In the picture, he reached out to straighten Clara's temples, his eyes so gentle that they almost overflowed.

The reporters' flash lights flashed continuously, and countless people in the background were amazed.

Anna Collins, who was standing in front of the screen, almost dropped the shopping bag in his hand.

She had never received such a look in three years.

Not even for a second.

That night, Ethan Grant came home early, which was rare.

Clara was curled up on the sofa reading a magazine. He sat on one side, his brows relaxed and his expression unusually gentle.

When Anna Collins brought out the soup from the kitchen, he heard Clara's coquettish tone:

"Tokoyami, do you remember? Whenever I was sick, you stayed by my side until dawn."

Ethan Grant was slightly stunned, then smiled and said, "Of course I remember."

Anna Collins's wrist shook and he almost knocked over the bowl of soup.

The scorching heat hit her face, but she only felt cold.

It turned out that he had never been with her during the late nights she had endured;

But he is willing to stay up all night to help others with a minor illness.

It was late at night and the only sound in the house was her footsteps.

Anna Collins sat at the desk and spread out the divorce agreement that had been prepared long ago.

The paper was white and covered with dust.

She picked up the pen and slowly signed her name on it.

The tears finally fell at this moment, but silently, hitting the paper and spreading a small stain of ink.

She murmured softly:

" Ethan Grant , I've helped you hold this position for three years. Now, it's time to return it to its rightful owner."

She placed the divorce papers neatly in his desk drawer.

His movements were so gentle as if he was afraid of disturbing anyone.

The moment she closed the drawer, she suddenly felt relieved.

It was like a long dream that finally came to an end.

Anna Collins sent a message to Ethan Grant .

"The document you're asking about is in the drawer. If you want to know what it is, just open it."

It was not until half an hour later that Ethan Grant finally replied.

"No, you asked me to sign something that would not harm me."

This is what it means not to be able to see.

Yes, he was in a hurry to have dinner with Clara , so how could he have time to go and see it?

The raindrops hit the window pane, rapid and dense, like an endless interrogation.

The living room was eerily quiet, with only the flickering light from the cell phone screen, making Anna Collins 's face look pale.

She leaned back on the sofa, deleting the updates one by one with her fingertips.

Photos posted after the wedding, the dinners they prepared with great care, photos of them attending parties together...

These records, which she once regarded as proof of her happiness, have now become glaring jokes.

When the words "Deleted successfully" popped up, her heart felt like a piece was torn out.

At this moment, a new notification suddenly popped up on the screen.

Clara : New Developments

Anna Collins raised his eyelids and nodded almost subconsciously.

A nine-grid photo comes into view: yachts, champagne, hair blown by the sea breeze, the atmosphere is so exquisite that it looks like a set of advertising blockbusters.

In one of the photos, a man's hand appeared in the corner.

She could clearly recognize the familiar watch, the slender knuckles, and even the scattered sunlight falling on the back of her hand.

Her heart tightened, and before she could close it, a new dialog box popped up.

[ Clara : Anna , does this hand look familiar?]

An ambiguous smiley face emoticon was attached at the end.

Anna Collins stared at the line of words. There was no anger in his eyes, only an indescribable coldness.

After a few seconds, her fingertips slowly dropped and typed out three words:

It looks pretty good.

As soon as the message was sent, she exited the dialog box and slammed the phone on the coffee table.

The water in the glass was shaken, reflecting her calm face.

She didn't check to see if there were any new replies.

Anyway, no matter what Clara said, she already knew it.

Turning into the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and took out half a head of lettuce and two carrots.

The sound of the knife blade hitting the chopping board was crisp and monotonous, drowning out the sound of rain for a moment.

She cut slowly, one stroke at a time, but with great concentration.

It seems that only in this way can I stop myself from thinking about the scenes that I shouldn’t think about.

The lights on the yacht, the man's lowered gaze, and Clara's boastful private message.

The rain still didn't stop.

But Anna Collins suddenly felt a calm and extremely determined mind:

Instead of waiting for others to tear it apart, it is better to let go first.

The sky gradually darkened and the rain finally stopped, but the air was still filled with the smell of dampness.

Anna Collins was holding a freshly made salad and was about to have some dinner with some soup.

There were no candles or cakes on the table, and it was as quiet as every other night.

She wasn't expecting anything.

Ethan Grant three years ago , she learned that expectation is the thing that is most likely to hurt people.

The door lock turned with a click.

She subconsciously looked up, thinking that Ethan Grant had returned. However, it was not him who came in, but the delivery man.

"Hello, here's your order."

The other party handed over an exquisite cake box.

Anna Collins was stunned for a moment and signed for it.

Anna Collins, was clearly written on it .

Her heart suddenly began to beat faster. Could it be... Ethan Grant ?

Carefully unpacking it, I found the cake was beautifully made, with a rose shape and delicate cream.

Her breathing gradually became lighter, and a long-lost warmth appeared in her eyes.

