7
After being discharged from the hospital, I went home.
I quickly printed the divorce papers, signed my name, and placed a USB drive on top of the documents. The drive contained all the evidence of Evan’s affair. Once everything was ready, I headed to the office.
Two days earlier, while still in the hospital, I had submitted my resignation to my boss. But he refused to accept it.
He and Evan ran in the same social circles, so he’d heard whispers about Evan’s fling with his secretary. He had even tried to subtly warn me before.
But back then, I believed Evan was untouchable–someone who would never betray me. I dismissed my boss’s words without a second
thought.
Now, standing before him, all I felt was embarrassment.
He asked me, “Hannah, are you really going to throw away years of hard work because of one man?”
Of course, I didn’t want to.
O
In the end, I took his advice. Instead of resigning, I agreed to transfer overseas to manage a new branch office. I would stay there for two years before returning.
S
There was nothing left for me here. My parents had passed away years ago, and this city no longer felt like home.
By 9 p.m. that same evening, I was on a flight out of the country.
When I landed, it was 2 a.m. back home. The moment the plane touched down, my phone buzzed–it was Austin calling.
His voice on the other end was frustrated, tinged with helplessness. “Did you leave just to avoid me?”
“No,” I replied softly. “I just needed a change of scenery. Austin, you’re a wonderful person–kind, successful. You deserve someone better.”
“But to me,” he said, his voice steady and sincere, “you’re already the best. Where am I supposed to find someone better than you?”
“You’ll find someone,” I said, trying to stay firm. “The world is full of people, Austin. There’s more to life than just me.”
His voice dropped, low and resolute. “But I only want you, Hannah.”
His bold, unfiltered confession caught me completely off guard.
I opened my mouth to respond, but he spoke again before I could.
“I’m not giving up on you. I went to your office. Your boss told me you’ll probably return in two years. I’ll wait.
<
“And if you don’t come back, I’ll come find you.”
I ended the call, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest.
It had been a long time since I’d felt anything this intense.
For the next few days, there was no word from Evan. I assumed he was busy doting on Sofia, playing the role of the perfect partner.
Then, a week later, as I was leaving my new company, I spotted him standing at the entrance.
The moment he saw me, he ran over and pulled me into a tight embrace.
His body was trembling–whether from fear, relief, or desperation, I couldn’t tell.
“Baby,” he whispered, his voice cracking, “I’m sorry. I messed up. Please don’t leave me…”
My tone was calm, almost indifferent. “Evan, I thought I made myself clear.”
His body stiffened, but he ignored my words and instead tried to play the victim. “I haven’t eaten in over a day. Let’s go home, okay? We can talk while you make me a bowl of your noodles. I’ve been craving them.”
“Home?” I laughed bitterly. “Are you referring to the house you gave me as a birthday gift? Or the little condo I bought you as a wedding present?
“Either way, it doesn’t matter. I’m halfway across the world now, living in a shared apartment. There’s no ‘home‘ for us anymore.”
I pushed him away. He stood there, his eyes red, looking at me like a lost puppy.
But he was the one who abandoned me first. What right did he have to look at me like that?
His pitiful act ignited a spark of anger inside me. My voice turned cold.
“Evan, how dare you come here? That USB drive I left you–it was a warning. I thought you’d understand.
“If you’re willing to end things peacefully, sign the divorce papers. I’ll return in a month so we can finalize everything.
“But if you refuse, I won’t hesitate to destroy you.”
He must have heard the finality in my tone because his face crumpled in pain.
He asked, “Do you really have it in you to do that? After everything you’ve sacrificed for me, for us?”
I let out a bitter laugh. “So you do know how much I gave up for you.”
His shoulders sagged, and he lowered his voice. “I know I’ve wronged you, baby. But I love you. I always have, I just… I just wanted a child of my own so badly.
“When you couldn’t get pregnant, I thought maybe you never would. And…. you refused to come work at my company because you didn’t want people to think your career depended on me. So you don’t know how cruel people were.
“Every time i went to a business dinner, they’d laugh at me for not having a child.
“Over time, I started to feel like I needed one. Otherwise, what was the point of working so hard, of making all this money? I needed someone to carry on my legacy. And I wanted to give my parents the grandchild they’ve been waiting for.
“But despite everything, I never wanted to divorce you. You’ll always be hirs. Miles–the beautiful, successful wife everyone envies”
Looking at the man I had loved for over a decade, all I felt was pure disgust
So this was his grand gesture–leaving me with the title of hire. les in his mind, that was supposed to be enough to honor everything I had
2:29 PM
