My Frozen Heart Thaws For You

I found a strand of white dog hair in the car right after Julian and I had sex in the back seat. Julian Vance was a notorious neat freak. He never allowed any pets in his car. I remembered the night Sugar, my Alaskan Malamute, was dying. I had knelt on the cold floor, begging Julian to drive her to the vet, but he didn't even blink. He refused. Yet right now, that soft, white strand of hair on the passenger seat was glaringly obvious. It felt like a silent, mocking slap in the face. He didn't hate dogs. He just hated my dog. Right then and there, I asked Julian for a divorce. He spared a bored glance at the hair in my hand, his voice dripping with impatience. "You're throwing a tantrum and asking for a divorce over this?" I looked at him calmly and nodded. "Yes. Over exactly this." 1. "Go sit in the front," Julian said, adjusting his collar. His tone was perfectly businesslike. But the dark hickeys covering his neck told a completely different story about the passion we had just shared. The back seat was still a total mess. I fastened the last button of my shirt, only to realize my dress had been completely ripped when I reached for it. Julian glanced at me, draped his suit jacket over my shoulders, then got out of the car to carry me to the passenger seat. He took his jacket back and handed me a plush pink blanket. I looked up, confused. "Since when do you keep stuff like this in your car?" And by the look of it, it was definitely meant for a girl. Julian’s hand paused on the steering wheel for a split second, but his voice remained smooth. "I figured it would come in handy sooner or later, so I bought it." I stared at the blanket in my lap, freezing. There was a clump of dog hair on it. Julian had never let Sugar near his car. When Sugar was on the verge of death that midnight, I had begged him on my knees, crying, but he wouldn't budge. But now, this dog hair was resting peacefully on his expensive leather seat. "Julian, did you have someone else's dog in your car?" I clenched my fist around the dog hair, holding back my tears. Julian glanced at me sideways, completely unfazed. "Yeah. A friend’s dog." His casual answer sent a sharp, stabbing pain through my chest. He didn't hate dogs. He just hated my dog. And this blanket was bought for someone else, too. My nails dug deep into my palms. My voice shook. "Julian, let's get a divorce." Julian slammed on the brakes. He looked at the dog hair in my hand with sheer annoyance. "Over this?" I nodded, tears finally slipping down my cheeks. "Yes. Over this." "Chloe, stop making a scene." Julian snatched the dog hair from my hand and tossed it out the window. In the past, if he ever accidentally touched Sugar's hair, he would spend hours in the shower out of disgust. Yet now, he touched that dog hair so naturally. A friend? They must be incredibly close. Julian started the car again and drove us home. The moment we walked through the door, Sugar rushed over to greet me. But when she saw Julian walking in behind me, she cowered and shrank back against my legs. She was a good girl. She never went near Julian. She knew Julian hated her. My mind was consumed by the blanket and the dog hair. I followed Julian toward our bedroom, but he slammed the door shut right in front of me. I couldn't stop in time. My nose collided hard with the heavy wood. Nosebleed immediately gushed out. The pain was so intense that tears welled up in my eyes. From inside the room, Julian’s cold voice drifted out. "I told you, you have to take a shower after touching that dog before you can come in." With blood smeared all over my face, I washed myself up in the guest bathroom. The pain of his double standards cut deeper than the physical blow. When I finally walked into the bedroom, Julian was on a Zoom meeting. He glanced at me, his brows furrowing slightly. "Let's wrap up today's meeting here." "But Mr. Vance, this is urgent—" Before his employee could finish, Julian shut his laptop. He stood up and walked toward me. His tall figure cast a long shadow over me, blocking out the light. He reached out to touch me, but I instinctively flinched away. "I'm sorry." Julian's hand froze in mid-air. He lowered his eyes, looking genuinely apologetic. I walked past him and lay down on the bed, the image of the dog hair in his car playing on a loop in my head. After a long silence, the other side of the bed dipped. "The bakery you like just released some new pastries. I'll take