Chapter 1

Three years into my marriage with Ethan, I suddenly discovered he had a secret girlfriend of eight years.

When I demanded a divorce, he broke down in tears, claiming he was bound by a "System Quest."

"Chloe, we can't divorce! I'll die!"

"If I don't stay married to you for at least four years, I will literally die!"

What a joke. A System Quest? It was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard.

I scoffed at him and filed for divorce anyway.

Later, I actually saw his obituary on Instagram.

Today was our wedding anniversary. Ethan and I had agreed to meet at this upscale restaurant for dinner.

The hostess warmly guided me to the private dining room.

Just as I was about to push the door open, I heard his mocking voice from inside. "You think I would've married her if it weren't for the System Quest?"

"She’s a woman who’s been used by another guy. If I gave her to you, would you even want her?"

I didn't know who he was calling.

The phone was on speaker, and a teasing voice came through the other end.

"Bro, your wife has a killer body and face. I’ve been drooling over her. If you don't want her anymore, pass her over to us!"

Ethan took a slow drag of his cigarette, and even viler words poured from his mouth. "She’s nothing special. Any escort on the street is better than her."

"Once you try her, you'll realize she's just mediocre."

He spoke so casually, as if I were a piece of trash he could discard at any moment.

The hostess had already left to give us privacy.

I stood at the door, listening to his tone, which didn't sound like a joke at all. My eyes welled up with tears.

My hand dropped from the doorknob. I didn't even have the courage to walk in and confront him.

In the end, I went home, completely shattered.

Ethan had chased me for three years.

Back when Liam broke off our engagement to marry the high-society heiress Olivia, Ethan had ignored his boss's warnings, skipped a major client meeting, and ran through a torrential downpour to hold an umbrella over me.

"If he doesn't want you, I do!"

"Chloe, look behind you. I've always been here."

I had stared at him in shock. The tears I had been holding back finally burst, merging with the pouring rain.

Over the next few days, he took care of me with his whole heart, helping me heal from the heartbreak.

He would take me on late-night drives to clear my head, and he would show up the second I felt down.

To ask me out, he rented the largest digital billboard in the city center.

He declared his love to the entire world.

He said, "Chloe is the best thing that ever happened to me. Ethan cannot live without her!"

That day, in front of all his friends, he promised to give me the happiest life possible.

And so, we got together.

During our relationship, he kept every single promise.

He treated me so well that all my friends were jealous.

In our fourth year together, he and his friends planned a gorgeous, elaborate proposal.

When he got down on one knee and asked if I would spend the rest of my life with him, my eyes filled with tears. I couldn't speak. I just reached out my hand.

He grinned like a fool, and I cried tears of joy.

We stood in the center of the crowd, showered with everyone's blessings.

After we got married, his care became even more meticulous. From cooking every meal to staying by my hospital bed when I was sick.

No one could find a single flaw in him.

Especially not me.

The moment I unlocked the front door and looked at the empty apartment, the sadness suffocated me.

I collapsed onto the couch. Just then, my phone lit up.

Ethan: "Baby, are you there yet?"

Ethan: "I ordered your favorite lobster."

I curled up on the couch, exhausted. His words from the restaurant kept echoing in my head.

A used woman... no better than an escort...

Every word pierced my heart like a dagger, leaving it bleeding.

Even though I had heard it with my own ears, I still couldn't believe those words came from him.

The man who once said he’d die for me.

I wanted so badly to believe it was just drunk talk.

But they say a sober mind releases drunk thoughts, and he had sounded so incredibly sober...

My eyes burned, and tears fell silently, soaking into the fabric of the couch.

I took a deep breath, wiped my tears, and forced myself to stop overthinking.

Dragging a painful smile onto my face, I replied: "Baby, I think my period just started. My stomach hurts so bad, so I just went straight home."

"I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier."

He replied almost instantly: "Don't apologize, baby. Your health comes first."

"Wait for me at home. I'm leaving now. I'll make you some hot chocolate and bring a heating pad."

He was always so understanding.

It only took twenty minutes to drive from the restaurant to our apartment, but it was over an hour before he finally walked through the door.

He rushed in, carrying my favorite soup from the bistro.

"Baby, sorry I'm late. Traffic was a mess."

"But look, I got your favorite soup."

He proudly opened the container in front of me, then handed me a single yellow tulip.

I looked at the soup and the flower, giving him a weak smile.

But my mind was spinning.

He patted my head and turned toward the kitchen. "Drink the soup first. I'll get your hot chocolate ready."

The moment he walked into the kitchen, his phone screen lit up on the counter.

It was a payment notification.

A charge for a gourmet cake and a bouquet of flowers, delivered to an unfamiliar address.

The gift note read: Love you forever.

My brain exploded.

My voice was hoarse as I called out, trying to sound casual. "Ethan, did you buy a cake and flowers for someone else?"

He answered instantly, "No, why?"

The screen went black, and my heart sank.

So, it wasn't a misunderstanding.

"Oh, actually, I did!" he called out from the kitchen. "I bought them for you, but then I remembered you're on your period and shouldn't eat cold sweets. “

“So I redirected the order to a colleague. If it were here, you wouldn't be able to resist eating it, right?"

He walked out carrying a mug of hot chocolate, a warm, gentle smile on his face.

I stared at his face, trying to find a crack in his armor.

But there was nothing. He masked it perfectly.