She had just hung up when Jeremy’s call came through.

“Hailey, I knew you’d understand me,” he said. “The company is about to go public, and this is the only option I have. Don’t worry, divorce is just a piece of paper. It won’t change what we have. I’ll send my secretary to pick you up. Tonight, we’ll celebrate.”

Hailey was stunned to learn that, in his eyes, divorce was something worth celebrating. She did not refuse. After loving each other for ten years, a farewell dinner did seem appropriate.

At a high-end restaurant, Jeremy and Hailey sat across from each other. As he grew wealthier, he also grew busier, so much so that Hailey could not even remember the last time they had shared a meal like that.

“Hailey, everything I promised you back then has finally come true. Once the company goes public, I’ll be financially free,” Jeremy said, lifting his glass of wine and downing it all in one go.

The man sitting across from her was no longer the poor young man from years ago. His eyes were bright, brimming with ambition and hunger for success.

A wave of bitterness rose in her chest. Hailey raised her glass as well, forcing a smile.

“Congratulations on achieving your dream,” she said. “Here’s to your freedom.”

The taste of the wine burned its way down her throat, all the way to her heart.

She held back her tears and silently added, ‘Here’s to my freedom, too.’

Jeremy then took out a document and handed it to her.

“This is a share transfer agreement. I’m giving you fifty percent of the company’s shares. It’ll be your security.”

Hailey accepted the document, a faint, self-mocking smile tugging at her lips. What she wanted had never been the company shares.

Suddenly, the private dining room door swung open. The secretary hurried in, looking flustered.

“Mr. Fisher, Miss Addams urgently needs to see you.”

Jeremy glanced at Hailey before standing up and saying, “The food here is good. Take your time and enjoy it.”

No matter how exquisite the food was, eating alone made it tasteless. With that, Hailey got up to leave. As she passed the private room next door, Jeremy’s voice drifted out.

“Whitney, I’m sorry I’m late. Something came up. I’ve ordered everything you like.”

Hailey’s gaze froze as it fell on the dishes inside through the glass door. They were all the same as the ones on her table. As it turned out, everything had been planned for Whitney. Dinner with her had merely been a convenient afterthought. The date with Whitney was the real main course of the night.

Her fingers dug deep into her palm, yet she felt no pain.

Whitney said coyly, “I know you’re busy now, but today is our third anniversary. No matter how late you were, I would’ve waited.”

Outside the door, Hailey bit down hard on her lip as tears spilled uncontrollably. They had been together for three years, and it was exactly three years ago that Jeremy had first asked her for a divorce.

Just then, a waiter carrying a bowl of boiling stew hurried toward her. His foot slipped, and his entire body pitched forward. Scalding liquid splashed all over her.

“Ah!”

Hailey screamed as pain exploded across her body. Her delicate skin instantly turned red and swollen.

“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to!” the waiter apologized in a panic.

Hearing the commotion, Whitney poked her head out of the room.

“What happened?”

Jeremy followed her out. The moment he saw Hailey, his brows knitted slightly.

The waiter’s face went pale as he stammered, “I slipped by accident and burned this lady…”

Jeremy instinctively stepped forward and grabbed Hailey’s arm, his voice tense. “Are you hurt? Does it hurt badly? Let me see.”

His sudden concern made Whitney pause, confusion flickering across her face as she asked, “Jeremy… do you know her?”

The question made Jeremy freeze and come to his senses. He abruptly withdrew his hand and turned to Whitney with a relaxed smile.

“How could I know her? Seeing her badly hurt made me react. You know me. I can’t stand seeing people suffer.”

Hailey’s heart skipped a beat. To him, she was nothing more than a stranger worthy of his momentary kindness.

The waiter continued apologizing repeatedly. “Miss, I’ll take you to the hospital right away to get it treated.”

Hailey looked up and forced herself to appear calm.

“It’s fine,” she said. “It’s just a minor burn. I can handle it myself.”

After that, she fled the restaurant as if escaping. If she stayed a second longer, the fragile composure she had been clinging to would shatter.

At the hospital, a nurse carefully cleaned and disinfected her wounds.

“Miss, this burn is pretty serious. You need to take good care of it, or it may leave a scar.”

Hailey nodded quietly. Layer upon layer of gauze wrapped around her body, the stark white almost blinding.

