The day I divorced my fifty-year-old CEO husband, I wore a full face of makeup and a bright, crimson red dress. A flicker of impatience crossed Ethan Vance's elegant features. "Dressed so festively. Are you getting married today?" I ran my fingers through my newly permed curls, the image of that handsome face floating into my mind. I couldn't help but smile: "As a matter of fact, yes." "And you actually know the guy." Hearing this, a cold sneer appeared on his face: "The people in my circle are all famously devoted husbands. If you're going to make up a lie, could you at least put some thought into it?" I just smiled and shook my head. I didn't explain. It didn't matter anyway; that person was already on his way. ... Once we got in the car, Ethan didn't drive straight to City Hall. Instead, he headed in the completely opposite direction. Meeting my confused gaze, he said coldly: "Mia is going today too. She's waited over twenty years, and I don't want to make her wait any longer." So, our marriage of convenience, this sham of a union, had actually been a front for that long. When we arrived near Mia Harper's neighborhood, I received a text from him. While replying, I got out of the car and went to a convenience store to buy a bottle of water. When I returned, someone was already sitting in the passenger seat. "Chloe, I'm so used to sitting in the passenger seat of Ethan's car. You don't mind, do you?" What was there to mind? We were on our way to get a divorce today anyway. I reached out to grab my purse from the seat, and Mia covered her mouth with a gasp: "What a gorgeous bag!" "Chloe, give the bag to Mia," Ethan commanded, his hands on the steering wheel, not even bothering to look back. I just wanted to get my bag to take off the little charm attached to it. He slammed on the brakes and whipped his head around: "I bought that bag for you. Are you seriously expecting me to pay you for it now?" I held up the cute charm I had just unclipped: "You didn't buy this." His face darkened, a strange look flashing through his eyes. I then tossed the bag into Mia's lap and said: "There are plenty more brand-new bags at home. Give me your address, and I'll send them all to you." Seeing this, Ethan nodded in satisfaction: "Chloe, as long as you don't cause a scene, I guarantee no one in our circle will know about our divorce." I didn't respond. Because the man I was going to marry didn't want to keep our relationship a secret. My phone started vibrating frantically. I leaned against the window and answered it quietly. It was him. He said he was already boarding his flight. A smile played on my lips as I replied softly: "Okay." Ethan caught the smile on my lips through the rearview mirror. A surge of irritation instantly flared in his chest. Just as he was about to demand who I was talking to, Mia, sitting in the passenger seat, suddenly let out a deep sigh. She stroked the bag in her lap absentmindedly. "What's wrong?" Ethan asked gently, turning his head while waiting at a red light. Mia hurriedly covered a spot on the bag, her eyes darting away: "N-nothing..." Sensing something was off, Ethan forcefully snatched the bag from her. There was a long, deep gash across the leather. It looked fresh. And very obvious. The anger in Ethan's heart instantly ignited. He grabbed the bag and hurled it straight at me. I was looking out the window, completely off guard, and took the full force of the blow on my arm. My hand jerked, accidentally pressing the 'end call' button. But I still had things I wanted to say. Ignoring the urge to argue with Ethan, I grabbed my phone to call him back. Just as I dialed the number, Ethan got out from the front seat, snatched my phone, and smashed it viciously onto the pavement. In an instant, the phone was crushed into pieces by a passing car. "Ethan Vance, you..." Before I could finish, he dragged me out of the car. Wearing high heels, I lost my balance and twisted my ankle the moment my feet hit the ground, unable to even stand up straight. Seeing my red and swollen ankle, Ethan shook off my hand in disgust. "I just asked you to give her a bag, and you actually slashed it before handing it over. Chloe, I truly never realized you were such a manipulative and scheming woman!" Convicting me without even asking a single question? I looked up at Mia in the car. She hurriedly averted her eyes, her hands nervously twisting her clothes. Ever since she appeared, I had become the most manipulative woman in Ethan's eyes. Marrying him to help the Vance family through a crisis was seen as using a favor to blackmail him—manipulative; Working myself to the bone on projects to expand the company was seen as using his