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Chapter 4

Auteur: Nora Blythe
Right there in front of everyone, I slapped Julia across the face.

She froze, stunned, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Ken lunged at me and drove his fist into my jaw. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you even a man? Hitting a woman?!"

I steadied myself, my gaze fixed on Julia—cold, utterly devoid of warmth. "Julia, you disgust me."

Under the shocked stares of everyone around, I turned and walked out without a second thought.

This place had never been mine to begin with.

…

After what happened at the celebration, whatever was left between Julia and me was well and truly over.

She didn't even bother coming home anymore.

I was fine with that. I spent those days in peace, gathering everything I needed for the divorce.

Once everything was ready, I went to Julia's firm.

The moment I walked in, whispers broke out all around me. Word of our blowup had clearly traveled.

Ignoring the stares, I made straight for Julia's office.

When I pushed the door open, I saw Ken bent over, pressing his ear to Julia's belly, listening to the baby's heartbeat. Julia's face was soft with tenderness and anticipation for the child she was carrying.

The moment she saw me, that warmth vanished, replaced by a rigid frown. "What are you doing here?"

I set the divorce papers on her desk and said flatly, "I'm here to end this."

Ken's eyes went wide with shock.

Julia's brow furrowed even deeper, and she let out an exasperated sigh. "I know you're angry, but I took a slap from you too. Do we really have to keep dragging this out? Didn't the doctors tell you that your—

"I transferred the shares to Ken for your own good."

I listened to her self-righteous speech with a blank expression. "I don't care who you give the firm to. And I'm not joking about the divorce."

Julia's frown tightened. Then she let out a sharp laugh. "I won't agree to a divorce. If you want one so badly, take me to court. But think carefully, Harry. As long as I'm practicing, you won't find a single lawyer in this city who'll take your case. Walk away from me, and you get nothing."

After everything I'd seen of her true colors, nothing she said surprised me anymore.

I pressed my lips together and let out a quiet laugh. "Julia, you're forgetting something. I'm a lawyer too. I don't need anyone to fight for me. If you want to take this to court, I'm more than happy to oblige."

Julia stepped closer, forcing her voice into something softer. "I know you're jealous. But I'm pregnant. Even if the baby isn't yours, we can still raise him together. We've been married ten years. How can you just throw that away?"

She was counting on me to be the same man I'd always been—the one who gave everything the moment she lowered herself to ask.

But she'd misjudged me.

I put some distance between us. My eyes shifted to Ken, standing behind her.

"What makes you think I'd raise another man's child? If you want a baby so badly, why not just marry Ken?

"Or did your little contract not cover that?"

I bit down hard on the word contract.

That's when Julia's composure finally cracked. Her eyes blazed with fury as she glared at me. "Harry! What are you going to do without me? Sit around and wait to die?!"

But before she could say another word, hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway.

One of her associates burst into the office, clutching a courier envelope. He was flustered, out of breath.

"Julia! A court summons just came in—it's about you and Harry's divorce case!"

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  • A Love That Faded Too Soon   Chapter 10

    A month later, the day came for me and Julia to finalize our divorce.She was wheeled in by a caregiver.Her left leg had been amputated. She was confined to a wheelchair.In just one month, Julia had transformed completely. She was gaunt, skeletal—her eyes hollow and vacant, her hair brittle and dull. She looked like she'd aged decades.The moment she saw me, the tears came."Harry... at first, when I found out you were sick, I was terrified of losing you. I couldn't sleep, night after night."I never loved Ken. He was just a way for me to cope with the pressure."I wanted a child with you. But I was so afraid the baby would end up sick, just like you. So I thought if I... borrowed... someone else's genes, the child could still be yours and mine. Ours."I don't know how everything went so wrong..."She covered her face and sobbed—every word a confession, a plea.She said she loved me. I only found it laughable.Ten years changes a lot.She had loved me once—that was true.