All of a sudden, she was reminded of the year when she was working in a restaurant, washing dishes, and had accidentally cut her finger. Jeremy had panicked so badly that he nearly cried. He had pulled her hand to his chest, holding it carefully, as if the pain were his own. Yet now, she was nothing more than an irrelevant stranger to him.

Then again, it made sense. Once she signed the divorce papers, she and Jeremy were no longer connected.

Her phone vibrated. It was a message from Jeremy.

“Are you okay? I can’t get away right now. If you need anything, contact my secretary.”

“I’m fine,” she replied quickly, then left the hospital and went home.

Back in the bedroom, she lay down. Both her body and mind were utterly exhausted, and she soon fell into a deep sleep. In her haze, she felt the mattress beside her sink, followed by a warm body pressing down on her. The man’s movements were rough and impatient, grinding painfully against her wounds.

“It hurts!” Hailey pushed away the hands roaming over her body.

It was Jeremy.

She could not remember how long it had been since he last came home. It was probably since the first time he asked for a divorce—the night she jumped from the rooftop.

Back then, Jeremy’s eyes were red as he rushed her to the hospital. However, ever since, there had been some sort of distance between them. It was as if he had made up his mind that as long as she refused to divorce him, he would never come home.

She waited for him in that house, day after day. Later, she went to his company to look for him. She even hired a private investigator to track his movements. However, she no longer needed him now.

The man’s hands paused slightly, clearly surprised by her reaction.

He turned over and sat up, apologizing, “I’m sorry. I was too impatient and forgot you were hurt. I just wanted you to understand that no matter what’s going on between Whitney and me, in my heart, you’re the only wife I have.”

Hailey laughed. A wife with no wedding, status, or a marriage certificate? She did not want to be that kind of “wife” anymore.

Seeing her remain silent, Jeremy thought she was angry about what had happened earlier. Hence, he lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead.

“Hailey, I know you’re upset, but you have to think about the bigger picture. Rest well and recover. I’ll sleep in the study tonight.”

In the middle of the night, with the pain from her wounds making her body tremble, Hailey got up and went to the living room to look for painkillers. As she passed by the study, she heard Jeremy’s voice from inside.

“Yes. I got the divorce settlement agreement today. Tomorrow, I can inform the board about my marital status.”

The other person scoffed. “Did Hailey agree to divorce you? That’s rare. How did you convince her?”

Jeremy sighed. “She probably figured it out. She’s always been considerate of me.”

“So you’re planning to marry Whitney after this?”

Jeremy was silent for a long time before speaking again. “When I first approached Whitney, I did want to use the Addams as leverage. But later, every day I spent with her felt easy. She always understands me. Sometimes, just a look is enough, unlike with Hailey. Every time I see her face, I’m reminded of how miserable I was back then. So poor that I had to rely on a woman to support me. That period of my life was nothing but a nightmare.”

Outside the door, Hailey stumbled backward in shock. Tears spilled down her face, burning hot against her cheeks. It seemed the days she cherished—the days she had suffered for him—were, to him, an unbearable nightmare. In that case, what was she to him, really?

Jeremy continued, “Once the company goes public, I plan to propose to Whitney.”

Just moments ago, he had said Hailey was his only wife, and now, he was planning to propose to another woman.

Hailey cried until she started laughing. Her wounds throbbed faintly, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. She had had enough. She wanted nothing but to leave this place as soon as possible.

The next day, Hailey went to the mall to pick out a gift for her Aunt Iris. After entering a boutique, she set her eyes on a silk scarf. Just as she was about to ask the sales assistant to wrap it up for her, a commotion broke out outside.

“Make way. Mr. Fisher has booked out the entire floor today. All other customers, please leave immediately.”

Several tall bodyguards began clearing the area. Through a narrow gap, Hailey caught sight of Jeremy and Whitney walking together.

Soon, all unrelated customers were escorted out. She remained unnoticed, hidden away in a corner, out of the bodyguards’ line of sight.

A doting smile curved on Jeremy’s face. “Whitney, pick whatever you like. They’re all on me.”

A shy blush spread across Whitney’s cheeks. “Jeremy, I trust your taste. Why don’t you pick something for me?”

“Alright.”

Jeremy’s gaze swept across the display cabinets before quickly settling on a limited-edition handbag.

“Excuse me, can we take a look at this bag? Whitney, this bag is this year’s new release. It’s small and elegant. It’ll suit you perfectly.”

