Inside the VIP hospital room, Arkana leaned back against a leather chair, staring blankly out the window at the fading remnants of the night. His mind was in complete disarray. The image of Aurelia embracing another man in the park the previous evening kept replaying in his head, slowly consuming what little sanity he had left.

From the hospital bed, Selena studied the frustration etched across his handsome face. Moving deliberately, as though her body were still terribly weak, she gently touched his arm.

"Arkan... what's wrong?" she asked softly, her voice laced with carefully crafted concern. "You've been so quiet. Did something happen with Aurelia?"

Arkana let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I saw her hugging another man in the park."

A flicker of satisfaction flashed across Selena's eyes before she quickly replaced it with an expression of dramatic shock.

"What? Hugging another man? Didn't you ask her who he was?" Selena paused for a moment before continuing hesitantly. "But, Arkan... actually, I..."

She stopped again, pretending to struggle with whether she should continue.

"Actually what? Just tell me, Selena."

"I've wanted to tell you since yesterday... but I was afraid you wouldn't believe me."

Arkana turned to her sharply.

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen Aurelia leave by herself several times," Selena lied effortlessly, her face utterly convincing. "I thought she was just out shopping. But it turns out she was meeting someone... Maybe she exaggerated everything between you two just to create an excuse. She painted you as the bad guy so she could leave without feeling guilty. She's the one hiding secrets, yet she made it look like you're the villain."

Her words flowed like poison, seeping directly into Arkana's already wounded pride. His reason completely shut down. The resentment and betrayal that had been burning inside him ever since witnessing that embrace in the park made him accept Selena's lies without question.

---

The next morning, the sun shone brightly, but it couldn't melt the icy silence that filled the penthouse.

Aurelia stepped inside with a long, weary sigh.

After spending the entire night crying on her brother's shoulder and thinking everything through, her heart had finally calmed. Her pride had softened. She came home with only one purpose, to save their one-year marriage and listen to Arkana's explanation with a clear mind.

The moment she entered the living room, however, she found Arkana already sitting there.

He was still wearing the same shirt as yesterday.

His face looked exhausted, and his bloodshot eyes revealed that he hadn't slept at all.

Hearing the door open, Arkana slowly looked up. His gaze was cold enough to pierce through her.

"Where have you been?" he asked without any greeting.

Aurelia tightened her grip on her handbag strap, trying to steady the pounding in her chest.

"I went out to calm myself down, Arkan. Yesterday, we were both too emotional..."

"So," Arkana interrupted flatly, his tone as emotionless as if he were discussing business, "when are we going to finalize the divorce?"

The question struck Aurelia like a brutal blow to the chest.

Her legs nearly gave out beneath her.

The emotional walls she had painstakingly rebuilt since dawn crumbled in an instant.

A crushing pain spread through her chest, leaving her struggling to breathe.

She looked at her husband through eyes that were already beginning to glisten.

"So... you really want us to get divorced, Arkan?"

Her voice trembled violently as she fought back another wave of tears.

"I came home hoping you'd comfort me. I hoped you'd put your pride aside, just a little, and explain who that woman is for the sake of our marriage. But instead... the first thing you ask me about is the divorce papers."

Arkana let out a mocking scoff.

He rose from his seat and walked toward her, his intimidating presence pressing down on her.

"Why should I explain anything to a woman who's already moved on?" he said coldly. "You accused me of cheating and acted like you're the innocent victim here. But what about you, Aurelia?"

She froze, her brows knitting together in confusion through her tears.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb!" Arkana shouted, his eyes blazing with jealousy and rage. "I went looking for you at the park last night! And what did I see? You were wrapped up in another man's arms! So that's why you turned off your phone? That's why you demanded a divorce yesterday? Because you already had another man waiting for you?"

Aurelia staggered backward, unable to believe the cruel accusation coming from her own husband's mouth.

The tightness in her chest became unbearable.

"Arkan, watch your words! The man I was with last night was actually..."

"Arkan..."

Her explanation was abruptly cut short when the front door, which had apparently been left unlocked, slowly opened.

Selena stepped inside, her face still pale, wrapped in a thick knitted cardigan.

"Arkan, I'm sorry for coming here without permission," she said softly, deliberately making her voice tremble.

She glanced briefly at Aurelia before turning back to Arkana with carefully rehearsed vulnerability.

"I came because I wanted to explain to Aurelia that I..."

Her voice trailed off.

Aurelia clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms.

Her head throbbed as she watched Selena's pathetic performance unfold at the worst possible moment.

"You..."

"There's nothing you need to explain, Selena," Arkana interrupted firmly.

His voice softened dramatically the moment he addressed Selena, a complete contrast to the harsh tone he'd used toward Aurelia only seconds earlier.

Without hesitation, he strode past Aurelia and went straight to Selena.

