"Great, Krista, I'm so happy that you finally decided to come back after all these years."

The middle-aged man, my Uncle Brian's voice carried a hint of excitement over the phone.

Before the call even ended, the bedroom door swung open. Ayden stepped in, bringing with him the sharp, cloying scent of an unfamiliar woman's perfume.

"Who were you talking to?"

He didn't actually care. When he spoke to me, his gaze was locked on his phone screen, unwilling to give me any attention.

As I opened my mouth to answer, his phone rang. A saccharine voice purred through the speaker. "Mr. Baldwin, thanks for bringing me those meds last week! I don't know what I'd do without you. I might still be sick if it weren't for you."

He lowered the volume. Maybe even he realized this wasn't appropriate.

I shut my mouth. What was the point? We were getting divorced anyway.

Without a word, I resumed packing my things. As usual, I made myself some warm milk.

Ayden had just finished a tender conversation on the phone and sat on the sofa, flipping through the daily financial newspapers. It seemed as if he had habitually not found the floral tea that I had always brewed for him. Finally, he looked at me with an impatient expression.

"You're really mad just because I didn't come get you when the elevator broke down?

"Leticia's relative is a doctor. He said that your claustrophobia is not a big deal at all. You don't need to be so dramatic.

"And anyway, I agreed to the divorce you proposed. Do you have to keep sulking all day?"

That day, I worked overtime until very late. I was trapped in the elevator, shivering with fear. The elevator lost power and my phone was about to die. My claustrophobia kicked in. Trembling, I called Ayden.

But in return, he replied, "Can't you figure it out yourself? I'm busy."

My phone ran out of battery, and I also fell into a coma.

Later, I found out that her assistant, Leticia Carter, had been given several days off by him. That night, Ayden wasn't busy with work. He had been busy bringing her cold medicine.

I filed for divorce.

"Don't worry. Once the divorce is finalized, you won't have to see my sulking anymore."

I didn't stop my work, thinking that Ayden would be happy, but I didn't expect him to suddenly raise his voice. "You better not regret this!"

I didn't respond. With an angry scowl, Ayden slammed the door behind him.

I didn't waste time analyzing his mood.

After finishing my work, I made myself warm milk, took a hot bath, and got ready for bed.

Then, Ayden sent a message, "I'm drunk. Come pick me up. Bring a bottle of yogurt."

I had no intention of going. In the next second, Ayden texted, "We haven't gotten the divorce certificate yet. You're still my wife. Do your duty."

Exhausted, I grabbed my coat and headed out.

As I approached the club entrance, Ayden and Leticia's flirtatious laughter spilled through the door.

I thought back to the night I first asked him for a divorce. That night, he had been drinking too. His buddy nudged him. "You let Krista leave that easy?"

He said disdainfully, "She's just throwing a tantrum. Her parents both passed away, so she can't divorce me.

"Besides, isn't there a thirty-day cooling-off period? If she regrets it, I'll be generous enough to take her back. She'll come back to me."

He assumed I was an orphan. He never considered treating me right yet believed that was why I clung to him.

I pushed the door open and when Ayden saw me, he seemed a bit startled, with a furrowed brow.

"Why are you here, or are you following me?" he questioned.

I raised my phone and gestured. "You sent me the message."

Leticia pouted and tugged at his arm, acting coquettishly. "Mr. Baldwin, I made a joke and asked Krista to bring yogurt over. You won't be mad at me, right?"

Ayden's tense frown relaxed.

Strangely, Leticia's teasing and Ayden's indulgence left me ice-calm. No hysterics this time, just a silent nod of acknowledgment.

However, Ayden rarely wanted to explain to me. "Krista, Leticia's just accompanying me for a social event..."

I interrupted his explanation by reaching out and handing him the yogurt.

Ayden drank and couldn't drive.

He settled Leticia and returned with me.

The taxi was across the road.

As I was walking forward, Ayden suddenly reached out and pulled me. It was only then that I noticed a speeding car almost brushing against my body.

If it weren't for him, I would have been hurt.

"You didn't even watch out for cars while walking."

Ayden blamed me urgently and tightly held my hand.

In a daze, I remembered that every time we crossed the road before, he would hold my hand.

It seemed like it had been a long time since I had such an impression, so long that I felt a bit unaccustomed.

