I forced a smile.

Of course. It was always the same with him.

He would never give me a clear answer.

"Between Rhea and Bethany... who do you love more?"

Maybe it was the divorce that finally stripped away my fear, and I asked the one question he hated the most.

"Megan!" Jaxxon yanked his tie loose, his face darkening.

"Do you have to be like this? That kiss with Bethany just now—it was a moment of impulse, and you still won't let it go?"

He shoved an umbrella into my hands with zero patience. "Go back to the villa by yourself. Bethany gets scared when she's alone. I don't have time to deal with your drama."

Just before walking off, he threw one last line over his shoulder. "When the divorce cooling-off period ends, be at the civil affairs office on time. Don't waste my time."

I stood frozen, watching his back disappear into the night, my entire body going cold.

A moment of impulse?

Only people who truly matter could make someone lose control.

And what did I get?

A single umbrella, tossed at me like a handout.

See?

Whether a man loves you or not—you never need to ask. His actions screamed the answer.

It took me a while to collect myself before I finally called a cab home to the Rhodes family.

I didn't dare mention the divorce to my parents.

They were both humble, rule-abiding teachers—how could they possibly accept that their daughter had just gotten married and was already splitting up?

Still in my clothes from the day before, I collapsed onto the bed.

But the moment I closed my eyes, all I could see was Jaxxon kissing Bethany.

My chest felt like it was stuffed with cotton—I couldn't breathe.

I tossed and turned all night without sleep.

The next morning, I put on my running gear and went out for a jog, hoping to clear my head.

I'd barely made it out of the neighborhood when I ran straight into a warm, solid chest.

As I looked up, I recognized the man. It was Alec.

He was dressed in a plain white workout shirt, clearly just finished his run.

The thin fabric clung to his skin, soaked with sweat, outlining a set of lean muscles and defined abs.

Bathed in the soft glow of the morning sun, his handsome face lit up with a light smile.

He looked like he walked right out of a dream.

"Megan, don’t tell me you’re starstruck again?"

He leaned in with a teasing grin, his long fingers gently tapping the corner of my mouth.

"And you said you weren't drooling over my body. I swear your mouth is about to start watering."

My cheeks flushed bright red, but I tried to act calm. "Alec, don't talk nonsense."

He winked mischievously and, without warning, grabbed my hand and pressed it against his abs.

“Let’s take care of that craving first,” he said with a teasing grin.

I froze, my fingers trembling as I tried to yank my hand away, stammering like an idiot.

"W-Wait until after the marriage registration... then I'll... I'll touch as much as I want..."

Alec let out a hearty laugh.

Then, without missing a beat, he knelt on one knee and pulled out a small box from his pocket, revealing a sparkling diamond ring.

"Megan, marry me."

The sudden proposal left me completely stunned.

Seeing my silence, he must've thought I was hesitating, so he upped the offer, "If you say yes, you won't have to wait for the certificate. I'll let you touch all you want—right now."

I rolled my eyes and snatched the ring from his hand, slipping it onto my finger.

His eyes lit up instantly, and in the next moment, he pulled me into a tight hug, guiding my arms around his firm waist.

"Let the fiancée have a little taste of what she's getting," he said with a wink.

Then he sprinted off like an excited little kid, leaving me standing there—unsure whether to laugh or cry.

That warm, silly sunshine boy... was he really still the Alec I knew?

Or had time turned him into something else entirely?

We'd been classmates in high school. He lived in an upscale villa district but used to walk five kilometers after school just to escort me home.

His excuse? He wanted tutoring from my parents.

Who was he fooling?

He spent half his days practicing fencing and still ranked first in the entire grade. What tutoring did he need?

Even my dad could see through him and warned him repeatedly, "No dating in high school!"

Alec nodded solemnly every time, swearing, "My heart is focused on my studies!"

But the moment we entered college, I got swept away by Jaxxon.

As I stared at the massive diamond ring on my finger, I suddenly felt—maybe there was no need to keep running anymore.

But the moment I got home, Bethany sent me another document.

I knew she was provoking me. That was always her game—her twisted sense of fun.

I thought I could handle anything she threw at me now.

But when I opened the file, what greeted me was a detailed pregnancy planning chart.

Ovulation tracking, scheduled intercourse dates, meticulously recorded—month after month—for the past six months.

My mind went blank. A deafening buzz rang in my ears.

So there was never any IVF.

For the past half year, every so-called "late night at the office," every sudden "business trip" Jaxxon went on...

He was with her.

My stomach churned violently. I barely made it to the bathroom before I started throwing up everything I had, until I was dry-heaving, dizzy, and numb.

