All Chapters of Divorce—This Time for Good: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Leonard is back in the country again. Let's get divorced."I, Xavier Locke, handed the signed divorce papers to my wife, Melanie Slater, with a numb expression.For a brief moment, Melanie looked startled, but she quickly regained her composure. With practiced ease, she signed her name on the agreement.Just like the previous six times, she casually made the same promise. "Lenny will leave in a month. I'll remarry you by then."Even in the past, those words had never given me any sense of security. I'd force her to swear on it or sign a written promise. But this time, I felt nothing at all. I couldn't even muster up the desire to respond to her."Xavier, are you even listening to me?" Melanie frowned, clearly dissatisfied with my silence.I nodded slightly and replied, "Yeah."My hands didn't stop moving as I folded my clothes one by one and packed them neatly into the suitcase.Whenever Melanie said we would remarry, she always kept her word. In the business circle, it was wi

Chapter 2

After my second divorce from Melanie, I applied to be her assistant and passed the interview. Carrying her favorite latte, I pushed open the door to her office with a heart full of anticipation. But what I saw made me freeze. Melanie was sitting on Leonard's lap, kissing him passionately.Upon seeing that, I couldn't hold back and started beating Leonard up. I had barely landed a few punches before Melanie stood between the two of us.Outside the office, a crowd had already gathered to watch the drama unfold. Everyone thought I was still their CEO's husband, so they all looked at Leonard with open disdain.To protect Leonard's reputation and spare him from gossip, Melanie ignored me even when I shook my head at her vehemently with red-rimmed eyes. She snatched my messenger bag from me and dumped its contents onto the floor.Out came the divorce papers, and it exposed to everyone the true state of our relationship.From that day on, every time we divorced, Melanie made sure to anno

Chapter 3

Leonard called Melanie's name several times. His tone had already taken on an impatient edge before Melanie finally responded by reluctantly tearing her gaze away.I had thought that the encounter at the restaurant would be the last time Melanie and I crossed paths before I left the country.But on the very night I officially resigned from my job as her assistant, she video-called me. That in itself was such an absurd, unprecedented event that I had to physically stop myself from declining it immediately. Instead, I switched the call to voice only and answered.Her voice came through, and she sounded peeved. "Why did you switch to voice?"I replied casually, "I'm not dressed. It's inconvenient to have a video chat."Melanie laughed when she heard that. My reply somehow put her in a better mood. She teased, "Come on, we've been married long enough. I've seen everything there is to see."Her flirtatious tone made my skin crawl.I asked coldly, "What do you want?"Sensing the chil

Chapter 4

Rumors started spreading that their fight had been because of me. When I heard it, I just laughed nonchalantly.I wasn't that same lovesick fool I used to be. I was no longer the pathetic man who refreshed his social media countless times a day to stalk the feeds of Melanie, Leonard, and everyone who knew them. I had done that in a desperate attempt to detect the slightest crack in their relationship so that I could rush to her side and tell her that I was the one who truly loved her.But so what if they fought? They were a couple in love, so they'd reconcile very quickly even if they did have a fight. So what if they had an argument because of me? I had always been nothing more than a prop in their game.Still, after that argument, Melanie started calling me more and more often. Unfortunately for her, I either declined it immediately or found every possible excuse not to meet her. This went on until the day before I was supposed to leave the country.That day, she sent me a mess

Chapter 5

"Goodbye, ex-wife."I ended the call without hesitation and turned my phone off.As the airplane engines roared to life, a strange sense of finality washed over me. I felt like I was finally released from the shackles that bound me.…Meanwhile, Melanie stood inside Kieran's apartment, holding his phone in a daze. Her voice was low and hoarse, like she was forcing down something turbulent. "Where did he go?"Kieran crossed his arms and sneered, "Oh, now you ask? He's gone.""Gone? What do you mean by 'gone'? Where did he go?" Melanie demanded.He shrugged with a deliberate and sly smile. "Do you really think I'd tell you?"Melanie's gaze turned frigid. "Kieran, I don't have time for your games.""Oh? Getting anxious, are we, Ms. Slater?" Kieran rolled his eyes, walked over to the door, and yanked it open swiftly. "Get out. You're not welcome here."Melanie stayed where she was, her expression shifting between anger and panic. She muttered, "We agreed to remarry today. He can'

