For three years, I played the perfect invisible wife at Sebastian Cross’s side. Everyone knew Sebastian was devoted to his childhood sweetheart, Evelyn — and that he treated his actual wife like she was nothing. What no one knew was that I could hear Sebastian’s thoughts. He’d mock me out loud, calling me “worthless.” But in his head, he was screaming, Look at me, baby. I told myself that if I just held on long enough, I could melt the ice around his heart. Then came the charity auction. He took the piece I treasured most — my late mother’s work — bought it without a second thought, and handed it to Evelyn. In the argument that followed, I lost my voice. Permanently. With nothing left inside me, I slid the divorce papers across the table and walked away. And Sebastian — the untouchable, all-powerful Sebastian Cross — stood alone in that empty mansion and completely fell apart. The lights blazed inside Veridian City’s most prestigious charity gala. My eyes were locked on the necklace displayed on the stage — a sapphire piece called Blue Reverie. It was my design. Three sleepless nights of work, poured into every detail for this event. “Five million dollars.” A low, cold voice cut through the silence of the hall. The room erupted. Every head turned toward the man sitting beside me. Sebastian Cross — the youngest powerhouse in Veridian City’s business world. And my husband. I looked at him, caught off guard. Sebastian’s profile was half-swallowed by shadow, his jaw sharp, his expression unreadable. Murmurs rippled through the crowd around us. “Mr. Cross really does look out for Mrs. Cross — five million for his wife’s work? That’s his way of showing support.” “Who said Mr. Cross and Mrs. Cross had a bad marriage? He just threw five million dollars at her.” Something stirred in my chest. A feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time. Three years of marriage, and he’d rarely given me any dignity in public. Was tonight different? Was this for me? The moment the host’s gavel came down and announced Sebastian as the winning bidder, he stood up. He took the gleaming necklace from the presenter — and didn’t walk toward me. He walked straight to the front row, to a woman in a white gown, delicate and fragile as a wilting flower. Evelyn. Sebastian’s childhood sweetheart. The daughter of his late mentor. “Evie.” Sebastian’s voice was quiet, but the people nearby could hear every word. “The color of this necklace suits your complexion perfectly.” Evelyn covered her mouth, her eyes going glassy. “Seb, this is too much — and this is Ellie’s work. She put so much into it…” Sebastian let out a short, contemptuous laugh. His gaze swept over me, cold and dismissive. “Her work?” His lip curled. “It’s cheap. Tacky. The kind of thing that doesn’t belong in a room like this. Consider it a little toy.” “Put it on. I won’t say it twice.” The whispers around us flipped in an instant — each one landing like a slap across my face. “So he bought it for Evelyn…” “God, poor Mrs. Cross. Her own husband buys her work just to give it to another woman — and then tears it apart in front of everyone.” I pressed my hands into fists at my sides, my nails cutting into my palms. And then Sebastian’s inner voice detonated in my ear. 【That necklace my wife designed — no one else was getting their hands on it. I wasn’t about to let some other man walk away with it tonight.】 【Evie’s just holding onto it for me. She ran interference with the drinks all evening — this is just me being polite. The second we get home, I’m taking it back and putting it on my wife myself.】 【Baby, look at me! I just spent five million dollars on your design. Aren’t you even a little touched?】 I stared at his cold, hard face. I listened to him gloating in his own head, practically bouncing with pride. Three years. For three years, I had forgiven every cruel thing that came out of his mouth — because I could hear what was underneath it. I told myself he was just guarded. That he didn’t know how to show what he felt. That a difficult childhood had twisted the way he expressed himself. I told myself I could fix him. But now, watching Blue Reverie — my necklace — rest against Evelyn’s collarbone, I felt something in me go very, very quiet. I was exhausted. This push and pull, this gap between what he said and what he thought — I was done with it. I stood up. I walked toward him, meeting his startled gaze head-on. “Since Sebastian thinks my work is so cheap,” I said, my voice steady, “then stop torturing yourself. Stop being tied to someone as cheap as me.” “I want a divorce.”
