Chapter 5

Caleb was completely stunned.

I turned and went upstairs, leaving him standing alone in the living room.

I opened the closet and started taking out my clothes one by one.

Over the past three years, I hadn't accumulated that much.

Nora Lane had never gone on a trip with me, and she had never given me anything.

No wedding anniversaries, no birthdays, no Valentine's Day.

Now that I thought about it, it was really ridiculous.

I folded the last coat and put it into a cardboard box, just about to seal it up, when my phone rang.

I picked it up and saw a message from Nora Lane.

"I have a dinner engagement tonight, so I won't be home for dinner. Caleb just moved in, help him get settled in the guest room."

I put the phone down and kept packing.

By evening, I had almost finished clearing out the walk-in closet and the study.

When I went downstairs, Caleb was sitting on the sofa in the living room drinking coffee.

When he heard me, he looked up and his gaze landed on the divorce agreement folder in my hand.

"What is that?"

I didn't answer. I put the folder on the table, then sat down on the single sofa across from him.

Caleb stared at the folder for a few seconds, then suddenly let out a laugh.

"Divorce papers?"

I said nothing, which counted as confirmation.

His eyes lit up. That kind of brightness wasn't surprise. It was excitement.

"You're really getting divorced from her?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

"Once she gets home, I'll talk to her."

"This marriage was always just about each of us getting what we needed."

"Now that it's done, it’s better for everyone to end it sooner."

He stared at me for a long time, his expression complicated.

"Ethan Carter."

He suddenly lowered his voice.

"Do you really not like her, or are you just pretending?"

That question made me freeze for a second.

Did I not like her?

Three years ago, when we first got married, I had still been full of hope.

That woman was beautiful, accomplished, and she shone whenever she stood in a crowd.

I thought that as long as I was good enough, thoughtful enough, and considerate enough, one day she would see me.

But very quickly, I stopped expecting anything.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

I answered Caleb.

"Whether I liked her or not, it's all in the past."

At nine that night, Nora Lane came home.

At first, she looked at Caleb Brooks sitting on the sofa, and her eyes softened a little.

"Caleb, are you getting used to it?"

Caleb smiled at her, his voice sweet enough to make my teeth ache.

"It's pretty good."

Only then did Nora turn her gaze to me.

Her eyes passed over me and landed on the file folder on the table, then moved to the cardboard boxes behind me.

Her brow furrowed slightly.

"What's with those boxes?"

I stood up from the sofa, picked up the file folder from the table, and handed it to her.

"Nora, let's talk."

She didn't take the folder, only looked at me with a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"What is this?"

"Divorce papers."