Just then, my phone rang.

I answered—and immediately heard Bethany's grating, gleeful laughter.

"Megan, I almost gave myself internal injuries holding it in—just to reveal the truth after your wedding," she giggled, her voice dripping with mockery.

"Tell me, don't you just want to kill me right now? Too bad! You won't even get close enough to pull out a strand of my hair!"

Then, as if flipping a switch, her tone turned chillingly cold.

"Megan, I hate you with everything I have. You stole my sister's place. You took over her role, her man. This is your karma!"

It felt like a knife had been driven through my chest—but somehow, that unbearable pain brought me clarity.

I let out a soft, bitter laugh.

"Bethany, if that filthy man is your treasure, then by all means—keep him."

Suddenly, Jaxxon's voice came through the other end of the line, his breathing was heavy.

His tone was as sharp as ice. "Megan, I dare you say that again! Apologize now. Or this marriage is over!"

He let out a cold snort. "Anyway, I'm tired of women like you—clingy and pathetic, always groveling when I crook a finger."

I took a deep breath and ended the call without hesitation.

My stance couldn't be clearer.

I'd already asked for a divorce yesterday. Surely by now, even he could see I meant it.

And just as I hoped, he didn't contact me again.

In the days that followed, I met Alec's parents, introduced him to mine, took our pre-wedding photos, and finalized every wedding detail.

All that was left was to get the marriage certificate—after I officially divorced Jaxxon.

—

The day of our divorce finally arrived.

As I approached the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, I spotted Jaxxon standing there—with his arm around Bethany.

The moment he saw me, his gaze dropped on my white dress, soft makeup, and decorative veil.

He immediately rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Megan, are you crazy? We're here to get divorced. Who the hell are you trying to impress, dressing like that?"

He sneered arrogantly, "You could've spent that time getting here early. I've still got to register my marriage with Bethany after this."

I couldn't even be bothered to respond.

It was only nine in the morning. The place had just opened. How early did he expect me to be?

Bethany stood beside him, fanning the flames as usual.

"Jaxxon, she said you're a disgusting man, and now she won't even talk to you. Let's not waste time on her—she'll just think you're chasing after her."

Before she could finish, I had already walked briskly into the bureau and made my way straight to the divorce counter.

Jaxxon's face darkened. Dragging Bethany behind him, he hurried to catch up.

"We're here to file for divorce."

"We're here to file for divorce."

We spoke almost in unison.

His expression twisted, probably embarrassed by the scene.

He glared at me. "Megan, don't regret this."

I almost laughed out loud. I shot back deliberately, "So... We're not divorcing?"

His eyes widened in surprise—just for a second—before his voice turned mocking.

"In your dreams."

Jealousy flickered in Bethany's eyes. She quickly latched onto Jaxxon's arm and pulled him toward the marriage registration window.

I carefully folded and tucked away my divorce certificate, then followed slowly behind them.

Just as Jaxxon turned and saw me, his expression turned stormy, and he snapped.

"Megan, why are you still here? Don't tell me you're trying to stop me from marrying Bethany?!"

I closed my eyes, trying to walk around him, but Jaxxon suddenly shoved me hard.

Caught off guard, I fell to the ground. The rough pavement scraped my palms, tearing the skin and drawing blood. A sharp sting shot up my arms as I sucked in a breath.

Jaxxon turned away in disgust, his voice cold as steel. "Quit clinging like a damn leech. Even if you got down on your knees and begged, I'd never take you back."

A crowd had begun to gather, murmuring and pointing at me.

"Can’t you live without a man? Even after the divorce, she's still throwing herself at him. What a joke!"

"A woman with no self-respect doesn’t deserve anyone. No wonder no one wants her."

Bethany crouched beside me, feigning concern.

"Megan, get up already. Didn't you say you didn't care about Jaxxon? Now here you are putting on this whole pitiful act—aren't you ashamed?"

Just then, Jaxxon's temper exploded again. He stormed over, grabbed my arm, and tried to drag me out.

"Get lost!"

Humiliation and fury crashed over me like a wave. I yanked my arm free, my voice cutting through the noise with crystal clarity. "Jaxxon, is the Civil Affairs Bureau your private property? If you can walk over to the marriage registration window, why can't I? I'm here to get my license too—who the hell are you to kick me out?"

His face twisted in rage. He shoved me again, raising his voice to humiliate me further:

"Megan, throwing a fit didn't work, so now you're lying? Fine! You say you're here to get married? With who? Name one decent man who'd want a used-up woman like you!"

"I would."