He was her legal husband, yet an eternal stranger in her world. On their third wedding anniversary, Claire’s carefully cooked steak turned cold by candlelight. He left abruptly in the downpour for another woman, merely saying "She fears thunderstorms". Long invisible in Alexander’s eyes, Claire hid all her emotions in plain sweaters, only to receive constant impatience in return. He would never have let her into the mansion but for his grandmother’s last wish. The truth finally dawned on her when Monica brazenly clung to Alexander in the office, smirking and thanking her for warming the spot. After three years of marriage, she was nothing but a substitute. On her birthday, the cake melted on the table. She waited until two a.m., only for him to return with strange perfume and a cold, ruthless order: "Monica hates hotels. She’s moving in tomorrow." She could endure being nameless, forgotten, and humiliated in this house. But she would never let herself lose her last shelter.
