredible!

The tragedy weighed heavily on Iris.

Justine had always been silent about her family matters, leading Iris to list her as orphaned on her resume, stating she had grown up in an orphanage. Over time, Iris had even come to believe it herself.

The more she thought about it, the sadder she became.

Justine smiled faintly, seemingly unaware of the sympathy in Iris' face, as she received the painkillers.

A year ago, Ash's uncle had hired a hitman on his life. Justine's attempt to save him resulted in her spinal injury.

Ash had found the best doctors money could buy and purchased expensive medical equipment for her. The medical team later concluded that her treatment was complete.

Unfortunately, two months later, her old injury was aggravated while she was preparing for the tour.

After another examination, Justine's career was essentially over. While the spinal injury wouldn't affect her daily life, she could no longer dance.

Justine had informed Ash immediately, but he had yet to respond. Maybe he never cared. She had cried her heart out after returning from the hospital, but ultimately, she accepted her fate.

This was not the end of the world. After some reflection, Justine decided to continue her tour. She would get treatment alongside it, determined to end her career as a ballet dancer on a high note.

This evening's performance would be her last. However, that morning, she woke up to find her painkiller supply depleted.

Justine squeezed the paper bag, her eyes feeling dry. It was as if she were a character in a soap opera. Meeting Ash and Jenny felt like a cruel joke.

The pain in her spine flared slightly.

Regret washed over her. If only she had never tried to save Ash.

Instead, he survived long enough to become a villain, insulting the handsome face Justine once adored.

She tucked the painkillers into her pocket and took out her phone. Her long lashes veiled the coldness in her eyes as she looked down at the screen.

She then selected Ash's number, typed a message, and sent it immediately.

-

"Why was she in the OB-GYN, Ashie?"

At the basement parking lot, Jenny subconsciously shielded her belly and added, "Could she be, you know…"

"That's impossible," Ash replied firmly.

Jenny looked away to hide her surprised glee. So Justine had never managed to sleep with him in all three years of marriage?

Well, it wasn't that surprising. Everyone in Sol knew that, as a boy, Ash had almost been strangled to death by his mute and mentally ill mother.

Traumatized, Ash harbored hatred for his birth mother—and for people who were mute like her.

Thus, when his maternal grandparents forced him to marry Justine, it felt like a cruel joke aimed at Ash.

There was no way he would ever sleep with her.

Poor Justine! A laughingstock, was she not? So what if she was beautiful? What if she could perform some snobby, pretentious dance? Ash had still abandoned her.

How could she ever compete with Jenny for Ash's heart?

Jenny suppressed her glee and pretended to look sad.

"Oh, Ashie… I bet the one person Justine hates the most is me. You are aware of what transpired. She nearly took my life when she returned to the Thorpes. And now she saw us at the OB-GYN," she said. "I should explain myself to her once I get back. I don't want her to throw another fit—"

"She won't," Ash interjected.

Justine was his simp, always obeying his wishes. For years, there had been fabricated scandals circulating online about celebrities sleeping with him, yet Justine had never questioned him about any of it.

She trusted him—like a machine programmed to smile and serve him.

"Don't overthink it, Jenny. She won't hurt you," he added. "I'll have someone escort you home safely."

Jenny still looked like she was about to cry. She was on the verge of getting into Ash's car when she suddenly caught sight of Justine in the parking lot.

Ash had assured her that everything would be fine, but what made him so certain?

Jenny could never forget the day Justine chased her with a kitchen knife like a rabid dog. It was a true display of Justine's character.

Did she really believe she could charm Ash into loving her by hiding her true nature? Did she think she could be Mrs. Vanderbilt forever?

It was almost laughable.

"Juju!" Jenny called out cheerfully.

Justine had always hated that nickname and would go ballistic over it. What if she reacted that way again this time?

Ash's expression darkened as he shot a brief glance at Justine, immediately noticing how thin she had become.

Justine turned to them and nodded politely as if she had no idea who they were. She signed to the woman beside her, entered her ballet company's car, and drove away.

Jenny gritted her teeth. She did not take the bait!

She squeezed out some crocodile tears and grabbed Ash's sleeve.

"Ashie, Ashie! Did you see that? She didn't even acknowledge us! This is all my fault! I shouldn't have come to you for help even if I have no one else to turn to… Because we were engaged before, so this had to look really bad…

"Oh no, I'm the one who ruined your marriage! I should have just stayed with those guys!" she sobbed.

Ash ignored her. He was fixated on what Justine had signed: "I don't know them. They mistook me for someone else."

