From the day she left for a new life abroad to the moment she set foot back home, three years had passed.

Her return was not a matter of choice— it was a necessity. Her mother had been diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer, and time was slipping through her fingers.

Three years into their marriage, he had sent her abroad under the pretext of letting her further her studies. The truth was that he merely wanted to avoid her interfering with his intimate world with his mistress.

In the evening, she had dinner with her in-laws, especially Jake's grandmother, then returned to their bridal chamber, a room that had never been lived in.

The once haughty little princess had already retracted her sharp claws.

This return, she had a very strong intuition—it was time for them to end this relationship in name only!

He returned from outside wearing a neatly arranged black suit, with a total stranger-forbidden vibe emanating from him.

He was a perfectionist!

Moreover, a severe clean-freak!

Emily stood by the window, watching as he stopped by the couch, loosening his tie. The years had only refined him—he was even more striking, more intimidating.

"Did you see my mother?" His voice was even, distant. He never even lifted his gaze.

Emily habitually placed her hands behind her back, like a well-behaved child or a serene subordinate, nodding her head slightly: "Uh huh!"

"Take a look at this!"

He suddenly leaned over, pulling a document from the drawer under the desk and placing it on the tabletop.

Emily merely glanced at it and knew her suspicions had been confirmed.

Not too long ago, she saw online news about him and his first love going to choose a wedding dress and they were secretly getting married.

She walked over, picked up the document, and flipped it open.

The five big characters spelling "divorce agreement" were starkly visible.

She was thankful that she had mentally prepared herself and said with a soft smile, "I agree!"

Jake, with his captivating gaze, looked at her and said, "Sit down and let's talk!"

Only then did Emily sit down on the single sofa diagonally opposite him.

He had had a drink; his mood seemed not very pleasant as he fiddled with his tie!

Emily, in her determination to avoid making him feel uncomfortable, silently finished reading the divorce agreement.

He even threw in two properties as part of the agreement, which was fairly generous!

After Emily finished reading, she smiled and asked him, "Is there a pen?"

"What?"

He inclined his ear slightly, as if he hadn't quite caught her words.

"A pen to sign it!"

Emily responded to him with a gentle smile throughout.

Jake stared at her for a while with his dark eyes before bending down to open a drawer and bring her a pen.

Without any hesitation, she wrote her name under the agreement and said, "Done!"

"Zoe is on her last legs; she wants a perfect ending," Jake suddenly explained.

Emily's hand tightened on the pen, her heart wrenching once again.

He can sacrifice everything for that woman!

"I understand!"

Emily wisely nodded.

Jake was silent for a moment until she pushed the agreement towards him. He took it, but when he was about to sign it, he looked up at her and said, "If you have any requests, I will meet them as much as I can!"

"I'm already very satisfied like this, and I have to thank you for paying for my mother's medical expenses."

Emily responded to him.

Jake felt like he was suffocating; he cast his eyes down to see her graceful handwriting under the agreement. Suddenly feeling flustered, he put the agreement aside and said, "Meet with Zoe tomorrow!"

Emily glanced at him, leaving the agreement unsigned, and set it aside. With a submissive look, she complied, "Alright!"

"If she asks you if you have someone you like, tell her you do!"

"Alright!"

"You must make it sound believable; make her happy!"

He exclaimed!

"Alright!"

Emily responded robotically, her gaze once again drawn to the agreement by his side.

At that moment, she had a ludicrous thought. Perhaps he was also reluctant to part with this marriage?

"Could you prepare the bath for me?"

He asked out of the blue with an indifferent tone.

Taken aback at first, Emily only realized her illusions when she saw the cold look on his face. She brought down her long eyelashes to hide the dismay in her eyes, stood, and went upstairs to run the bath.

She couldn't stop mocking herself; what on earth was she thinking about?

His mind was full of that other woman, not her!

She entered the dark upstairs, reminding herself again and again to stay rational, adjusting her emotions before pushing open that door.

