Chapter 1
Third Person’s POV “Ma’am, your husband deceived you into signing a real divorce agreement, and there is no agreed time for remarriage. As long as you file it, you can actually complete the divorce process. If you don’t want a divorce, I can help you revoke this document.” “No, just file it for me. When can the divorce process be completed?” “Five days later.” Clarissa sat in a cafe with the lawyer,recalling what happened yesterday. “Mrs. Daniel, your husband’s frozen sperm, stored here at the hospital, was taken five years ago. It was donated to Ms. Gabrielle Hawkins. Didn’t he tell you?” Clarissa Daniel’s smile froze the second she heard that name. For a moment, she thought she’d misheard and asked again in an unsteady voice, “Is it possible there was a mistake? My husband’s name is Norris Daniel.” The doctor tapped the keyboard a few more times, double-checking. Then he looked up and said firmly, “There’s no mistake. I can still remember, when Ms. Hawkins gave birth, Mr. Daniel even sent a thank-you banner to the hospital.” The words hit her like a blow. Her hand, resting on the wheelchair arm, slipped off, powerless, then a buzzing filled her ears. Five years ago, she and Norris got married. Back then, he’d told her he didn’t want her to suffer through childbirth, and had volunteered to get a vasectomy. She’d been so touched by his thoughtfulness back then. Still, fearing he might regret it one day, she insisted he freeze some sperm first, just in case. Lately, He was under great pressure from his parents. In order to help him share the pain, she also wanted to have a child of their own.So, she came to the hospital on her own, planning to surprise him with a pregnancy. But instead, he’d surprised her first. And the name Gabrielle chilled her to the bone. Gabrielle was the older girl from next door, whom Norris had secretly loved for fifteen years. He’d planned a grand confession before she went overseas, only to be flat-out rejected. It was during that heartbreak that Clarissa stayed by his side, warming him with her sunny optimism. Eventually, they got married. She truly believed he’d moved on, that he’d fallen in love with her. Now she realized he never had. He never let go of Gabrielle. Clarissa was just the consolation prize in a sad little game she played with herself. The doctor noticed the sudden change in her complexion and asked a few concerned questions. Clarissa forced a smile. “I’m fine,” she murmured, wheeling herself out of the hospital and heading home. Still in a daze, she pushed the door open, assuming the place was empty, until the faint clinking of glasses reached her from the balcony. “Norris, are you really going through with the divorce? Clarissa’s been with you for five years. Don’t you love her even a little?” Norris’s voice was lazy, almost indifferent as he replied, “When Gabrielle needed me to get married for the sake of her stability, I agreed. But now she doesn’t need that anymore. And I don’t want to keep Clarissa tied to me out of guilt. That’s the only reason I married her in the first place.” The voice on the balcony paused, then asked again, more seriously, “Does Clarissa know you and Gabrielle have a child together? She loves you so much. If you really divorce her, I bet she’ll disappear without a trace. You’ll never find her again.” Norris chuckled. “She doesn’t need to know about the kid. A few days ago, I told her the company’s in trouble and that we needed to fake a divorce. Once she gets used to the idea, I’ll tell her the truth. She’ll understand. Besides, look at her legs. Where can she even go?” Clarissa felt like her brain had exploded. ‘A fake divorce?’ The words echoed in her head. She had believed him, believed the crisis was real. She even gave him the last of her dowry savings to help him through it. But it was all a lie. A choked sob rose in her throat, and her chest tightened as if pierced by needles. She had been planning a future with him, thinking about surprising him on their anniversary. But he had already erased her from his plans. Guilt was all it took to sum up her ten-year crush and five-year marriage. She thought she had finally won his heart. Turned out, she was just a placeholder in his love story with someone else. Looking down at her lifeless legs and remembering the pain she endured to save him, she realized how foolish she’d been. Instantly, grief turned into rage. Clarissa suddenly started pounding her legs with her fists, tears splashing onto her thighs, hot and unstoppable. Suddenly, the voices on the balcony fell silent. Clarissa froze. She hadn’t meant for them to hear. Panicking, she turned the wheelchair and headed for the front door. A moment later, Norris came over. His expression flickered with surprise, and his voice dripped with false concern. “Clarissa, when did you get back? You should’ve called, I’d have come to get you. What did the doctor say?” She looked at his eyes full of love, but then her eyes welled up again. Alarmed, Norris reached out, trying to wipe away her tears. “What’s wrong? It’s okay. If you don’t get better, I’ll take care of you forever.” Clarissa stared into his eyes again, trying to find even a shred of real affection in his eyes. But in the end, she couldn’t bear to know and looked away. Sniffling softly, she casually asked, “Norris, I’ve been thinking… I’d really like to have a child with you. It’s a good thing we froze some sperm back then. Do you think you can come with me to the hospital sometime soon?” Upon hearing that, his face changed instantly. He avoided eye contact and mumbled something, clearly trying to change the subject. “Why bring that up all of a sudden? I don’t want you to suffer through pregnancy. I’d feel awful. Besides, didn’t we agree to travel the world together? Hard to do that with a baby.” Seeing how uncomfortable he looked, Clarissa closed her eyes. She had her