It was Christmas, a time for families to reunite.

But I was here, asking Isaac for a divorce.

In front of Lucy, he dropped his previous pretense and agreed without hesitation, even declaring he wanted to grow old with Lucy.

I used to think that one day I could replace Lucy in his heart.

But now, I was finally ready to let go.

Because the name engraved on his snowboard was never mine.

——

I found out Lucy was back in the country while I was wiping down the snowboard.

The board suddenly felt like a thousand pounds in my hands, crashing to the floor.

Engraved on the bottom were the words, "Love Lucy for a hundred years."

Lucy was Isaac's childhood sweetheart. When we got married, he would call me "Lucy."

Lucy?

I thought I just wasn't good enough, that I hadn't managed to make Isaac forget her.

For three years, I'd centered everything around him, always putting his happiness first, not wanting him to feel any discomfort in our marriage.

Even my mother-in-law, Ellie Nelson, would remind Isaac to be more attentive to me.

He'd smile and nod, saying all the right things, but never following through.

Until the day I discovered this snowboard.

Isaac had always refused to let me touch it, saying it was too heavy for me and he didn't want me to strain myself. I'd secretly felt happy, thinking he was finally caring for me.

Now, I understood the real reason. His love for Lucy was so deep that even a snowboard dedicated to her was something I wasn't allowed to touch.

All my fantasies were shattered, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Regret began to gnaw at me. Why had I ever met Isaac?

Maybe then I wouldn't be in such a pitiful state.

Isaac worked at the hospital during the day and only practiced snowboarding at night, coming home in the early hours of the morning.

I used to wait up for him, falling asleep curled up on the sofa.

But now, I no longer had the heart to wait. I buried myself in the warmth of the bed, trying to sleep.

The noise of Isaac coming home woke me. I swallowed my bitterness and pretended to be asleep.

I felt him approach, my heart betraying me as it sped up.

Peeking through half-closed eyes, I saw Isaac, reeking of alcohol, taking his pillow and leaving the room. He didn't hesitate, leaving me alone in the darkness.

No wonder the other side of the bed was always cold in the morning.

Isaac never wanted to get close to me.

Saving himself for Lucy, of course. How fitting.

I couldn't take it anymore and flung open the door to the guest room.

Isaac stopped, mid-movement, holding his pillow. He looked at me gently. "Did I wake you? You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to disturb you."

"Let's get a divorce."

Isaac's expression didn't change. "Why?"

"Lucy's back."

His hands paused as he made the bed. "Are you overthinking this? It's not unusual for an athlete to return home."

"Then how do you explain what's written on the snowboard?"

I studied his face, searching for cracks in his calm exterior.

"How dare you touch that?"

Seeing how protective he was of everything connected to Lucy, I couldn't help but feel my nose sting with emotion.

I had given up my passion for snowboarding, dedicated years to being his personal doctor, and this was what I got in return.

And all I got was blame.

"I didn't want to touch it. It's filthy."

Isaac's grip tightened on the bedspread, his lips pressed into a thin line, his jaw tense.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Isaac dropped the bedding and rushed to the door.

I beat him to it, opening the door to find Lucy Parker standing there.

Of course, who else would show up at this hour?

Lucy looked surprised to see me, instinctively trying to hide the snowboard in her hands.

But I had already seen it. The other snowboard, just like Isaac's, is a matching pair.

"Lilian, I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd be here."

I scoffed, inviting her in coldly. "Why wouldn't I be? Your dear Isaac is getting a divorce, not mourning a widow. But... this house will be yours soon enough. Come on in."

Isaac scolded me softly for being rude, while Lucy put on her innocent face.

"Perfect," I said, my voice sharp. "Let's settle this now. Do you love me?"

"You're exhausted. Don't say things you don't mean."

His response was just as I expected. I handed him the divorce papers I'd prepared.

Isaac took the papers, his fingertips turning white from the pressure. "Stop it. It's late. I'll take Lucy home."

I thought, "It's late, but she had no problem coming over at this hour."

"Don't bother taking her home. Why don't you two just share a room?"

"Lilian, Isaac, and I just had dinner. We didn't do anything wrong. Besides, Isaac's such a great guy. Can you bear to divorce him?"

Sure, they didn't do anything wrong. Just posted on social media with the caption, "There's something about married men."

The setting was romantic, roses in full bloom. Anyone would have thought it was a married couple on a date.

Isaac kept his head down in silence, then after a few seconds, picked up the pen and signed the papers.

Lucy tugged on Isaac's sleeve. "Isaac, don't be so impulsive!"

I averted my gaze, tired of watching their intimate exchange.

Isaac had known Lucy was back. He'd met with her earlier tonight and pretended he hadn't.

As I held the signed divorce papers, I managed a smile. "Ms. Parker, I'll be moving out tomorrow. You can move in after that."

I'd been deluding myself, thinking I could challenge Lucy's place in Isaac's heart.

From now on, I wouldn't entertain such foolish dreams.

I hadn't told my parents about the divorce yet, but Isaac's parents called and asked us to come home.

My in-laws had always treated me well, like their own daughter.

I couldn't bear to turn down their kind intentions.

"Lilian, just tear up the agreement and stop this nonsense."

I was busy packing my suitcase and ignored him. "I'm making room for Lucy. Shouldn't you be grateful?

"Or have you fallen for me?"

Isaac pinched his brow, a cold smirk forming on his otherwise gentle face.

Even though I knew he was being sarcastic, I still felt a sting of embarrassment.

But I quickly brushed it off. There was no reason for me to feel that way.

"At least come to my parents' tomorrow. I'll wait for you downstairs at 1 PM."

I had planned to go. The next day, under the scorching sun, no car stopped for me.