After crossing the road, I discreetly withdrew my hand.

The next morning, I packed my things and got ready to go to work.

Ayden suggested taking me to work.

"I will take you there."

Stayed up late because of his strange behavior yesterday, and now I was racing against time to catch the subway for my morning commute, with no time for second thoughts as I was ready to get in the car.

The moment I opened the passenger seat door, a sweet, sugary scent rushed out.

Inside, a pink cushion and a Hello Kitty plushie greeted me.

On the dashboard, a sticker blared "Spot Reserved for Princess Leticia" in bubbly letters, its bold declaration of ownership impossible to miss.

Ayden, who had always been known for his strictness and efficiency, surprisingly allowed such a cute thing to appear in his car. It was truly ironic.

A trace of unease flashed across Ayden's face as he explained, "Leticia is just a child, so don't pay too much attention to that."

Was she a child who was good at taking couple photos?

I didn't ask. Ayden posted a couple of photos on social media the day after our divorce filing, captioned "Catching every blush you try to hide."

Whether revenge for the divorce filing or something else, his heart had already drifted where my eyes couldn't follow.

I smartly walked to the back seat and said, "I'll sit in the back."

"You skipped breakfast." Ayden offered a milk carton, slicing through the thick silence.

I looked up and found that there was a snack box, filled with a variety of cookies and all kinds of dried fruits and jellies.

I remembered that Ayden had a serious case of mysophobia and did not allow anyone to eat in his car.

Back then, I had a sudden hypoglycemic episode in his car. My lips turned pale, my vision became blurry, and I didn't even have the strength to speak. I wanted to sip milk tea, but he didn't allow it.

But, Leticia could easily obtain his indulgence.

It was easy to tell whether he loved me.

I shook my head and politely declined, then turned my head to gaze at the vehicles outside the window.

Fortunately, I arrived at the company quickly and promptly returned to my post.

In theory, Ayden and I were getting divorced, so I should have submitted my resignation.

But I had two more projects on hand, so I wanted to finish them before leaving.

From dawn till noon, I was swamped. A sleepless night left me running on fumes.

I was just about to make myself a coffee when a delivery guy brought in a large box of milk tea and small cakes.

Then came the cheers of my colleagues.

"Mr. Baldwin is buying afternoon snacks? When did he get so generous?"

"Clueless! It's for Leticia's new diet. We're just lucky to get free snacks!"

"What? Didn't Mr. Baldwin get married to Krista?"

"Keep your voice down. Krista is still here!"

"Krista, we were just joking. Don't overthink it."

The rows of mango smoothies and chocolate cakes told the whole story. He'd ordered office treats; worried Leticia's crash diet was wrecking her health.

I wanted to taste the "witness" of their love.

Unfortunately, I was allergic to mangoes and didn't like eating chocolate products.

Back when Ayden was pursuing me, grand gestures were his norm. He'd trap me with work reports during lunch hours, claiming he worried I'd skip meals while buried in projects.

He would sneak pills into cupcakes when I worked sick, just to watch me grimace at the bitter taste.

The office drones even buzzed with gossip about our office romance, injecting life into mundane corporate days.

Unfortunately, that heartbeat and care now belonged to someone else.

I didn't have time to think much as the work at hand was tedious.

For this project, I worked overtime for several nights. Today, as expected, I would have to continue.

The sky outside gradually darkened. I didn't even notice when Ayden came to my side.

"Krista, still working overtime?"

I didn't know why he came to see me all of a sudden.

"Mr. Baldwin, do you have something to discuss?"

He seemed to be unfamiliar with my aloofness, but without much thought, he went straight to the point and said, "Credit this project to Leticia."

Even though I had already prepared myself, my heart was inevitably hurt.

"Leticia's been drowning in office rumors lately. Crediting this project to her would shut down the competence questions for good."

He knew how hard I had worked to get this project back then. I stayed up for several nights, even to the point of talking until my voice cracked.

And now, he simply told me to leave the project to Leticia.

Every word and sentence he uttered was in defense of Leticia, fearing that she would suffer from rumors and persecution, but he never mentioned how unfair it was for me.

I chuckled lightly, finding it ironic.

"Sure, I'll give it to her. Tomorrow, let her come and coordinate with me."

I had done my utmost for this company, and it was time for me to resign. Some follow-up matters would be taken care of by Leticia, and I was happy to be at ease.

