Early the next morning, I went to visit him on set.

As soon as I arrived, a few familiar faces approached, greeting me enthusiastically.

“Ms. Lane, it’s so great to see you here!”

“Ms. Lane, perfect timing! Could you help us with this scene?”

I replied with a polite smile to each of them.

I remembered Noah mentioning this was a sci-fi romance.

He played the male lead, a character who’d somehow crossed from a virtual world into reality, meeting the female protagonist in a strange twist of fate.

They fall deeply in love, but eventually, he must return to his dimension.

The script’s bittersweet ending was, apparently, quite moving.

They were currently filming the scene where the male lead has to return to his own world, and the two must say their final goodbye.

The actress he was performing with was someone I recognized – Leah Gill, a rising star from Star Entertainment.

I stood quietly behind the director, watching them. Noah was so immersed in his role that he hadn’t noticed me there.

In the scene, Leah clung to Noah, her face tear-streaked as she whispered, “You lied to me, Alaric! You promised you’d never leave!”

Noah’s eyes were filled with sadness, his hand gently brushing Leah’s face.

Both of them performed so well that the onlookers around me had tears in their eyes.

My gaze stayed on Noah. There was something unsettlingly real in the look he gave her – it didn’t seem like just acting.

When the scene wrapped, the entire crew cheered, excited that they’d finished filming the final take.

Noah finally spotted me standing at the edge of the crowd, and, with a warm smile, started making his way toward me, looking almost radiant in the spotlight.

But a loud voice suddenly interrupted, breaking our gaze.

“Noah!” Leah called, jogging over with a bouquet in her arms. She stumbled just a step away from him, and without a second thought, he reached out, catching her in his arms.

“Be careful,” he said, concern in his eyes. “Watch where you’re going.”

I watched the scene unfold, feeling an uneasy twist in my stomach. For years, Noah had been careful to keep a respectful distance from his female co-stars, never letting things appear too familiar.

This was the first time I’d seen him act so closely with someone else.

They continued talking, but I’d already seen enough. An uncomfortable feeling settled over me, and I told his assistant that I’d head back to the hotel to wait for him.

They say a woman’s intuition is rarely wrong.

The moment I stepped into the hotel room, I saw it in the trash can – a used wrapper for a condom.

I stared at it, the sight of it making my insides feel hollow, like something had been abruptly torn away.

I was shaking all over. I never expected that I’d be in this position – finding proof of an affair.

The entertainment world can be messy; I’d seen plenty of cases like this.

But I had always believed that Noah was different. I thought what we had was unbreakable.

For years, I’d trusted him. I’d seen him as above this sort of thing.

But standing here, staring at the evidence in front of me, I had no words left to excuse him. There was nothing I could say to make this right.

I left without telling him, without leaving any kind of note.

It was after midnight when he finally called. I was sitting by the river, wrapped in a thin jacket as the autumn wind bit through me, chilling me to the bone.

My hair whipped across my face as I sat there, feeling like a lost wanderer with nowhere to go.

“Honey, Kevin said you stopped by the set today. Are you back at the hotel? Why didn’t you tell me?” His voice was soft and warm.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to rid them of their soreness. My voice came out hoarse. “Right, so you could bring her back to the hotel too?”

There was silence on his end, long and heavy. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking during those endless seconds of quiet.

Finally, I broke it, saying, “Congratulations on your Best Actor award. You deserve it. You’ve been acting all along, even with me. It’s time to wrap this up, Noah.”

“Renee.” He sighed. “Work’s been exhausting. Could you stop overreacting? Do I really need to coddle you through this?”

A bitter laugh escaped me. This was the man I’d loved for seven years, the man I’d given up my name and my pride for.

“Noah, let’s get a divorce. I’m done. Don’t worry – I’m not going to make a scene or post anything online. Go back to your acting career; I won’t get in your way.”

I’d never stoop to competing with anyone.

There was a silence again on his end, but this time he spoke after only a brief pause. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” I replied firmly.

After a long sigh, he said, “Fine. Let me finish up here, and I’ll be back to take care of it.”

I gave him a quiet “Alright,” and ended the call.

I had thought that hearing him agree to a divorce would bring me to tears, would leave me shattered.

But when I hung up, I felt nothing.

I simply sat there, gazing out at the faint glow of dawn spreading over the river.

