Chapter 1

My wife, Elara, was washing dishes when I brought up divorce.

She paused, then simply nodded. "Okay."

It was the fifth time I'd asked her. The previous four, she’d been shocked, furious, heartbroken, even pleaded with me, driving me utterly crazy.

This time, though, she agreed.

She agreed with such an air of indifference, so casually, as if it were a trivial matter.

I watched her slender back by the sink.

Amidst my excitement, a strange feeling stirred within me...

I was still on the sofa, mulling over my strange, inexplicable feelings when Cynthia’s call came through.

"How did it go this time? Did she agree?"

Her soft voice held a hint of tension.

I snapped back to reality, shook my head, and my voice was filled with relief.

"Yeah, she agreed!"

There was silence for a few seconds on her end, then she asked, her voice trembling:

"Really? Declan, don't mess with me!"

My heart tightened. I spoke softly, "Cynthia, it’s true. She really agreed this time. We can finally be together, openly and without hiding!"

A low sob came through the phone.

"That's wonderful... I can finally have you!"

Feeling her excitement and overwhelming joy, my own eyes welled up a little.

It was my fifth time asking Elara for a divorce. The previous four, without exception, had been rejected.

Over two years, Elara went from shock and anger to pain and pleading. As for me, I went from initial guilt and a pang of conscience to numbness and outright annoyance.

Every failed negotiation left me too ashamed to face Cynthia.

She was so hopeful, so yearning, so patient.

Despite the unconcealed sadness on her face, she would always turn around and comfort me:

"We're both women, I understand her. Besides, you two have a child. We can just work harder on a few more projects, give her more money. Sigh, if it weren't for true love, why would we ever go down this path..."

Today was my first time home in two months.

I'd called ahead. When I walked in, Elara had already cooked a feast and was sitting quietly by the table lamp on the sofa, reading a book.

Seeing me, she folded the corner of the page, set the book down, and calmly told me to wash my hands for dinner. She mentioned Lily was at a friend's house downstairs for a birthday party.

Before coming, Cynthia and I had agreed that if Elara still stubbornly refused to agree to the divorce, we’d raise the compensation amount in the previous divorce agreement by another 20%.

I had even prepared myself for an all-night negotiation.

But I never expected—

The moment I opened my mouth with the first sentence, Elara so casually dismissed it.

On the other end of the phone, Cynthia also sounded a bit confused. After a while, she mused,

"Declan, do you think she's playing some trick?"

It wasn't surprising that Cynthia asked this.

As the Head of Negotiations for my company, she always thought one step further when faced with difficult deals.

I shook my head.

"I doubt it. Elara's just a full-time homemaker; she doesn’t understand all those corporate games and deceptions."

Cynthia’s voice softened.

"Looks can be deceiving, Declan. Just because she doesn't understand it doesn't mean she wouldn't find someone to help. Anyway, for the company, for our future, I suggest you still be cautious."

I was silent for a moment.

"Don't worry."