On my birthday, the first gift I received was a suicide note from my student, Michele. In the letter, she wrote that she was no longer innocent and felt ashamed of her past experiences. The person who assaulted her was my husband. Although I had doubts, saving her was the priority.

When the police and I arrived at the rooftop where Michele was, she was clinging tightly to the railing, her body swaying uncontrolably in the wind.

I rushed forward, trying to pull her up, “I will definitely make him cooperate with the investigation. If it's true, whether it's putting him in jail or something else, I will help you. Please come up first, okay?”

Hearing this, Michele indeed quieted down, her eyes red, “Then you can divorce him and give your husband to me? I don't want my child to be born without a father.”

I was stunned. I never expected her to use this to threaten me into divorcing her.

Just then, Caleb rushed in with a divorce agreement. Without even glancing at me, he began to berate me, "Look at you, you've gone so far as to have your student threaten suicide!"

I looked at him, a chill running down my spine. Before I could hesitate, a gust of wind blew and Michele swayed downwards again.

Startled, Caleb quickly took two steps forward, gently coaxing her, "Michele, don't be impulsive. I'll definitely give you and the child a home. I even bought a Maybach and put it in your name. Come on up, okay?"

I suddenly remembered seeing the new car covered in the garage when I left this morning. I had thought Caleb had finally come to his senses and prepared a gift. I never imagined it was just a toy to appease his mistress.

We dated for seven years, married for three. In those ten years, this self-proclaimed romantic and sentimental man had only ever given me a box of 9.9 dollars puzzle blocks.

Now I understand, it wasn't about being romantic and sentimental; it was that everything I did with someone I didn't love was painful. Since that's the case, I didn’t mind letting those in love be together. But burn in hell.

...Hearing the Maybach, Michele was overwhelmed with excitement, "My man still loves me the most."

With a mix of coaxing and persuasions from Caleb, Michele finally obediently allowed herself to be rescued. As soon as she landed, she immediately fell into Caleb's arms, pulling his hand to her chest.

She said in a coquettish voice, "I was so scared just now, Caleb, feel my heart, are you scared…"

As she spoke, she secretly gave me a provocative look.

Caleb gently reprimanded her, "How could you joke with your life? That's too reckless."

The cloying atmosphere made me feel uncomfortable. My heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly. Even on the rooftop, the air felt incredibly heavy, making it hard for me to breathe. The people around looked at each other in bewilderment, even the police were at a loss for what to do at this scene.

Finally, a policewoman couldn't stand it anymore. She coughed loudly, "This lady hasn't signed the divorce papers yet. Mind your manners."

Michele's face turned deathly pale and she stared at me. Fearing she might act impulsively, Caleb tried to appease her.

He turned to me and scolded, "Didn't you hear me? Sign it quickly. Don't end up with the blame for killing a student."

His face was contorted with rage. That face I'd known for ten years was now so grotesque I didn't recognize it.

Even the surrounding police officers started urging me, "Just sign it already, it's a matter of life and death."

"Everyone knows you're wronged, but the most important thing is to calm her down first, after all, she's pregnant."

Someone even picked up the divorce papers and handed them to me. I took the paper and pen, glanced around and saw everyone waiting expectantly for me to sign. I felt a huge weight pressing on my heart. Was her pregnancy a reason for her to bully me and divorce? But meeting Caleb's murderous gaze, I knew I had to give in to her.

After signing, I spoke hoarsely, "Is this alright now?"

Caleb opened his mouth, hesitated and finally uttered, "Why bother..."

He was the one who forced me to sign, so why was he the one feeling wronged afterward?

I slammed the paper into his arms, utterly exhausted. "Take your mistress and get out."

As I turned to leave, I heard Michele's accusatory voice behind me, "Miss Patricia, you still resent me, don't you?"

I felt utterly drained. My husband of ten years and the student I had painstakingly nurtured both abandoned me. They even met through my introduction. Shouldn't I show pure resentment?

Seeing my silence, Michele immediately jumped to the railing. A gasp rippled through the crowd. She glanced down at me out of the corner of her eye, then gave me a bitter smile.

