In the coffee shop, the lights were dim, and the raindrops outside the window had not yet fallen, but they were already making people feel stuffy.

Anna Collins stirred the coffee in the cup with a spoon. The sugar cubes had already melted, but he still stirred it mechanically.

She raised her eyes and looked at her concerned friend across from her, her tone so light as if she was talking about a trivial matter that had nothing to do with her:

"Sophie, I want a divorce."

Sophie was stunned, and almost spilled the latte in her hand. "...What? What did you say?"

Her eyes widened, and her voice was low but trembling. "It's been just... no, three years, right? Anna, don't scare me."

Anna Collins curled her lips into a smile, but her eyes fell on the gloomy sky outside the window.

"He probably doesn't know yet."

Sophie was completely stunned.

She had thought it was a decision made by the two of them, but she hadn't expected it to be... just Anna's one-man show.

"Anna, are you crazy? What do you mean he doesn't know yet? Don't both of you have to agree to a divorce?"

Sophie was so anxious that her heart tightened, and her fingers were tightly gripping the wall of the coffee cup, as if trying to calm her heartbeat.

Anna Collins's expression was calm, and his voice was calm:

"Half a month ago, I put the agreement in front of him, and he signed it while answering the phone. He didn't read it, and he didn't ask any questions."

She paused and let out a breath, as if releasing the anger that had been suppressed in her heart for a long time.

"For him, it might be no different from signing a company document."

Sophie was completely speechless, but her chest felt very stuffy.

In three years of marriage, everyone can see clearly how much Anna Collins has paid.

But what about him? He was cold, distant, and absent-minded, until he even signed the divorce agreement casually.

The air is filled with the strong aroma of coffee, but it can't cover up the bitterness in my heart.

Just when Sophie wanted to persuade her again, a deep and cold male voice suddenly sounded from behind her .

"Are you done talking?"

The two of them froze at the same time and slowly turned around.

The man was wearing a black windbreaker, and there was still a hint of coldness on his shoulders.

With his tall figure and stern features, he stood in the dim light, seeming to exude an oppressive air.

Sophie was stunned and subconsciously asked: "Haven't you already ... "

"Sophie."

Anna Collins reached out and gently held her hand, his expression calm as he shook his head slightly.

Her eyes seemed to be asking, but also reminding him not to say anything.

Ethan Grant walked over and said calmly, "It's going to rain, so I came to pick you up on the way."

Sophie was filled with rage, but Anna Collins's gaze stopped her. She could only bite her lip hard and watch her friend stand up and shoulder her bag.

"I'll go first." Anna Collins turned and smiled faintly at Sophie, with the corners of his lips raised but not reaching his eyes.

The man and the woman left side by side, their backs stretched out in the dim light.

Sophie stared at the back, feeling heavy in her heart. She had a premonition that this marriage might really be coming to an end.

The rain finally fell.

Fine raindrops hit the car window, blurring the street lights, and the only sound in the entire car was the monotonous sound of the wipers.

Ethan Grant held the steering wheel with one hand, his expression as cold and calm as ever. Occasionally, when the traffic light turned red, his profile was sharply outlined by the light from inside the car.

Anna Collins sat quietly in the passenger seat, his hands clasped on his knees, as if he was even breathing carefully.

The air was suffocatingly silent.

"What were you talking about in the coffee shop?" Ethan Grant suddenly spoke, his tone indifferent and no emotion could be heard.

Anna Collins turned his head and looked at the rain outside the window. His voice was so soft that it was almost swallowed by the sound of the rain: "Let's talk about recent things."

"recent?"

His brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes fell on her face. "Is it that something is not going well at work?"

Anna Collins suddenly felt a sense of absurdity. In their three years of marriage, this was the first time he had proactively asked about her, and yet, he had gone about asking the wrong question.

The corners of her lips curved up, and she remained noncommittal: "I guess so."

Ethan Grant hummed, and didn't ask any more questions. The carriage fell silent again.

Halfway through the journey, he suddenly seemed to remember something.

"What was that document you asked me to sign half a month ago?"

Anna Collins's fingertips trembled slightly, and a hint of sarcasm flashed in his eyes.

Half a month later, he remembered to ask.

She opened her mouth, but in the end she just smiled softly: "It's nothing important."

Just as he finished speaking, a dazzling headlight swept past the car window, and the shadows of the two people flickered on the glass, as if magnifying the sense of alienation infinitely.

The red light came on again.

Ethan Grant turned his head and looked at her indifferent profile, and suddenly felt a little strange.

He opened his mouth and wanted to ask something, but before he could say anything, his cell phone suddenly vibrated.

Anna Collins lowered his eyes and didn't look at the screen.

The light from the phone screen reflected between his brows, illuminating that moment of hesitation.

He reached out to pick up the phone, but the moment he swiped to answer it, he saw the calmness on her profile.

The calmness was like an invisible wall, blocking all the words in his throat.

Finally, he pressed reject.

