Chapter 1

My friend stares at me in disbelief when I walk away from the kidney transplant.

"You love Sienna. You're her only donor match. Why would you back out now?"

"Because of a glass of water," I say, my voice steady.

Sienna is a clean freak. She never shares anything with me. If I so much as take a sip from a glass, she refuses to touch it.

Then I see a video on her male student's social media. In it, he holds out a half-empty drink right to her lips.

She takes a sip right from the drink he's holding. Though she frowns slightly, a smile still lingers on her lips. "It's so sweet. You're going to ruin your teeth."

I sit in the dark living room that night, watching those few seconds on repeat.

When Sienna wakes up, I pour a glass of water, take a sip right in front of her, and hand it over.

"Drink it."

She stares at me like I've lost my mind. "Kayden, I don't drink after other people."

Seven years of marriage, and to her, I am just "other people".

I pull my thoughts back to the room and sign the withdrawal form, relinquishing the surgery.

Outside the window, the summer sun shines bright while the cicadas buzz.

I am done clinging to Sienna and done caring about that glass of water.

Chapter 1

Kayden's POV

The second I stepped out of the hospital, a message from my wife, Sienna Waller, popped up.

"Pick up a few boxes of pastries on the south side of the city. Ivan's coming over for dinner. He likes braised ribs. Make sure it's the center cut. Oh, and he doesn't eat celery or eggplant."

Exhausted after days of endless blood work, I leaned against the wall for support.

My friend, Caleb Gray, tossed an arm over my shoulder. When he caught a glimpse of my phone screen, he blew a fuse. "Is Sienna out of her damn mind? She remembers another guy's dislikes, but what about yours?"

"Last week she made you ravioli and forgot you're allergic to mushrooms. You went into full-blown anaphylactic shock! If I hadn't been right there, you'd be dead!"

A sharp pang shot through my chest, and my eyes burned.

When we first started dating, Sienna had been adorably inexperienced, but she'd log my birthday, my favorite things, and every single food allergy right into her notes.

She always knew when I was feeling down and would bring out homemade sweets to cheer me up. Every holiday came with the perfect, most thoughtful gift.

Now, she didn't bother with anniversaries, nor did she care to plan surprises anymore. She didn't even remember I was allergic to mushrooms.

I had to face it. The passionate vows she once swore had begun to rot nine years later. Every single word had turned into a thorn, leaving my heart torn and bleeding.

After a long moment, I tucked my phone away and looked at Caleb. "Find me a lawyer. I'm getting a divorce."

…

I dragged my exhausted body home.

The instant I opened the door, a cloud of cold, stinging rubbing alcohol blasted right into my face.

Covering his nose, Ivan Stout raised an eyebrow and waved the spray bottle. "Professor Waller said filthy things aren't allowed inside. You're not mad, are you?"

Fighting through the burning pain, I forced my eyes open and took him in.

He was wearing the matching tee Sienna and I had. I'd ordered them just last week and even hand-stitched the design onto the cuffs myself. It hung loose on him, looking completely out of place.

I let out a cold laugh. "Since when does Sienna take on such ill-mannered students?"

Ivan's face drained of color, and his eyes darted to Sienna for help.

She stepped in front of him protectively, her expression cold as she snapped at me. "Kayden Richmond, watch your tongue. Ivan was just joking."

Just joking?

I wanted to ask her if sharing the same drink was just a joke, too.

Was him wearing my clothes another joke? How many more line-crossing jokes were there between them?

But when I saw her instinctively defend him, the questions died in my throat.

I shut the door, changed into my slippers, and pulled out a chair at the dining table. "Sienna, I have something to tell you."

Chapter 2

Kayden's POV

We had been dating for two years and married for seven. I wanted to leave this relationship with at least a shred of dignity.

Fingering the donation withdrawal form in my bag, I tried to weigh my words carefully. "I went to the hospital today—"

"Can't this wait until after dinner?" Sienna interrupted me with an impatient sigh. "Kayden, I don't have time to waste on this."

I froze, staring at her in sheer disbelief.

It felt like a lump of cotton was wedged in my throat, choking back my words.

Wasting time. I'd said those words before.

