I've been involved with a divorced man for eight years.

We've broken up and reconciled countless times, tallying ninety-four breakups and five divorces. One more and we'd hit a hundred, but I couldn't go on any longer. I was worn out.

The first breakup happened when I spent my first night with him, and midway through, his ex-wife called, asking him to buy groceries. The fifth breakup was when he left me, pregnant, on the side of a highway to comfort his ex-wife, who had complications with her own pregnancy. I ended up in a car accident and miscarried. He only arrived after the fact, looking haggard and hurried.

No matter how much he hurt me, I couldn’t bring myself to truly leave. This final divorce was for an equally absurd reason—his ex-wife and their child were in a family reality TV show, and he needed to appear with them as a family. To preserve her public image, he divorced me again. After the show finished filming, he called, wanting to reconcile.

This time, I refused, because I was marrying someone else.

“Cleo, after we sign the divorce papers tomorrow, I’ll temporarily stay with Helena. I promise, once the show wraps up, we’ll remarry.”

I ignored him and continued packing.

A hint of urgency flashed in his eyes. “Did you hear what I said?”

I replied coldly with a noncommittal "yeah."

“Then why are you packing?”

“Cleo, I swear this is the last time. I won’t let her disrupt our lives anymore, okay?”

I paused and met his gaze. “Caleb, do you realize how many times you've hurt me over the years? Have you ever truly loved me?”

His tone softened as he gently placed his hands on my shoulders. “I love you. I've loved you since the first time I saw you eight years ago, and that’s never changed. It never will.”

“But it's hard for Helena to raise a child alone. I just want to help her. When we divorced, I promised I’d always consider her family.”

I gave a self-deprecating chuckle. I’d heard this too many times. I knew the answer was always the same, yet I always wanted to give him another chance. But inevitably, he let me down again.

I didn’t let the conversation continue. “I found my birth parents. They want me to stay with them for a while.”

Surprise flashed in his eyes. “When did this happen? Why didn’t you tell me? How are they?”

I grew up an orphan, allegedly kidnapped and abandoned, then taken in by an orphanage. After being with Caleb, he tried to help me find my parents, but we never succeeded.

A year ago, my friend Elio, who grew up with me in the orphanage, found out where my biological parents were. At that time, Caleb divorced me for Helena again, so I didn’t care to tell him. Even after remarrying, I didn’t feel like sharing.

I replied calmly, “It’s not important. Go be with Helena, I’ll leave on my own later.”

His voice tinged with panic. “Of course it’s important. They’re my in-laws too. Even if things aren’t great, once we remarry, I’ll buy them a house nearby, okay?”

I sneered inwardly. I wanted to tell him that my parents were the wealthiest in New York and didn’t need his small gestures, but I was tired of talking to him at all.

I picked up my bags and walked out the door.

He followed, offering to drive me, but as soon as he sat in the driver’s seat, his phone rang.

I clearly saw the word "wife" on the screen.

Awkwardly, he glanced at me and explained, “It’s just for the show. Don’t misunderstand.”

“Oh, I’ve already called a car myself. You should answer it; don’t keep her waiting.”

He looked at me in surprise. “Why have you suddenly become so...”

I broke into a smile. “So indifferent, right? I cared for seven years. Did it help?”

With that, I got into the car I ordered, leaving the house without a backward glance.

The next morning, at exactly 8:30, I found myself standing at the entrance of the county clerk's office. I waited for over half an hour before he finally arrived. With him was Helena Rose, who looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, Cleo. You know how hard it is for a divorced woman with a child to make it in the theater world. This show is vital for both me and my child, I..."

I interrupted her impatiently. "Alright, let's not waste any more time and just get this over with."

In the past seven years, I'd run into Helena plenty of times. She was far from the innocent, pitiable figure she tried to portray. A woman who had survived in the theater industry for over a decade wasn't that simple. So, I had no patience for her act and turned toward the entrance.