Apart from their wedding night, this was the second time she was entering this bedroom.

She didn't know why, but there was a sense of taboo, as if she had intruded into someone else's world.

However, inside was just as simple and minimalistic as the decor downstairs, with white walls, a black floor, a bed, a bedside cabinet, a sofa, and nothing more.

On their wedding night, he had spent the night sleeping on that sofa, the only night they had spent alone together.

She went into the bathroom and ran a bath for him.

Suddenly, in her ears echoed the words her critically ill mother spoke to her at the hospital that day: "He may be thinking of divorce. All he thinks about is his 'first love.' Has he ever thought about how difficult it would be for a married girl like you to remarry?"

She had never thought about remarriage. All she felt was a pang of hurt. From now on, she would no longer be associated with his name.

Emily sat by the bathtub, gently stirring the warm water within. She thought back to three years ago when he sat across from her, when her father had just committed suicide out of guilt, her mother had been diagnosed with gastric cancer, and she needed someone's help...

"Are you done?"

Suddenly a cold voice emerged from behind. As a reflex, she turned around, but unexpectedly slipped and fell into the bathtub filled with hot water.

...

Suddenly, the room was filled with an awkward atmosphere.

Emily, wearing a black pair of skinny pants and a white blouse, was all soaked through, with the upper body vaguely visible.

The black lingerie underneath was all within his sight.

He had a cleanliness fascination, so without having to look, she already knew how disgusted, nauseous, and even wished to replace this bathtub and bathroom he must have felt at the moment.

While Emily quickly climbed out of the bathtub, thankful that her tears had been drowned in the water, saving her last bit of dignity, she hugged herself and stood at the side, apologizing in a low voice, "I'm... I'm sorry!"

Jake did not approach, just spoke faintly, "Go and change!"

Emily lowered her head and started to walk out. When she reached the doorway, she twisted her body to avoid him.

However, when she passed by, the perfume she had on seemed to evaporate, causing him to stall unconsciously.

Emily went downstairs, opened her suitcase, hurriedly fished out her clothes, glanced at the rooms on the first floor, randomly picked one, and went inside to change.

Jake stopped at a distance from the bathtub, outside of the water that had splashed out.

He didn't step inside; he just stood there, gazing at the bathtub for a long time.

Emily hurriedly came back up, "Jake... I—I'm sorry, I'll clean up."

She thought he must be irate. For someone with a serious germaphobia, he surely wouldn't tolerate anyone making his bathroom dirty. But after she quickly changed her clothes and rushed back to clean up for him, she discovered he was unbuttoning his clothes.

Emily was stunned for two seconds and immediately turned to stand outside the door.

Jake leaned against the wall and took off his pants and tossed them out casually: "Help me put it away!"

Emily looked at the clothing with the belt still hanging from it in embarrassment and accepted them hesitantly.

"Do you want to continue watching?"

Another query came from behind her.

She quickly took his shirt and then turned and ran.

However, Jake suddenly sighed; he did not close the door but instead went under the showerhead to turn the handle for water.

Emily neatly folded his clothes and placed them by the bed, then immediately went downstairs.

He was likely staying here tonight; she was thinking about whether to stay here or go to a hotel when, suddenly, her phone rang. She picked it up and asked, "Hello?"

"Are you not leaving this time when you come back?"

A query from a friend.

"Yep! I probably won't be leaving for now!"

"I'm short on hands. Why don't you come over and help me for a while?"

The friend suggested again.

Considering her current situation, Emily agreed without hesitation,

"Okay!"

"Jake is going to marry Zoe, you know that?"

The friend changed the subject abruptly.

"Yes, he told me!"

Emily, holding her phone, wandered to the window, instinctively leaning against the window lattice and looking out into the pitch black.

"Ah Emily, do you still love him?"

Her friend suddenly asked her with a restrained tone.

And for the first time, she wasn’t sure how to answer.