Discovering Corbin's infidelity, I hung up on him for the first time. Before this, it was always me flooding him with calls and messages. I used the harshest language to curse him and pleaded with him through tearful pleas. But each time, Corbin would say irritably, "Can you stop being a drama queen and talk to me when you've calmed down?" Then, he'd abruptly end the call. No matter how many times I tried to reach out afterward, he simply ignored me.

I wanted to reach out, but every time I thought about the years we'd spent together ending like this, I couldn't help myself. I wanted to confront Corbin, to ask why he betrayed me. I also wanted to beg him to come back, promising that I'd forgive him. But despite all the heartache and waiting, Corbin remained unchanged. Meanwhile, I became increasingly anxious, truly as he said, a madwoman. I wandered aimlessly for a long time, trapped in this painful relationship.

Until three days ago. I stumbled upon a street interview video by a blogger named Walker Dunn. He posed the question, "What would you say to yourself five years ago?" Some spoke of hard work. Others wished they had spent more time with family. Some talked about how the future version of themselves would be awesome and not let themselves down.

Amid these responses, I saw Corbin and his young girlfriend, Arianna Anderson. This convinced me it wasn't staged. Given Corbin’s current status, even the most successful writers would need an appointment to see him. Yet this blogger seemed to pull people off the street for impromptu interviews and just happened to catch Corbin.

The video started with Corbin looking unhappy about the interview. Next to him, Arianna was bubbling with excitement. "This sounds so fun, Corbin, let’s give it a go," she said, tugging on his arm and playfully pouting. Corbin, looking frustrated but indulgent, agreed.

Walker briefly introduced himself and explained his purpose, then asked the usual question. Arianna hesitated, and seeing her struggle, Corbin answered for her. "If I could, I'd wish for the Corbin from five years ago to meet Arianna Anderson first." As he said this, he held her close. His voice was calm, yet he couldn't hide the protective tone towards the girl. Arianna looked at him in surprise and then, with a shy smile, covered her mouth and echoed, "Me too."

By the time I stumbled upon the video, it already had tens of thousands of likes, with comments flooding in beneath it.

"Wow! This couple looks incredible! I'm hooked!"

"Oh my gosh, they're so genuine! This is beautiful, gives us all hope!"

"So adorable! You two have to stay happy! Sending love your way!"

I stared at the video, lost in thought.

Had Corbin really fallen for Arianna this deeply?

Had he forgotten?

Five years ago, at the start of our marriage.

That was when we were truly happy.

Even though we were financially struggling, we felt unbelievably content.

And now, in the video, he expressed a wish.

That he’d met Arianna instead of me five years ago.

I expected my usual reaction—furious, blood boiling.

Ready to grab my phone and bombard Corbin with calls, demanding explanations.

If I couldn’t reach him, I'd likely smash everything in our house and scream to vent my anger.

But oddly enough, this time, I just sat there, unmoving.

The comments, which should have provoked emotions in me, scrolled past like lines of code on a screen.

Then, it felt as if something in my mind had loosened and unraveled.

To my surprise, Corbin’s behavior no longer affected me.

Holding on is fleeting, and understanding hits in a moment.

That's why I made that call earlier.

Corbin sent me a message, standing out among the flood of email notifications on my phone. The black text on the glowing screen couldn't be missed, signaling that Corbin had removed me from his block list. I couldn't help but think, somewhat sarcastically.

Corbin wanted me to come to his office the next day, Monday. He mentioned that the lawyers would finalize the agreement terms, and once both parties were satisfied, we would sign and then wait for the mandatory cooling-off period before the divorce was completed.

[Okay.]

On Monday, I arrived at Corbin's company as planned. I didn't have an appointment, so the receptionist made a call to confirm my arrival.

"A woman named West," she said.

After hanging up, she directed me to the CEO's floor, adding that a secretary would be ready to meet me. I thanked her and headed up to Corbin's office floor.

A young woman I didn't recognize greeted me. That was no surprise; I hadn't visited the office in over six months, not since Corbin and I separated. She must be new.

"Ms. West, please wait here. Mr. Murray is currently in a meeting," she informed me.

She clearly didn't know me, calling me Ms. West, and led me to a nearby reception area. In the past, I would have waited right in Corbin's office. His meetings often lasted at least an hour, and he knew I hated waiting, so he'd always make sure there were plenty of books and DVDs available for me.

"You can read or watch a movie, and if you're tired, you can rest in the lounge," he used to say.

But the last time I visited, everything of mine in Corbin's office had been replaced. Someone else now had access to his private lounge. Now, I found myself waiting in a generic reception room. At this point, I didn't have the energy or the inclination to fuss over such petty matters. So I waited patiently.

I had plenty of time, after all.

What caught me off guard was waiting for two hours without anyone letting me know when I could see Corbin.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Murray still in his meeting?" I finally asked the young woman who had initially led me to the reception area.

She hesitated, seemingly unsure, "Mr. Murray is still in the meeting..."

I frowned and was about to say something when I overheard laughter and conversation nearby.

"Let's hit that café for lunch."

"Sounds good."