Seeing her sway unsteadily, he instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulders, supporting her before she could stumble.

"You're still weak. Why did you insist on coming here?" he asked gently. "You should've stayed at the hospital or rested at your apartment."

Aurelia stood frozen.

Her body went completely numb, as though every ounce of strength had been drained from it.

Her eyes remained fixed on Arkana's arm wrapped protectively around Selena's shoulders.

Inside their home.

Disbelief, disgust, and heartbreak merged into one overwhelming ache, clogging her throat until she couldn't force out a single word.

Only moments ago, her husband had accused her of infidelity without giving her a chance to explain.

Yet now, without the slightest hesitation, he was openly embracing another woman right in front of her while refusing to hear a single word she had to say.

At that very moment, Aurelia realized the hope she had brought home that morning had died completely.

There was nothing left worth saving with a man who had become blind to everything except the lies he chose to believe.

"Arkan..." she said quietly, her voice almost breaking. "Are you really not going to explain who this woman is? And you're not willing to hear my explanation about the man you saw with me last night?"

The Last Chance She Refused

"Arkan... are you really not going to tell me who this woman is? And you're not willing to listen to my explanation about the man from last night?"

Aurelia's voice was soft, yet clear enough to break the silence that filled the luxurious penthouse.

Her eyes were fixed on Arkana.

For the first time since their argument had begun, there was no anger in her gaze. No shouting. No accusations. All that remained was one fragile, final hope.

She was still giving her husband a chance.

One last chance.

Arkana returned her gaze without blinking. His jaw tightened. The conflict in his eyes was impossible to miss.

He wanted to explain.

But every time the face of his late best friend appeared in his mind, the promise he had made bound him once again.

*"Please take care of my little sister... no matter what happens."*

That promise had become a burden he had carried ever since.

Before Arkana could open his mouth, Selena grabbed the sleeve of his suit with trembling fingers.

"Arkan..."

Tears began streaming down her cheeks.

"This is all my fault. If I hadn't called you that night... Aurelia wouldn't have misunderstood everything like this."

Selena turned toward Aurelia, her face filled with remorse.

"Aurelia... I'm so sorry. I never wanted to be the reason your marriage fell apart. If my presence is only making the two of you keep fighting... then I'll leave."

She loosened her grip on Arkana's arm.

But suddenly, her body swayed.

"Selena!"

Arkana instinctively caught her before she could fall.

He quickly steadied her by the shoulders.

"You haven't recovered yet. Don't push yourself."

"I... I'm fine..."

"No."

Arkana's voice softened.

"You're still weak."

Watching the scene unfold, Aurelia's lips slowly curved into a faint smile.

A smile that hurt far more than tears.

She had just asked her husband for an explanation.

Yet before he even answered her question, his attention had already returned to another woman. Right in front of Aurelia, he openly showed his concern for someone else.

Selena quietly wiped away more tears.

"I don't want to put you in such a difficult position because of me..."

"Don't blame yourself, Selena."

Arkana gently patted her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"I was the one who decided to come that night. I was also the one who decided to see you this morning."

He spoke without the slightest hesitation.

Without realizing it, every word that left Arkana's mouth became another blade cutting deeper into Aurelia's heart.

Aurelia took a slow, deep breath.

"All right."

Her voice was calm.

So calm that Arkana finally turned to look at her.

"If that's really your choice..."

She met her husband's eyes.

"I won't ask anymore."

She spoke as though she already understood everything without hearing a single explanation from him.

Silence filled the room.

Arkana let out a heavy breath.

"Aurelia, there are many things I can't explain right now."

"Why?"

"Because this isn't just about me."

"Then whose business is it?"

Arkana fell silent.

"Am I really not important enough to know the truth about my own husband?" Aurelia asked.

"Not everything can be explained."

The answer finally came.

Short.

Cold.

And enough to shatter Aurelia's last remaining hope.

She slowly nodded.

"I understand."

Arkana frowned.

"You understand?"

"I understand that I'm apparently not the person who deserves to know about my husband's life. There's another woman who deserves to know everything more than I do, even though I'm his wife."

"Aurelia, don't twist my words."

"I'm not twisting anything."

Her gaze shifted to Selena, who was still standing beside Arkana.

"Since the night of our anniversary, I've only asked for one thing. Honesty. I never even asked you to choose between me and her. I just wanted to know who this woman is, the one who always seems more important than your own wife."

Arkana remained silent.

That silence became the clearest answer of all.

Selena wiped away another tear.

"Arkan... maybe I really should leave," she said again, looking even more guilty than before.

"You don't have to leave."

Arkana's voice was firm.

"You haven't done anything wrong."

Those words became the final breaking point.

Something inside Aurelia's heart completely collapsed.

She looked at Arkana for a long moment.

As if she were memorizing the face of the man who had once been the safest place in her life.

