"At the prime of her youth, she gave up everything—her studies, her growth. Heaven never lets such sacrifices go unpunished. This is the price she pays for abandoning herself. If you can't love her, I won't force it. But if you're destined not to protect her for life, then let her go now—while she still wants to walk away. It's time she learned how to fly on her own."
"A'Yu, the one person I can't stop worrying about, even on my deathbed, is Xiao Tang. If I die and she ends up suffering alone, I won't be able to rest in peace."
"So either make the decision to guard her for the rest of your life, or step aside and let her grow up."
Those words from Grandfather still echoed relentlessly in Ethan Yu's mind. Standing alone on the balcony of his bedroom, he lit cigarette after cigarette, the bitter smoke clouding his thoughts.
The early morning air was damp with dew, but he barely noticed. His sharp gaze was fixed on the horizon, but his thoughts were elsewhere—drenched in the weight of guilt, responsibility, and a complicated kind of affection he couldn't name.
The old man had been right. If Hailey Tang wanted to grow, then he had no right to hold her back. He had taken too much from her already.
He owed her that chance.
He didn't want her to face the world alone, defenseless, and unprepared. Just the thought of her suffering, beaten down by life's cruelty without any support—it was enough to suffocate him.
But what Ethan didn't know… was that Hailey had already faced that end once before.
In another lifetime, she had lived out that worst-case scenario—helpless, broken, discarded. That pain had carved her soul raw and left her shattered.
It was that past—one only she remembered—that now drove her need to escape him, to grow strong, to stand tall.
She couldn't stay by his side anymore.
Not because she hated him, but because she feared she might fall for him again.
She feared that, like last time, she would once more sacrifice everything—her dreams, her identity, her self-worth—just to orbit around him.
Her tragic past life had taught her one undeniable truth:
If you want to marry a prince, you have to become a princess first.
She was nothing now—no skills, no status, no independence. And because of that, she didn't need a prince.
Not yet.
Standing on the balcony of her own bedroom, Hailey gazed up at the starlit sky. Her eyes shimmered, not with sadness this time, but with a quiet, determined hope.
This time, she believed, she would succeed.
This time, she would become someone new.
And her happiness, when it came, would be entirely her own.
A new week dawned.
The soft glow of morning spilled through the windows as Hailey rose from bed before the alarm even rang. For once, she didn't sleep in. Her routine—once lazy and slow—was now sharp, focused.
By the time Ethan came downstairs, freshly dressed for work, she was already seated at the dining table, calmly eating breakfast.
He paused in the doorway, surprised.
Hailey Tang. Awake. Dressed. Eating early.
A rare sight indeed.
He approached with a guarded expression. "You're up early."
Hailey didn't look up. She cut into her bacon and replied coolly, "Starting today, I'll be going to the office with you. Since you insisted I participate in the design project, I'm keeping my promise. I'm going all in."
Ethan arched a brow but said nothing as he took the seat across from her.
"Good," he said after a pause. "Just don't quit halfway. That's all I ask."
Hailey stabbed a piece of bacon with her fork, chewed vigorously, and responded with fierce resolve, "Don't worry. Even if it costs me everything, I will finish what I started. And I will get that divorce agreement."
Ethan sipped his milk without emotion. "I'll be watching."
She glanced up. "When will the project be done? I hope it's not going to drag on too long."
"If everything goes smoothly, one or two months, tops."
Hailey nodded with satisfaction. One or two months.
That was all she needed to endure. She could do this.
They finished breakfast in silence. Two people seated at the same table, yet already walking two diverging paths.
When they walked out together, Ethan's driver was already waiting beside the car. Upon seeing Ethan, he quickly opened the back door with practiced courtesy.
Ethan turned to Hailey, asking politely, "Want to ride together?"
Hailey gave him a curt shake of her head. "We're barely connected anymore. I think it's better if I drive myself."
Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly, amused. "You sure driving yourself is a good idea?"
It was a jab—one clearly referencing her recent fender bender.
Hailey didn't flinch. She smiled lightly. "Relax. As long as I don't see your face, I'm perfectly capable of following traffic rules."
Ethan smirked faintly. "Let's hope so."
Hailey headed toward her small sedan without looking back.
To her, this was more than just a commute to work. It was her first real step toward a new life.
She didn't know it, but Ethan watched her from the rearview mirror as his car pulled ahead.
There was something different about her lately. Her movements, her tone—even the way she carried herself—it all felt less familiar. Less dependent.
That fire in her eyes… He hadn't seen it before.
It tugged at something deep inside him, something he didn't want to name.
At the office, the day began with introductions.
Ethan personally took her to the design department's temporary project hub.
The room was full of architects, junior designers, engineers, and assistants. Everyone looked up in confusion when Ethan entered with Hailey in tow.
"This is Hailey Tang," he announced, voice calm and commanding. "She'll be joining the design team for the new orphanage project. Treat her as one of your own."
There was a murmur of surprise.
Some people recognized her. As the boss's wife—or ex-wife, depending on the gossip—she'd always been seen as an outsider, someone distant from the company's actual work.
Now she was here, standing shoulder to shoulder with them.
Hailey offered a polite smile but said nothing.
Ethan's gaze lingered on her for a second longer before he turned and left.
It was the beginning.
Of a new routine. A new journey.
Hailey sat down at her assigned desk. Her heart beat fast, not from nerves, but from purpose.
This was it.
No matter what it took, she would transform herself.
For the first time in her life, she didn't need anyone to save her.
She would save herself.
To be continued…