Chapter 3

A wave of exhaustion rose inside me. I no longer had the energy to explain myself to him.

Disappointed, I said, “Nathan, we should di...”

My voice was cut off by the sudden ring of his phone.

I glanced at the caller ID.

Chloe.

I turned my head away with a self mocking smile.

Nathan looked at me, his expression flickering with guilt. Then he turned slightly aside and answered the call.

Although he was clearly trying to keep his distance from me, Chloe’s voice still reached my ears.

“Nathan, cough, cough. I’m sick. Can you come stay with me?”

Nathan’s face tightened at once.

“Is it serious?”

“It’s okay. Not too serious. Cough, cough...”

Chloe’s voice sounded weak on the other end of the line.

Nathan frowned deeply.

“You sound like that and you’re still saying it’s not serious? Wait for me. I’m coming right now.”

After hanging up, Nathan shot me a glare.

“Emily, we’ll talk about this when I get back. And you’d better have a proper explanation for me.”

With that, he ran out in a hurry without looking at me again.

Watching him leave like a gust of wind, I almost wanted to laugh.

My eyes fell on the divorce agreement that had just been drafted on the table.

It was time for all of this to end.

I waited until the next morning, but Nathan still did not come home. Left with no choice, I took the divorce papers and went to Nathan’s company.

Nathan’s office was spotless, with only the basic things he needed for work.

The only exception was a pink pig plushie sitting quietly on his chair.

Chloe had bought it for him when she was still around.

She had said his office felt too dull, so she wanted to brighten it up with something colorful and lively.

Nathan had always been organized. He hated having random little things cluttering his office.

Once, I wanted to put a small plant in his office. He frowned and said, “Emily, this is a place for work. I don’t like things like this in here. Don’t buy them again.”

But now, even that rule had been easily broken by Chloe.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

Then my gaze landed on the wallet on his desk.

It was the wallet I had bought for Nathan after graduation with the first money I ever earned.

He had treasured it. For eight years, he had kept it with him. Even after he became wealthy, he could never bring himself to replace it.

Now, everything had changed.

I picked up the wallet and opened it with a faint sense of nostalgia.

The moment I did, my blood seemed to turn cold.

Tucked inside the wallet was a photo of Nathan and Chloe together.

In the picture, Chloe was leaning sweetly against Nathan’s shoulder. Nathan had turned his head slightly toward her, smiling at her with gentle eyes.

The sight made my stomach churn.

I could not bring myself to believe that Nathan could be this heartless. That he would keep a photo of himself and Chloe inside the wallet I had given him.

I had been disappointed too many times. I had been disappointed too many times to feel surprised anymore.

If I felt anything now, it was only wave after wave of disgust.

I felt sorry for those eight years of my life, wasted on a man like him.

I took a deep breath and looked down at the divorce agreement in my hand.

It was time to make things clear with Nathan.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the office.

I lifted my head and said firmly, “Nathan, I need to talk to you.”