Ayden was very surprised that I agreed so quickly.

He took out a necklace from his pocket and handed it to me, saying, "Weren't you always wanting a necklace of this brand? I was careless before. Girls like these things, and I'll make it up to you in the future."

That necklace was from my favorite jewelry line. I'd mentioned craving one of their pieces weeks ago.

But he didn't buy it for me in time, and this necklace also lost its meaning.

Moreover, I hated this hurt-then-soothe game.

After I agreed, Ayden's tone softened. He draped his jacket over my shoulders. "Stop fighting me on this. I messed up before. Let's withdraw the divorce filing this week. You've been dreaming of Deveille, right? I'll take you there soon."

I didn't speak, and Ayden thought I had agreed, so he continued speaking.

On the way back, I was scrolling through my social media and only then did I realize that Leticia had posted a photo.

The necklace's packaging and brand were the same.

What was different was hers was much more beautiful and delicate than mine.

Only then did I realize that the necklace was just a freebie.

How ridiculous! Even though he knew I liked it, he was unwilling to put in a little effort to pick one for me.

Tomorrow was the last day of the cooling-off period for divorce. I would not have any relationship with Ayden afterward.

I was watering the flowers on the balcony when the ring slipped from my finger and dropped from the balcony.

I instinctively bent down to pick it up.

"What are you doing?" Ayden grabbed my hand and pulled me backward.

"Do you know how dangerous it is?"

His eyes revealed concern towards me.

It seemed like he still cared about me.

"The ring dropped."

The ring was handcrafted by him for me back then, and I liked the design, so I have been wearing it until now. That was why I was so determined to pick it up when it dropped.

Ayden let out a sigh. "It's just a ring. I can buy you another one. Relax."

It was just a ring. I looked at his middle finger, empty and bare, as if he had already taken it off.

"Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary. I came to pick you up. Let's celebrate together."

How long had it been since we truly celebrated an anniversary?

The thought hung heavy. Let this final act close our marriage's storybook with grace.

The next day, I sat in the pre-booked restaurant.

I had been waiting for a long time and was already famished, but he never showed up.

I opened my phone wanting to urge Ayden. If he wasn't sincerely coming to celebrate our anniversary, he could have just said so instead of keeping me waiting here.

After several unsuccessful attempts to reach him by phone, I picked up my phone again and noticed a message in the workgroup.

It was a statement from an anonymous account.

"Leticia's been cozying up to Mr. Baldwin, trading on her looks to climb the ladder. Disgusting how some exploit their way to the top."

It was followed by the evidence showing how I credited the project to Leticia.

Although Leticia was being condemned, every word and sentence was targeting me.

Not long after I read this message, Ayden forcefully kicked open the door.

"I used to think you willingly gave up the project, but I didn't expect you to be so malicious. You deliberately agreed to it but behind my back, you slandered Leticia!

"Krista, how could you be so filthy!"

Leticia hid behind Ayden, sobbing as if she had suffered a great grievance.

"I could have rejected this project. I didn't care about their opinions. But Krista, I've always considered you a friend. Why did you treat me like this?"

"It wasn't me."

I stated the fact calmly.

"Since I had already promised to credit it to her, I disdain to do such a thing."

"Besides you, who else had a reason to target Leticia?

"Krista, you are such a hypocritical woman!

"Leticia went to great lengths to choose this restaurant for us, and you are simply not worth it!"

He blushed and dropped a plate in front of me, causing shards to scatter all over the floor.

A decade-plus of shared life, yet he still doubted who I was at the core.

I took out the divorce agreement from my pocket.

"Since that's the case, the 30-day cooling-off period has passed. Let's sign it."

I placed my resignation letter below.

He sneered and quickly picked up a pen to swiftly sign his name.

"As you wished!"

After saying that, he hugged Leticia and left.

I sat in my seat, watching his departing figure.

It seemed there was no need to celebrate this last wedding anniversary.

I looked at the cold dishes on the table and slowly ate the spaghetti.

After finishing my meal, I grabbed the suitcase pre-packed in the corner and ordered a ride to the airport.

On the way to the airport, I sent a message to Ayden, "The key is placed on the table in the living room. We are done. Please do not contact me again."

After sending the message, I turned off my phone and boarded the plane to Burville.