"Harley."

Harley froze, thinking James had woken up. But then, she heard him murmur, "Why did you do this to me?" The same words he had mumbled in his hospital bed the day they broke up. Her hand stiffened, her face paling. She looked down at him. His eyes were shut, his breathing deep. He was still asleep. It seemed like he had a nightmare. Their entire history must have been a nightmare to him. Only in his dreams did he seem to remember.

Harley prepared to pull away, but a warm, strong hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. Her heart clenched. She instinctively tried to withdraw, but before she could, James pulled her onto the bed. James was awake. He pinned her down, his eyes filled with murderous intent, red and sweaty as if he wanted to kill her. How much did he hate her to react like this? Harley clenched her fists, anxiety twisting inside her. She didn't dare to speak first.

James' gaze cleared slightly when he recognized her. The rage in his eyes faded, but his expression only grew colder. "What are you doing?" His voice was harsh, wary.

Harley answered calmly, "You were having a nightmare. I was just covering you with a blanket."

James pushed himself off her, his face still unreadable. Harley quickly sat up. Seeing his sweat-soaked forehead, she offered, "You're drenched in sweat. Let me get you a towel." After that, she got out of bed.

"Harley." His deep voice stopped her in her tracks. James stared at her silhouette. "How much longer are you going to keep this up?"

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, but she kept her composure. "I don't understand what you mean."

James' voice was sharp. "Three years. Aren't you tired of this yet?"

Harley understood exactly what he was referring to. Three years of marriage without love. Just her endlessly giving while he remained indifferent. No matter how much he resented her, how cold he was to her, she never got angry. She played her role as Mrs. Franklin quietly and obediently.

Sometimes, she would ask herself why was she doing all this. Did she hope that one day, he would change his mind? She never forced him, did she? It could be more out of guilt. She felt that if it weren't for her, he wouldn't have had to suffer so much. Yet, her kindness toward him had become a burden, making him hate her even more. It was as if she were trying too hard to please him only to push him further away.

Harley turned her head and met James' cold, handsome face. She smiled faintly. "It'll be over soon."

It would all be over soon. However, James didn't pay attention to the meaning behind her words. The man only showed indifference, not even wanting to look at her. He stood up and left the bedroom first. "That's for the best!"

With a loud bang, the door slammed shut. Harley was left alone in the room. She no longer needed to put on an act. Slowly, she crouched down and stayed there for a long time. Meanwhile, James sat in his study, his brows furrowed in a deep crease that never eased. The dreams were becoming more frequent. Over and over again, the same ones. Fragments of memories piecing themselves together, strangely familiar but just out of reach.

His head ached. A heavy feeling weighed on him, especially when he looked at Harley. The feeling became even stronger. She was like an endless abyss, something he dared not touch.

"Another nightmare?" A call came through.

James responded softly, "Yes."

"I checked your heart rate, it's been increasing lately. That's not a good sign."

James asked, "Will my memory come back?"

"Not sure," the person on the other end replied. "With the kind of injuries you had, forgetting might actually be a blessing."

That was what the doctor had told him. Forgetting might be for the best. He tried not to dwell on it, but in his dreams, the past kept pulling him back. Something told him that those memories weren't happy ones. There was hatred mixed in, yet deep down, there was also an undeniable sense of unwillingness to let go.

***

For the next few days, James didn't return home. Harley didn't leave the house either. She had never waited for him like this before. There wasn't much time left. She just wanted to spend a little more time with him, even if they didn't speak. Alas, her hopes were slowly crumbling. The more she wanted something, the faster it slipped through her fingers.

It had always been this way, but she didn't want to wait anymore. Harley opened the window and saw that it was snowing outside. A vast stretch of white. A gust of cold wind blew in, sending a chill through her body. She shivered. Wrapping herself in a thick down jacket, she put on a hat and scarf, bundling up completely before stepping out.

Sabrina Thompson was already waiting for her. Noticing how heavily dressed she was compared to others, Sabrina sighed. "It's freezing, and you still insisted on coming out?" She reached over and put earmuffs on Harley.

Harley smiled faintly. "I might not have another chance."

Sabrina frowned. "What do you mean? Can't you wait until the snow stops? You've always hated snowy days."

Harley shook her head. "Let's go inside. I want to buy something." She headed to the men's clothing section, browsing through the racks.

Sabrina watched her and immediately understood who she was shopping for. Her expression darkened. "Harley, you're not seriously still thinking about him, are you?"

Harley's gaze fell on a dark-colored coat. It would suit James perfectly. She had it wrapped up. "I don't know if I am," she murmured. "But I'm divorcing him."

