Avery's POV

“If it weren’t for Mr. Haynes, my mother wouldn’t have even been admitted into the hospital today. Avery, I’m sorry. I didn’t know today was your registration day. Next time, let me be the one to schedule it for you two!”

When I first heard about how she’d been taking care of her terminally ill mother all alone, my heart softened. My empathy got the better of me, and for a while, I stopped doubting her relationship with Stanley.

But mistake after mistake with our marriage registration forced me to see things differently. And the way Stanley kept defending her so openly, even embarrassing me in public, made it clear that day by day, in his pity for her, he’d also given her his love.

After hailing a cab to the hospital and getting my hand treated, I returned home. The moment I stepped inside, the smell of food hit me.

Stanley was in the kitchen. When he came out holding a bowl of hot oatmeal, he froze for a second at the sight of me before instructing, “Take this in and apologize. Once you do, this whole thing will be over.”

Before I could refuse, he shoved the steaming bowl into my hands. Only then did he notice the bandages on my palm. But his tone was laced with disdain as he said, “Don’t play the pitiful act. Avery, honestly, you’d be better off spending your time reading more, improving yourself. Compared to Darlene, you’re not even close.”

The pain and burn in my wound were nothing compared to the sting in my chest.

Right in front of him, I tipped the bowl over. The porcelain shattered with a sharp crack, and the oatmeal splattered across the floor.

I dusted my hands and said coldly, “Stanley, maybe you should get your brain and your eyesight checked. I don’t need to compare myself to her.”

His jaw tightened, anger flashing across his face.

“Avery, how could you?” Darlene’s voice chimed in from the doorway. “That oatmeal, Mr. Haynes made it himself!”

I turned and looked straight at her. “Want some?”

Before she could react, I yanked her forward.

“If Mr. Haynes cooked it himself, then it shouldn’t go to waste. Eat every last drop of it.”

I forced her face down into the mess of steaming oatmeal. She sputtered and thrashed, her muffled cries echoing as she pounded the floor.

Immediately, Stanley kicked me hard in the back and pulled me off, then wrapped her protectively in his arms.

“Avery, you’re insane!” he roared.

Yet I didn’t even bother answering. I turned, walked straight to my room, and slammed the door.

Blood seeped through the bandage on my palm. At last, I couldn’t hold back anymore. The tears I'd been holding back finally trickled down my cheeks.

Standing by the window, I dialed the number my father had given me.

“One o’clock tomorrow afternoon for the marriage license. Does that time work for you?”

The man on the other end sounded like he was still in a meeting, but he still calmly replied, “Yeah. I’ll have my assistant set it up.”

Not long after we hung up, the notification came through. Among the long string of divorce registration records, that single marriage license application stood out like a bright red flag.

So this was all it took. It was really that simple.

“Who were you calling so late at night?”

Stanley suddenly pushed open the door. His eyes then went straight to the blood-stained bandages on the floor.

“You really were hurt?” A flicker of guilt passed through his face. He stepped closer, gently turning my palm over in his hands.

“I didn’t know it was this bad. Why didn’t you say anything?”

He grabbed fresh bandages and carefully rewrapped the wound. His movements were soft, meticulous, so unlike the man I’d grown used to.

For so long, ever since our fights over Darlene began, there had been nothing between us but sharp words and cold silence.

But people crumbled when they were hurt and were suddenly shown kindness.

So in that moment, I broke down and sobbed uncontrollably.

He, on the other hand, wrapped me around his arms, and his hand patted my back in quiet comfort.

Avery's POV

“Alright, alright, stop crying. I know I’ve been neglecting you lately, that’s why your emotions have been so extreme. It’s all over now. Once I take Darlene back home for the funeral, we’ll go on with our marriage, okay?”

My sobs froze mid-breath.

So that was it. His sudden tenderness wasn’t because he finally understood me. It was just because of this. So foolish of me to believe that he actually cared about my hurt and realized his mistakes.

Despite that, I didn’t argue and simply replied, “Okay.”

Stanley let go of me, his eyes widening with surprise and delight.

“That’s my good wife,” he said proudly, pulling me close again, showering me with kisses.

His hands wandered quickly, sliding up my legs, his heavy breathing brushing against my ear. He rolled me beneath him and pressed his lips against mine.

Yet, I turned my face away. “Not today.”

The man above me deflated instantly. He climbed off, pulled on his pants, and headed for the door.

“I’ll take a shower. You should go to sleep.”

That night, I didn’t sleep a wink.

Even through the wall, I could hear Darlene’s voice, sharp, shrill, and impossible to ignore.

By morning, the house was empty. I knew Stanley had taken her back to the countryside for the funeral.

Quickly, I packed my things and left the keys and wedding ring on the coffee table.

With the click of the closing door, Stanley and I were now truly over.

At exactly one o’clock in the afternoon, I arrived at the county clerk's office.

Shortly, a sleek black Maybach stopped neatly in front of me, and a man in a dark gray suit stepped out.

“Let’s go. This won’t take more than ten minutes.”

I nodded and started walking toward the entrance.

“Careful!”

Before I knew it, I was pulled into Linden Haynes’s arms as a flowerpot shattered on the ground right where I had been standing.

My heart raced wildly as I looked up at him.

“You’re still the same as when you were a kid, never watching where you’re going,” he teased.

After letting go, he took my hand and guided me into the building.

Within minutes, we had the marriage license in hand.

Linden had an urgent meeting to attend, so he just asked his driver to take me back to his place.

I sat in the car, staring at the piece of paper in my hand, a strange sense of unreality washing over me.

“How is he? This is the man I chose for you. He won’t steer you wrong,” my father said proudly over the phone.

Ever since I decided I didn’t want Stanley, he had been busy finding me a suitable match. He had worked with Stanley many times in business and once thought highly of him.

“He’s much better than Stanley,” I admitted.

But my gaze was fixated on Darlene’s latest post online with a caption, [Thank you for being here. Losing Mom doesn’t hurt quite as much with you by my side.]

The photo attached to it was of a peaceful landscape.

I knew she was talking about Stanley. And the fact that he had “liked” it cut deeper than I cared to admit.

He had never once liked any of my posts. Even on the day my own mother died, he had been too busy with classes to comfort me.

Now I realized the vow he made to my mom that day was nothing more than empty words meant to reassure me and my mom.

Smiling bitterly, I gave Darlene’s post a “like.”

Third Person's POV

Meanwhile, in the elevator, Stanley pulled out his phone, but froze when he saw Avery's name among the likes.

“You liked your post using my account?” he asked Darlene, startled.

Her cheeks flushed as she stammered, unable to give a clear answer.

Stanley stared at the screen, panic flickering in his eyes.

And then, a new notification popped up.

It was Avery's post with a caption, [Turns out getting a marriage license isn’t so hard after all.]

The picture Avery posted was of her marriage license.

[Who did you marry?]

Stanley messaged her. But she just glanced at it and then immediately blocked him.

[Stop messing around. Marriage isn’t something you can joke about!] He typed and sent, but the message came back with a red exclamation mark.

Stunned, he stood frozen outside the apartment.