Sebastian’s pupils contracted sharply. Evelyn let out a soft gasp and leaned into Sebastian’s side, her voice trembling. “Ellie, please don’t be upset — this is my fault. I never should have accepted it. Don’t say things like that. You’re not serious…” Sebastian grabbed Evelyn to steady her, his expression darkening instantly. “Elodie, what the hell is wrong with you?” “Making a scene over something this small — where are your manners? Without me, who would ever want a useless woman like you?” His words cut like poison-tipped blades. But his inner voice was trembling wildly. [Why does she want a divorce? Is she jealous?] [I already told her this is just a toy! How could she just walk away from me in front of all these people!] [Baby, please — don’t say things you don’t mean. It’s killing me.] I looked at him calmly, without softening the way I used to whenever I heard his thoughts. “Sebastian, I know exactly what I’m doing.” “I’ll have my lawyer send the papers to your office tomorrow.” With that, I turned and walked out of the venue. I didn’t look back at Sebastian’s ashen face or the curious stares from the crowd. I returned to the empty villa and dragged out my suitcase, starting to pack. I didn’t have much. Three years of marriage, and I’d lived like a guest who was only passing through. Half the closet was filled with Sebastian’s tailored suits. The other half held a few simple outfits of mine. I didn’t take a single thing that was his — just a few of my own old clothes. Finally, I walked to the study, opened the safe, and took out a worn, yellowed sketchbook. It was the only thing my mother had left me — filled with unfinished jewelry designs she’d drawn before she passed. I had just placed the sketchbook into the suitcase when the front door was kicked open with a violent bang. Sebastian stormed in, cold fury radiating off him, with Evelyn trailing close behind. His eyes landed on the suitcase sitting on the floor. A flash of panic crossed his face — but it was quickly buried under rage. “Elodie, look at you. You actually packed your bags?” His inner voice was deafening. [She’s really leaving? She already packed everything?] [No. I won’t allow it. What am I supposed to do if she’s gone?] [Baby, don’t go. I got the necklace back — just look at it, please.] He glared at me, but what came out of his mouth was: “You think I’d care if you left? You were nothing but a prop I used to keep my father off my back.” I zipped up the suitcase, my voice completely flat. “If I’m just a prop, then you should be glad the prop is resigning.” I pulled my luggage and walked out. Sebastian snatched my wrist, gripping it so hard I thought he might snap the bone. “I didn’t say you could leave. Try walking out that door and see what happens.” Evelyn stepped in, her voice soft and coaxing. “Ellie, don’t be like this. Come on, Seb — didn’t you mention before that you’d let me borrow that sketchbook your mother-in-law left behind? I’m working on a new collection and I’m completely stuck for inspiration…” I spun around and stared at Sebastian, unable to believe what I was hearing. Sebastian hesitated, clearly caught off guard that Evelyn had brought it up now. But with me glaring at him like I wanted to tear him apart, he was too proud to back down. He forced a cold smirk. “So what? Everything you have was provided by the Cross family. If Evie wants to look at it, you hand it over.” My whole body was shaking. I had never been this furious in my life. “Sebastian, you bastard!” I wrenched my wrist free and clutched the suitcase tight. “That belonged to my mother. What gives you the right to hand it to her?” Sebastian’s expression twisted. [I was just saying it — I didn’t actually mean it!] [Don’t look at me like that, baby. It scares me.] [But you’re cursing me out over a stupid notebook. You don’t love me anymore, do you?] Shame curdled into rage. He lunged for the suitcase. “There’s nothing I want that I can’t take. Give it to me.” “No.” We struggled violently at the top of the staircase. Evelyn rushed over to help. “Ellie, stop it — I just wanted to borrow it for a few days…” “Get away from me!” I shoved her hard. Evelyn let out a cry and stumbled back two steps, landing on the floor. The palm of her hand scraped against the ground. “Evie!” Sebastian’s face went white. He spun toward me and shoved me — hard. “Elodie, you vicious bitch!” I had no time to react. My balance vanished, and I fell — straight down the staircase.