answer. She slumped slightly in her chair and said, “I’m tired. Can you carry me to the bedroom?” He nodded and helped her inside. Once he was gone, Clarissa reached for her phone. “Auntie,” she said quietly, “I’ve made up my mind. I want to go to the Netherlands with you.” Her aunt’s excited voice came through the speaker, but the joy didn’t last long. “This time… how long are you planning to stay? Don’t tell me you’ll come running back after two days because you miss your husband again.” Clarissa’s heart clenched. She whispered, “Permanently.” There was a pause on the other end. Then her aunt’s voice came back, warm and full of resolve. “Okay, then. I’ll start the immigration paperwork.” After hanging up, Clarissa made another call. But at that time, to her lawyer. She was done waiting. Her love couldn’t warm a heart that never opened to her. If Norris wanted a real divorce, then she’d give him exactly what he wanted. She would turn this fake divorce into a real one and make his lies come true. End of memories. Once Clarissa made up her mind to leave Norris for good, she didn’t waste any time. Ahe met with a lawyer to sort through their shared assets and financials. By the time she was ready to head home, a sudden downpour had started. However, she hadn’t brought a driver today and had just hailed a cab to the quiet little coffee shop where she met her lawyer. Now, with the heavy rain coming down in sheets and barely a car in sight, Clarissa found herself stuck. She’d wait under the awning for the rain to pass and kindly refused her offer to help. Hours passed, but the rain didn’t let up. It only grew heavier as the sky turned from gray to pitch-black. As such, her legs, still recovering, began to ache. With no other option, she finally pulled out her phone and called him. “Norris,” she said softly, “can you come pick me up?” The urgency in his voice was immediate. He barely got out a few words before hanging up, promising he was on his way. That call sparked a small warmth in her chest. Maybe he still cared. Maybe not everything between them was a lie. Could she give him one last chance? But just as he turned the corner from his street, Norris’s phone buzzed with a message that froze him in place. [Gabrielle: Norris, I’m back.] His heart skipped a beat. Without hesitation, he pulled over, sent a quick message to his driver, and spun the car around. The tires screeched as he sped off, heading straight for the airport. Back in the rain, Clarissa sat in her wheelchair, rehearsing in her mind what she would say to him. She’d tell him about her fears, her confusion, the aching need to believe they could still make this work. But night fell, the storm quieted to a drizzle, and rain pooled around the base of her wheels, yet Norris never came. Her heart sank deeper and deeper, until it felt like it had hit rock bottom. She called him again, but there was no answer. Still, she tried again, and finally, someone picked up. But it wasn’t him. A woman’s voice, soft, almost pleading, echoed from the other end. “Norris, do you really not love me anymore?” After a brief silence came Norris’s voice, low and tight with emotion. “Gabrielle… I’m married now.” The woman didn’t back down and asked, “But you still came for me, didn’t you? Then tell me, why would you leave your wife, who’s only five kilometers away, just to drive thirty kilometers to pick me up?” Clarissa’s whole body went still. She opened her mouth, tried to speak, but no sound came. Her throat burned, words trapped behind pain. At that moment, panic set in. She wanted to hang up, to stop hearing this, but her trembling hand accidentally hit the speaker button instead. Norris’s voice rang out clearly as he replied, “Yes. I can’t forget you. Are you happy now?” Clarissa’s breath caught, stunned. And then, the unmistakable sound of lips meeting rang out from the other end. In a hurry, her hand fumbled as she ended the call, but in the chaos, the phone slipped and landed in the water. She reached for it without thinking and forgot all about her damaged legs. She fell hard onto the pavement, right into the cold rain. For a moment, she lay there, frozen. The storm kept beating down on her, soaking her completely. And then, something inside her broke. She buried her face in her arms and sobbed. Fifteen years, she had loved a man who only had eyes for someone else. Five years of marriage, only to find out it had all been built on guilt and that she had merely been a placeholder. “Why? Why…” she whispered over and over, her voice cracking through the rain like a broken song. Her tears blended with the rain, her pain heavier than the cold that seeped into her bones. And eventually, darkness took her. When Clarissa finally woke up, she was in a hospital bed. She blinked slowly, disoriented. A glance at the clock told her it was already noon the next day. Her phone, which someone had carefully dried out overnight, sat on the bedside table, fully functional, but still silent. No messages. Not a single word from him. She sat up, just about to call for the discharge paperwork, when the door opened. She turned her head, a flicker of hope sparking in her eyes, only to see the driver walk in. The light in her eyes faded instantly. “Mrs. Daniel,” he greeted awkwardly. “Mr. Daniel’s car got stuck last night, so he asked me to pick you up. How are you feeling?” Clarissa forced a smile and nodded. The excuse was pathetic, but she didn’t want to make things harder for the driver. So, she simply said, “I’m alright. Let’s go home.” As such, he quickly took care of the discharge and brought her back. When they reached the front door, she sat outside for a long time, trying to pull herself together. Only after smoothing out her expression and faking a smile did she open the door. But the moment she pushed it open, she heard a voice inside. “Norris, look how much Matthew looks like you.”