Chapter 1

I had a silent agreement with Ethan Sterling, the billionaire CEO.

Every year on our wedding anniversary, we would drop all our work and spend the entire day together.

But on our fifth anniversary, he didn’t show up.

Instead, he flew to a private island for a vacation with his childhood sweetheart, Chloe Henderson.

At the same time, he sent me the deed to my 100th luxury property as compensation.

Just like he had done the previous 99 times.

I didn’t cry. I didn’t make a scene. I simply attached the divorce agreement to the last page of the property transfer documents, waiting for his signature.

After he signed the papers without looking, a rare soft expression appeared on his face. "Wait for me to get back. I promise I’ll make it up to you on our next anniversary."

But when he finally cleared his schedule to spend time with me, all he received was a text.

"There won’t be a next time. We are done."

Over the past five years, Ethan had transferred a hundred luxury properties to my name.

Every time a new deed arrived, he was always spotted somewhere with Chloe.

Sometimes it was a high-end condo right next to an amusement park, the paperwork still smelling of fresh ink.

Sometimes it was a beachfront villa on a private island, delivered to me along with his vacation itinerary.

He even bought the building right across from City Hall.

The title was transferred to me today, and tomorrow he would take Chloe to stay in the penthouse of that very building.

The companionship I begged for was something Chloe got with absolute ease.

And all I got in return was a stack of cold, lifeless property deeds.

I locked my phone and sat on the curb, waiting for my Uber.

I waited for a long time, but the car didn't arrive. Instead, Ethan’s call came through.

The moment I picked up, his cold voice echoed through the speaker.

"It’s this late and you’re still not home? My wife is spending the night outside. Have you ever considered how that makes me look?"

"Where are you right now?"

I remained silent.

If this were the past, I would have bowed my head first, explaining my situation in a soft, apologetic tone.

But now, I just couldn't bring myself to care.

Ethan’s voice grew irritated.

"Avery, did you suddenly go mute?"

"Westview Heights Park."

Ethan went dead silent on the other end. It seemed he finally remembered today was our fifth wedding anniversary.

He had once promised me that every year on this day, he would cancel all his meetings and spend it here with me.

But today, he had flown to a private island in the Caribbean with Chloe, starting a three-day "anniversary weekend."

"I... wait for me. I'll pick you up as soon as I'm done here."

The line went dead. I canceled my Uber.

It wasn't because I was expecting Ethan to show up.

It was because the weather suddenly took a sharp turn, and a heavy blizzard started to fall.

I stood by the side of the road, shivering violently.

Due to the freezing temperature, my phone battery drained to zero in less than three hours.

From beginning to end, Ethan never showed up.

The last notification I saw before my phone died was a Page Six headline: *Billionaire Ethan Sterling Spotted on Private Island with Mystery Woman for Romantic Weekend.*

The attached photo was a shot of him from behind, his arm wrapped tightly around Chloe’s waist at the airport.

In the reflection of the black screen, I saw my own relieved smile.

On our fifth anniversary, he chose to spend three days on a private island with Chloe.

I waited in the snow all night, and he never showed.

I spent five of the best years of my life collecting his "compensation" deeds.

But in the end, one hundred luxury properties couldn't beat a single moment of genuine presence.

Ethan, I’m not waiting anymore.

***