connections as a stepping stone—manipulative; Agreeing to step aside for him and Mia was seen as playing hard to get—manipulative... In the past, I would have patiently explained myself over and over again. But today, I didn't want to defend myself anymore. "That's right, I just didn't want to give it to her. I just wanted to disgust her. Are you satisfied?" Fighting the excruciating pain in my ankle, I stood up straight, turned around, and walked toward the sidewalk without looking back. Ethan, I will never chase after you to explain myself again. He stood by the car, his temples throbbing: "Chloe, since you admit it, don't blame me for leaving you here. You can walk there yourself today!" Hah, leaving me behind? Has he left me behind for Mia's sake only a few times? When he received a message from Mia at our wedding, he left without a word of explanation in front of all the guests; At a gala, he secretly went to pick up Mia without telling me, leaving me shivering in the cold wind for two hours; On a business trip abroad, Mia made one phone call, and he left me all alone without saying a word. After all this, my heart had grown cold a long time ago. By the time I hobbled near City Hall, my foot was swollen beyond recognition. Every step I took brought out a cold sweat from the pain. I was leaning against a wall to rest when someone suddenly darted out from behind and forcefully scooped me up into his arms. "Ethan, put me down!" His jaw was tight, acting as if he hadn't heard me, and walked straight inside. As we passed Mia, a flash of resentment crossed her eyes. As soon as we entered, a helpful bystander pointed the way: "Sir, marriage registration is over here." Ethan's face darkened, and he immediately dropped me: "We're here for a divorce." Falling heavily to the ground, the impact sent another piercing jolt of pain through my twisted ankle. The paperwork was finished, and I had the divorce certificate in hand. I went straight to a bench to sit and wait. Calculating the time, he should be arriving soon. "Chloe, aren't you leaving? Your foot looks pretty bad. Ethan and I can give you a ride to the hospital after we get our marriage certificate!" Mia clung affectionately to Ethan's arm, smiling at me. I took out a compact to touch up my lipstick: "No need. I'm waiting for someone to get married. He'll take me to the hospital later." "Oh~ What a coincidence! Ethan, let's wait with Chloe for a bit, okay?" Mia pulled Ethan over to sit next to me: "Once we get our certificate, if the person Chloe is talking about doesn't have a car, we can even give her a ride home." Ethan thoughtfully took her hand and tucked it into his coat pocket to keep it warm: "You, always worrying about others." But the sky was growing dark, and no one showed up. I reached into my pocket for my phone, only to realize it had just been crushed by a car. Full of regret, I was about to get up and leave. Mia, clutching her brand-new marriage certificate, walked over with a beaming smile: "Chloe, let's not worry about whether this person exists or not. Listen to me, take Ethan's car to the hospital first. We'll take you!" I patted my pockets again. I truly didn't have a single penny on me. The only valuable thing, my bag, had just been given away. So, I didn't refuse her offer. As we walked out, I held onto the railing, carefully stepping down the stairs. "Chloe, let me help you." Mia quickly caught up to me. Just as I was about to wave her off and decline. "Ah—" She let out a scream, her foot slipped, and she fell backward. Ethan caught her securely. She leaned against Ethan's chest, her eyes welling with tears: "Chloe, I was just trying to help you. Why did you push me?" Ethan gently patted her back with a look of heartache, then turned around, grabbed my arm, and yanked me down the stairs. "Chloe, you really don't know what's good for you..." Seeing me cry out in pain and clutch my ankle, a flicker of reluctance crossed his eyes. Just as he opened his mouth to tell me to get in the car. Mia parted her lips and murmured: "Ethan..." He immediately helped the woman in his arms into the car. And sped off. I limped to the police station, and the police kindly gave me a ride home. My assistant got me a replacement SIM card, bought a new phone, and brought it to me at the hospital. As soon as I turned it on, I had countless missed calls. The moment I unlocked the screen, another call popped up. "Chloe! You finally answered! Did something happen?!" The person on the other end sounded like he was about to cry from anxiety. I looked at my freshly bandaged ankle, lowered my eyes, and said: "Nothing major, just twisted my ankle." "What?! Is it serious? Are you at the