Being with Lennox often meant silence and distance.

Even in our worst arguments, he would always remain composed, never letting the argument escalate.

The only time Lennox ever unleashed his full wrath was when Azura was involved. And, as always, I was the one who had to swallow my pride and shoulder the blame.

Out of love, I humbled myself for him, trusting that his promise to marry me would be enough to keep him by my side.

Looking back, it might have been kinder if he had just ended things from the start.

On the other end, Lennox's breath came in sharp, irritated bursts. "Aveline, I can't stand being pushed into a corner. I brought you on this honeymoon not to watch you and Azura play out some childish rivalry. Why must you be so petty? Even my brother nearly had a heart attack, all because of your reckless friend. Keep testing me, and you'll regret it—I'll end this for good."

I retorted, "Lennox, if we go through the divorce, there's no turning back for us."

Stunned into silence, he hung up in disbelief, but it wasn't long before he reached out again by video chat.

His countenance darkened, mirroring the depths of night, betraying his struggle to hold back his emotions.

"What did you just say? Divorce?" he shot back, his tone dripping with disbelief. "Is this a joke to you? First, you begged for the wedding, and now you're demanding a divorce? Do you think I'm a fool?”

“A woman like you, pushing thirty, always jealous and causing scenes, who else would marry you but me?"

For five painful years, I put up with his emotional torment, knowing he always hit me where it hurt the most.

"Who cares if I'm almost thirty? I'm not about to drop dead but trust me; men haven't disappeared. Even if they had, I'd still throw you out of my life!" I countered.

Chloe and I had come so close to losing our lives because they had turned their backs on us.

Even if it had been the last thing I did, I was determined to get that divorce.

Once upon a time, tying the knot with Lennox wasn't just a wish; it consumed me, and every thought wrapped around him.

Though my parents tried every trick in the book to hold me back, I refused to be slowed down.

If I had the nerve to marry him, I could just as easily find the strength to walk away.

He was the brick wall I had to collide with. Now that I had crashed, bruised, and bleeding, I finally saw the truth—marrying a man who didn't truly love me led to endless heartache.

Even though I often lashed out at Azura and him before we got married, I never seriously thought about giving up on what we had.

I thought that, as the first woman in his life, I held a unique place in his heart.

As I watched him swim toward Azura, casting a glance at me while the relentless current swept me away, I realized I was, at best, a comfort to him.

"Aveline, you've grown up. Are you truly willing to act so immaturely and end our marriage over something so insignificant?" he inquired.

So, nearly losing my life was nothing but a petty concern to him.

"Yes, over this little thing!" I confirmed.

Once, while hanging a gold medal around my neck, he joked that if his mom and I both ended up in the water, his speed would allow him to save us both.

At the time, I was completely taken by his charm.

I didn't need him to feed me empty promises about saving me first—who took such words to heart?

Yet, I never foreseen that he would leap to rescue his first love without a second thought when the moment of truth arrived.

To him, there was always one right answer, leaving me as nothing more than the wrong option.

Just two weeks ago, he took my hand from my father's grasp during our wedding, vowing to safeguard me for all the days of his life.

Yet, the rest of his life turned out to be a fleeting moment; just fifteen days after the wedding, he broke that vow.

"Alright, you're ruthless! If you want to leave, then leave! But don't come crawling back to me later—I stand firm in my choices!"

He abruptly cut off the video call, his face as cold as ice, simply because Azura had sweetly mentioned her thirst.

One simple word from her had Lennox ready to give her the world.

Though he was an exceptional swimmer, he failed to notice anything amiss when Chloe and I plunged into the water, nor did he see how pale I looked lying in the hospital bed.

Before Azura returned to the U.S., even if he didn't shower me with warmth, he would still stay by my side, unable to sleep whenever I caught a cold or ran a fever.

Once upon a time, we shared a fleeting love that sparkled like a shooting star.

That love had faded like footprints in the sand, washed away by the tide of time. One look from Azura, and I found myself on the brink of losing it all.

Lennox's voice boomed, echoing in the air, and Chloe, seated beside me, caught every word.

She climbed onto my bed, enveloping me in a tight embrace as her tears flowed freely in anger.

"Aveline, we were truly naïve to ever believe that a scoundrel like him could be the love of our lives."

Before I could say a word to soothe her, her phone lit up with calls from Milo.

In his effort to defend Azura, Milo had gone so far as to lift her from his blocklist.

Tears streamed down Chloe's face, each one spilling over with emotion. She attempted to decline the call from Milo. Still, her tears betrayed her, landing on the screen and unintentionally swiping it open, connecting the video.

"Chloe, do you really have the nerve to shed tears? Do you think I'll forgive you just because you've faked those red eyes after committing such a vile crime?"

"If you and my sister-in-law are so restless, why don't you find your adventure? If you wanted to party at a bar and hire male models, that's your business. But you had no right to stir up trouble and hurt Azura!"

"She poured her heart and soul into planning this honeymoon, and now she's getting torn apart online because of your antics! Have dogs devoured your conscience?"

