Chapter 1

I distinctly heard Yelena Lipton gasp on the other end of the phone, followed by several seconds of silence.

"Mom's… gone? H-How could that be? This is just too sudden! I didn't mean to be absent. I-I'll buy tickets for the soonest flight possible and head back right away. Wait for me to come back, okay?"

"No need. From now on, you and I should go our separate ways. There's no need for us to be tied together anymore. This is exactly what you want, isn't it?"

As I stared at the picture of Melinda Smith, my mother-in-law, I shook my head with a bitter smile.

We had failed to give Melinda a great life before she died, and even after her death, Yelena and I were disturbing her peace with our conflict. She had worked hard to ensure my marriage with Yelena was blissful, only for all her efforts to be in vain.

I could still remember the last words she had said to me. She had said that the Lipton family had done wrong by me and that I shouldn't force myself to endure any longer. She said that I should just divorce Yelena.

All I could do now was fulfill her dying wish, which just so happened to be an emotional burden of mine as well.

"Carter Chance, are you crazy? Do you find it fun to always be spouting such words? We've been married for so many years already, yet you don't have even this basic level of trust in me?

"I've already told you that I only agreed to marry Phillip to make him happy. He has late-stage cancer and doesn't have long left to live. How could you be jealous of a dying man?"

It was the same old explanation she had given me multiple times before, and I was sick of it.

She kept claiming it was all fake, yet anyone who had a brain could tell that she was lying. In fact, she couldn't even be bothered to think of a new excuse to appease me.

Phillip Warren had been in the late stages of cancer for close to a year now, yet he was still flying all over the world with her and having fun. From what I could tell, he had no problem enjoying himself, be it with the cuisine or other activities. His body seemed even healthier and better than mine.

What a medical marvel indeed.

"You can say whatever you want; I don't care anymore. I've already sent you the divorce agreement. It's already signed on my end, so hurry up and sign it. I hope that the next time we meet will be at the courthouse. There's no need for us to have any other interaction before that."

At that moment, Phillip's voice came over the line, sounding strong and full of life. He sounded nothing like a man on the brink of death.

"Lena, remember to put on that swimsuit I picked out for you later when we go have a dip in the hot springs!"

Yelena agreed as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Then, she tossed out a few half-hearted words before swiftly hanging up.

"Don't be so inconsiderate and immature. I'll explain everything to you later. Besides, Phillip is a sick man, so what's wrong with letting him have his way? As for the divorce, you can forget about it because I'll never agree to it. We'll talk about the rest once I return."

The beep of the call ending also signified the end of our seven-year marriage.

"The divorce is definitely happening, and I won't foolishly wait for you to come back to me either."

Yelena didn't hear this last sentence. I had said it for myself.

Her lack of boundaries and restraint when she was with Phillip had thoroughly worn away at the love I had held for her. Besides that, the countless times she had neglected or been indifferent to me proved that she had long since stopped loving me.

Having completely let go of this relationship, I packed up my things and left, not feeling even a shred of reluctance. On the contrary, it was like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. A breeze brushed over me, carrying with it the taste of freedom.

It was time I started a new life.

…

I went to work as usual.

It was getting close to the time period when promotions were given, so I had been working particularly hard the past few days. I made sure to be the first to arrive at the company and the last to leave.

As a result, not only was my performance leagues ahead of everyone else, but I also succeeded in snagging the biggest collaboration project of the season.