Hailey Tang nodded obediently.
Ethan Yu rarely saw this side of her—so quiet, so compliant—and it stirred an unexpected warmth inside him. His hand reached out almost instinctively, gently brushing her hair.
But Hailey suddenly recoiled, stepping back from his touch as if it burned her. Her voice was sharp, filled with warning. "Don't get close to me. Even if you helped me today, even if you comforted me, I'm still going to divorce you."
Ethan's hand withdrew like it had been stung, his expression darkening instantly.
A suffocating silence settled between them in the car, thick and heavy like a looming storm.
Hailey rolled down the window, letting the breeze wash over her face—only then did she feel a slight ease.
"Ethan," she said quietly, staring out at the passing streetlights, "let's get a divorce."
Ethan said nothing. The coldness in his breath was like ice.
Without turning around, Hailey continued seriously, "I've made up my mind. This marriage—it was a mistake from the very beginning. No matter what, I won't back down from this decision."
Her voice was steady, resolute.
He said nothing, gripping the steering wheel tighter until his knuckles turned white.
Back then, when he wanted to give up, she hadn't.
Now that he was willing to let go, she suddenly changed her mind.
"Hailey," Ethan finally broke the silence, voice low and raw, "tell me the truth. Why do you want a divorce?"
Hailey's eyes flickered with a hint of vulnerability before she faced him squarely. "I don't love you anymore. It just… happened. I really don't."
Ethan scoffed bitterly. "So, just because you stopped loving me, you want out?"
"Yes." Her voice trembled with a strange mix of guilt and defiance. "I know I'm selfish. When I loved you, I forced myself to marry you. And now that I don't, I'm forcing myself to leave. I never cared about your feelings, but I just can't pretend anymore."
Those two words—pretend—cut through Ethan's chest like a knife.
So, to her, he was nothing more than a convenient option. Not even someone to tolerate—just a compromise she resented.
Suddenly, Ethan pulled the car over right at the villa entrance. He opened the window and lit a cigarette, drawing in the smoke slowly, the haze curling around him like a shadow.
Neither spoke, the silence heavy with unspoken pain.
Hailey could feel it too—something was shifting between them, and soon, everything would be different.
When Ethan finished his cigarette, he exhaled sharply, his voice cold but resolute. "If you want a divorce that badly… I'll respect your choice."
Hailey's eyes shot to his, shining with a flicker of hope.
Her look unsettled him, but he masked it well, his face unreadable.
"Just one thing," he warned lowly, "this has to be your true decision—not a whim, not a fit of anger."
Because once it ended, there was no turning back. No second chances.
Hailey nodded slightly. "It's real."
Ethan's face remained stone-cold. "Good."
He unbuckled his seatbelt, swung the door open, and said, "Come inside."
Hailey quickly unfastened her belt and followed him into the villa.
He led her to the study, pulled open a drawer, and took out a divorce agreement.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Ethan handed her the document. "Look it over. If everything's fine, sign it."
Hailey took it without hesitation, a strange calm settling over her. She grabbed a pen, flipped to the last page, and asked, "Is this where I sign?"
Without a word, Ethan watched her begin.
Suddenly, her wrist was caught!
Startled, Hailey looked up, her brow creasing with worry. "Wait… have you changed your mind?"
Ethan's face was cold as ice, voice void of warmth. "Before you sign, you have to promise me one thing."
The tension was electric, the air thick with uncertainty and raw emotion.
What was this condition? What did Ethan want from her now?
Hailey's heart hammered in her chest as she waited for him to speak.