My mind was blank, like a void – yet oddly, it felt like it was filled with everything I needed.

And as the cold autumn breeze swept past, whatever sadness or regret had been there seemed to blow away with it.

Seven years… Noah and I had been through so much together that I couldn’t even remember when things had started to change between us.

But he used to be different, at least from what I remember. He used to be so attentive, so caring.

The winter after we got married, Noah was secretly training for a role in his next film.

That winter was especially harsh, and I had to travel out of town for work. But on the way from the airport to my hotel, I was in a car accident and fell into a coma.

When I finally opened my eyes, Noah was there, sitting by my bed, his eyes red and swollen as if he hadn’t slept in days.

The moment he saw I was awake, the exhaustion in his gaze vanished, replaced with a brightness I hadn’t seen before.

“Renee! You’re finally awake. Are you in pain? I was so worried when the doctor called…” His voice broke slightly as he spoke, and his eyes filled with tears.

I reached up to wipe away his tears, feeling a mix of relief and heartache.

It was only later that his assistant told me the full story. As soon as Noah had heard about my accident, he’d compressed a week’s worth of training into a single day, just so he could come to see me as soon as possible.

His manager had begged him to rest, fearing he’d collapse, but he’d insisted, saying, “I can’t rest; if Renee wakes up and doesn’t see me, she’ll be scared.”

But the man who once loved me so desperately, that same Noah, was now sharing a bed with someone else.

The next morning, I received an invitation from Summit Entertainment. They were interested in purchasing a few scripts I had on hand.

“Ms. Lane, it’s an honor to meet you in person,” said Mr. Lynch, the company’s senior director, as he extended his hand.

Summit Entertainment was one of the top firms in the industry, with a roster of major talents.

Everyone in the industry knew that my scripts are always tailored for specific actors.

The three I had now were written with Noah in mind.

But now? He’s not getting them. He didn’t deserve them!

“Mr. Lynch, it’s a pleasure. You’re too kind,” I replied politely, shaking his hand and taking a seat.

It wasn’t until I’d sat down that I noticed Mr. Lynch had brought along someone else.

Seated quietly beside him was a young man with a gentle, almost serene expression. Noticing my curiosity, Mr. Lynch gestured toward him.

“This is Eli Grant, one of our new talents,” he explained. “I thought today would be a great opportunity to expose him to the world of screenwriting. If you’re open to it, we’d love for him to audition for one of your upcoming scripts.”

I nodded. “I remember you. Solid performance.”

I wasn’t just being polite; I really had seen Eli Grant before.

I’d seen him working with Noah before – he’d played a minor role as one of the lead’s loyal sidekicks. I’d caught a few of their scenes together, and I had to admit, he was good.

Eli’s face lit up briefly before he composed himself, a hint of pride flickering in his gaze.

After two hours of discussion, Mr. Lynch excused himself, leaving Eli and me waiting in the lobby.

Outside, it had begun to drizzle, the steady patter of rain making the overcast sky seem even gloomier.

Eli glanced at me and noticed my frustration as I looked outside. “Ms. Lane, didn’t drive today?”

I sighed, glancing back at him. “My car’s at the shop.”

He held up his own keys with a slight smile. “Let me give you a ride.”

Eli was three years younger than me, and his easygoing smile had an air of innocence about it. But when he offered, there was a subtle confidence in his voice that made it hard to refuse.

I nodded, accepting.

After all, who could turn down a ride home from a sweet, good-looking young man on a rainy day?

In the car, Eli had put on soft, calming music, and the windows were shut tight, muting the heavy rain pounding outside.

Only the raindrops streaming down the glass reminded me of the dismal weather beyond.

“So, Ms. Lane, you’re close with the famous Noah Harrison, right?” Eli asked, breaking the silence abruptly.

It was the first time I’d heard Noah’s name spoken aloud since deciding to divorce, and it sent an uneasy tremor through me.

After a pause, I forced out a neutral reply, “We’re… alright.”

Eli drummed his fingers on the steering wheel a few times. “Oh… just ‘alright,’ huh?”

Then he asked, “Between us, who do you think is more attractive?” He looked over at me with a playful grin.

Caught off guard, I glanced at him briefly before replying, “You’re not the same type.”

