Chapter 10

"Since you're here, it saves me a trip," I said, pulling a document from my bag. "Sign it. I've already signed. I'm taking my personal belongings, and I don't want a dime of your assets. Let's just end this cleanly."

I had been carrying the signed divorce papers with me.

Ethan's face turned pale. It was as if he only now realized that I was entirely serious about leaving him.

In the past, during our rare fights, I had brought up divorce in the heat of the moment, but he had always managed to sweet-talk me out of it.

Over time, he had convinced himself that I could never actually leave him.

But in this world, no one is indispensable.

"Claire, I was wrong. I made a terrible mistake. We've been together for so long. Please give me one last chance. I really do love you."

I let out a weary laugh. "I'm so sick of hearing 'I love you.' Do you think that if you say it enough times, it magically becomes true? Real love isn't something you just talk about."

"Even if you do love me, I don't want a love like yours. It's disgusting."

He stubbornly believed I was just throwing a tantrum and kept repeating his pathetic apologies.

"Claire, I promise I've sent them away. If you don't want to live in that apartment, we can buy a new house. We can even have your parents move in with us."

"I'll hire the best doctors for them."

I gave him a lifeless smile. "Whatever you say, Ethan."

I tossed his yellow roses into the trash can next to us.

The first time he ever bought me flowers—when he proposed to me—it was a bouquet of yellow roses.

I guess this was a fitting end.

I immediately arranged for my mother to be transferred to a hospital in the city where my new job was located. I packed up my parents and left the city for good.

It didn't matter if Ethan signed the papers or not. Once we lived apart for two years, the court would grant the divorce automatically.

As the scenery blurred past the train window, my heart felt completely numb.

The agonizing heartbreak I felt before now seemed like a distant, silly dream. My past life of putting up with his disrespect felt like a different lifetime.

My father gently patted my hand, and I smiled back at him.

My mother was sleeping peacefully in her medical transport. The stress that had lined her face for days had finally softened.

This was good. We were starting over.

My phone chimed with a text.

My former colleague: [Dr. Claire, did you not tell your husband you quit? He came to the hospital looking for you like a madman. Don't worry, I didn't tell him a thing.]

My lawyer, Rachel: [I sent the divorce papers and asset division proposal to Ethan. He refused to sign and screamed at me, calling me a vulture trying to ruin his family. You owe me a very expensive dinner, Claire.]

I smiled and replied: [Thank you, Rachel. Dinner is on me.]

Just before I blocked Ethan's number, I received one last call from Chloe.

She hissed into the receiver, "Don't get too smug, Claire. Even if Ethan sent me away, Leo is still here. He carries Ethan's blood, and that is a bond you can never break."

"Do you really think he loves you? You saw those videos, didn't you? I have dozens more. He told me he loves me every single night."

"I'm younger than you, and I'm prettier. Just you wait, I will get him back."

She was just a delusional woman who couldn't see reality. Compared to her, I was incredibly lucky to have escaped.

Ethan was the kind of man who always left himself a back door. He never committed fully to anyone.

"I hope you get exactly what you want," I said softly.

I sincerely hoped she and Ethan would stay locked together forever so they wouldn't ruin anyone else's life.

Letting go wasn't as hard as I thought. I could genuinely wish them a miserable eternity together.

I hung up, blocked Chloe, Ethan, and Helen, pulled out my SIM card, and snapped it in half.

My past was officially dead.