Chapter 1

"That's enough. Stop making a scene," Jayden Luther said with a frown, clearly growing impatient. "Be good. Once the project wraps up at the end of the year, I'll make time to take you to Harnova to see the snow, okay?"

When I didn't respond for a long time, he flashed me his usual careless smile and lightly tapped my forehead with his finger. "I'm not lying to you this time. I mean it."

I almost laughed.

He said he wasn't lying to me. So he knew he'd lied to me countless times before.

A long time ago, he'd already promised to take me to Harnova to see the snow. However, he'd put it off year after year.

Whenever we planned to see a movie, I always ended up waiting alone outside the theater until the show started. He'd said he would pick me up. But even after I got completely drenched in a torrential downpour, I still never saw his car.

Whenever Jayden promised me something, he always broke his word.

Now, when he made a promise, he thought he was doing me a favor and rewarding me.

"No need." I took a deep breath and repeated firmly, "Jayden, I want a divorce."

This time, the warmth disappeared from his face, and he completely lost his patience.

He said, "Shirley, you're being unreasonable. If you don't want to go to Harnova, so be it. I've already given you a chance. When the time comes, don't come crying to me because I didn't keep my promise."

With that, he picked up the jacket from the couch and turned to leave. He didn't even touch the dinner I had carefully prepared to suit his taste.

I remained silent as well. For the first time, I didn't try to stop him or ask him to stay, even just for one more minute.

When Jayden reached the door, he paused for a moment and looked back at me. I had already sat down on my own and picked up my cutlery to eat in silence.

He slammed the door behind him, as if he were venting his anger.

My heart had stopped hurting long ago. All that remained was desolation.

I had always thought that a man as aloof and untouchable as Jayden would never concern himself with ordinary domestic life.

But it turned out that he cooked for the woman he loved, just to earn a single compliment from her. The cuts on his hands from the knife and the blisters from the hot oil were all a testament to his love for her.

He had even said something very naive back then, "I feel so happy cooking for the person I love. I'm going to cook for Wynona for the rest of my life and fatten her up so no one else can steal her away from me."

Only after seeing those old records did I truly realize for the first time what a joke I had been.

The next day, I met my best friend, Ava Thorpe, who also happened to be a lawyer, at a cafe. I asked her to help me draft a divorce agreement.

"What happened between you two? Is it really so serious this time?" Ava asked, looking shocked.

She knew better than anyone how much I loved Jayden. In the past, whenever we fought, we would do nothing more than give each other the cold shoulder for a while.

"I'm tired of this life." I looked out at the heavy traffic outside the window. "You know what? She came back."

Just that pronoun was enough for Ava to understand what I meant.

Wynona Easton—Jayden's first love that he couldn't forget—had returned to the country. Her name was like a tiny needle lodged in my heart. It never drew blood, but now and then, it would cause my heart to ache.

I had never even met her in person, yet her existence had affected my life for five whole years.

Jayden had said that personal space was important, yet he had shared a music account with Wynona. He disliked putting his life on display, yet every trace of his old social media had been filled with her presence.

The art exhibition he took me to featured Wynona's favorite artist. He complained that shopping with me was a waste of time, but he had once accompanied her as they strolled through antique markets all over the city.

We had dated for two years and been married for three, yet Jayden had never truly erased her from his heart.

As for me, I had been little more than companionship during the gap in his life—just a habit he got used to. I was merely the second-best choice.

"Okay. Leave the divorce agreement to me. I won't let you get the short end of the stick," Ava promised.

She looked at me worriedly and added, "But Sher, have you really made up your mind? I told you a long time ago that Jayden wasn't right for you. His heart was never completely free of her, so you would end up suffering if you married him.

"But you rushed in headfirst anyway. No matter how hard I tried to talk you out of it, you wouldn't listen."

I lowered my eyes and stirred the coffee in my cup.

In a heavy voice, I said, "Sometimes, one has to crash and burn until they're all battered and bruised before they realize that somethings are not meant to be."