Chapter 1

Looking at the sculpture of the two of them pressed tightly against each other, I trembled with rage, my fingernails digging deep into my palms.

"There are countless ways to express art, Chloe. You could have chosen any other theme to sculpt with him. Why did it have to be this?!"

Facing my fury, my wife, Chloe Miller, merely gave a cold, nonchalant shrug.

"This is Sebastian’s specialty—the theme of Love and Lust. What’s wrong with me sculpting this with my mentor?"

"Besides, in the world of art, gender boundaries don't exist. Don’t use your dirty mind to tarnish pure art!"

My eyes widened as I opened my mouth to snap back, but Sebastian Sterling cut me off.

He stepped in front of me, naturally resting his hand on Chloe’s waist.

"Chloe has such a perfect body; she’s practically made to sacrifice herself for art. Even if you are her husband, Mr. Vance, you shouldn’t keep her to yourself. You can't stop her from reaching the peak of the art world, can you?"

The moment he finished speaking, whispers erupted around us.

"Oh, so the girl in the sculpture actually has a husband!"

"Art has no boundaries, sure, but letting your own wife strip naked as a model for another man? He’s incredibly generous. Or is he just a total cuckold?!"

The waves of mockery made my face turn pale.

When I caught the smug, mocking smirk on Sebastian’s face, I finally snapped.

Without a second thought, I lunged forward and violently pushed over the sculpture that had crushed my dignity.

"CRASH!"

The sculpture slammed into the floor, shattering into a million pieces.

A flying shard cut Sebastian’s cheek, and blood instantly trickled down.

Seeing Sebastian hurt, Chloe’s face turned incredibly dark.

She grabbed my arm with terrifying strength and dragged me down the hallway into an empty painting studio.

"SLAP!"

Before I could even find my footing, she whipped her hand across my face.

"Are you insane?! Do you have any idea how much effort Sebastian and I put into that sculpture? How could you be so childish?!"

"To make sure you don't throw another tantrum and ruin Sebastian's big night, you're staying in here. I'm locking you up until the exhibition is over!"

Before I could say a word, she stormed out of the classroom.

"Click."

The sound of the lock turning echoed in the quiet room. I was locked in.

I touched my swollen, burning cheek and let out a cold, bitter laugh.

We had been married for five years. To make sure Chloe lived a comfortable life, I had worked myself to the bone.

I had started as a struggling photographer and built my own successful photography agency.

Once we got married, I told Chloe she didn't have to work.

Not only did I give her an authorized black card with no spending limit, but I also paid her tuition so she could return to college and pursue her art dreams.

Because I was always busy with work and couldn't spend much time with her, I tolerated her endless demands and spoiled attitude.

But my unconditional love was met with utter disrespect. She had zero boundaries with her mentor.

At this exact moment, I finally started to ask myself:

Was my five years of unconditional devotion and pampering really worth it?