"Ashie, you gotta chase after her!" Jenny cried out as though she cared about preserving Ash and Justine's relationship.

Ash was unfazed. He absent-mindedly glanced at the sleeve Jenny was grabbing and realized that Justine had bought this coat for him. She had won a ballet competition that day and used the prize money to purchase it, presenting it almost like a tribute.

Ash yanked the sleeve away from Jenny. "I've told you. She won't mind."

At that moment, his phone vibrated.

Ash scanned the screen, and his eyes suddenly grew bitterly cold as the words leaped into view: [I want a divorce.]

Chapter 2
At the Grand Theater of Sol.

A towering man stood in the darkness where the audience gathered. He felt as cold as winter. His eyes were fixed on the stage as the Black Swan darted across it, agile and mesmerizing.

The Black Swan's movements were fluid and firm, sensual and tempting. The man almost wished he could possess her right now.

The performance was nearing its end, so the man turned away and strode toward the backstage.

-

The performance ended.

Justine felt a quiet pain in her waist, but she gritted her teeth through the production.

The crowd erupted in ovation.

She took one last yearning glance at the stage and her adoring audience before returning backstage.

Iris had been watching her every move with concern.

"Is it hurting? I can cancel the fan meeting and photo session if you need it. You can rest in the breakroom, and once the rest of the performance is over, I'll come for you," Iris suggested.

Justine waved reassuringly.

Many of these fans had traveled all the way to Sol to see her performance—to meet her. How could she let them down?

Soon, the photo session concluded.

After checking in with Justine, Iris left to direct the stage.

Suddenly, Justine found herself alone. She looked around as memories flooded back.

Ballet had been a part of her for as long as she could remember.

Concerned that Justine's disability might hinder her job prospects, the orphanage's director had signed her up for ballet classes after discovering her talent, despite the lack of funding from the orphanage.

All that hard work and dedication was gone like the wind because of her career-ending injury. How could anyone not feel regret?

Justine removed her makeup and pressed her hand against her waist, trying to support it as she tiredly headed to the prima ballerina's room.

It was dark inside.

She reached for the light switch.

Suddenly, from the shadows, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside. Then, the door shut and locked behind her.

Panic surged through Justine. The scent enveloping her was familiar.

Why was Ash there? Before she could answer her own question, he pressed his lips forcefully against hers. More kisses followed, violent and punishing.

Justine wanted to shove him away, but Ash was a hulking mass of angry muscle, dominating her completely.

Fear surged as she bit his tongue, tasting blood, but he didn't stop.

Jenny had no idea how wrong she was about Justine and Ash's life. Their marriage had been consummated quickly, thanks to the "intervention" of some elders.

Although Ash might resent Justine's existence, he was undeniably addicted to her body.

They had known each other for so long and so well that they instinctively understood how to arouse and please one another. This knowledge was etched into their flesh, a part of their movements.

Justine's thoughts spiraled into chaos.

Suddenly, she felt a bite on her shoulder. She could tell Ash was upset just from the strength—and it irritated her.

What was his problem?! He had always wanted this divorce! he had signed the paper with his name on the day of their wedding!

With Justine gone, he would finally be able to marry the woman he really wanted, right?

So why is he angry now? Because she was the one who had suggested it instead of him?

The backstage was starting to fill with people. She could even hear one of the assistant artistic directors rushing past her room. If anyone were to knock—or even open—her door, Justine would be famous in the scene for the worst reason possible!

Justine bit her lips, forcing herself not to let out even a should.

Unfortunately, this only made Ash more beastly. He hated silence, so he did everything he could to make her scream and yelp.

-

The light was on, bright and blinding.

Ash sat languidly on the couch, his shirt and suit surprisingly neat. In contrast, Justine's expensive ballet dress lay torn.

After a shower, she slipped into an oversized practice garment while Ash glared at her.

"A divorce?" he asked, cutting straight to the chase.

It was difficult to discern his emotions from his voice.

Justine studied him—he was still as handsome as ever, but gone was the youthful, teenage look she once loved. In its place stood an indifferent, reserved man in a suit.

Her eyes no longer sparkled with admiration and yearning when she looked at him.

She nodded firmly.

Ash snickered. "What? Because of Jenny?"

For some reason, the thought of Justine exploding over his affair with Jenny excited him. Unfortunately, she simply shook her head determinedly.

"I don't love you anymore," she signed. "That's why I want a divorce."

Reality shattered Ash's fleeting excitement. Her straightforwardness left no room for ambiguity—she didn't even hint at clinging.

His mind went blank.

