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Chapter 7

Author: Shiyu
Austin didn't come back until that night.

He came over as usual and reached out to hug me. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

I smelled Bianca's white floral perfume on him, and the image of them kissing outside the estate flashed through my mind. My stomach turned.

"I'm tired." I stepped out of his reach.

Austin hesitated, then wrapped his arms around me from behind, his voice softening. "Livia, I really do love you. I know I've neglected you lately. Tomorrow I'll take you to Iceland to get away for a while. Just the two of us, okay?"

I closed my eyes and didn't answer.

He rested his chin on my shoulder, the way he had countless times before.

This time, his arms felt suffocating.

"Go take a shower first," I said. "That perfume on you smells awful."

His arms stiffened. "I must have picked it up at the party."

Austin went into the bathroom, and my phone lit up with a message from Bianca.

In the photo, she was wearing my nightgown and holding my husband, her neck covered in red marks.

"Mr. Vance was just at my place. He said he loves my body. He was so rough, I'm still sore."

I glanced at it and blocked her number right away.

In the middle of the night, Bianca called Austin again. "Mr. Vance, Ron has a fever! He keeps asking for you, and I don't know what to do by myself..."

Austin sat up at once, worry all over his face, but he hesitated when he looked at me. The way I'd been acting the past couple of days had him rattled.

"Livia, Ron's sick. I'm going to go check on him. I'll be right back."

"Go," I said. Austin was taken aback, but Bianca kept urging him over the phone, and he hurried out without stopping to think.

As soon as the door closed, I saw the number above Austin's head change from "one" to "zero."

By dawn, Austin still hadn't come back.

I took off my wedding ring and left it on the table with the divorce agreement. Then I gave my brother the other signed documents to handle.

Bruto lay quietly beside my suitcase, looking up at me. I crouched, stroked his head, and whispered, "Let's go."

Before the plane took off, I got a message from Austin.

"Babe, the flight to Iceland is all set. Pack your things. I'm coming home now to pick you up."

I didn't reply. I blocked Austin everywhere.

As the plane hummed beneath me, I watched the familiar city fade from view. Above the clouds, I flew toward a wider world.

The moment the number above Austin's head hit zero, he had cut every tie between us himself.

From then on, I was free.
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  • When My Husband's Number Hit Zero, I Left   Chapter 17

    Livia's POVAfter the divorce, Austin sank into regret and emptiness.He could barely sleep. Even when exhaustion overtook him, he'd jolt awake from dreams of watching me walk away.In his dreams, he could never catch up to me.Each time he woke, reality felt even crueler than his dreams.He'd once had countless chances to win me back. He'd used them all up.Eventually, he stopped trying to find me.Austin returned to his old city and sorted out what remained of his businesses. He put the money he could legally use into a program that offered temporary housing and support to people who were homeless or struggling.At first, he just wanted something to fill the emptiness in his life.Only after he got involved did he begin to understand: helping someone didn't give him the right to cross their boundaries. It didn't mean they had to go along with his plans, either.He'd claimed he was looking after Bianca and Ron, but he'd brushed off my feelings again and again and confused his responsi

  • When My Husband's Number Hit Zero, I Left   Chapter16

    Livia's POVIt was time for me to leave.The archaeology project here was nearly finished, and I was preparing to head farther north for a new assignment. But since the divorce agreement had been revised, I had to sign it in person before I left.My brother called and offered to handle everything under a power of attorney so I wouldn't have to make the trip.I said no.Hearing Austin's name again didn't stir anything in me.Maybe this was fate. We'd already used up all our meetings. Even in the same city, our paths would never cross again.And that was exactly how it went.When Austin found out I would sign the agreement at the courthouse in person, he saw one last chance.He left before dawn. Afraid something might go wrong along the way, he wouldn't even let a driver take him. He walked to the courthouse alone.Halfway there, it suddenly started pouring.Rain soaked his clothes and dripped from his hair, but he kept walking.By the time he finally got near the courthouse, the rain ha

  • When My Husband's Number Hit Zero, I Left   Chapter 15

    Livia's POVAfter the attack, Bianca was arrested for assault.To get out of the charges, she claimed she was mentally ill. But Austin looked into it and found that her so-called condition was just another act."Every time Livia and I had plans, you found a way to lure me away," Austin said. He threw the fake diagnosis on the table and glared at her. "You lied to me from the start."For once, Bianca had nothing to say.Then her eyes reddened, and she gave him that pitiful look again."I lost my husband. I just wanted a little attention, someone Ron and I could lean on. Is that so wrong?"Austin clenched his fists."If you wanted money or a stable life, I could have given you both. Why did you have to destroy my marriage to Livia?"Bianca stared at him, then laughed until she cried."Don't act innocent, Austin. If you loved her so much, why didn't you turn me down even once? If you'd had any self-control, could I have climbed into your bed wearing Livia's nightgown?""Shut up." Austin w

  • When My Husband's Number Hit Zero, I Left   Chapter 14

    Livia's POVThe scandal quickly reached me.Comments flooded my personal account.[Ms. Sinclair, as the wife your husband abandoned, is there anything you'd like to say?][Someone's leaked that your husband ran smuggling routes. Did you know? Did you take part in the smuggling for your own gain?][Is your work in archaeology, exploring underwater shipwrecks, also about making money?]The loaded questions just kept coming.My brother helped me release a public statement saying I was in the process of divorcing Austin.We also released my financial records to show I'd never used my work for personal gain."The academic conference is tomorrow, and this is getting out of hand," said Bjorn Larsen, the head of our archaeology team. "Should I ask the professor to reschedule?"I shook my head."I haven't done anything wrong. I'm not going to hide from the cameras or the public."Bjorn didn't argue. "Do what you need to do. I'll beef up security. Someone will be right behind you the whole time.

  • When My Husband's Number Hit Zero, I Left   Chapter 13

    But it was far from over.As the archaeology project progressed, Livia's expertise drew attention across the field, and she was fast becoming one of its most talked-about young archaeologists.At the same time, the story of her marriage to Austin and their split became public.Intimate photos of Austin and Bianca began appearing online: Austin carrying her into a hospital, taking in the night view with her and Ron on a cruise ship, renting her an expensive apartment, even kissing her outside the estate.Public outrage spread fast.Some accused Austin of betraying his wife. Others suspected he'd had a trusted crewman killed so he could have the man's wife. Rumors even claimed Ron was his son with Bianca.Soon, the crew summoned Austin to an emergency board meeting.The scandal had enraged several board members. The smuggling routes Austin controlled had drawn police attention, and their partners were wavering. Worse, even his longtime men had begun to wonder if he'd betrayed one of thei

  • When My Husband's Number Hit Zero, I Left   Chapter 12

    Livia's team was staying in the area for a while longer, so Austin stayed too.He learned that Livia was due to attend an academic conference and paid a fortune for a ticket.He didn't care what the conference was about. He just wanted to see her with his own eyes.But just before Livia went in, her project team called. They'd made a major breakthrough at the site, and she had to return at once. Her assistant would attend in her place.When Austin heard, his face fell.He rushed out. The elevator was taking too long, so he took the stairs, racing all the way down. By the time he reached the parking lot, Livia's car was disappearing at the end of the road."Go after her!" he barked at the men behind him.His men's cars sped after her, but by the next intersection, Livia's car was long gone.Austin stood in the rain, breathing hard, the ticket crushed in his hand.So close.He'd rehearsed what he'd say, but he hadn't even had the chance to speak.Rain streamed down his face. He wondered

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