When The Cherry Blossoms Fell

“Ms. Arnold, you really should sign this divorce agreement. Otherwise, I won’t be able to answer to Mr. Fisher.”

Jeremy Fisher’s personal lawyer, Cole Stewart, stood in front of Hailey Arnold with an anxious expression. In his hands were a freshly printed divorce agreement, the pages still crisp.

This was the thirty-third time Jeremy had asked for a divorce from her. The first time, Hailey climbed onto the rooftop and jumped. She survived but broke one of her legs. The second time, she slashed her wrist with a small knife, and blood flooded half the bathroom. The third time, she swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and spent three days in the hospital having her stomach pumped.

Every single time, she had used death to force Jeremy to compromise, but this time, she was tired of it.

Hailey stood up and walked toward the window.

Cole followed her nervously. “Ms. Arnold, please don’t do anything rash. Mr. Fisher specifically instructed me to ensure your safety…”

Hailey did not respond. She looked out the window, her gaze landing on the massive billboard across the street. On it stood Jeremy, tall and composed in a custom-tailored suit. Beside him was a glamorous woman, Whitney Addams, the heiress of the Addams Group. Everyone said they were a perfect match—a power couple made in heaven. As for her, the woman who was legally Jeremy’s wife, no one even knew she existed.

Cole glanced at the billboard outside, guilt flashing across his face.

He lowered his voice and said cautiously, “Ms. Arnold, you and Mr. Fisher will only be getting a temporary divorce. Your lifestyle and benefits will remain unchanged. As for Mr. Fisher and Miss Addams, it’s all for the company’s successful IPO. Once you sign, Mr. Fisher will transfer fifty percent of the shares to you–”

She had heard that speech so many times that she was sick of it.

“I’ll sign,” Hailey interrupted him, her voice calm and firm, without the slightest hesitation.

Cole froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard. Then, delight spread across his face. “Ms. Arnold, you’ve finally come around.”

Hailey picked up the pen and signed her name on the divorce papers, her fingers trembling slightly. The pen felt unbearably heavy in her hand, like a dull blade carving into her heart. Her signature was short, yet it felt as though she had spent an entire century writing it.

As soon as the pen lifted off the paper, Cole quickly took the divorce papers from her hands.

“Ms. Arnold, I’ll leave you to the rest of your day.”

After the door shut heavily behind, Hailey collapsed onto the sofa, limp like a fish pulled from the water.

The television was on, broadcasting breaking financial news.

“It has been confirmed that Fisher Corporation, founded by renowned entrepreneur Mr. Jeremy Fisher, has successfully passed its IPO review. The company is expected to officially go public within a month, with an estimated market value of ten billion dollars. Mr. Fisher is set to become the wealthiest man in New Vegas.”

The camera cut to Jeremy, his handsome face sharp and confident. Facing the cameras, he wore a perfectly controlled smile, the unmistakable aura of a man at the top of his game.

The host asked, “Mr. Fisher, who would you most like to thank for the company’s successful listing?”

Jeremy’s eyes instantly filled with affection. He turned slightly, his gaze locking onto Whitney beside him.

“Of course, I have to thank my most capable partner, Whitney. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Whitney lowered her eyes shyly.

The host continued, smiling, “There’s been a lot of talk about you and Miss Addams being a match made in heaven. May I ask, do you have plans to marry her?”

Jeremy smiled at the camera. “That’s a question I can’t answer yet. That’ll depend on whether Whitney will give me the honor.”

The audience erupted into cheers.

“He sure is a CEO, confessing love so openly!”

“Is this real, or is this a dream? A love story between a wealthy heiress and a successful entrepreneur? I’m shipping this couple.”

“So the rumors are true. They are head over heels for each other.”

…

Every word was like a knife, stabbing straight into Hailey’s heart. The pain spread instantly through her entire body, and memories flooded her mind.

Ten years ago, Jeremy and Hailey had depended on each other to survive. At their poorest, one loaf of bread had to be split into four meals.

So that Jeremy could continue his studies, Hailey gave up her chance to go to college and worked three jobs on her own. She even sold her blood at the hospital just to scrape together tuition money. Already frail, she fainted right after leaving the blood bank from excessive blood loss.

Jeremy rushed over when he heard the news, holding her tightly as burning tears fell onto her body.

She wiped the tears from his eyes, holding the money in her hand and smiling brightly.

“Jeremy, you can afford to go to college now.”

The young, inexperienced boy swore to her that once he succeeded, he would give her a life every woman envied. The day Jeremy landed his first job after graduating from college, they went to city hall and registered their marriage.

“Hailey, our good days are finally here. You won’t have to work so hard anymore. Once I make money, I’ll give you the grandest wedding.”

That night, they clung to each other in the dark, holding each other tightly.

Later, Jeremy’s career soared, and Hailey never had to worry about money again. She lived in a mansion, rode in luxury cars, and had domestic help waiting for her at home. However, the one thing she never had was Jeremy publicly acknowledging her existence.

She kept waiting for the day he would fulfill his promise, but instead of the wedding she dreamed of, she received the divorce papers drafted by his own hand. Again and again, even when she threatened death, Jeremy never backed down.

“Hailey, it’s just a temporary divorce. Don’t worry, I won’t abandon you. The company needs the Addams family’s support to go public. Whitney absolutely cannot know that I’m married, and she definitely can’t know about you.”

Every time, it was the same excuse. Her struggles, her resistance, her despair—none of it mattered to him. In his eyes, they were nothing more than obstacles in the way of greater success.

On the TV screen, the camera focused on Whitney again. She smiled gently, lifting a hand to brush her hair aside, revealing a massive diamond ring on her ring finger.

“Thank you for everyone’s concern regarding Jeremy and me. If there’s good news, we’ll be sure to share it.”

The crowd erupted into cheers once more.

Hailey lowered her head and looked at the plain band on her own finger. Bitterness flooded her heart. Suddenly, she understood Jeremy had given someone else what she wanted, and what Jeremy wanted, she could no longer provide. They had long been on different paths.

There was no such thing as a fake divorce. If they were divorcing, then it would be final.

Hailey picked up her phone and dialed an overseas number.

“Aunt Iris, I’ve decided. I want to go abroad and settle down with you.”

The person on the other end was clearly surprised. “Hailey, have you thought this through? Didn’t you want to stay with that promising husband of yours?”

Hailey was silent for a long time before finally saying, “I’ve divorced him.”

“That husband of yours isn’t worth keeping anyway. He’s been dragging things out without giving you a proper status, and men like that usually have someone else. Divorce him. I can afford to support you anyway. Coincidentally, I’ll be returning home next month to audit a domestic company that’s about to go public. Once I’m done, I’ll take you with me.”

“Alright, Aunt Iris.”

Hailey’s aunt, Iris Arnold, was a senior executive at a global auditing firm, responsible for auditing the financials of major listed companies. Her work was notoriously demanding. That was also why, after her aunt found her, she never had the chance to formally meet Jeremy. Yet now, there was no longer a point.