Suddenly, he recalled that rainy night many years ago when that woman had pushed him into the mud, signing furiously, "I don't love you anymore! I am not your mother! You are disgusting, just like your father! Go away! I don't want to see you anymore!"

It felt as though all emotions had drained from him.

Ash rose and glared at Justine frostily. "Suit me just fine. You stole this marriage from Jenny back then, anyway. She finally gets what's always been hers."

"Congratulations," Justine signed earnestly.

Ash was stunned. He had not expected that from her.

He remembered Jenny begging Justine not to take him away when Justine had taken out a lipstick and written on the wall, right in front of their parents, 'He is mine, and only mine!'

The same woman… just congratulated Jenny.

Rage inexplicably flared within him.

Granted, this marriage should have ended sooner. It had been delayed because she had saved his life while sustaining grievous injuries a year ago, but now she was the one requesting a divorce.

That worked to Ash's advantage, right? He had no reason to be mad.

"My lawyer will contact you tomorrow at noon to finalize our divorce," he said.

Justine nodded.

Surprisingly, she felt not a hint of sadness or longing.

"Good. We can announce our divorce at the family dinner tomorrow evening," she signed.

Ash looked away from her. she had this all planned out, hadn't she? It was as if she could not wait to have every tie with him severed.

Chapter 3
Ash sneered and went through the door.

Justine watched his hulking frame, suddenly recalling hazy memories of her teenage past: a younger version of him, tall and lean, with his back against her.

Despite her earlier calm, she felt a sharp pain in her chest.

"Justine…" He had stopped by the door and turned to face her. "I no longer answer to my grandfather, Justine. So there's zero chance of you going back to being my wife after this. Don't regret it.

"And most importantly—don't give Jenny trouble. You've tormented her enough."

Ash understood how obsessive her love had been.

Justine's life was so devoid of meaning that the only two things she had were ballet and him. This was why Ash was convinced that Justine's sudden change of attitude stemmed from spite after seeing Jenny.

Once she calmed down, he was sure she would regret this decision.

His job was to ensure her regret was futile. She could no longer return to him—and he would never accept her.

Justine was kind and courteous to everyone except Jenny. Ash had never managed to protect her well enough—the poor girl had endured much of Justine's wrath.

That was why he was determined not to let Jenny suffer for him any longer, no matter how hysterical Justine could be.

"Trust me, Mr. Vanderbilt. You should say this to her," Justine signed, her eyes gentle as always. "She should not mess with me."

Otherwise, Jenny would suffer worse.

-

Justine was nothing if not determined.

When Ash was her prize, no one—not could have gotten in her way. But now that she wanted him out of her life, she wouldn't shed a tear for him.

After Ash left, Justine cleaned up the room.

She picked up the torn pieces of her favorite ballet dress. It had been tailor-made for her—a piece of luxury she had won in an international competition.

Fixing it would require a lot of money.

She had to demand compensation for it in the divorce agreement!

Just then, she heard Iris' voice from outside. "Jean? Are you up?"

The performances had ended a while ago. Iris had arrived earlier, but the light in the room had been off, so she had assumed Justine had been sleeping.

Justine lit a lavender candle, and once the stench of Ash's intrusion faded, she opened the door.

"It's over?" she signed.

"Other troupes have all left except for your group! Everyone's waiting for you at the party," Iris replied, doing her best to mask her sadness.

Yes, it was a party, all right—a farewell party.

Suddenly, Justine's phone rang, startling her.

Few people ever called her phone. Those who knew her preferred video calls. But this was an audio call.

"Looks like a landline number," Iris murmured.

She quickly looked it up on the Internet. "That's… Eudaimonia Home in Saintwood. Why is a nursing home calling you at this hour?"

Justine answered the call before Iris finished her explanation.

"Is this Justine Thorpe? Good evening. This is Eudaimonia Home. Mrs. Aurora Roch hasn't been feeling too well for the past two days. If you can, please come here as soon as possible. She would like to meet you."

Justine was shocked.

-

The trip took three hours, and it was already one in the morning when Justine arrived.

The nurse who had called her led Justine to Aurora's room.

"She's been expecting you," the young woman said.

The sight of a sickly, bony woman on a sickbed greeted Justine.

Aurora had once been the director of Glascape Orphanage and had been a mother figure who raised Justine. She was the one who had recognized the potential ballerina in her and let her shine.

Three years ago…

While suffering from an incurable disease, Justine's grandfather found her in the orphanage and wanted her to return home.

Justine refused—until some bloggers discovered Glascape Island.