"If I can't get your forgiveness, I'd rather die!" she exclaimed.

Then she collapsed over the railing. Almost simultaneously, Caleb rushed over, slamming me against the wall. But he missed. Caleb could only vent his anger on me again.

He glared at me fiercely, his eyes bloodshot, "If Michele gets hurt, I'll never let you get away with this!"

It wasn't until I saw Michele fall onto the safety cushion that I understood the meaning behind her triumphant smile as she fell. But Caleb didn't see it. Or rather, biased people never see it.

He sighed in relief, pointing at me through gritted teeth, "Don't try any more of those 'playing hard to get' tricks on me! If you hadn't provoked her, Michele wouldn't have jumped off the building in a fit of anger!"

I lowered my head and gave a self-deprecating smile. See, even if it wasn't my fault, he would firmly believe that I deliberately sabotaged her.

After returning home, it got dark. Thinking about how Caleb carried Michele away without looking back after leaving the police station, I felt incredibly depressed.

I picked up the carefully prepared dinner laid out on the table and gave a self-deprecating laugh. For ten whole years, Caleb had never let me cook. I never imagined that my first time cooking would ruin our wedding.

After throwing everything into the trash, something poked my foot. Looking down, I saw Caleb's wedding ring, with a childish brown hair clip stuck to it. They must have accidentally ripped it off in the heat of the moment.

I felt a wave of nausea. The scene of our wedding flashed before my eyes, Caleb holding me tightly and saying he would never betray me. He would never be like my heartless father, favoring his mistress over his wife. He would never leave me alone and helpless.

Tears streamed down my face as I nodded vigorously through my blurred vision. But he hadn't kept a single one of those promises. As for Michele, she saw me as her enemy rather than her teacher. And that ring we exchanged, engraved with both our names, now lay on the floor.

I thought I could hold back, but the physiological tears still wouldn't stop flowing. I bent down to pick them up, gently rubbed them between my fingertips and then threw them in the trash.

When exactly did this begin?

Was it love at first sight when I first introduced them to each other at the dinner table?

Or was it later, because I was busy with my exchange program abroad and entrusted Michele to Caleb, we saw each other more often and feelings developed over time?

I was lost in my own thoughts and didn't even notice that Caleb had returned.

He spoke in a hoarse voice, "Once she's calmed down and given birth, I'll send her away and remarry you."

I snapped out of my daze, took a few steps forward and slapped him hard across the face, "What do you take her for? A cheap object? You think you can just send her away whenever you want? I never realized you, Caleb, were so capable, letting her decide her fate?"

His face was undisguisedly fierce, "It's because of your defiant attitude that I cheated on you! I've never received a single bit of warmth from you."

I spat in his face, interrupting him, "I think I just don't get compliments."

After a long standoff, he sighed, "Why won't you give in to her? Michele is all alone here, with no one to rely on. How can she face anyone after all this?"

I shrugged, "So I agree to the divorce and I'll give you to her."

I wanted to appear indifferent, but the words of surrender still brought tears to my eyes. Because I didn't want to be looked down upon, I rarely cried in front of others and Caleb was no exception. It was obvious to him that for a moment he was at a loss, yet filled with expectation.

But after waiting for a long time, he didn't lower his head as expected. He angrily turned and stormed into the bedroom. Less than ten minutes later, he came out carrying his luggage. It seemed he had been prepared for this day for a long time.

Just before leaving, Caleb turned back and harshly took down the family photo hanging on the living room wall. It was a photo I had insisted on taking with Caleb and my mother the year we got married. Although she was quite dislike Caleb, she didn't want to spoil my mood, so she forced a smile. I never imagined that this would be the last photo of her in her life.

I looked at Caleb warily, "What do you want to do?"

Before I finished speaking, he slammed his hands down and the photo frame shattered. I froze on the spot, feeling my vision suddenly stretch out, leaving only shards of glass reflecting the light. He picked up the photo and tore it to shreds, as if disposing of a garbage item.