But he didn’t seem satisfied, pressing on, “So, which type do you prefer, Ms. Lane?”

I wasn’t in the mood to entertain his questions, a wave of irritation rising within me.

I glanced outside and saw we’d arrived at my house, so I changed the subject, “I’m home. You can just drop me here.”

Eli nodded and said nothing more. Once he’d parked, he got out to open my door, waiting until I’d gone inside before pulling away.

The house was dark and empty. I didn’t bother turning on the lights and made my way upstairs, guided only by the faint glow of the streetlight outside.

“So eager to find a new guy already?” A low, gravelly voice came from the top of the stairs.

Startled, I looked up to see Noah, standing in the doorway with his hands shoved into his pockets, leaning against the frame.

I kept walking, “If you can sleep around while we’re married, why can’t I find someone else?”

Noah let out a bitter laugh. “I told you, it’s all fake! And do you really think he’s interested in you for who you are? You think he could actually love you?”

It was the first time Noah’s voice sounded so cold to me, but I ignored the sinking feeling in my chest.

“So what, Noah? Did you love me at all these past seven years, or were you just using me for my scripts?” I shot back.

My words seemed to hit a nerve, and in a flash, he grabbed my arm, pressing me against the wall.

“Renee, don’t lump me in with them,” he said through gritted teeth.

I yanked my arm free, enunciating each word, “You’re right. There’s no comparison… because you’re worse than they are.”

“Renee!” Noah’s fist came down on the wall beside me.

Ignoring him, I walked into my bedroom and switched on the light.

But before I could even take a breath, I felt myself pulled into his arms.

He buried his head against my shoulder, his voice low and raw. “Don’t divorce me, Renee. Please…”

I didn’t push him away, nor did I reciprocate, remaining as still as if he wasn’t there.

“Noah,” I said softly, “you’re the one who cheated. You’re the one who agreed to the divorce. Don’t you think it’s ridiculous to say this now?”

He held on tighter, as though afraid I’d slip away at any moment, but what he couldn’t grasp was that I’d already left.

“That was a mistake… I didn’t mean it. I don’t want a divorce… please, Renee…” His voice trembled, and I felt a hot tear drop onto my neck.

I finally stepped back, freeing myself from his arms.

“Any other mistake, maybe I could forgive you. But you betrayed me. Don’t you understand, Noah? You can’t have it all.”

I choked back my own tears, keeping my voice steady.

He looked at me, his eyes red-rimmed and desperate, whispering, “I didn’t… I swear…”

I could only find it laughable.

The next morning, I heard sounds coming from downstairs.

When I went to look, I saw Noah bustling around the kitchen, setting a freshly prepared, fragrant breakfast on the table.

I stood silently, watching the scene.

In all the years we’d known each other – even since getting married – I never knew Noah could cook.

It had always been me making the meals, and later, once his work got busy, he rarely even made it home to eat at all.

Noah turned to me. “You’re up? Come on, sit down. I made pumpkin pie…your favorite.”

“I’m allergic to pumpkin,” I replied evenly, with no particular emotion.

There was no need to ask whose favorite it was.

“Noah, I don’t think spending time together is helpful during this period,” I said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

His hand, pouring a glass of milk, froze. Maybe he’d forgotten we were getting divorced.

Without another word, I grabbed my bag and turned to go, but Noah followed me outside, grabbing my hand.

“I took time off just to be here with you,” he said, as if I owed him my time simply because he’d decided to take a day off.

It was laughable. He hadn’t hesitated to work through every other phase of our marriage. I once went half a year without seeing him at all.

I shook off his hand. “That’s unnecessary. Go spend time with your new muse.” Without waiting for a reply, I walked away.

As I drove, an uncomfortable tightness gnawed at my chest, and my speed crept higher with every mile.

When a large truck suddenly pulled out in front of me, I had no time to stop.

Crash!

The sound of metal grinding filled the empty road.

My phone’s emergency contact feature automatically dialed, but all I heard was:

“The person you’re trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please try again later.”

The car’s Bluetooth replayed that cold, automated message over and over.

A sharp shard of glass had pierced my thigh, and I could feel warm blood soaking through the fabric.

My head spun, and my body slumped forward onto the airbag.

Just before my senses faded, I thought I heard a familiar voice calling me.

“Renee! Renee, I’m here. Don’t be afraid…”