The car drove back into the rainy night.

Anna Collins suddenly spoke, his tone soft, like a sigh, but also like a determination:

"Tokoyami, we have to find an opportunity to have a good talk."

Ethan Grant gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, but he simply replied, "Okay."

The wipers moved back and forth, making a dull sound, as if sounding the death knell for this crumbling marriage.

It rained heavily at night.

Anna Collins stood at the intersection, holding an umbrella, watching the traffic blurred into streaks of light and shadow in the rain.

Her reflection in the puddle looked lonely and small.

Seven years.

She remembered that the first time she met Ethan Grant was not in any sensational occasion.

But it's around the corner from the library.

At that time, she accidentally dropped a stack of heavy books while holding them, and the pages scattered all over the floor.

Just as she was in a panic, a slender and strong hand picked up the top book for her and said in a cold voice, "Be careful."

She was stunned, looked up, and met those cold yet extremely clear eyes.

From that moment on, she remembered what he looked like.

Later, she would often see him on campus:

On the playground, he tied a white towel around his neck and ran laps quietly.

In the classroom, he was reading a book sideways, so focused that it seemed as if the outside world had nothing to do with him.

At the school gate, he put one hand in his pocket, quietly waiting for someone.

And every time, she just watched from afar.

Don't dare to get close.

He never lacks people around him.

Friends, followers, and Clara, who was always treated tenderly by him.

Anna Collins would occasionally be teased by his friends: "Look at Shi Ye, he is simply a child of destiny, he must have been taken a long time ago.

She smiled, without comment, and kept all her thoughts to herself.

If you like someone, you can do it quietly without making it public.

Until the year of graduation, she thought this secret love would end.

She went to work and he went to face the wider world, and they would never have any intersection again.

But fate played a ridiculous joke on him.

It was supposed to be someone else's wedding, but in the chaos of the bride's absence, the question of "who is willing" suddenly arose.

Without even thinking, she stood up.

Everything happened so fast.

Put on your wedding dress, exchange vows, and be pushed into the spotlight.

Amidst astonishment and amazement, she became Ethan Grant 's wife.

For three years, she carefully guarded this position.

Cooking, waiting, taking care of him, whatever he needed, she did her best.

But no matter how hard she tried, the distance between them could never be narrowed.

Thinking about it now, she realized that her seven years of obsession was nothing more than a one-man show with no response.

That day should have been a celebration for others.

The wedding hall was ablaze with lights, flowers and crystal chandeliers complemented each other, and the guests gathered in a scene so grand it was enough to make headlines.

Anna Collins was just an inconspicuous member of the many invited guests. She sat in the crowd, so quiet that she was almost invisible.

However, the bride did not show up.

As time passed, whispers gradually began to rise from the audience, and gossip surged like a tide.

Some people suspected that the bride was being stubborn, while others speculated that the two had a temporary falling out.

Ethan Grant on the stage had a sullen expression on his face, a storm suppressed between his brows.

He called again and again, but only got endless busy tones.

In the end, his knuckles turned white from gripping the phone, and he suddenly sneered.

"Since the bride does not want to appear,"

He spoke slowly, his voice carrying throughout the room through the loudspeaker, cold and clear.

"Today, I, Ethan Grant, will have a new bride. Excuse me , is there any single lady here who would like to come on stage?"

With a loud bang, the auditorium was instantly in an uproar.

Everyone was shocked and looked at each other in bewilderment. No one had expected that this grand ceremony would turn into a farce.

Someone couldn't help but chuckle, "What the hell is this? Ridiculous!"

Some people were secretly excited and took out their mobile phones to take pictures frantically.

Anna Collins's heart almost jumped out of his chest.

She knew that if she stood up at this moment, she would become the target of public criticism and would be accused by everyone of being "the supporting role in the joke."

But she also knew that this was her only chance.

From the first time I met him, to the seven years of secret love, to the confusion at this moment .

All her thoughts, hesitations and patience converged into one thought at this moment.

So, amid the uproar, she slowly stood up.

Countless eyes were fixed on her.

Some were disdainful, some were shocked, and some sneered.

But she gritted her teeth and met Ethan Grant 's gaze.

That look was cold, yet filled with a hint of surprise.

"I do."

Her voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

The whole audience was silent for a moment.

Soon, the etiquette staff hurriedly took her backstage and hurriedly changed her into an ill-fitting wedding dress.

The zipper was a little tight, the skirt a little long, and she staggered as she walked, like a hastily put-together joke.

But when the wedding march sounded, Anna Collins still walked up the red carpet step by step.

She looked at the man in front of her, his brows were stern and his figure was tall and straight.

My heart was beating violently and my palms were covered in cold sweat.

This was a scenario she had never imagined.

She is both an intruder and an actor pushed onto the stage by fate.

Ethan Grant just looked at her coldly, as if she was just a "substitute" to fill the vacancy.

At that moment, she suddenly realized that all her courage was just a joke of fate.