Four years.

Three years of dating.

One year of marriage.

Suddenly, every memory felt impossibly distant.

"All right."

Aurelia gave a small nod.

"You've already made your choice."

Arkana frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not going to force you to explain anything anymore."

Her voice was flat.

"But I'm not going to force myself to stay in a marriage like this either."

Her chest rose and fell with a slow breath.

"Tomorrow."

She paused.

"My lawyer will contact you."

The look in Arkana's eyes changed.

"Aurelia."

"This time, I'm not saying it because I'm angry."

She looked straight into his eyes.

"I'm filing for divorce."

Selena lowered her head, hiding the flash of satisfaction in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Arkana clenched both fists.

"Aurelia."

His voice rose slightly.

"You think divorce is the answer to every problem?"

Aurelia gave him a bitter smile.

"No."

"Then what is?"

"The problem isn't divorce."

Her expression softened.

"The problem is... I don't know how to trust you anymore."

Those words left Arkana speechless.

Aurelia slowly raised her left hand.

Her eyes settled on the wedding ring wrapped around her finger.

It was a simple ring.

Arkana had placed it there himself at the altar.

That day, he had promised to become the safest place in her life.

But now...

That safest place had become the source of her deepest wound.

With slightly trembling fingers, Aurelia slowly twisted the ring.

One turn.

Then another.

Until it finally slipped free.

Arkana watched without moving.

For some reason, his chest suddenly felt painfully tight.

Aurelia walked to the living room table.

With the utmost care, she placed the ring on the polished marble surface.

The soft clink of metal against stone was barely audible, yet it echoed deafeningly in Arkana's ears.

It sounded like the closing note to every promise they had ever made.

Aurelia drew a long breath.

"Goodbye, for today."

She turned around.

She did not look at Arkana again.

Nor did she spare Selena another glance.

She walked toward the staircase leading to the second floor.

Her steps were slow.

But unwavering.

Selena watched Aurelia's retreating figure before speaking in a soft, apologetic voice.

"Arkan... I think I should go home. I really feel terrible about all of this. You should settle things with Aurelia first. I'm sorry for becoming the thorn between the two of you."

Arkana continued staring at the ring on the table.

Several seconds later, he nodded without looking at her.

"I'll have the driver take you home."

"That's not necessary. I can manage on my own."

Selena walked out of the penthouse with a face once again filled with false sorrow.

But the moment the elevator doors closed, a faint smile slowly spread across her lips.

A smile of victory.

A smile of complete satisfaction.

Her plan was working even better than she had imagined.

Inside the penthouse, silence settled over the room once again.

Arkana remained standing exactly where he was.

His eyes never left the wedding ring lying alone on the table.

For the first time since they had gotten married, that tiny ring was no longer on Aurelia's finger.

Just as he reached out to pick it up, the bedroom door upstairs quietly opened.

A moment later came the unmistakable sound of a suitcase zipper being pulled shut.

Arkana lifted his head.

His brow furrowed.

"Aurelia..."

For the first time, the certainty that his wife was only bluffing began to crack, little by little.

**To be continued...**

A Home That Was No Longer the Same

The sound of a suitcase zipper echoed from upstairs once again.

Once.

Then again.

In the silent living room, Arkana lifted his head. His gaze settled on the staircase while his fingers still held the wedding ring Aurelia had removed only minutes earlier.

"Aurelia..."

His voice was barely above a whisper.

There was no answer.

For a moment, Arkana almost walked upstairs.

But he stopped himself.

He let out a long breath and lowered his eyes to the ring resting in his palm.

"She's just angry."

The words sounded more like an attempt to convince himself.

Every married couple argued from time to time, didn't they?

Hadn't they gone through silent days before, only to make up afterward?

This time would be no different.

Aurelia just needed some time.

By tomorrow morning, everything would return to normal.

Holding onto that belief, Arkana placed the ring back on the marble table. The faint clink of metal against stone only made the tightness in his chest grow worse, though he refused to admit it.

Inside the master bedroom, Aurelia stood quietly in front of the wardrobe.

Its doors stood wide open.

The dresses Arkana had once chosen for her still hung neatly inside. Winter coats, knitted scarves, and several handbags he had given her filled the shelves.

For the past year, this room had witnessed their married life.

Every morning, Aurelia took Arkana's suit from that wardrobe, carefully ironed it, then prepared breakfast before he left for work.

Every evening, she waited for him to come home, even though dinner often grew cold because of his long hours at the office.

Not once had she complained.

To her, a home was never just a place to live.

A home was where someone waited for the person they loved to return.

Aurelia pulled a medium-sized suitcase from the corner of the room.

She slowly laid it open on the bed.

Then she began folding her clothes, one piece at a time.

Her hands moved steadily.

Without haste.