Then my mother-in-law called. "Lilian, why aren't you here yet? Isaac and Lucy are already here."

How nice. Yesterday, he said he'd take me, but today he brought Lucy home instead.

I must have been blind to ever choose him.

Just as I was about to call a cab, a Maserati's window rolled down.

"Miss, where are you headed with that suitcase? Let me give you a ride."

That warm, playful voice paired with a sunny smile. It could only be Gavin.

"I heard you were back, so I flew straight from Canada.

"You've got such a mouth, always wishing the worst for me."

Gavin spun the steering wheel with one hand, speaking smugly, "If you'd married a good guy, why would I hope for anything bad? When you called me crying back then, I wanted to tear Isaac apart.

"Are you coming back to ski again?"

Gavin and I had been childhood friends, skiing together for fifteen years.

But Isaac's arrival had made me give up the sport.

Would I come back to skiing? I kept thinking about it all the way to my in-laws' house.

"Lilian, come on in. Have you eaten? If not, I'll get you some food," Ellie said warmly.

Isaac stood up with a look of guilt, as if wanting to say something, but I ignored him and sat beside Ellie. "No need, Mom. I've already eaten."

"Lilian, she is so good to you, yet you didn't even say you were done. She saved some food for you," Lucy said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

Watching her fake act, I nearly rolled my eyes into the back of my head, filled with disdain.

Ellie kindly patted my hand. "Seeing Isaac's photos today made me think of you two. Don't mind I'm rambling."

Lucy suddenly picked up a photo album with a cute design.

The whole album had 340 photos, but not a single one of me.

Instead, it was filled with pictures of Isaac and Lucy growing up together.

The words I had been holding back for so long were finally ready to be spoken.

"Mom, Isaac and I are getting a divorce. Maybe you should consider Lucy as your daughter-in-law."

Ellie froze while Isaac glared at me. "Lilian, stop this nonsense."

"Lilian, Isaac was just giving me a ride because I was headed the same way!" Lucy said nervously, quickly letting go of Isaac's arm.

I ignored her, showing Ellie Lucy's social media posts instead, filled with captions like "Thanks to Isaac for the flowers to welcome me back!" and "Married men just have that husband vibe!"

I looked at Ellie sincerely. "Mom, this will be the last time I call you that. I wish you a long, healthy life."

With that, I left the noisy room.

Behind me, Lucy's annoying excuses, Ellie's helpless attempts to stop me, and Isaac's suffocating silence lingered in the air.

"Lilian, why are you hesitating? You've been skiing for years, won youth championships, and even trained with the state team. If you make a comeback, what place would Lucy have?"

Yeah, I gave up skiing for Isaac for three years, kept my spot on the state team, and what did I get in return? Heartache.

But I'm still good. It's time to shoot for the sky again, feel that rush of adrenaline.

The training facility is at the Lunelle Ski Resort, but there's one problem. I have nowhere to stay.

"Gavin! Can I crash at your place for a bit?"

I put my hands together, pleading with Gavin.

His pupils dilated slightly, and the blush on his face spread to his ears.

Was he really blushing just because I asked to stay for a while?

Returning to the slopes, I felt a long-forgotten excitement.

But the sight of annoying Lucy made me want to vomit up last night's dinner.

"Lilian! How did you know we were in Lunelle? Oh, right! Lilian, please don't get mad, but Isaac's been helping me recover my health. He wasn't ignoring you on purpose."

From afar, I saw Gavin rushing over with water for me. He yanked Lucy's hand off mine.

"Ms. Parker, please show some respect."

He said that while pulling me toward the training area.

As we left, I could still hear Lucy's fading voice. "Isaac, who is he?"

With renewed confidence, I climbed back up to the platform. After wiping out hard, I realized I wasn't what I used to be.

Pushing myself up by my knees, I hobbled back to the starting point.

"Lilian, have you really skied before? Do you need me to teach you?"

Isaac stood nearby, watching as I limped back.

Gavin hurried over with a notebook, no sweet-talking, just constructive criticism. "Your foundation's still there, but you must strengthen your power. When you launch, your rotation should be bigger, and bend your legs more. Try again."

Gavin gazed deeply at me.

"He's so thoughtful. Why doesn't he have a girlfriend yet?"

I realized I'd said that out loud when I heard him chuckle. I quickly covered my mouth, pretending I hadn't said anything.

He chuckled lightly. "I haven't found someone yet."

As I skied toward the platform, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of amazing woman it would take to be worthy of Gavin.

Distracted, I didn't see Lucy coming from another direction until she crashed into me.

"Lilian!"

Before she even finished speaking, I slammed hard into the ground.

A sharp pain shot through my abdomen, and I lay trembling, unable to get up.

All I could feel was someone lifting me, cradling me in a panic, wiping the cold sweat from my forehead.

Forcing my eyes open, I saw Isaac.

Disgust welled up in me at the thought of being in his arms.

I reached for Gavin. "Gavin, my stomach... it hurts, it hurts so much."

Gavin wrapped his arms around me and shouted angrily at Isaac, his voice laced with warning. "Keep your woman in check! If she can't ski, she should quit before she hurts someone else."

Isaac reached out for me, but I turned my face away, not wanting him to touch me.

"Why don't you go help your precious Lucy?"

His hand hovered in the air for a few seconds before he pulled it back and helped Lucy up instead.

Isaac stopped Gavin, who was about to take me to the hospital. "I'm a doctor. Lilian's condition doesn't look right. Let me do an initial check."

Gavin's grip on me tightened as he trembled with rage. "Oh, now you notice something's wrong? Where were you when she had a miscarriage?"

Isaac froze in place, his face paling as his voice shook. "A miscarriage? Lilian... had a miscarriage?"

I shot him a cold glance. "What? The person who took the call didn't tell you?"