The Words I Left Behind

William Graham and Jasmine Spencer had been at odds since they were kids.

But that year, fate played a trick on them—out of all the eligible matches in their circle, only the two of them were left.

William swore he would rather die than marry Jasmine.

That piqued her interest. She said, "Great. Then I guess I'm definitely marrying you. Go ahead and drop dead."

On their wedding day, William humiliated her by releasing dozens of chickens at the ceremony.

With a flat look, Jasmine picked one up and called it "Darling".

Just like that, William lost all interest in the joke. He looked at the woman who insisted on marrying him and sneered.

"You'll regret this."

Three years into the marriage, Jasmine caught William cheating for the ninety-ninth time.

It was only then that she finally understood—

So this was the kind of regret William had meant.

After a long overnight flight, Jasmine Spencer stood pale and exhausted, staring at the mess of clothes scattered across the floor.

The strong, musky smell in the room made her stomach churn.

William Graham was shirtless and lounging against the headboard. Meanwhile, the woman in his arms was wearing Jasmine's silk nightgown.

His hand roamed over the woman's body, and the smirk at the corner of his lips deepened when he saw Jasmine. He raised an eyebrow, grinning like a jerk as he looked straight at her, who had just caught him in the act.

"Well? Looks better on her than it ever did on you, right?"

William chuckled. "If I'm not mistaken, this makes the ninety-ninth time. After all this, you still won't agree to the divorce?"

Jasmine rubbed her stomach slowly, her movements dull and mechanical.

For the first time, she didn't lash out at William for being so cruel.

"Get dressed. We need to talk."

William snorted at her retreating back.

"Talk? What's there to talk about between us?"

Jasmine paused, but didn't turn around.

"About the divorce."

William's mouth opened in surprise.

The woman in his arms smiled brightly. "Finally! Mr. Graham, you're finally getting what you wanted!"

Jasmine waited in the study. Barely five minutes had passed when William walked in, fully dressed.

It was clear—he couldn't wait to end things.

"You're not pulling my leg, right?"

Jasmine saw the contempt in his eyes, plain as day. She didn't answer. Instead, she slid the divorce papers across the desk toward him.

"Take a look. If everything looks fine, you can sign it."

William picked up the divorce papers, his eyes filled with doubt. He didn't believe for a second that Jasmine would actually go through with it.

The Spencer family wasn't what it used to be, so he figured Jasmine would cling to him until the end, draining him of every last drop—whether of money, energy, or dignity.

But when he finished reading the agreement, he froze.

Not only was Jasmine not asking for anything, she was even giving up the house they lived in.

He frowned. "You're serious? You're not planning to show up at the Graham Mansion and cause a scene later, are you?"

Jasmine stayed calm the entire time.

"I'm serious. I won't cause any trouble. Don't worry."

After hearing that, William didn't hesitate anymore. He quickly signed his name at the bottom.

As his pen left the page, a smile tugged at his lips. The weight in his chest finally lifted.

"Well, now that it's signed, let's go get it done at the courthouse. 30 days mandatory waiting period or not, I don't want to waste another minute with you."

"Right now?"

Jasmine frowned slightly.

"Ha! I knew it—you're backing out already, aren't you?"

A sharp pain twisted in Jasmine's stomach, but when she saw the smug look on William's face…

"Let's go."

She didn't hesitate anymore either. They went straight to the office and filed the paperwork.

When the clerk handed them a form, she was still explaining, "If either of you changes your mind within the next 30 days—"

"No way that's happening," William cut her off, tossing the pen on the desk. The grin on his face grew wider.

Jasmine came out much later, only to see that William's car was still there. He was parked by the curb and honked at her.

The window was half down. William took off his sunglasses, looking relaxed as he threw a sarcastic jab her way.

"Jasmine, come on. We were once married, and that counts for something. No need to panic about your next meal ticket—this gentleman here seems perfectly suitable."

As he spoke, he handed her a business card, clearly hoping to embarrass her.

But to his surprise, Jasmine suddenly reached out and took it.

"Alright. I'll think about it."

Then, she calmly turned and walked away.

Her actions left William stunned.

He had no idea.

30 days.

It wasn't just the countdown for the divorce waiting period.

It was also Jasmine's countdown to death.