However, when she picked up the small card attached to the box, her fingers froze slightly.

There is a line of words written on it:

" Happy birthday, Clara ."

The handwriting was Ethan Grant 's. A familiar stroke, with his usual coldness.

Anna Collins stared at those words, his throat seemed to be blocked and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.

This cake doesn't belong to her.

There was just an error in delivery and it was sent to her.

The wind outside the window blew the curtains, the candlelight-like twilight swayed, and her eyes sank slowly in the shadows.

She slowly put the card back into the box, her movements so light that it seemed as if a heavier touch would crush the last shred of illusion in her heart.

Her fingertips were slightly cold, but she smiled, a smile quieter than crying.

At this moment, she finally understood:

Ethan Grant never remembered was her birthday.

It was the night of their wedding anniversary, and Anna Collins spent the whole day making careful preparations.

She placed candles on the dining table, picked out her best dishes, and even changed into the dress he had given her when they got married.

The candlelight flickered and the atmosphere was romantic, as if everything was waiting for the moment when the door was pushed open.

But the phone screen lit up twice, and it wasn't him either.

Ethan Grant " finally popped up .

She almost couldn't wait to pick up the phone, and said with a smile: "Where are you? Are you coming back soon ...

" Anna ."

His voice was cold and a little tired. "Something urgent happened at the company. I may not be able to go back tonight."

She was stunned, and the light in her eyes dimmed little by little.

"But... today is our anniversary."

There was silence for a few seconds on the other end of the phone, followed by a brief "sorry" and a continuous beeping sound.

Anna Collins held the phone in his hand for a long time without moving.

The candlelight flickered, and the red wine on the table reflected a bright light, but only her lonely figure was reflected.

Her heart felt hollowed out and she almost suffocated.

Just then, her best friend Yuanyuan called and asked her to help deliver her coat to the bar for an urgent matter.

Anna Collins agreed.

She wanted to go out for a walk, maybe it would make her feel better.

The lights in the bar were dazzling, the music blaring. Anna Collins squeezed through the crowd, clutching his jacket tightly in his hand.

She looked around for a while but couldn't find Yuanyuan. However, she saw a familiar figure deep in the crowd.

Tall, straight, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist , that's Ethan Grant .

She paused.

The person who said on the phone that he was working overtime at the company was actually in the bar at this moment.

What made her even more suffocated was that the figure was currently being held tightly by a woman.

The woman was wearing a burgundy dress, her eyes were red, and she was completely drunk and unconscious.

But even so, she still stubbornly put her arms around Ethan Grant 's waist, as if she wanted to embed him into her body.

Anna Collins 's heart trembled violently. She didn't need to go closer to clearly recognize the person , Clara .

Ethan Grant's face was grim, and his voice was filled with suppressed anger.

" Clara ! Stop it, let go!"

But no matter how many times he pushed her away, she still held on tightly, even harder.

Her eyes were blurred with tears, and she murmured vaguely: "Shi Ye, don't go... don't leave me..."

Ethan Grant 's expression changed from anger to helplessness, and finally to complete relaxation.

He no longer pushed away, but stood there stiffly, with his head lowered and an extremely complicated look in his eyes.

" Clara ..."

His voice was low and full of powerless surrender, "What exactly do you want me to do with you?"

At that moment, the love in his eyes was so clear that it was blinding.

Anna Collins 's hand loosened and the bag of his coat fell to the ground with a plop.

The surrounding noise suddenly became blurred, and all that remained in her ears was the dull pain of her heart.

Countless images flashed through my mind:

On a rainy day, he held an umbrella for her;

In the crowd, he took her hand;

At the graduation ceremony, he got down on one knee and proposed.

All these moments that she thought belonged to her collapsed at this moment.

It turned out that she had always been a substitute when Clara was absent.

It turned out that his tenderness towards her was just a fragment that was forced to be transferred.

No tears fell, she just stared at the scene blankly, but her heart seemed to be torn apart.

That night, Anna Collins finally understood clearly ,

Even though they had been married for three years, and even though she was Mrs. Zhou in name only, she had never truly owned Ethan Grant .

Not even a minute or a second.

Anna Collins did not move forward.

Her coat fell to the ground and she didn't even bend down to pick it up.

She felt like her legs were filled with lead and even her breathing became heavy.

The music in the bar was still deafening, and the lights flickered, shining on her face but unable to reveal any expression.

Her eyes were empty, as if she was looking at the couple hugging each other through a thick layer of glass.

Their world is passionate and lingering.

And she was just an unnecessary bystander.

Anna Collins turned around and walked out.

The laughter and noise of the crowd gradually faded away, and her pace quickened little by little, as if only by escaping could she maintain the last bit of dignity.

I pushed open the bar door and the rain poured down again.

A cool breeze mixed with rain blew in, hitting her face, chilling her to the bone.

Anna Collins did n't bring an umbrella.

She was too lazy to avoid it and just let the rain flow down her hair and eyelashes, soaking her skirt.