Chapter 6

"Find him, no matter the cost!" Melanie commanded hoarsely, her eyes bloodshot. It seemed as if she finally realized that I had given up on her for real this time.She returned home despondently, her movements mechanical and lifeless.The moment she opened the door, a familiar aroma drifted out. It was the savory smell of mushroom chowder, which happened to be my signature dish. Her heart skipped a beat. A spark of wild, desperate hope flickered in her eyes."Xavier? Are you back?"She stumbled toward the kitchen, her expectant gaze brimming with joy. But when she saw the figure in the kitchen, she froze. The smile on her face gradually faded away.It wasn't me.Instead, Leonard stood there in a white silk pajama set, slowly stirring the soup in the pot. When he saw it was her, he smiled brightly. He greeted, "You're home, Mel."In that instant, every last bit of her hope vanished into thin air. Her expression turned grim as she questioned, "Haven't you gone back abroad?"She r

Chapter 7

Melanie pulled out her phone and called her bodyguard. "Come in right now. Send Mr. Blueman back to where he belongs."Leonard started to panic. "You can't do this to me, Melanie! I love you…"The only reply he got was the heavy click of the front door opening. Two men in black entered and grabbed him by the arms. Without a word, they dragged him out. His furious screams and pleas echoed through the night, growing fainter with each step until there was only silence.Melanie stood still in the doorway, staring at the spilled soup on the floor. She slowly knelt down. The aroma of the mushroom chowder spread through the air… Soon, it dissipated and vanished completely, like the man who would never come back again.…When the plane touched down on a foreign runway, I looked out at the unfamiliar skyline and felt an odd sense of surrealness. The moment I stepped out of the gate, I saw my father's slightly hunched figure waiting for me. He had once been a business magnate with a ver

Chapter 8

"Tell the finance department to increase the interest on the shares mortgaged to the bank by another two points."As the plane broke through the stratosphere, I sat in the executive lounge of the Seasons Hotel, signing for a special international delivery.Inside the package lay seven marriage certificates and seven divorce papers.Between them was a handwritten note from Kieran that read, "She said that if she could collect them all, you'd come back to her."I pressed the service bell and smiled at the waiter who approached. "Please shred these for me. Thank you."…When Melanie finally found me, I was sitting in a glasshouse cafe on Fifth Avenue. I was having coffee with my fiancee, Angela Upton, the heiress of Upton Group. Sunlight filtered through the glass roof, glinting off the rim of Angela's coffee cup as her fingers traced it slowly.In the past three years, Angela had earned the moniker "mad dog" in Wesson Street for her aggressive and swift business acquisition tactic

Chapter 9

Melanie reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone to show me a video. In it, a haggard-looking Leonard was standing at a barred window of a psychiatric hospital, looking out blankly. His face had become swollen and distorted from years of medication. Melanie explained urgently, "I made him entertain clients. Then, I had him admitted to a psychiatric hospital. You hate him. So, I made him pay."I laughed abruptly. "You think I left you because of Leonard? Let me tell you something. I've stopped caring about him, just like I stopped caring about you a long time ago."Angela's hand found mine, and we laced our fingers naturally.I watched as Melanie fixed her gaze on our intertwined hands. She scowled reflexively, as if the sight of it scalded her.Calmly, I announced, "We're getting married next month. I hope you'll give us your blessings."At my words, Angela's face lit up with happiness. She looked like a child who'd been given the best gift ever.But Melanie's lips beg

Chapter 10

My wedding with Angela was held at a church on the beach.I was dressed in the newest Tom Ford suit, staring at my reflection. I looked calmer and steadier than I was three years ago.The stylist said tactfully, "Mr. Locke, there's a lady outside—"Kieran cut him off, "Tell her the groom isn't seeing anyone."My hand, which was halfway adjusting my bow tie, froze. "Is Melanie still out there?"Kieran rolled his eyes. "She's been there since last night. She said she won't leave until she sees you. The security chased her away three times but to no avail."Through the floor-to-ceiling window, I saw her. She was soaking wet due to the downpour. Her knees were bloody. She pushed away the black umbrella a guard tried to hold over her and kept her back straight under the storm as if she could wash away her sins like this.The door suddenly opened. Angela stepped in with a tablet in her hand. On the screen, Slater Group's stock price was crashing in real time. Thirty minutes ago, Upton

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