Unexpectedly, she followed us in. When I noticed her eyes fixed on the divorce agreement, I realized she was here to oversee the proceedings. In our previous divorces, Caleb had always assured me he'd leave with nothing to guarantee my peace of mind. But this time, it was written for me.

Caleb had told me that any change in his assets would impact his company, which was on the verge of going public. I didn't sign because I trusted him; I was simply too tired to argue anymore.

After collecting the paperwork, I stood outside, trying to hail a cab. Caleb rushed over and grabbed my arm. "How long are you staying at your parents'? Give me the address, and I'll drop by with something."

I replied coolly, "There's no need."

He seemed to realize that this time I was genuinely different from before, and his grip on my arm tightened slightly.

He asked uncertainly, "Cleo, we're going to get back together, right?"

Just then, Helena hurried over with a look of urgency. "Caleb, our son has a fever. What should we do?"

I pulled my arm away and said to them, "Break a leg with your performance."

Then I got into the car. As it started to move, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer. The familiar divorce certificate in my hand felt like needles piercing my heart.

Back then, I had dived headfirst into the whirlpool of his love without leaving any escape route for myself. My college roommate once advised me, "A man who's gone through a divorce might not be reliable. Don't be naïve and believe everything."

I defended him fiercely, "My Caleb is different from others. He truly loves me."

"I know you'll say that such an amazing man is bound to have women around him. It's okay, I'm prepared for that. I've told him, I can understand if he has to play along outside. As long as he has me in his heart, I will forgive him. I've committed to him for life!"

Never did I imagine that I would spend seven years of my youth only to end up with a heart in pieces.

As I stepped out of the car, I made my way into my parents’ lavish estate. The moment I opened the front gate, my mom greeted me with a mischievous grin, insisting that I close my eyes.

Trusting her, I obliged, letting her guide me forward.

"Alright, you can open them now."

To my astonishment, a Ferrari stood there, and next to it were my friend Elio and my dad.

With a chuckle, Dad said, "Sweetheart, I wanted this to be yours, but Elio thought a surprise would be better. So, here you go."

As he spoke, he pulled out a sapphire necklace from behind his back. I recognized it immediately—it had been in the news, sold for a million dollars to an anonymous buyer. Turns out, it was Dad's special surprise for me.

Tears brimmed in my eyes again as I looked at the three of them smiling warmly at me. An overwhelming sense of gratitude came over me, as if fate chose to compensate my lost love with the comfort of family and friendship.

We had lunch together, but then Elio had to head back to the office. Mom pulled me onto the sofa for some girl talk.

"Sweetheart, Elio seems really attentive to you. Your dad says he's got a good character and a promising career. You know, now that you're divorced, maybe you should give him a thought."

I burst out laughing, "Mom, stop trying to set me up! He's not interested in women."

Mom just gave me a knowing smile and dropped the subject.

The following day, I drove the new car, stirred by an emotional wave. When Caleb and I first started dating, his company was barely off the ground. I sympathized with his struggles and never demanded pricey gifts or his money.

Right after graduation, I married him and jumped into working at his company, handling clients and managing everything as his assistant. Seeing his dedication made me reluctant to indulge in personal luxuries. He once offered to buy me a car for commuting, but I refused without hesitation.

Later, his company thrived and made a fortune, yet he never brought up the idea of buying me a car again. Reflecting on it now, if he genuinely loved me, how could he overlook my needs?

That day, I was heading to Caleb’s company to resign. As soon as I parked, I noticed a film crew setting up. Caleb, dressed to the nines, was standing next to Helena and their son Jordan, looking like the perfect family.

As I drove in, I attracted everyone’s attention. Someone remarked, "Mr. Barnes, your company must be doing fantastic if employees drive cars like this to work!"

All eyes were on me as I stepped out of the car and calmly approached the trio. Helena watched me with jealousy, while Caleb’s expression changed. In a low voice, he asked, "What are you doing here? The crew's around. Can we talk later?"

With a smile, I announced clearly, "Mr. Barnes, I'm here to resign."