In the moment the floor disappeared beneath me, I saw Sebastian’s eyes go wide with terror. Thud — I tumbled down the stairs and hit the bottom hard. My neck slammed into the sharp metal edge of the art sculpture standing in the first-floor living room. A searing, tearing pain exploded from my throat and spread through my entire body. The agony nearly knocked me unconscious on the spot. I lay face-down on the floor, gasping desperately for air, but it felt like my lungs had sprung a leak. Warm liquid poured from my neck in a torrent, soaking into the wool carpet beneath me, turning it a deep, vivid red. “Ellie!” Sebastian came flying down the stairs like a madman, dropping to his knees beside me, frantically trying to press his hands over my wound. His hands were shaking. His whole body was shaking. His inner voice was nothing but desperate, anguished cries. [My wife! You’re bleeding so much!] [How did this happen? I didn’t mean to — I didn’t mean to push you!] [Please don’t scare me like this. I’m begging you, don’t scare me!] I opened my mouth, trying to say it hurts — trying to say help me. But no sound would come from my throat. Only broken, ragged breaths, and the nauseating stench of blood. “Seb… it hurts so much…” At the top of the stairs, Evelyn cradled her scraped hand, her eyes glistening with tears. Sebastian froze. He looked at me. Then he looked at Evelyn. His inner voice tore itself apart. [My wife is badly hurt — I need to get her to the hospital!] [But Evie’s hand… she’s a pianist. My teacher entrusted her to me on his deathbed. If her hand is ruined, how could I ever face him?] [My wife’s injury is just surface-level. Evie’s hand can’t wait.] Sebastian clenched his jaw and shot to his feet. He stood over me — over my body lying in a pool of blood — and looked down with eyes cold enough to cut glass. “Elodie, you brought this on yourself.” “If anything happens to Evie’s hand, I’ll make you pay for it.” He turned away. Without a moment’s hesitation, he scooped Evelyn into his arms and strode out of the house. The front door slammed shut behind him, sealing me off from the rest of the world. I stared after him, eyes wide with despair, watching him disappear. The blood kept flowing from my throat. I tried to drag myself toward my phone, lying just a few feet away. But the pain had drained every last drop of strength from my body. All I could do was lie there as my vision slowly, steadily blurred. So that was how little I meant to him. I wasn’t even worth as much as a scratch on Evelyn’s hand. Sebastian. You win. I’m done. In the final second before the darkness swallowed me whole, one thing flashed through my mind — something he had said to me once. “Elodie, I’m the one who gave you this life. You owe me a debt you’ll spend every lifetime repaying. You’ll never leave my side.” When I opened my eyes again, everything was blindingly white. The sharp smell of antiseptic filled my nose. I shifted slightly, and a stabbing pain tore through my throat. “You’re awake?” Sebastian’s hoarse voice came from beside the bed. I turned my head. His eyes were raw and red from sleepless nights, dark stubble shadowing his jaw. He looked completely wrecked. The moment he saw my eyes open, he lurched to his feet, reaching toward me — then stopping himself, like he was afraid to touch me. “You… how do you feel? Does it still hurt?” There was a tremor in his voice that he probably didn’t even notice himself. His inner voice came rushing in like a tide. [She’s finally awake. God, I was terrified — I thought I was going to lose her.] [The doctor said her vocal cords are damaged… This is all my fault. I deserve to rot for this.] [Yell at me. Hit me. Just please, please don’t look at me like that — like you’re already dead inside.] I looked at him in silence. There was nothing stirring in my chest. No anger. No hurt. Just a stillness, flat and cold as standing water. I opened my mouth and tried to speak. No matter how hard I pushed, the only thing that came out of my throat was a faint, hollow hiss of air. I went still. The color drained from Sebastian’s face in an instant. He grabbed my shoulders, his voice urgent. “Don’t try to talk. The doctor said your vocal cords are injured — you need to rest.” I watched his eyes slide away from mine, and a quiet dread settled in my chest. I reached for my phone on the nightstand. Sebastian moved to stop me, but I pulled away from his hand and grabbed it myself. I opened the notes app and typed. My throat. What’s wrong with it? I held the screen up in front of him. Sebastian stared at it. His throat worked as he swallowed hard. “It’s just… temporary. You’ll get your voice back in time. I’ve already found the best doctors — they’ll fix this. I promise.” He was lying. I could hear it in his thoughts. [I’m so sorry. The doctor said the damage to your vocal cords is severe. It might be… permanent.] [But I’m not giving up. I don’t care what it costs — I’ll find a way to fix this.] [Please don’t find out the truth. I don’t know if you could take it.] Permanent. I was mute now. Because of the push that sent me falling. Because he had chosen to take Evelyn to get her little scrape bandaged first. I closed my eyes. A single tear slipped down the side of my face. Sebastian panicked, frantically wiping my tears with his hands. “Don’t cry, Ellie, please don’t cry. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have pushed you. I just—” He tried to explain, but no explanation could hold up against what he’d done. I picked up my phone again, typed one word, and held it out to him. Divorce.