Back then, Sienna had pursued me with relentless passion. She would show up outside my lecture hall, in the cafeteria, and on the running track.

I lost count of how many love letters she gave me, but I turned her down all the same. "I don't want to be in a relationship right now. Stop wasting your time."

"How could it be a waste of time?"

18-year-old Sienna would smile so warmly that her eyes seemed to glow. In them, I saw my own reflection.

"Catching the same breeze, looking at the same tree, and soaking in the same sunlight all make me happy just because I'm with you," she'd said. "Listening to you talk feels like heaven even if you're turning me down."

Back then, my heart had pounded like a drum, and my face had burned red.

Now, as I looked at the cold, detached face before me, she felt like a complete stranger.

When did Sienna stop giving me even a single moment to speak?

"Professor Waller, if your husband didn't buy groceries, let's just forget about it," Ivan said with a grin, nudging Sienna by the waist toward the kitchen. "I actually really miss those mushroom and pork ravioli you made last time."

A smile tugged at the corner of Sienna's lips. She tied on an apron before turning back to affectionately ruffle Ivan's hair. "Lucky for you, I made extra last time and froze them."

"Professor Waller, you're the best!"

They laughed and joked as they walked past me, making me feel completely invisible.

A self-deprecating laugh escaped my lips.

So those mushroom ravioli were never meant for me in the first place. I had just eaten the experimental batch Ivan didn't even want.

I forced myself to calm down. Wanting to spare Sienna some dignity, I decided against starting a scene in front of Ivan.

I didn't want to look so pathetic.

…

They ate ravioli and chatted away about trivial nonsense in the dining room. They went from thesis topics to the changing weather, to the snowfall in Halverin and the autumn leaves in Mount Gryndale.

Sienna, who was usually so stingy with her words, offered a warm response to everything Ivan said.

I sat in silence in the bedroom, feeling my once-warm heart slowly freeze over.

It wasn't until sunset that Sienna finally opened the bedroom door.

Smoothing her hair back, she handed me a takeout bag. "You're severely anemic lately. You need to eat."

It was chicken noodle soup from my absolute favorite spot. Back before they offered delivery, Sienna used to wake up early every single day just to pick it up for me.

"You seemed off today. Why were you being so aggressive toward Ivan?" she asked.

"Aggressive?" I let out a bitter laugh and looked straight at her. "He's into you. Can't you tell? You brought him into our home, let him wear my clothes, and let him spray alcohol in my face. Even though you know I'm allergic to mushrooms, you froze a batch of mushroom ravioli for him—"

"Enough!"

Sienna's expression darkened. Her brow furrowed deep with blatant disdain as she looked at me.

"Ivan is the top student in my research group. What's wrong with having him over for dinner? Stop measuring people with your narrow mindset. He has drive and ambition. He's nothing like a man with no career like you."

A bone-chilling cold seeped into my chest, shattering my heart into icy bits.

I stared at her in utter disbelief, my entire body trembling. "Sienna, you were the one who begged me not to work!"

She was the one who said she couldn't stand seeing me work such grueling hours and hated that we barely had any time together. She promised she'd provide while I managed the house, and I trusted her.

Out of love and trust, I gave up my career and my dignity just to support hers.

Sienna looked at my furrowed brow and let out a long sigh after a pause. "Fine, I spoke too harshly. Your health isn't great, so try not to get so worked up."

She headed for the front door. "It's raining outside. I need to drive Ivan home. We'll talk when I get back."

I didn't try to stop her. I couldn't even if I wanted to.

Right then, a message from Caleb popped up. "Kayden, the divorce papers are ready. I booked two tickets abroad. Come clear your head with me."

Without a second thought, I typed back. "Okay."

I waited on the couch for Sienna, ready to talk through the divorce. I tried calling her dozens of times, but every single call went unanswered.

It wasn't until 7:00 am the next day that she finally unlocked the door.

Catching sight of me, Sienna looked genuinely surprised. "Kayden, why are you sitting there? It rained pretty hard last night, and Ivan slipped on the stairs and twisted his ankle. I took him to the hospital and stayed to look after him."

"Sienna…"

After a sleepless night, my voice was hoarse beyond recognition. "Is sending a text really that hard? Is picking up the phone really that hard? Is listening to me say one single sentence… really that hard?"