hospital?" His voice was frantic; he wished he could magically appear by my side right that second. "I bought a high-speed train ticket the moment I got off the plane. I'll be there in half an hour." "My flight had to turn back halfway because of the weather." "I called you the second we landed, but no one answered. I was scared to death." Right after the call ended, Ethan, who hadn't posted on social media in a century, actually updated his status with a photo. It was a silhouette of him and Mia holding their marriage certificate. I left a comment: [Lovers finally united. Wishing you both happiness.] When I looked again, the post had been deleted. A call from Ethan popped up at the top of my screen. I hit decline and blocked the number. Just as I stepped out of the examination room, I ran into Ethan and Mia coming out of the room next door. "Alone?" Ethan instinctively furrowed his brow. Resentment flooded Mia's face. She stepped forward, pressing herself against Ethan, instantly changing her expression. She wrapped her arm around his waist and laughed: "Chloe, hasn't the person you're supposed to marry shown up yet?" "How can anyone be so unpunctual these days! Making a sick person come to the hospital all alone." My phone alarm went off. Ignoring their questions, I hurriedly limped toward the hospital exit. They followed unhurriedly behind me. "Chloe, did you just make up this person because Ethan and I are getting married?" Hearing Mia's words, a look of understanding dawned on Ethan's face. He stroked Mia's hair with absolute tenderness: "Chloe, you don't need to put up a front and pretend you're getting married too. After all, there aren't many people in this world who, like Mia, are willing to wait over twenty years." Mia clung to Ethan's arm, acting coquettish: "Ethan~ Let's not talk about the past. I'd do anything for you." My phone buzzed. I pointed at my phone over my shoulder to the people behind me: "Sorry about this, my ride is here. I'll introduce him to you guys another day." "Chloe, look at the situation, are you still trying to lie to us?" Ethan stood a short distance away, looking as if he was waiting to see if I had actually called a car. The driver had just pulled over. Ethan pulled out a stack of cash and threw it through the car window: "Cancel this ride. You don't need to take her." Then he turned back to me, a smirk on his face, seemingly convinced that the person I mentioned was fabricated: "Where to? I'll give you a ride." Mia enthusiastically opened the back door for me: "Chloe, why don't you just admit it!" "Even if that person was just something you made up on the spot, it's fine. Ethan and I promise we won't laugh at you." I sighed, feeling a bit amused. Since these two wanted to know so badly. Then finding out a little earlier wouldn't hurt. It just so happened that both of them knew this person. The car hit the road. Mia alternated between feeding Ethan fruit and sleeping with her head on his shoulder. They were practically glued together, just like a young, newlywed couple. Ethan glanced at me from time to time through the rearview mirror, but only saw me glued to my phone, replying to messages. A faint smile lingered on my lips. A wave of irritation suddenly washed over him. Notifications kept popping up on my phone. It wouldn't stop buzzing. Seeing this, the frustration in Ethan's chest grew. "What, did you get a friend to pretend to be that guy messaging you?" I replied to the last message and locked my phone: "No need for that." He gritted his teeth and reached back, trying to snatch my phone. I slightly tilted my hand and dodged it: "Ethan, you have no right to check my phone now." Anger flashed across his face. Finally, he turned his head away and stopped looking at me: "Fine, let's see how long you can keep up this act." When we arrived at the station, I naturally got out to wait for someone. Mia, eager to watch a good show, dragged Ethan out of the car to follow me. The crowd gradually dispersed, and the smile on Mia's face grew deeper. "Chloe, it's pretty cold today. You really don't need to leave yourself stranded here just because you spoke out of turn." "Let's go home. This time, I'll make sure Ethan takes you all the way to your door..." Mia's voice trailed off as she saw the person approaching. Until I cupped that person's face and gently planted a kiss on his lips. Ethan and Mia's faces instantly drained of color. Ethan stormed over, his face livid, and yanked me away: "Chloe, how could you be with him!" Mia, clutching her chest tightly in anger, grabbed the person's arm and demanded loudly: "How could you be with her!"
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