LOGINSometimes Harper would call or text me to tell me that Ezra had gone to our house again, hoping to find me through Julian and Harper.Eventually, Julian and Harper told him that I had left town to travel. After that, he stopped waiting outside their house.I listened to Harper's gentle voice as she told me about what was happening at home and what Ezra had been doing.But whenever I heard his name, I felt completely calm.He had truly become part of my past.I had put Ezra on Do Not Disturb, so I barely looked at his messages anymore.My original plan was to travel for a month. I had already bought all my tickets, so when the time came, I simply boarded my flight home.Whenever I saw something interesting during my trip, I bought it and had it shipped home.I always used my own home address.Nothing could be sent to the wrong place. No one could tell me it was meant for someone else or that it had nothing to do with me.I even shipped my suitcase home, so I had less to carry on my fli
On the third day of my trip, Harper called me. "Ezra came to our house, but your dad wouldn't let him in. He seemed very polite. He brought a whole bunch of gifts and said he wanted to apologize to you. You'd never guess he was the kind of person who could make so many stupid mistakes! If you hadn't told us everything about your three-year marriage before you left, your dad and I probably wouldn't have realized what he was really like. We might have even let him in just now."Some people chose to hide the truth because they were ashamed, wanted to cover up their mistakes, or were afraid of being laughed at.They would simply tell everyone that they got divorced because they had grown apart.But I wasn't that kind of person.If something wasn't my fault, I had no reason to hide it. And I wasn't afraid of being laughed at.I reminded Julian and Harper, "He only went to you because I didn't answer his calls or messages. I've already sent him another copy of the divorce papers. If he stil
With Julian and Harper's help, I quickly unpacked everything and put it away. Then I went back to the bedroom I had lived in since I was a little girl.It was a small room with a closet and a desk. It wasn't big, but I still loved it.That night, Julian and Harper prepared a whole table of my favorite foods.On Christmas, I had told them ahead of time that Ezra would come home with me to celebrate.They had made a big meal filled with all his favorite foods. But he never came.His tastes were different from ours, so much of the food ended up being left over.Now, our family didn't have to accommodate Ezra anymore.After dinner, Julian and Harper took me out for a walk.They comforted me as we walked."Life isn't about never facing problems. What's important is that you don't let those problems drag you down. Since you've decided to get a divorce, don't let Ezra affect you anymore."I nodded. "Of course. I only asked for a divorce because I've finally given up on him. I've wanted to ch
Ezra stared at the divorce papers in shock.The private room fell completely silent.Yvette immediately stood up and looked at Ezra in panic. "Ez, did Hayley misunderstand? You need to explain it to her!"Then she turned to me. "Hayley, everyone was just joking because they had too much to drink. Please don't take it seriously..."Ezra had looked shocked and nervous at first, but Yvette's words quickly made him angry and irritated.He held back his anger and said to me, "Hayley, so many of our coworkers and friends are here today. My parents are here too. Everyone was just joking. If you're upset, you could've said something. Why did you have to make this so embarrassing?"Fraser and Evelyn also forced a smile and tried to persuade me."Hayley, they did go a little too far just now, but you shouldn't suddenly bring up divorce.""You young people really shouldn't use divorce to get back at each other. Otherwise, your relationship will slowly fall apart."I stayed silent for a moment bef
Ezra had reserved a large private room. Nearly 30 people were sitting inside.Yvette was at the same table as Ezra's parents, Fraser Dalton and Evelyn Dalton.She was sitting close to Fraser and Evelyn, with Ezra on her right.When the waiter opened the door and led me inside, I saw Ezra talking to Yvette.They were sitting very close to each other, smiling as they looked at one another.The moment everyone in the room saw me, the room fell silent.Ezra quickly moved away from Yvette. Then, as if trying to cover something up, he stood and walked toward me. "You're finally here."He waved a waiter over and said, "You're the only one left. Come sit down."I nodded and walked over to Fraser and Evelyn to greet them.Ezra explained, "My mom wanted to see Yvette, so she asked me to invite her."Then he leaned closer and lowered his voice. "There's so many of my coworkers here today. What's the harm in having one more person, right?"I took a step back and calmly said, "Up to you."I was se
But he immediately blamed me instead. "Oh, I forgot. Why didn't you say something earlier? We also ordered beef. If you don't eat seafood, you can eat something else."Ezra used to remember that I didn't eat raw food. But over time, he had forgotten everything.I suddenly felt like I shouldn't be sitting there anymore, so I got up and left.Behind me, Yvette asked worriedly, "Is Hayley upset?"Ezra angrily lowered his voice. "She's always ruining the mood wherever she goes. Just ignore her and keep eating."I walked out of the restaurant alone and took a cab home.I had made up my mind.As soon as I got home, I sent my resignation email to the company and started cleaning out the study.Since Ezra could only do his work at the office, I was the one who used the study most of the time.The books, paintings, and notes inside all belonged to me.Ezra came home while I was halfway through packing. He looked at me with disappointment. "Hayley, why have you become like this? It's Christmas







