Elara's POV

He slapped the letter down on the table, his voice cold enough to frost over. “What is this?”

Then something seemed to click in his mind. “No wonder you were acting weird today. First, you jumped to conclusions about Briar and me. Then at dinner, when we were talking, you didn’t even get jealous.”

His face twisted with sudden anger. “So, this is it. You’re planning to divorce me and run off! You’re a woman. Why would you go to such a remote place alone? Someone must be taking you there, right? Who is he? How long have you two been together?”

The absurdity of it almost made me laugh. He had built a whole life with another woman in Washington, and yet here he was accusing me of cheating.

I calmly walked forward, picked up the application letter and the divorce papers. “I originally planned to go to the Northwest to find you. That’s why I had someone draft the letter. And the divorce agreement doesn’t belong to me. I was helping someone else deliver it. I’m giving it back tomorrow.”

Callum stared at me, skeptical at first, but when he saw my expression hadn’t changed, the frost on his face finally melted. He let out a relieved laugh and said, “I knew it. You waited for me all these years, loved me all these years, how could you possibly divorce me?”

I lifted my head and met his eyes. “But if you ever betrayed me, if you ever settled down with another woman, then yes, I would divorce you. I waited because I love you. But that doesn’t mean I’m some fool who’d forgive betrayal. So, Callum, in these eight years, have you betrayed me?”

He froze for a couple of seconds before smiling helplessly and reaching for my hand. “Why are you suddenly talking like this? Of course, I wouldn’t betray you. If I ever did, may I die a terrible death. How about that?”

He even raised his hand dramatically, as if making a casual oath, smiling like it was all a joke.

If I hadn’t met his comrade, if I hadn’t seen his wedding photo with Briar, I would’ve believed him without question.

But now, the cold in my chest was bone-deep.

He looked at me with a face full of affection and cooed, “Elara, you’re the person I love most in this world. Those hard years in the Northwest, I survived them by looking at your photos every night. All I dreamed of, these eight years, was working my way up, getting transferred somewhere better, buying a big house, and bringing you all to live with me, so you could finally have the life of a respected officer’s wife.”

“There was one time, I fell off a snowy cliff and was unconscious for days. The doctors said I might not make it. But the moment I thought about leaving you a widow at such a young age, I forced myself to wake up. Elara, come to Washington with me. From now on, I’ll never let you suffer again,” he even added.

I wiped the faint dampness at the corner of my eyes and gave a quiet reply. “Alright.”

Callum, you lied about never betraying me. So, I guess it was okay that I lied just now, too.

That night, we slept on the same bed. When he tried to hold me, I subtly shifted away. After the second attempt, he sighed and rolled over, no longer moving. Only then did I finally drift off.

In my dreams, all I saw were memories of us when he used to ride his bike every day to take me to high school in town, and after class, he’d pull a warm roasted sweet potato from his sleeve for me.

When winter came, he secretly sold the family’s eggs so he could buy me a bright red scarf from the supply store.

Once, while we watched a movie about a man proposing to a woman, he leaned close to my ear and whispered, “When we get married, I’ll buy you a wedding dress just like that.”

But in the end, Briar was the one who got to wear that exact wedding dress he promised me.

Elara's POV

When I woke up, my pillow was soaked with tears. I wiped my face, stepped out of the bedroom, and saw the whole family gathered around the table, each wearing a different expression.

One glance was enough. My mother-in-law’s eyes were red, and when she saw me, she quickly looked down in guilt. Briar, on the other hand, leaned against Callum with a bright, triumphant smile.

In that moment, everything became clear. They had confessed everything to his mother.

Even so, I pretended not to notice, quietly walked over, and made myself a cup of malted milk.

“Elara, come here a moment. I need to discuss something with you,” Callum said.

My hand trembled around the cup. Even though my heart had long gone cold, the bitterness still stung.

I answered softly and sat down.

“Elara,” he began, “I’m planning to sell our marital home. The place was assigned to you by the steel factory, so the sale needs your signature.”

My fingers tightened around the cup.

Still, Callum continued, as if nothing were wrong. “I’ve already found a place in Washington. Selling this apartment will be just enough to cover the down payment for that one.”

Briar chimed in too, voice overly sweet, “We picked that apartment after comparing so many! And the bathtub, I love it. It’s perfect for two peop— Ow! Callum, why’d you hit me? Fine, fine, I won’t say it.”

She shot him a teasing, intimate look, then smiled smugly at me. “But don’t worry, Elara. I’ve tested it for you. It’s very comfortable.”

Despite her provocation, I ignored her and kept my head down for a long moment before finally saying, “Alright. I’ll handle the sale tomorrow.”

Callum pressed his lips together like he wanted to say more, but before he could, I stood up, walked straight to the wall, and took down the photo we had taken at the studio the day we got engaged, the one he insisted we capture as a memory.