you there tomorrow if you're free, okay?" I knew this was his way of offering an olive branch. But I didn't want to talk to him. 2. By the time I woke up the next morning, Julian was already gone. There was a freshly made breakfast on the table, just like every other day of our one-year marriage. Thinking back to last night, my head throbbed. Maybe I was being petty. How could I have brought up divorce so easily? After breakfast, I decided to take Sugar out for a drive to clear my head. On my way back in the afternoon, I stopped to pick up a birthday gift for Julian's mother. As I was driving safely in my lane, a car suddenly rear-ended me. Hard. I got out of the car to check the damage. The driver of the other car stepped out, looking aggressive. "How the hell do you drive?" "There are traffic cameras here. You hit me on purpose," I said, calmly pulling out my phone to call the police. But the man slapped my phone out of my hand. Sugar barked protectively from inside the car. "Typical female driver. Can't drive for shit and now you're blaming me," the man sneered, scanning me up and down. "Driving such a nice car... who’s your Sugar Daddy?" I clenched my fists, trying to keep my temper in check. "Sir—" "Chloe." I turned around. Julian was walking toward us. Given the distance, he must have heard everything. Suddenly, I felt a surge of confidence. "Oh, look, your Sugar Daddy is actually here," the man mocked. Because of the massive class disparity between Julian's family and mine, there had been plenty of nasty rumors when we got married. But Julian had always defended me publicly. He used to say, “I was the one who chased my wife. I belong to her. There is no such thing as a mismatch.” But now, Julian didn't even take my hand. He didn't even ask what happened. He simply pulled out a thick stack of cash from his wallet and handed it to the man. His voice was laced with irritation. "Is this enough?" The man's eyes lit up. Before leaving, he didn't miss the chance to throw one last insult. "See? I told you she was bought." I wanted to speak up, but Julian silenced me with a cold, warning glare. It felt as if my attempt to stand up for myself was nothing but an embarrassment to him. My car was badly damaged. It was clearly undrivable. "Come with me," Julian said, grabbing my hand and leading me to his car. He glanced at Sugar, who was sitting by my feet. "Call a pet taxi to take the dog back. You’re coming with me." I pulled my hand out of his grip. "No need. Sugar will be scared in a stranger's car." Julian let out a cold laugh. "Chloe, do you seriously have to pick a fight with me over this dog?" I held onto the leash tightly, refusing to back down. As we stood in a tense standoff, the passenger window of his car rolled down. A beautiful, elegantly dressed girl was sitting inside, holding a large dog in her arms. She flashed a sweet, innocent smile. "Hi, sweetie. I'm Vivian Thorne. There have been rumors about a stalker on my way home lately, so Mr. Vance was kind enough to give me a ride." The girl in the passenger seat, the dog in her lap... everything felt like a physical blow. The cautious, tiptoeing life Sugar and I had lived under Julian's roof suddenly felt like a massive joke. "Julian, what is the meaning of this?" My nose burned, but I refused to let my tears fall in front of them. "She’s the new assistant at the company, Vivian," Julian said, his expression completely blank. To him, a girl sitting in his passenger seat with a dog was perfectly normal. "Mr. Vance, why don't you let her get in? She just got into an accident. She must be terrified." Julian’s expression softened slightly. He pursed his lips. "Get in." I froze. I had crawled on my knees begging him to let Sugar in his car, and he had refused. Now, with just one word from another woman, he agreed. How pathetic. I pulled open the back door and got in. Throughout the ride, Vivian’s dog kept barking aggressively at Sugar. Sugar just tucked her tail and curled up in my lap, trying to disappear. For the past year, whenever Julian was around, Sugar never made a sound. She had been suppressing her own nature, trying her best to minimize her existence. Julian drove Vivian home. As she got out, she smiled sweetly at him. "Mr. Vance, thank you so much for the new bag. I absolutely love it!" The bag in her hand was the exact new release from my favorite brand. So, he had already gone shopping with someone else. My heart felt hollow. 