The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 2

"Of course I remember—it's Miss Felly's birthday today!" Tiana shouted.

The words struck Winona with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel—a blade that left no mark, yet found its way straight to the core of her.

Tiana turned to Winona, eyes bright with feigned innocence. "Mom," she said, "why don't you go and get that necklace you took from Miss Felly? I want to give it to her as a birthday present."

Winona's voice was quiet, almost hollow. "Tiana, that necklace was mine to begin with."

She maintained a facade of composure in front of her daughter, refusing to argue. Beneath the surface, however, a silent ache throbbed relentlessly.

Tiana fell silent, stung by her mother's answer. She lifted her little face, her eyes wide and pleading as she silently sought Julian's support.

Julian's gaze was steady and cold as it held Winona's. "I forgot today is Felly's birthday," he stated, his voice devoid of warmth. "Our dinner is canceled." The words were flat, leaving no room for argument.

The truth clicked into place with cold, brutal clarity. He hadn't forgotten their anniversary; he had discarded it. And the look he gave her now was laden with suspicion, as if her attempt at a final family dinner was nothing but a cheap tactic to spoil Felicity's day.

Winona smiled, small and polite. "It's fine." she replied.

A memory, sharp and unforgiving, rose in her mind.

She saw herself lying in a sterile hospital bed, burning with fever, an IV line tethering her to the drip. In stark contrast, he was at the airport with Felicity, ready to board an international flight, when a forgotten document brought their departure to a halt.

And despite knowing she was hospitalized and gravely ill, his only thought had been for himself. The call came through, his voice slicing through her delirium, not with concern, but with a frantic, angry demand: "Pull out that needle and bring me the document. Now!"

He'd taken the whole Nicholson family abroad for a summer retreat—everyone except her. When she called to ask why, he simply said, "I forgot." That was it.

He had made her feel invisible in so many ways over the years that she didn't even feel it anymore.

Julian said nothing more. He took Tiana's hand in one of his, Felicity's in the other, and walked away.

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