Without hesitation, I threw it into the trash can.

His pupils shrank as he rushed over to grab my arm. “What are you doing?! How can you throw away our engagement photo?”

I answered calmly, “If we’re selling the house, we should clear out everything inside, right?”

Pretending not to see his complicated expression, I picked up the little ornament he once made for me out of bullets and tossed that into the trash as well.

Piece by piece, I threw away everything tied to our memories until nothing was left.

Callum pressed his lips tight, then suddenly relaxed as if struck by a thought. “Well, you’re right. Once we get to Washington, we’ll have to hold another wedding anyway. And we’ll take new wedding photos. This old picture won’t matter. And these little trinkets are old anyway. Once we settle in, you can buy new decorations.”

Not replying to what he said, I simply murmured, “I’m going to the bedroom to pack. Mom, you should help the kids pack their things, too.”

After that, I closed the door behind me.

A few minutes later, my mother-in-law slipped inside. Her eyes were red as she grabbed my hands, guilt all over her face. “Elara, don’t blame Callum. He had no choice. He was just trying to repay a debt. I know you’re hurting. This is my fault. Mine and Callum’s.”

I gently pulled my hands out of hers. “Please stop. I don’t blame him.”

Her lips trembled as she tried to comfort me over and over. “No matter what happens, you’ll always be my daughter-in-law. Always! I promise you, Callum will treat you well.”

I let out a small laugh and nodded vaguely. “Got it.”

After she left, I began sorting through my belongings and realized that there wasn’t much. Everything I owned fit into a single small suitcase.

Elara's POV

Inside the box was the white cotton coat Callum bought me for our wedding. I still remember how defeated he looked back then as he told me, “Elara, give me a few years. Once I save enough money, I’ll buy you a wedding dress like the one in the movies. I’ll make it up to you with a proper wedding.”

I took the coat out and tossed it onto the bed. It belonged to him, and I didn’t want it anymore.

The door swung open. Briar walked in, picked up the coat, and clicked her tongue with disdain. “You wore this for your wedding? Pathetic. Do you know what I wore on my wedding day? A custom-made gown. Callum said his biggest dream was to see the woman he loved wearing a movie-worthy wedding dress.”

My hands tightened as a dull ache spread through my chest.

When I didn’t respond, she kept talking on her own. “You didn’t really believe that story about me being his comrade’s widow, did you? That was just a lie for you. When he fell down the snowy mountain in the northwest, I was the one who took care of him until he was discharged. Whenever he felt like giving up, he said seeing me gave him the strength to stay alive. So, the moment he recovered, he confessed to me.”

“He said he only felt guilty because you were back home taking care of his mother. Otherwise, he would’ve divorced you ages ago. Oh wait, no, that’s not right. You two aren’t even married. I forgot. So, what does that make you? The mistress,” she smirked.

Laughing, she continued, “You didn't know yet, right? Well, let me be the one to tell you, he married me. He said he loved me too much not to give me security, so he filed the paperwork, and we got married in Washington.”

She lifted her chin proudly and announced, “And I’m pregnant. The moment he found out, he was over the moon.”

Then she leaned in, savoring every word, “You’re lucky I can tolerate a mistress like you. Honestly, you should be on your knees thanking me. Selling your apartment to pay for my home? That’s what should’ve happened from the beginning. Even your dowry and your bridal gifts were meant to be mine.”

With that, she snatched the gold bracelet from my hand. “A mistress like you doesn’t deserve something this nice.”

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. “Give it back! That was my mother’s. It’s not Callum’s to give!”

“How would I know you’re not lying just to keep something that belongs to my husband?” she countered, eyebrow raising.

Briar shoved me again and again, her voice sharp and poisonous. “Raised without a mother, no wonder you don’t know shame. Clinging to someone else’s man like a parasite.”

My eyes burned, and I slapped her. “Shut up!”

But before my hand even reached her, a strong grip clamped around my wrist.

“Elara!” Callum roared and shoved me hard.

I stumbled, crashed onto the floor, and the back of my head slammed into the table leg. Pain shot through me, and for a moment everything went dark.

Briar burst into tears beside him. “I only came in to help her pack. I just said I envied her because my husband never left anything behind for me. I asked if I could take a look, and she started cursing me, telling me to get out, calling me a mistress, saying I seduced you.”

Callum’s face twisted with disappointment and anger as he yelled at me. “Elara! She only wanted to look at your things. How could you treat her like that? If she likes something of yours, you should happily give it to her. She saved my life! And instead of gratitude, all you can think about is your filthy suspicions, trying to smear what I have with Briar?”

Briar cried harder, gasping for breath, and Callum’s expression softened instantly. “Don’t cry. It’s my fault. I haven’t made it up to you all these years. No wonder you’d envy someone else’s life. If you want anything, just take it. Whatever else you want, I’ll get it for you.”