3. When we got home, I brought the gift inside. Julian glanced at it. "What's that?" "A birthday gift for your mother." His mother refused to accept me, and Julian never allowed me to call her "Mom." I could only address her as Mrs. Vance. "You didn't have to do that. I’ll handle the gifts," Julian sighed, looking exhausted. "It’s our first year of marriage. I just wanted to be polite. If you think it’s inappropriate, I won't give it to her." Seeing the disappointment on my face, Julian walked over and kissed my forehead. He gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Just bring it tomorrow." The next day, Julian took me to the Vance family estate. I presented the necklace I had carefully chosen to Mrs. Vance. She looked at it with pure disdain, then sneered. "Some people really don't know their place. Copying someone else's gift. How tacky." I was completely confused. Julian's grip on my hand tightened. Suddenly, Vivian walked in. Mrs. Vance immediately pulled Vivian into a warm embrace. "Julian, Vivian told me you've been driving her home every day." Julian nodded. So that was why he had been coming home late. I forced a bitter smile. "Vivian, dear, I absolutely love the gift you gave me. I had no idea this woman would buy the exact same thing. Did you secretly tell her?" Mrs. Vance asked Vivian affectionately. Vivian feigned shock. "Oh, maybe Chloe and I just have similar taste! Mrs. Vance, that necklace looks stunning on you. You look absolutely gorgeous." Mrs. Vance beamed. "You always know just what to say, Vivian. If only you had returned to the country earlier, Julian wouldn't have been snatched away by some gold digger." Julian made no reaction. He didn't say a single word to defend me. My heart grew cold, and I quietly walked away. A few minutes later, Vivian approached me. She still had that sweet, innocent smile on her face. "I'm so sorry, Chloe. I only found out it was his mother's birthday when I was chatting with Julian last night. Our families have been friends for generations, so I didn't know what to get. I asked Julian what he was planning to buy." "He sent me a photo of a necklace. I must have misremembered the style and bought the exact same one." I took a slow sip of my champagne and looked at her. "Right. You must be really stupid then." Vivian’s smile faltered, and she walked away. I looked around the room for Julian. As I approached him, I overheard one of his friends asking him, "Do you regret marrying her?" Julian looked a bit drunk. He didn't notice me standing nearby. He swirled his glass, his eyes misty. "Regret?" That single word echoed in my ears. It felt like a total erasure of all the happiness we had shared. Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the spotlight hit the stage. Mrs. Vance stood there, holding Vivian’s hand. "Thank you all for coming to my birthday party. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce someone very special. This is Vivian Thorne, my choice for my future daughter-in-law." Whispers erupted through the crowd. Everyone in their social circle knew Julian was already married. "Isn't Julian married? I bet that woman has some kind of dirt on him." "Or maybe she just used her body to climb up." "Julian didn't even deny it. It must be true." "Are they already divorced?" I hid in a dark corner, downing glass after glass of champagne. The burning alcohol temporarily numbed the agonizing pain in my chest. Julian walked up to the stage to cut the cake with Vivian. Mrs. Vance watched them with a proud, satisfied smile. They looked like a real family. I tilted my head back, my eyes burning. After the party, Mrs. Vance insisted that Julian and Vivian stay the night. Julian glanced at me. "Chloe should stay, too." Mrs. Vance glared at him, but Julian ignored her and led me to his room. Before a relationship completely falls apart, the first sign is always silence. I lay on the bed and fell asleep. When I woke up in the middle of the night, Julian was gone. Feeling restless, I decided to go get a glass of water. But as I passed the courtyard, I overheard a conversation. "You don't have to divorce her right now. Just have her get pregnant first. Vivian keeps saying she’s terrified of the pain and that pregnancy will ruin her body. “ “Once that woman gives birth, you and Vivian can raise the child together." My entire body began to shake. It wasn't until I heard that familiar, deep voice that I realized how utterly pathetic I was in this relationship. "I know, Mom."