The rustic beauty of the fishing town quickly spread across the Internet, attracting several corporations eager to transform it into a tourist destination.

At that critical moment, Aurora was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Justine faced a difficult choice. She needed money to prevent the island's purchase and save Aurora. Thus, she approached her grandfather and agreed to a deal.

Soon after, Aurora informed Justine that she had contacted a hospital abroad where she would receive treatment. They parted ways but promised to stay in touch.

"The treatment went well," she would say. "I met someone I love in the wonderful continent of Aestra. I would like to spend my last few years there."

Justine believed her. Aurora had discovered her stomach cancer at an early stage, so her chances of recovery were high.

Justine sincerely hoped Aurora was living happily out there, free from any shackles.

Then Justine decided to marry Ash. That was when Aurora suddenly came to see her. They had a big argument, and afterward, Aurora stopped contacting Justine.

-

For years, Justine had been trying to locate Aurora. She would ask around and chase down leads, but she never managed to find her—until today.

On her way to the hospital, the nurse provided details about Aurora's illness. The cancer cells had been spreading even back when they had their fight.

"Jean, is that you?"

Aurora's voice sounded familiar and foreign at the same time.

Justine approached her, choking back tears.

Aurora examined her face and smiled.

"Oh, Jean. You're even more beautiful now!" she whispered.

Justine studied her in disbelief.

Suffering had taken so much from her. Aurora was left with nothing but bones and skin!

Justine could not help but cry.

"I thought you found someone you love! A-And you're spending your last days somewhere in Aestra!" Justine signed slowly. "So why are you here? Why are you… dying?"

Aurora's eyes reddened. "I'm so sorry. I lied."

Justine cast her eyes at Aurora's face, shakily holding her hands. She pressed her forehead against the back of Aurora's hands—just like she used to when she was a child.

But there was no warmth left in Aurora's hands. They were frighteningly cold.

"Love, you're all grown up now. You have to… learn to accept death… Mine… and Ares'..."

Ares…

Justine felt her blood freeze.

Memories flooded her—it was a beautiful day. A young man ran across the white waves as they rolled. He laughed and turned back to her, his smile brighter than the sun.

"Come over here for a hug, Little Justine!" he had called.

Pain coursed through Justine’s limbs. She met Aurora's gaze, her eyes brimming with tears of agony.

Chapter 4
Aurora knew exactly what was on her mind. She had raised this child, after all.

Half a year after Ares' death, the Thorpe family located Justine in Glascape.

Aurora hadn't wanted to be separated from the young woman, but Justine's worsening mental state had made her reconsider.

Justine had taken it poorly, wasting all her time searching for news about a man who was already dead.

She had been a woman possessed—everyone feared she would become more self-destructive.

Aurora had hoped that sending Justine away to a new place with her original family might help her move on. That was why she had accepted the Thorpes' offer. Thus, Justine returned to Sol.

Who would have thought Justine would marry someone not long after?

Aurora knew how much Justine had loved Ares. There was no way she could have accepted another man in her life so soon—let alone a husband.

Fearing it was a political marriage of convenience at the cost of her child's agency, Aurora had rushed to Sol.

That was when she met Ash Vanderbilt.

The young man had just returned from studying abroad. Most terrifying, though, was how much he resembled Ares physically. The only difference between them was the feeling they evoked.

Justine had gone mad! She had latched onto Ash as if he were her last hope, utterly convinced in her denial that Ash Vanderbilt was an amnesiac Ares Vance.

Any mention of the truth—Ares' death—would send Justine into uncontrollable hysteria.

So why was she so different today? Why was she looking at Aurora with such crushing dejection in her eyes… without a single retort of denial?

"Y-You know… he's not him, d-don't you?" Aurora whispered shakily.

Justine nodded tearfully.

Of course, she knew!

Ahhh, Ash could not muster even the smallest amount of the kindness Ares had so effortlessly displayed.

However, back then, Justine could not bear the thought of living in a world without Ares. She had deluded herself, clinging to an impostor, surviving through Ash's superficial semblance of him.

How else could she have lived this long?

But Ash... was a disappointment. He wore those suits so frequently now that it had become harder and harder to see Ares' ghost in him.

Aurora let out a pained sob. "No, no, no. How cruel has he been to you…"

How cruel had Ash been to Justine? How much hurt had she endured to break a spell so ingrained in her? What had it taken for Justine to admit she had been living in a delusion?

The implication stabbed Aurora like a knife. The equipment connected to her began to beep shrillily in alarm.

