All Chapters of Goodbye, Saintess.: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Hera was just a soon-to-be ex-wife who no longer mattered to me. I should not care how she felt. I should not let anything she did stir my emotions.To me, Hera was a stranger. I had finally moved on from that failed marriage.I celebrated with my teammates, our joy overflowing. They were happy to be reunited with their families. I was happy to be free—finally on a path toward a better future.Afterward, we returned to work. There was still some clean-up to do, and everyone wanted to do right by those who had fallen. Even if this meant we would have to work into the night, it would still be worth it.The work lasted until four in the morning. At that moment, the wildfire was officially contained.Tears of joy welled up in everyone's eyes. They had survived, and tomorrow promised a fresh start.That was true for me as well. But some of my tears were for my failed marriage.Fatigue weighed on us after days of hard labor, yet the thought of going home at dawn kept us restless. Albe

"Oh, you're just being modest, aren't you? I know you've got a hot body down there. How else could you have made it as a firefighter, am I right? Can I sneak a peek? See if you've got those well-defined muscles?"The woman was growing stranger by the second. She was already handsy enough to grab my chest before I could react.Her grin widened as excitement flooded her voice. "Oho, I felt it! Now that's rock hard!"I stepped back warily. "Um, Mrs. McKay?""Oh, don't mind me, Mr. Grimwald. Where are my manners? Now, tell me… are you single?""I… I guess you could say that?" I answered, unsure. It was technically true, but telling Patricia that felt like a mistake.Why was she still here, anyway? I'd already paid her. She should have left by now.Patricia's grin stretched to its limit as her eyes narrowed."Perfect! I really like you, Mr. Grimwald. So here's what I'll do—I'm lowering your rent. You paid me three months in advance, plus a deposit, right? I'm going to count that as

I ignored the video after that. I had no intention of turning spying on my ex-wife into a habit. Instead, I searched online for information about preparing for a divorce, then decided to go to sleep.Unexpectedly, just as I took off my shirt and set my phone aside, I heard someone pounding on the front door.I shot up from the bed, muscles tense.'Oh shit.' I could already picture that creepy smile on the landlady's face. 'Please, God, don't let her be out there.'What was I supposed to do? Open the door? Pretend I wasn't home?The banging continued, each knock jarring like a strike to my eardrum. Anxiety crept into my limbs, leaving them cold. If she actually came inside—no, terrible phrasing. "Came inside" was not what I wanted to imagine.After some frantic mental back-and-forth, I chose to pretend I was asleep and ignore it. Once morning arrived, I'd get the hell out of here.I could always come back and ask for a refund, right?I never should've stayed, even if the rent wa

"How do you know my name?" I asked as I shook her hand. Her familiarity threw me off."My mom rented my apartment to you. Of course I looked up who was moving in." She gave me a quick once-over, eyes sparkling. "Didn't expect you to be this handsome, though."She flashed a dazzling smile and kept hold of my hand longer than necessary. "And thanks again for getting me out of that mess earlier. Now you know who really owns this place, don't you?""Alright, alright, I get it." I gave a nervous chuckle, gently pulled my hand back, and eyed her warily. "Ms. McKay, I know you're the legal owner now, but your mom and I already signed a lease. That gives me tenancy rights. And the deed didn't transfer until after the contract was signed. Not to mention, I just saved you from a stalker—"Before I could finish, she fluttered her lashes and grinned. "Wait a second, Mr. Grimwald. Are you saying you thought I came here to kick you out?"I stared at her. She didn't have much with her—just a sin

Just as I was about to fall asleep, my phone buzzed. A call from an unknown number lit up the screen."Seriously? Who calls a stranger in the middle of the night?" I mumbled.I frowned, hesitated, then picked up. The moment I said "Hello?", a familiar voice broke through."Sebastian Grimwald, why did you block my number?! Sebastian, answer me!"It was Hera. She was drunk. Her voice teetered between pitiful and accusatory, each slurred word laced with the kind of self-righteousness that made my skin crawl."What the hell?" I muttered to myself.We're getting divorced. Why would we need each other's numbers?"So yeah, I blocked you."My grip on the phone tightened as my mind flashed back to the video my old classmate had sent me earlier tonight. She'd been at a bar, and she was clearly drunk now.But didn't she have Edmund now? And Bobby? What the hell was she doing calling me at this hour? Didn't she care if they saw? If they misunderstood?"What's that supposed to mean?" she