Without trembling.

As though she had already cried every tear she had left.

When she reached for a cream-colored knitted scarf, her hands suddenly froze.

Her mind drifted back to their first winter after they were married.

Snow had fallen heavily that day.

They had walked hand in hand through Central Park.

Without warning, Arkana stopped in front of a small shop.

"Come inside for a minute."

"What is it?"

"You're cold."

"I'm fine."

"Your hands are freezing."

Without waiting for an answer, Arkana bought the scarf.

He wrapped it around Aurelia's neck himself.

"Next time, don't be so stubborn."

Aurelia laughed softly.

"If I get sick, who's going to have to take care of me?"

"I will."

His answer had come without a second's hesitation.

"So don't get sick."

That memory had once been one of the happiest moments of Aurelia's life.

Now, it had become one of the most painful.

With a bitter smile, she folded the scarf and placed it inside the suitcase.

Then she opened the vanity drawer.

A small photo album was still tucked away inside.

The first photograph was from their wedding day.

Arkana was holding her hand tightly at the altar.

His eyes had been filled with certainty, as though he would protect her for the rest of her life.

Each page that followed captured simple moments of happiness.

They cooked together and accidentally burned dinner.

They laughed when Arkana mistakenly added salt to the pancake batter.

They celebrated Arkana's first birthday as a married couple with nothing more than a small piece of cake.

That day, Arkana had smiled and said,

"As long as you made it, it'll taste good."

Aurelia slowly closed the album.

Those once joyful moments had become painful memories.

They had once been enough to make her smile.

Today, they left nothing but wounds.

She placed the album into the suitcase.

Then came a few clothes, her personal documents, several books, and the belongings that truly belonged to her.

She didn't take much.

Most of the things in the house had been purchased together with Arkana.

She didn't want to take anything that was no longer part of her life.

Downstairs, Arkana still sat alone in the living room.

His eyes repeatedly drifted toward the staircase.

He heard the wardrobe doors opening.

The soft scrape of hangers sliding across the rail.

The growing weight of a suitcase being filled.

Each sound made him increasingly uneasy.

Yet his pride remained stronger than his anxiety.

He still believed Aurelia was only venting her anger.

She would come back.

Sooner or later.

Meanwhile, in her apartment, Selena sat comfortably on the sofa, sipping a cup of hot tea.

Her phone chimed.

A message had arrived from a close friend.

**How are things going?**

A faint smile spread across Selena's lips.

**Very well.**

**Looks like they're really getting divorced.**

She sent the reply without the slightest trace of guilt.

The corners of her lips curled even higher.

As long as Arkana continued to trust her, she had nothing to fear.

Nearly an hour passed.

At last, the sound of the suitcase zipper stopped.

Silence settled over the penthouse once again.

Arkana finally stood.

He climbed the stairs slowly.

When he reached the master bedroom, he knocked on the door.

"Aurelia."

No answer.

He opened the door.

His steps came to an abrupt halt.

The wardrobe that had once been full was now half empty.

The shelves that had held Aurelia's handbags were noticeably bare.

Several framed photographs that had decorated the bedside table were gone.

Beside the bed, Aurelia had just locked her gray suitcase.

Click.

The sound of the latch echoed clearly through the room.

"You really packed your things?" Arkana asked.

"Yes."

"Are you staying at a friend's place for a few days?"

Aurelia slowly shook her head.

"Aurelia."

Arkana let out a long sigh.

"There's no need to take this so far. I know you're angry. Go if it'll help you calm down. I'll treat this as a moment of anger. Tomorrow or the day after, when you've cooled off, we can talk again."

Aurelia looked at him for a long moment.

The eyes that had once been filled with love now felt unbearably distant.

At last, she understood.

Even now, until the very end, Arkana still believed this was nothing more than an empty threat.

Yet she had made this decision with everything that remained of her heart.

Aurelia wrapped her hand around the suitcase handle.

Then she walked toward the door.

As she passed Arkana, she stopped.

But she did not turn around.

Her voice was quiet.

Very quiet.

Yet clear enough to shatter the silence of the house.

"I have never taken my decisions lightly."

She drew a short breath.

"I'm leaving."

There was no anger.

No tears.

It was precisely that calmness that made her words so much more painful.

The suitcase wheels rolled across the marble floor.

Their soft rumble echoed through the penthouse hallway.

Aurelia kept walking.

She never looked back.

The front door opened.

The cold New York night air drifted into the house.

A few seconds later...

The door slowly closed.

Arkana remained where he was.

He didn't chase after her.

He didn't try to stop her.

In his mind, Aurelia was simply venting her anger.

He was certain that, sooner or later, his wife would come back, just as she always had.

He had no idea that the sound of the closing door was not the beginning of a temporary separation.

It was the beginning of the greatest loss of his life.

**To be continued...**