Chloe's tears fell almost endlessly, flooding her cheeks with heartache.

Tears didn't slow Milo down; they only added fire to his relentless reprimands.

It was as though he wouldn't let up until we were on the ground, pleading for him to stop.

"Cut the tears! If you weren't my wife, I'd have the world turn on you in a heartbeat, using our fame to flood you with online hate," he thundered.

"If I were you, I'd swallow my pride, apologize to Azura, and then vanish from her sight. Do you honestly believe crying will solve anything?"

Chloe hadn't meant to join the video call, but watching her get scolded without a word in defense made my heart ache. I couldn't hold back, "Milo, you're just like your brother! Just end it already and get the divorce!"

Fighting back her tears, Chloe's voice trembled with anger as she declared, "Milo, I want a divorce!"

After the video call, Chloe shook with fury and heartbreak, her body trembling.

I pulled her into my arms, and we cried together in silence.

Who would have guessed that a swimming sensation and a famed doctor would neglect the well-being of their wife?

Their glamorous allure not only earned praise from outsiders but also swept Chloe and me off our feet.

But once the mask fell away, only we knew the truth hidden beneath.

"Aveline, let's view this as a silver lining. At least we've caught a glimpse of their true colors early on, sparing us the heartache of bringing children into a loveless marriage!"

"Chloe, it's encouraging that you see this so clearly. What worries me most is the possibility that you may cling to Milo."

Since her innocent teenage days, Chloe had been in hot pursuit of Milo.

That youthful infatuation was a cherished memory, one that had kept her on his heels for over ten long years.

Now, she stood at a crossroads, caught in a predicament that felt all too surreal.

"Aveline, a heart doesn't cool off overnight. I have no regrets about our marriage, and I won't regret the divorce either. This path was mine to choose, and leaving now is just a way to lessen my losses."

We clung to each other, sharing warmth and resilience.

Our marriage, though, had faded away like bubbles disappearing into the air. When we left the operating table, we had already accepted the reality before us.

It was a cruel twist of fate that the two children who briefly lived within us became the sacrifices of a marriage that couldn't last.

I hope their next journey leads them to a home filled with happiness and care.

Chloe and I pulled ourselves together and began preparing for the divorce.

Since our marriage was still fresh, there were no property battles to fight.

We just needed Lennox and his brother's signatures, and after two visits to the civil affairs bureau, it would all be wrapped up.

The moment we finalized the divorce papers, both of our phones buzzed at the same time.

Checking our Tiktok inbox, we uncovered just how far these two had fallen into disgrace.

They shamelessly used their verified accounts to publicly reply to our comments.

[My wife loves to stir up drama over the littlest things. If you've got questions, ask me, and leave the innocent out of it!]

[My wife and sister-in-law are both quite the swimmers. When they splashed into the water, trained professionals swooped in to rescue them, so they're perfectly fine. Don't be misled by their teasing, everyone!]

They even shared a photo with us as if to prove Chloe and I were perfectly fine.

It set off a wave of gossip, painting us as manipulative, green tea girls looking to bask in Azura's spotlight.

Once the video went viral, she quickly seized the moment, building her image and amassing hundreds of thousands of followers.

When I checked WhatsApp, Lennox messaged me, insisting on the verification code for my account, just because I hadn't obeyed him about deleting comments and apologizing.

He had the nerve to try logging into my account, planning to impersonate me and handle things his way.

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly; he would stop at nothing to defend Azura.

But when it came to me, sincerity was nowhere to be found.

Every password was our anniversary date, and he had the nerve to forget them.

It was a good thing he forgot because I dread to think how he had ruined my reputation online just to win Azura's favor.

While they made their so-called righteous declarations online, Chloe and I were left to weather the flood of insults and slander without a second thought from them.

It felt as though, like when we plunged into the water, they abandoned us to be swept away by the raging currents.

[You two pathetic women, why don't you just disappear?]

[What's with the jokes about divorce? Do you see yourselves as goddesses? If you're truly brave, then get divorced. Don't push me to hurl insults!]

[You ladies, what's the issue with your husbands saving lives? Now that they're safe, why the long faces?]

[Get real, ladies—just go ahead and get that divorce. I can only imagine how bitter you both are!]

[If competing for jealousy is your game, why not team up and give my gorgeous sister-in-law a little peace?]

Though the internet has its rules, the cruelty that swept over us came without warning or justification.

As we opted for divorce following the trials of drowning and a miscarriage, the anguish we felt was a bond only Chloe and I could grasp.

Though genuine understanding might elude us, it was disheartening that Lennox and Milo were oblivious to our hospital beds.

They chose to ignore us entirely and then took to the internet, lied to us, and painted Chloe and me as despicable manipulators.

Watching the insults flood our phones, we knew we couldn't play the role of the victim anymore.

If the brothers aimed to unleash online bullying in Azura's defense, we wouldn't simply stand by and let ourselves be butchered.