Chapter 9

Calista stayed in the hospital for three days.

On the day of her discharge, she received a call from the embassy informing her that her permanent residency for Nordland had been approved. This was the only piece of good news she had heard lately.

Calista stood at the embassy entrance. The sunlight was so blinding that it brought tears to her eyes. She raised her hand to shield them. She had removed her wedding band long ago, leaving a faint mark on her ring finger.

It was time to end this.

After collecting her residency permit at the embassy, she went straight to a law firm. She drafted a divorce agreement, signed her name, and then dialed Aveline's number. "Come out and meet me."

…

Inside the cafe, Aveline glared at her warily. "What are you trying to do? I'm warning you, if Theodore comes back and finds out that you bullied me—"

Calista stayed silent, then pulled the wedding ring from her bag and slid it across the table to Aveline. "Try it on."

Aveline gave her a suspicious look, but almost instinctively, she reached out and slipped the ring onto her own finger. It fit perfectly.

She was stunned. "You—"

Calista smiled. "Haven't you always wanted to know why Theodore suddenly started avoiding you?"

Aveline's fingers trembled slightly.

Calista stared into her eyes and spoke slowly, word by word, "Fine, I'll tell you the truth. He avoids you not because he married me and not because you upset him, but because he likes you.

"In his prayer room, he keeps a lifelike doll that looks exactly like you and indulges his desires with it every single day.

"On the night you stayed at our house, while you were sleeping on the couch, he secretly kissed you for three minutes. This ring was also custom-made to your exact measurements. The person he wanted to marry has always been you."

At her words, Aveline's expression shifted instantly. A wave of emotions flickered in her eyes—shock, disbelief, embarrassment, and delight.

Calista looked at her and suddenly found the situation absurd.

Theodore had been afraid to confess his feelings to Aveline, fearing he might lose her, so he forced himself to suppress his desires through prayer. Yet he had no idea that Aveline felt the same way.

Calista stood up, took the signed divorce agreement from her bag, and slid it across the table. "Give this to him when he returns. Tell him that I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together."

After saying that, she turned to leave. Aveline finally came back to her senses and called out to her. "Calista, where are you going?"

Without looking back, Calista replied, "Since I'm divorcing him, of course I'm going to live my own life. From now on, your affairs have nothing to do with me. And Aveline, if you ever dare to lay a hand on me again, I'll make sure you pay for it a hundred times over!"

…

Calista pulled her suitcase through the airport. Just before boarding, her phone vibrated.

She glanced down and saw a message from Theodore. It was a photo with the caption, "I've landed. Here is a gift for you."

She opened the image to find a plain bracelet, not even presented in a gift box.

Calista smiled faintly. She knew it was merely a freebie. He had gone abroad this time specifically to bid on that Princess Danielle necklace for Aveline. What he gave her was nothing more than an afterthought.

Yet Calista felt no sadness. Since she no longer loved Theodore, he had lost the power to hurt her.

Holding her boarding pass, she walked quickly toward the boarding gate. When she looked up, she happened to see Theodore. Dressed in a black trench coat, he stepped out from the VIP arrival exit in the distance with a stern expression.

She didn't call out to him, choosing instead to watch him walk away in silence. In her heart, she wished him a happy divorce and freedom, while celebrating her own liberation.

In the next moment, she blocked every one of his contacts without hesitation. Then, she turned and walked in the opposite direction from him.