Chapter 4

That night, I sat alone in the cold infusion chair in the emergency room, watching the IV fluid drip down one drop at a time.

With every drop, my heart grew a little colder.

From that day on, I understood that an insurmountable wall had long stood between Chase and me, and Ariya was right in the middle of it.

All my compromises and silent endurance meant nothing to them. They thought they were simply entitled to them.

As the tide of memories receded, I finally shut the door behind me.

The cold night wind blew against my face.

Chase still hadn't sent another message or made another phone call. Perhaps, in the world he shared with Ariya, I, his fiancee, had long since become insignificant.

I pulled my suitcase along without looking back.

'Goodbye, Chase. And I hope you enjoy your newlywed life.'

The next morning, the county clerk's office had barely opened when Chase and Ariya arrived.

Neither of them had bothered to make themselves presentable. Their hair was disheveled, and exhaustion from a night of indulgence lingered beneath their eyes, yet neither could hide their smugness.

Chase slapped the brand-new marriage certificate onto my desk, his tone flippant, as though he were discussing something utterly trivial. "Jenna, take care of this. We're here to get divorced."

As he leaned forward, I clearly saw the glaring red hickey on the side of his neck. It was fresh, its color almost unnaturally deep, like a stamp marking his territory.

My heart remained perfectly still. Not even the slightest ripple disturbed it.

"Jenna, thanks so much for yesterday," Ariya said with a coquettish laugh. Her fingers deliberately brushed over the mark on Chase's neck. "Chase was right. That dare was pretty exciting."

I ignored her provocation, took their marriage certificate, and began the procedure.

"IDs," I said in a strictly professional tone.

Chase impatiently pulled two ID cards from his wallet and handed them over, his brows furrowing. "Hurry up. We have plans this afternoon."

I accepted the IDs and typed their information into the computer at an unhurried pace, bringing up their registration records.

Their marriage record from the previous day appeared on the screen.

"The information checks out." I looked up with my standard professional smile.

Chase visibly relaxed, apparently believing the whole thing would soon be over. Ariya straightened her clothes, ready to reclaim her freedom.

But I didn't reach for the divorce application.

Instead, I slowly pulled a freshly issued document from the drawer on my right and laid it flat on the desk, sliding it toward them.

The title was printed in bold, black characters and stood out unmistakably: Divorce Cooling-Off Notice.

Chase's smile froze. "What's this?"

I pushed up my thin-framed glasses, my gaze perfectly calm behind the lenses.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Holland." My voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly through the quiet hall.

"To prevent couples from rushing into divorce on impulse, the latest regulations issued by the higher authorities require you to undergo a six-month cooling-off period."