  • A Love That Faded Too Soon   Chapter 9

    When Julia opened her eyes and saw me, a flicker of light passed through them.She parted her lips to say my name, but no sound came out."Don't force it if you can't speak," I said. "While you still have the strength, just sign the divorce papers."I cut her off before she could get a word out. I pulled the divorce agreement from my bag and laid it across her chest.The light in her eyes died instantly.Her voice was hoarse. "I almost died, Harry. After all that, you still want to divorce me? Why do we have to end up like this?"She spoke in fragments, gasping for air between each phrase.I'd asked myself the same thing.How cruel time could be. We'd gone from high school sweethearts to husband and wife—more than a decade together. From a love so full it could have burst, to this—cold, hollow, empty.I even wondered, if Julia had died in that crash, would I have grieved at all?"There's no 'why.' When the time comes, the connection just breaks."You say you nearly died. But

  • A Love That Faded Too Soon   Chapter 8

    Even Julia hesitated.She stood there, head bowed, wrestling with herself for a long moment. Finally, she seemed to make up her mind.She turned to the media and said, "There must be some misunderstanding here. Ken is right—everything at our firm was built by my husband, Harry Tepper. We had no knowledge of any of this."I'd expected as much. But actually hearing her say it still sent a spike of pain through my chest.I had given everything for her career. I'd sacrificed my health, my future—my very life.And in the end, she turned it all into a weapon against me.I swallowed the bitterness and went online. I posted a public statement announcing our divorce—along with screenshots of her alt account and the "private arrangement" contract.[I've had nothing to do with any work cases since I got sick.][I have also filed for divorce from Julia Mars. She was unfaithful during our marriage, carrying on a ten-year inappropriate relationship with Ken Cohen.]Our marriage had always b

  • A Love That Faded Too Soon   Chapter 7

    The doctor made no effort to hide his displeasure with Julia. After prescribing my follow-up medications, he practically shooed us out.I walked fast, leaving Julia behind.She refused to give up, trailing me closely.Finally, when I slowed down, she grabbed the hem of my shirt, her voice cracking as she asked, "Are you punishing me, Harry? You knew you were running out of time, and you never told me. I thought…"Then that's even more reason I can't let you divorce me."She held on tight, terrified I'd walk away.I watched her fear with a cold, hollow laugh. "Julia, you don't want to let me go because the firm still needs me. You need me as your tool. Without me, you can't survive in this industry. Don't think I don't know exactly what you're after."Julia went pale, like I'd struck a nerve. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but her phone started ringing.It was Ken.Julia hesitated, her hand hovering over the phone, glancing at me. After a long moment, she answered.I

  • A Love That Faded Too Soon   Chapter 6

    After all, I'd never treated Julia like this before."I'll be handling my own divorce case," I said.…After I left the firm, I blocked Julia on every channel.Then I put the house up for auction.After years of being used, I figured I deserved to take back whatever I could.Julia didn't stop trying to reach me. When she couldn't get through to my phone, she started calling everyone she knew who might still have contact with me.It got exhausting. I ended up just shutting my phone off entirely.But somehow, she still found me.Every three months, I had to go to the hospital for a checkup. And there she was, waiting for me right at the main entrance.It had only been a few days, but she looked utterly drained. Dark circles shadowed her eyes."You sold the house? The deed is in my name—where am I supposed to live now? Harry, do you really have to take this so far? Can't you be the bigger man for once?"Her voice was shrill, grating on my nerves.I let out a cold laugh. "So w

  • A Love That Faded Too Soon   Chapter 5

    Julia shot up from her chair, her movements frantic. She snatched the courier envelope from her associate's hands.The moment she saw her name on the court summons, her hands started trembling uncontrollably.She took a few deep breaths, then slammed the papers down on the desk. "You had this all planned out, didn't you? Over something this trivial?!"Her eyes were red. She looked like someone whose heart had been trampled on. Anyone watching who didn't know the truth would've thought I was the one who'd wronged her.The commotion drew a crowd. Colleagues gathered at the door, eager to see what was happening."Ten years, Harry! Ten years of marriage! I paid for your medication! I covered every single hospital bill! And now, you think you can just walk away? What about 'till death do us part'—was that all just empty words?!"Julia was shaking with rage. She swept everything off her desk in a fit of fury.Ken rushed to steady her, one hand on her waist. He shot me a venomous look,

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