Sebastian looked like he’d been struck by lightning. He froze completely. He snatched the phone out of my hand and hurled it at the floor. The screen shattered instantly. “I refuse!” His eyes were bloodshot, wild like an animal driven to rage. “Elodie, don’t you dare think about leaving me! You still owe me. What gives you the right to talk about divorce?!” “You hurt Evie, and you haven’t even apologized to her! You’re not going anywhere!” He lashed out with the cruelest words he could find, trying to hide the sheer panic underneath. [I can’t get divorced. I’d rather die than get divorced.] [If she leaves, what’s the point of any of this?] [I’d rather we tear each other apart. I’d rather she hate me. I’m keeping her by my side no matter what.] I watched him fall apart, cold and unmoved. Without my phone, I didn’t even have a way to argue back. But I knew. My mind was made up. Ten years of loving him in silence. Three years of marriage. It was over. I spent a month in the hospital. For that entire month, Sebastian never left my side. He canceled every social obligation and moved his desk into my hospital room. He clumsily taught himself how to make me chicken soup, how to peel apples for me. The cutting remarks stopped. When he spoke, there was even a careful, almost pleading softness to his voice. If I hadn’t known the truth, I might have actually been moved by how devoted he seemed. But I could hear his thoughts. Every day, the same loop played inside his head — guilt, fear, obsession. [She finished half a bowl of chicken soup today. Does that mean she’s forgiven me a little?] [Why won’t she look at me? Is she planning how to leave?] [I need to upgrade the security at the villa. I can’t let her run.] I watched his one-man show with cold, detached eyes. A month later, I was discharged. Sebastian drove me back to that villa — the one that felt like a cage. He took away my passport and my ID. He even unplugged the router. He watched me like I was a thief he couldn’t take his eyes off. Evelyn came by once. She had a small bandage on her hand. Her eyes swept over the thick gauze wrapped around my neck, and a flicker of satisfaction crossed her face. “Ellie, I’m so sorry. If it weren’t for me, none of this would have happened to you.” “Seb does care about you, you know. Don’t be angry with him — he just gets so worried about me sometimes.” Every word was a claim. Every sentence was a knife sliding between my ribs. I sat in my wheelchair and looked at her, my face completely blank. Sebastian walked in just then, carrying my medication. When he saw Evelyn, his brow furrowed hard. “Who let you in?” Evelyn bit her lip, her expression wounded. “Seb, I just came to check on Ellie…” “Get out.” Sebastian’s voice was ice. Evelyn stared at him in disbelief. “Seb, are you seriously snapping at me?” Sebastian ignored her. He walked straight to me, crouched down, and his tone shifted — suddenly, impossibly gentle. “Ellie. Time for your medicine.” Evelyn stomped her foot and ran out in tears. But Sebastian’s thoughts gave away exactly how irritated he was. [Why is Evie showing up now of all times? What if this sets Elodie off again?] [I’ve worked so hard to keep things calm. I’m not letting anyone ruin that.] I looked at the pills he held out to me, and a wave of disgust hit me so hard I couldn’t breathe. I swung my arm and knocked the medicine bowl out of his hands. The dark liquid splattered all over Sebastian’s shirt. He went still. I pointed at the door. A silent order to get out. Sebastian’s expression shifted. He forced the anger down. “Okay. I’ll go. Don’t get upset — I’ll have someone make a fresh batch.” He stood up and backed out of the room, looking rattled. I knew he was close to his breaking point. He was used to being in control of everything. Used to me falling in line. He wouldn’t be able to keep this up much longer. I needed a chance. A chance to get out.
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