In the entire year since their wedding, Hailey Tang had never once felt warmth in this house.
Not even for a moment.
Truth be told, this place had never been her home. It had always been Ethan Yu's cold, sterile world—and she'd simply been a guest who overstayed her welcome.
But at least now… it wasn't too late to walk away.
Just thinking about the divorce scheduled for tomorrow filled her with a strange sense of hope. A new beginning. Like someone had finally lifted a crushing weight off her chest.
Hailey flopped onto the bed, stretching out with a content sigh. Her mind wandered freely for the first time in forever, playing with the possibilities of her future.
She used to hate studying. Back then, her entire brain had been occupied with one person and one person only—Ethan Yu. So naturally, she dropped out of school as soon as they got married.
But this time around?
No more wasting her life.
She was going to go back to studying. To rebuilding.
…She just hadn't figured out what exactly to study yet.
Business? Design? Law? What was she even good at?
Ugh, it was a headache just thinking about it.
"Whatever," she muttered to herself. "Divorce first. Career later."
That night, Ethan didn't come home.
Not that she expected him to.
By morning, Hailey was up early and had her luggage brought downstairs. She wasn't going to wait around for drama. If she could be out the door before noon, even better.
She didn't pack a lot—just what she absolutely needed.
Still, it ended up being several sizable suitcases. Emotional baggage apparently took up a lot of room.
When Ethan finally walked into the living room, the first thing he saw were the suitcases.
A frown creased his brow. "What's all this?"
The only one present was a housekeeper, who quickly stepped forward. "Young Master, these are Miss Hailey's belongings."
In that instant, the full picture clicked into place.
She was leaving.
Not later. Not after the papers.
Now.
Ethan's eyes darkened.
And as if triggered by some bitter echo in his mind, a memory flashed—Hailey's voice from long ago, so soft, so infatuated.
"Ethan, I really do love you. You're the only one I'll ever love in this life. Will you marry me? I just want to be with you, forever…"
Ha. What a joke.
Little girls and their "forever."
They didn't know what love meant. They only knew how to chase shiny things they couldn't have.
The moment they got what they wanted, they lost interest.
Just like Hailey.
They hadn't even been married a full year, and she was already bored. Disillusioned. Done.
So much for her great love. So much for her "only one."
It had never been love. Just possessiveness.
She wanted him because she couldn't have him.
Now that she had him? Game over.
And the worst part?
She'd planned the whole thing. Tricked him into marriage with her little schemes and starry eyes.
And now?
Now she was planning her grand exit with the same childish impulsiveness.
Did she think he was some kind of puppet?
A toy she could pick up and toss aside whenever she pleased?
Ethan's anger simmered hotter with each passing second. His expression turned darker. Stormier. Dangerous.
Hailey had just finished breakfast and was walking out of the dining room when she saw him.
She paused automatically. Her lips parted, ready to speak—but froze when she met his eyes.
Those eyes were glacial.
Thunderclouds packed behind a quiet, murderous rage.
She fell silent.
Ethan didn't say a word either. He stared at her for a long, heavy second, then turned on his heel and stalked upstairs.
His footsteps echoed like distant thunder.
What the hell's his problem? she thought, frowning. Wasn't he the one who agreed to the divorce?
Still, she followed.
Ethan stormed into the bedroom and tugged off his suit jacket in irritation, tossing it to the side. Then he went for his shirt, fingers ripping open the buttons with barely contained frustration.
Hailey walked in a beat later, speaking cautiously. "I've already packed everything. Once the papers are signed, I'll be out of your way."
No response.
His back remained to her—tall, broad, and radiating cold hostility.
She hesitated, then added, "When will the lawyer arrive? I don't need anything—just my own things. I won't ask for a penny."
Still, he said nothing.
By now he'd pulled off his shirt, revealing smooth bronze skin, lean muscle, and all the smoldering tension of a man on the edge.
Hailey tried to keep her voice even. "You have my word. I'll keep everything private. No one will know unless you want them to. I won't make trouble for you…"
She didn't get to finish.
Ethan whipped around like a thunderbolt, his movement fast and sharp as lightning. His eyes burned with fire, his chest rising and falling with the force of his breath.
He looked like he wanted to strangle her.
Hailey froze, heart hammering. "W-What…?"
He took a step forward.
She instinctively stepped back.
That look in his eyes wasn't just anger.
It was betrayal. Fury. Something unspoken that had been building for a very long time.