Next came the clothes.

“Whitney, this ink-blue dress looks stunning. It’ll complement your skin tone beautifully.”

Then came the shoes.

“Whitney, these shoes have a detailed design. The heel isn’t too high, so they’re comfortable but still look classy.”

Several sales associates standing nearby could not help whispering among themselves.

“No way. This is my first time seeing a man who understands women and fashion so well.”

“Exactly. Mr. Fisher really is the perfect man. He’s successful, rich, and has such good taste. Everything he picked is one of our bestsellers.”

“When will I ever meet a man like that? I’m so jealous.”

…

Hailey shrank into the corner, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. As it turned out, he understood fashion perfectly well; he just never bothered showing her that he did.

After Jeremy became successful, Hailey had bought countless outfits and accessories to match his status. Every time she showed them to him, all excited, he would not even glance up.

He, with his head always buried in work, would say calmly, “I know nothing about women’s fashion. All that matters is that you like it.”

Now, seeing how knowledgeable he was about fashion felt like a knife stabbing straight into her heart.

Whitney soon came out of the fitting room. As expected, the outfit Jeremy had chosen suited her perfectly, as if it had been tailor-made for her, making her look even more alluring.

Jeremy looked at Whitney tenderly, his eyes filled with a softness that could melt hearts. “Whitney, when the company goes public, you’ll stun everyone wearing this. I have a surprise waiting for you that day.”

Taken aback by what she heard, Hailey lost her balance. With a loud crash, she stumbled and knocked over a display rack.

The bodyguards reacted instantly, rushing in and yanking Hailey up. One of them slapped her hard across the face.

“How dare you have the nerve to hide and spy on Mr. Fisher?”

“What’s going on? Didn’t I tell you to clear the place beforehand? How could someone be hiding in here?” Jeremy’s voice was icy.

The lead bodyguard quickly replied, “Sorry, Mr. Fisher. We’ll handle this right away.”

Before Hailey could even call out his name, a hand covered her mouth, and she was dragged away. They pulled her to a deserted corner.

The lead bodyguard cursed viciously. “What bad luck, running into trash like you. Are you trying to ruin my job? Teach her a proper lesson.”

The others immediately surrounded her.

Hailey trembled, fear filling her eyes. “If you touch me, Jeremy will never let you off.”

The men burst into laughter. “Who do you think you are? Dreaming of being Mr. Fisher’s woman?”

Then fists rained down on her body, her head, and her legs. The pain was so overwhelming that she could not even scream for help.

Before losing consciousness, the last thing she saw was Jeremy wrapping an arm around Whitney, who was holding bags upon bags of purchases, as they got into a luxurious Maybach. Her heart felt hollowed out, and strangely, it no longer hurt.

Her thoughts drifted far back in time, when Jeremy never left her side. Every day, he would take her to work in the morning and pick her up in the evening.

She used to joke, “You sure keep a close eye on me. Are you afraid I’ll run away?”

The man would smile shyly and reply, “Of course. You, my wife, are so beautiful. I have to keep a close eye on you. I can’t allow anything to happen to you.”

A young man cycling the girl he loved eventually disappeared around the corner of the street…

When she woke up again, she was lying in a hospital bed. Jeremy sat beside her, his face dark. Seeing her awake, his expression shifted slightly.

“Hailey, who did you offend? How did you get beaten like this? Tell me. I’ll make them pay.”

She struggled to open her mouth, about to speak, when his phone rang.

“Alright, I got it. I’ll be right there.”

With that, Jeremy stood up and walked out, saying to her, “I’ll be back!”

However, he never did; he never came back again.

On the day she was discharged, Hailey felt unusually light. She no longer hoped for Jeremy’s love, and when there was no expectation, there would be no disappointment.

After returning home, Hailey began packing her things. All the memories she shared with Jeremy were carefully scattered throughout the house.

On the living room wall were dried bouquets made from flowers he had given her over the years. On the table sat a pair of matching mugs that they had crafted together. The throw pillows on the sofa were souvenirs from their travels. Even the teddy bear on the bed was the very first birthday gift he had bought her after receiving his paycheck.

Thinking about how all those things had become symbols of shame in Jeremy’s life made her chest feel painfully heavy. The massive mansion resembled a gorgeous cage, yet all these years it had only imprisoned her, consumed by unrequited longing.