Justine panicked. She was about to call the nurse when Aurora suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Jean… once I'm gone, you're not bound to anyone in this world anymore… Do you understand me?" she croaked. "Leave them. Go home. L-Live… your life... You are free, Jean."

Justine nodded frantically, pressing the emergency button over and over.

Aurora's breathing grew erratic, but her eyes were fixed on Justine.

She could not leave just yet. Her precious girl was still there, all alone. No one would stand for her. No one would speak for her.

Alone.

"J-Jean..." she whispered one last time, holding Justine's hand. "C-Call me..."

Justine trembled.

"Call me... M-Mom..."

Aurora exhausted all her strength. Her body collapsed into Justine's arms, her breath short.

The old woman was hyperventilating, looking at Justine with a pleading gaze.

Justine had not been born mute. It was trauma—from before her time in the orphanage—that had caused her mutism.

Aurora had taken her to countless specialists, but the effects of the treatments had been discouragingly small.

Now, all Justine could hear was the ringing in her ears. She nodded vigorously and opened her mouth, trying to force out a sound.

Her throat felt strange. Panic welled inside her.

Time seemed to slow. All she could produce was silence.

The nurses rushed into the room, and Justine felt herself being pulled away from Aurora.

Chaos surrounded her, accompanied by the incessant ringing in her ears. It wasn't until she heard the long beep from the machine that the ringing finally subsided.

One of the nurses gently closed Aurora's eyes. She had been watching Justine until the very end.

Then, they covered her pain-twisted face with a piece of white cloth.

It was not the first corpse Justine had ever seen. The first time was at a funeral home in Glascape. Aurora had howled, her voice thick with tears, "Ares! no, no!"

'You see this, Ares? You loved me so much, and yet I wasn't there when you ended your life. I never even visited you once in so many years.

'She raised me, right? She just wanted me to call her Mom. And I couldn't even do that.

'I'm a terrible person,' Justine thought.

-

Aurora had left notes for her burial. There was to be no funeral. She wanted to be cremated immediately. She had also appointed Justine to decide what to do with her ashes and belongings.

As Aurora was pushed into the crematory, the nurse who had cared for her the longest collapsed to her knees in tears, howling.

But Justine could only watch in cursed silence. Her lips were pale as she tried to call out to Aurora in her mind.

-

The first snow had arrived on Sol.

Ash's meeting had just ended.

Robin Letto, his secretary, rushed to his side.

"Mr. Vanderbilt! Ms. Pearce said she can't seem to contact Mrs. Vanderbilt," she said hesitantly, too afraid to even breathe too loudly.

Ash’s mood had been in the gutters today. It was as if the air itself could freeze around him.

Logically, after regaining full control over the family business and outmaneuvering his uncles, Ash should have been overjoyed. Yet, he was the exact opposite.

Ash frowned. "Fine."

He expected her to regret it, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon. Now, divorce was back on the table.

Despite Ash's thoughts, there was a renewed spring in his step, something even he failed to notice.

Nearby, Robin acutely sensed the change in his demeanor. His mood, unexpectedly, seemed to have improved.

Ash returned to his office and booted up his laptop.

The document he had been working on appeared on the screen: the divorce agreement. He had been revising the terms of the compensation Justine was entitled to receive.

The offers were generous. The money alone would be enough for her to live comfortably for a lifetime.

He had purchased a property for her abroad. Knowing she had been accepted as the prima ballerina of the Academie Royale, he had bought her a villa in Voue, the capital city of Charlemagne, where the ballet company was based.

To Ash, these gestures were his way of expressing gratitude for saving his life.

-

At noon, a meticulously dolled-up Jenny stepped into Ash's car, and they drove to a Michelin-starred restaurant she had been eager to visit for ages.

Grinning sweetly, she cooed, "Ngaww, I don't know what came over me! I just had to eat at this restaurant! You're such a gem, Ashie!"

Ash smiled faintly. "I'm glad you're happy."

Jenny nodded firmly. "Of course I am! You're always so nice to me."

She hesitated for a moment. "Um… Did Justine… you know…"

Ash's smile faded. "Let's just eat."

Jenny felt a surge of satisfaction at his darkened expression at the mere mention of Justine.

Lunch soon ended, and Ash needed to return to work.

"I've kept you long enough, Ashie! Good luck with work!" she said brightly. "I'm off to meet my friends for afternoon tea!"

Ash briefly glanced at her belly. "Please take care of yourself."

"Of course!" she chirped, waving him off.

Once he was out of sight, Jenny's smile disappeared. The innocence drained from her expression as she dialed a number.

"Hey. Are you sure Justine will be at the Thierry family's soiree?" she asked.

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