His voice held a hint of revenge, "I was afraid you'd be disgusted by me, so I destroyed it for you."

The loud slam of the door slammed shut woke me. Trembling, I walked to the pile of shards, but no matter how I pieced them together, I couldn't reconstruct my mother's face. I knelt there all night, clutching the pile of scraps.

Until my phone screen lit up along with the sun.

Caleb: [3 PM, see you at the City Hall.]

University: [Your application to study abroad has been approved. You'll depart next Tuesday.]

Although I hadn't slept a wink all night and my gait was unsteady, I still arrived fifteen minutes early, standing by the roadside in front of the City Hall, waiting.

Because Caleb was an extremely punctual person. Once, I was stuck in traffic and was two minutes late for a date. He impatiently abandoned me and went home alone. From then on, I always arrived early for dates with him.

Sure enough, just as 3 PM arrived, Caleb appeared in my sight, carrying a large bag of things. I looked closely and saw that it contained some mangoes.

He noticed my gaze, casually pulled one from the bag and handed it to me, "Want some?"

His tone was calm, even somewhat gentle. It was as if we weren't there for a divorce, but as a couple getting married. My heart suddenly ached.

I waved my hand and turned to walk towards the City Hall, "Thank you, but I'm allergic to mangoes."

He froze, as if he were seeing me for the first time.

When we reached the door, we realized it was a holiday and the City Hall was closed. I even faintly heard Caleb sigh with relief, even though his brows were furrowed. He must have been hallucinating from staying up all night.

I said weakly, "Maybe next time, I'll go back now."

He responded softly, "Okay, next time there definitely won't be any mistakes."

Then he turned to leave. I felt a tightness in my chest; his words made it seem as if I hadn't checked the time and wasn't prepared.

The already gloomy sky couldn't hold back any longer and within moments, large raindrops began to fall. We were frozen in place by this sudden turn of events.

Luckily, I always carry an umbrella. He knew that too and looked at me. In that instant our eyes met, memories flooded back. The image of that thinly dressed boy, soaked by the rain, turning to look at me, overlapped with my own now.

Overwhelmed by emotion, I blurted out, "Remember when we first met...?"

"I lent you my umbrella. I told Michele I'd take her out to play at four o'clock."

I snapped back to reality. I realized then that the shimmering light in his eyes back then had long since transformed into an emotionless calm. The cold wind, mixed with dampness, cut into my bones, causing my limbs to tremble.

I bit my lower lip, forcing a smile that was more like a grimace, "It's almost four o'clock now, why don't you take a taxi?"

The next second, his words completely shattered my spirit. He said, "It's okay, she's usually half an hour late. I'll be there just in time."

At first, I wanted to maintain appearances and leave a perfect image of my ex in his mind. I naively thought that once he discovered Michele's many flaws, there would be a day when he would regret it and be chasing after her.

Now it seemed he could be infinitely tolerant of Michele, while I would forever remain that indifferent ex-wife.

I didn’t know how I got home. Only after the warm water was poured over my head did my vision gradually clear.

A rapid ringing of my cell phone urged me out of the bathroom.

"Miss Patricia, Michele wants to drop out! You must go and persuade her!"

If I felt regret and hatred towards Caleb, all I felt towards Michele was overwhelming rage. Back then, I discovered her talent and couldn't bear to waste it, so I used my position to vouch for her admission to the principal.

I transformed her from a flower girl abandoned by her family because of her gender into a highly educated talent with a good reputation. Back then, she cried and said I was the savior who changed her life and she wanted to learn from me for the rest of her life.

Now, with only six months left until graduation, she couldn’t help but want to drop out. I sent her a message, only to find that I had been blocked without my knowledge. The scarlet exclamation mark reminded me once again of my foolishness.

I found her number again to call her, but her call came in just then. After answering, I angrily questioned, "Michele! What do you want?!"

She not only ignored me but also asked me with a grin, "Miss Patricia, I remember you know someone at the hospital. Could you use your connections to check on my baby? I want to have a boy."