Chapter 3

Kayden's POV

"Sorry," Sienna said.

She stood in the foyer, silent for a few seconds. "My phone died last night. I thought you were already asleep. You haven't had breakfast yet, right? I'll make you something."

She walked into the kitchen on her own, whipping up a large breakfast spread.

Sienna was a total disaster in everyday life but a genuine expert in the kitchen.

I had stomach issues, so to help me recover, she spent six months studying dozens of cookbooks, constantly coming up with new recipes for me.

As the final pot of soup was done, Sienna packed all the cooked dishes into food containers instead and slid a plate of blueberry jam toast toward me.

"Kayden, just make do with this. I need to rush to the hospital to bring Ivan breakfast. Mind cleaning up the pots and dishes?"

The splash of blue on the toast stung my eyes. Sienna forgot that I never eat blueberries.

As I watched her rush around in a panic, a sarcastic smile curled on my lips. "You really care about that student of yours, don't you?"

"Kayden, what is that supposed to mean?"

For once, she lost her temper with me. She furrowed her brow and spoke with a hint of frustration. "I treat all my students equally. If any of my students got sick today, I would go take care of them just the same."

"Is that so?" I looked up, meeting her gaze. "Would you drink from a straw that another student had already used, too? Sienna, I thought you were a clean freak."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Embarrassment flashed across Sienna's face. She grabbed the food containers and tried to brush past me to leave.

I caught her arm and shoved the hospital report into her hand. "If you don't get what I'm saying, you should at least get what's written here."

I threw the blueberry toast into the trash. When I turned back, she was already gone.

That hospital report had been crumpled into a ball and tossed straight into the wastebasket.

I stood frozen in place for a long time, feeling as if a piece of my heart had been ripped out raw. Empty as I felt, the tears just wouldn't come anymore.

Eventually, I retreated to my room and began packing my bags.

Caleb sent a courier over with the divorce papers. I checked the division of assets, and everything looked fine. All that was left was for Sienna to return and sign them to put an end to this absurd joke of a relationship.

At 9:00 pm, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door to find Ivan breathlessly supporting a completely wasted Sienna.

"We had a celebration dinner for our project," he said. "Professor Waller took a few extra drinks for me. I didn't expect her to protect me when she has such a low tolerance for alcohol."

I didn't say anything. I instinctively reached out to support her, but Ivan pulled her away from me.

He casually closed the door behind him and took Sienna to the bedroom. Only then did he turn to me with a beaming smile.

"Mr. Richmond, don't blame me for keeping you away from Professor Waller. I just know she finds you filthy. Forget being drunk. She rarely lets you touch her even when she's sober, doesn't she? Otherwise, how could you be married for seven years without a single kid?"

He suddenly stepped closer and leaned in with a low, condescending sneer. "After all, Professor Waller said every time she touches you, she can't help but picture you locked in that embrace with another woman years ago. She thinks it's disgusting."

A loud ring echoed in my head as the last string holding me together snapped.

Sienna's father was a gambler. To help her pay off his debts, I sang at a bar every night, only to get drugged by a female thug and dragged into an alleyway.

That day, Sienna went wild. She beat the person bloody with a wooden stick.

In the end, she collapsed into my arms, sobbing hysterically with her hands trembling uncontrollably. "Kayden, it's my fault. I swear I'll never let anyone hurt you again."

The nightmare of my 19-year-old self, the secret I had kept hidden for eight years, had become nothing more than gossip for Sienna to share with a male student who was into her.

My head snapped up, and my eyes locked dead on him. "What did you just say?"

"I said Professor Waller thinks you're—"

Before he could finish, my fist landed squarely on his face. I put every ounce of strength I had into that strike.

Ivan stumbled and fell, his forehead slamming hard against the coffee table. Blood immediately began to trickle down.

He wiped his mouth, his face flushing deep red. "Fuck! Are you out of your damn mind?"

He scrambled up to charge at me, but I planted a kick right into his stomach before dragging him out the door.

"Get the hell out! Get out of my house!"

I slammed the door shut behind him.

Drained of all strength, I slid down against the doorframe to the floor, feeling an icy numbness creep through me.