Sabrina was completely stunned. "What?"

Harley turned to her. "This will probably be the last thing I ever do for him." She had waited so many days, but he never came back. So, she decided to finish this one last thing. If she stayed any longer, she might not see him before Harley's identity completely disappeared. Before that, she had to end it completely.

Harley took the packed clothes and was about to go home. Unexpectedly, at the jewelry counter around the corner, she saw the man. He stood beside Quincy, who was leaning over the glass counter, looking at her left hand. On her finger was a diamond ring, sparkling and dazzling under the light. James was accompanying Quincy to look at wedding rings; this would surely be another headline in the news.

"Harley, are you still going to be love-struck?" Sabrina's voice rang in her ears.

Harley comforted herself, "I'm not love-struck, and James isn't a heartless man. He just forgot about me." That was true, but why did it hurt so much?

"Do you have any candy?"

"Huh?" Sabrina was confused by Harley's sudden question, but she immediately understood as she saw Harley's tear-streaked face. She hugged Harley and gently patted her shoulder, "Harley, if you can't hold onto the sand, just let it go. If you're not happy, what's the point of insisting on this marriage?"

"I understand." Harley swallowed back the emotions surging inside her. Sabrina took her home. No, Sabrina took her back to the villa under James' name.

As soon as Harley returned, she went straight to the room and quickly drafted a divorce agreement. Then, she sat on the couch and waited. Minute by minute, time passed. It was after midnight when James finally came home, but he wasn't alone. Quincy was with him.

Quincy supported him. "James is drunk. Someone needs to take care of him."

Even though this scene stung Harley's eyes, she couldn't pretend not to see it. She stepped forward to help, but Quincy pushed her away forcefully. "A lowly servant like you can't even tell what's going on? Do you really think you're Mrs. Franklin?"

Harley was caught off guard and fell to the ground. She didn't expect Quincy to pull such a stunt; otherwise, she wouldn't have given Quincy the chance to push her. But James ... every time James got drunk, she was the one who took care of him and made him a hangover remedy. Because the hangover tea Harley made was a special recipe from an old doctor. She couldn't just leave James unattended.

So, she went to the kitchen, made the hangover tea, and brought it up. Before she could even set it down, Quincy smacked the cup out of her hands. That was the last straw. "Quincy, I held back just now because of James. But that doesn't mean I'm afraid of you."

Quincy sneered. "You? Fight me? Harley, look at yourself. Look at your status. Do you think you can stand up to me?"

Harley despised Quincy. She refused to let this woman humiliate her like this. That woman raised her hand, ready to slap her. Unfortunately, before she could land the hit, a strong force yanked her back. That familiar strength of that chiseled face. "Harley, who gave you the courage to lay a hand on Quincy?"

James' dark eyes were like two sharp knives. Knives that sliced straight through her heart, leaving her bleeding. James could forget her, forget the feelings between them. Still, he repeatedly defended a woman who looked eerily similar to her in front of her. How could she bear this? How could she endure this? Harley suppressed the endless pain surging in her heart. "She knocked over my hangover tea, why can't I hit her?"

Quincy immediately put on an act, looking aggrieved, "James, didn't I send you back? She probably saw the diamond ring on my hand, misunderstood, and then smashed it in front of me … "

When the cup shattered, James had only woken up in a daze. Quincy knew that all he saw was Harley raising her hand against her. There were no cameras in the room, and James didn't care about his real wife. Harley was doomed. James' face darkened as he strode toward her.

Harley had always had a keen sense of smell; she caught the heavy scent of alcohol on him immediately. Her heart ached. The James she knew used to listen to her every word. Now, all she felt was hatred for those drug dealers who had ruined everything.

If it weren't for the drug dealers, Harley's father wouldn't have had to go undercover. He wouldn't have been mistaken for a criminal. Her mother and brother also wouldn't have been targeted for revenge. James also wouldn't have gotten into that accident trying to find her and wouldn't have lost his memory.

At that moment, Harley was certain of one thing. She had to get a divorce and put distance between herself and James. Harley had to reinstate her father's police badge. Even if she and James could never be together in this lifetime, she was willing to dedicate herself to protecting the country and to exchange her love for the peace of thousands of families.

Harley took a deep breath and looked at James. "Yes, I admit it. I can't stand you and Quincy. But now, I've realized something. Sign the divorce papers. I'll walk away with nothing."

After that, she strode to the nightstand. Harley pulled open the drawer and took out a divorce agreement, handing it to James.