Chapter 4

Kayden's POV

Inside the bedroom, Sienna murmured my name softly under her breath, "Kayden…"

I didn't tirelessly change her clothes or wipe her down like I used to. Instead, I stood by the bed, staring down at her for a long time.

In the end, I pulled off my wedding ring and tossed it into the wastebasket right alongside hers.

After nine whole years, we had finally gone from college sweethearts to despising the very sight of each other.

I spent the night in the guest room, only to be yanked awake by a furious Sienna the next morning.

She glared at me, her eyes filled with sheer disappointment. "Kayden, did you beat up Ivan last night?"

Woken by the sharp pain, I yanked my wrist free from her grip. "What, feeling sorry for him?"

"His parents called the police! They're making a scene at the college right now! You're coming with me to apologize to him!"

Sienna looked anxious, her eyes bloodshot, as she slammed my clothes against my head.

Rubbing my sore wrist, I let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, so he actually has parents? I thought he was an orphan with the way he runs to you for every little thing."

"Kayden!"

She pointed a trembling finger at my face, her expression a storm of rage and disbelief. "How could you say something like that? When did you become so completely unreasonable? You're coming with me today to apologize!"

She dragged me to the college like she was escorting a criminal.

Inside the office, Ivan sat on the couch with his head hanging low. His parents sat beside him, shouting furiously at the department head, "Our son came here to study, and now he gets beaten half to death for no reason! You'd better give us an answer!"

"Professor Waller!"

The moment Ivan saw Sienna, he rushed over dramatically. Pointing at the lingering bruise on the corner of his lip, he complained, "After I brought you home last night, he accused me of seducing you and hit me like a madman! My head hurts so bad…"

Seeing me, Ivan's mother shot up from her seat, screeching, "So you're the uncultured brute who laid hands on my son? You pay us at least ten thousand dollars in compensation today, or this isn't over!"

I glanced at them with cold indifference, pulled out my phone, and opened a screenshot I'd saved from Ivan's social media.

He had posted it at midnight and deleted it seconds later, but I caught it.

It was taken in the hospital. Sienna was asleep by his bedside, and he was leaning in to steal a kiss.

I zoomed in on the picture and shoved it right into his parents' faces.

"Fine by me. But I'd love to ask how you two raised your son, too. What kind of person flirts with his professor while getting his master's degree?"

Ivan and his father traded a quick glance.

Instantly, his father snapped and charged forward to hurl a heavy fist straight at my face. "You worthless trash who got used by female thugs! How dare you slander my son? Those thugs should've finished you off back then!"

My world spun out of control. I stumbled backward and hit the floor hard. The blinding pain in my head knocked the wind right out of me.

After a long moment, my vision finally cleared, and I was met with several hostile faces.

Sienna looked at me with a flicker of worry in her eyes, yet her body remained firmly planted in front of Ivan and his father.

I scrambled up and charged at the man to throw that punch right back.

Before I could land it, a pair of arms locked tightly around my waist. Sienna held me back, yelling, "Kayden, calm down! You were the one who started this in the first place!"

"Sienna, get off me!" My eyes burned red as a wave of humiliation and fury rushed over me.

Why did everyone feel entitled to rip open my scars to humiliate me? Why?

"Sienna, he just hit me! Didn't you see that? Why did you tell them about that night? Can't you hear how he's insulting me?"

My desperate screams echoed down the hallway, drawing a crowd of students leaving their classes to watch the spectacle.

Embarrassed by the scene, Sienna dragged me into the stairwell. "Go home first. I need to take Ivan to the hospital for a full checkup."

She shielded Ivan as they pushed through the crowd of onlookers.

Suddenly, Ivan turned back and reached out a hand to shove me backward.

I tumbled down the flight of stairs, slamming hard onto the floor below. The impact felt like it shattered every bone in my body.

Sienna merely glanced back at me with a frown before quickly averting her gaze.

She was embarrassed of me.

A student couldn't bear the sight and helped me up. After thanking them, I limped straight to Sienna's office.

A flight notification appeared on my phone, reminding me that boarding was in six hours.

I placed the divorce agreement on her desk, took a photo, and sent it to her. "I've signed it. Sienna, let's get a divorce."