Chapter 1

Emily Hartwell stared at her phone, her fingertips trembling so hard she could barely hold it steady. On the screen, a trending forum tweet read "What's It Like to Marry Someone You Don't Love?" Noah Lockridge's reply was right beneath it. "It's torture. If you don't love someone, you just don't. No matter how much she loves and does for me, I can't forget my ex." Someone asked in the comments, "Since you aren't non-anon, aren't you afraid your wife will see this and get a divorce?" Noah's reply stabbed into Emily's chest like a blade. "No. She loves me too much to leave me." The phone slipped from her hand and landed on the carpet with a dull thud. It'd been four years. For four years of their marriage, she'd loved and cared for him, convinced that he'd come to see her worth if she held on long enough. It turned out that to him, she was nothing but a pathetic worm too cowardly to walk away. Through her tears, she remembered the first time she ever saw Noah. It was back in a financial lecture at college, where he'd given a speech as a top graduate. Dressed in a sharp black suit and a white shirt, he'd been so cold and polished he seemed untouchable. She sat in the crowd like every other girl, silently crushing on him, and was too timid to even say hi. It wasn't long before rumors spread through the campus that the campus beauty, Bella Rossi, had started making her advances on him. "Did you see? Bella brought Noah water again today." "They look perfect together." "I heard her family owns a listed company. She and Mr. Lockridge are a match made in heaven…" All that gossip only pushed Emily to bury her feelings deeper. As expected, Bella and Noah were officially together barely a month into the semester. They would constantly put on shows of public affection. In a designer dress, Bella would cheer him on at basketball games and laugh as she handed him a water bottle under the watchful eyes of many. He'd rent out an entire restaurant for her birthday and spend a hefty sum to light up the night sky with fireworks just for her. They were the golden couple, and everyone thought they'd get married one day. But in their final year, Bella left for Stahlbruck after a huge fight. That was the first time Emily saw Noah fall apart. He started skipping classes and frequenting bars. Once, she saw his car parked by the side of the road, while he sat alone on the bench, smoking through the night. Every time, she waited until he passed out before mustering the courage to grab a cab and send him back to school. On their graduation night, she followed Noah to another bar, ready to help his drunken self back to his dorm. But he suddenly opened his eyes and looked straight at her. "It's been you all this time, hasn't it?" Emily froze on the spot, her heart pounding hard against her chest. "Do you like me? Do you feel sorry for me?" He locked his dark, unfathomable eyes on her. She blushed hard and knotted her fingers into the hem of her shirt. "If you really feel sorry for me, marry me." The words hit Emily like lightning. She knew that she was a distraction and a stand-in for Bella, whom he couldn't forget. But that day after graduation, she still showed up at the city hall in her cap and gown to register for their marriage. She naively told herself that Noah would see her worth, given enough time, until Bella returned last month. Noah left her stranded at a highway rest stop just to pick Bella up from the airport. And when Bella caught a cold, he stayed by her hospital bed for three days straight. He was an absolute clean freak, yet he let Bella eat snacks in his car and barely frowned when she smeared cream on his leather seats… Now, he was here, telling the world that marrying Emily was torture. Emily's eyes landed on the line on the screen. "No. She loves me too much to leave me." Tears dripped onto her phone, and a bitter laugh bubbled up in her chest. Noah was wrong; Emily did love him, but not enough for such pathetic behavior. Wiping her tears, she picked up her phone and called her lawyer. "Draft me a set of divorce papers." Four hours later, she had the papers in hand and was about to approach Noah to get his signature when her phone rang. "Hey, Emily. Noah's stomach's acting up again, and we're at the usual place. Could you bring him some meds?" His buddies sounded so casual, as if they were certain she'd come. And she did, but this time, she meant to end the marriage. She grabbed the medicine and divorce papers before heading out. Just as she reached the door to the private room, she heard them laughing inside. "I bet she'll show up in twenty minutes!" "No way. I'd say ten minutes at most. When has she ever made him wait?" For years, people in their circle loved to bet on her devotion to Noah. She was numb to it now, and just as she was about to reach for the door handle, a soft voice sounded behind her. "Are you here for the party too? Why aren't you going in?" Bella was back from the restroom, looking all puzzled. Before Emily could respond, Bella hooked her arm and pulled her in. Laughter in the private room came to an abrupt stop before wild cheers erupted. "Told you! Ten minutes!" "Man, you've got an obedient wife, Noah!" Noah lounged coldly on the couch. Hearing the commotion, he looked up and barely glanced at Emily before looking away. She quietly walked over and set the medicine in front of him. As if hit by the late realization, Bella blinked, looking surprised. "Oh, so you're Noah's wife? That's great! I was just thinking I should come by your house sometime!" She clung to Emily's arm affectionately. "Since you're here, let's hang out!" Emily dug her nails into her palm as the pain barely kept her looking steady. For the next two hours, she sat in the corner like she didn't exist. She watched Noah drink on Bella's behalf, push her favorite dishes up to her, and slide his coat over her shoulders when she said she was cold. When the room got rowdy, someone shouted that Noah and Bella should do a couple's toast, just like back in college. "Stop it! Emily's here, so don't do this!" Bella shouted with a flushed face. She turned to Emily with an apologetic smile. "Please don't mind. This is just how we've always been, and they're probably just used to it…" "It's fine. There's nothing to mind." Emily's voice was calm. "Emily's the best and never gets upset." Someone tried to smooth things over with a laugh. "Why is that?" Bella curiously asked. No one answered, but Emily knew what they meant—She loved Noah to a point where she wouldn't dare get mad over anything, but this time, they were wrong. She was calm, not because she dared not throw a tantrum, but because she no longer cared. When the party was over, rain was pouring outside. "I'll take you home," Noah said to Bella in a non-negotiable tone. Bella glanced at Emily and hesitated. "My place is too far, and Emily looks so tired. Maybe you should leave…" "No need." Noah turned to Emily and coldly said, "You can grab a cab." Emily's fingers tightened around the divorce papers in her bag, and her heart ached so much like a hand had seized it tight. "Fine, but as compensation, can I have a gift?" she asked and held out the divorce papers in her bag. Noah looked startled for a moment. After all, this was the first time she'd ever asked for anything in all their four years of marriage. Just as he reached for the papers to look through the contents, Bella suddenly let out a soft cry. "Ouch! I sprained my ankle…" Without looking, Noah immediately grabbed the pen and signed the papers. Then, he scooped Bella into his arms and walked away. Emily looked down at the fresh signature and subtly exhaled. She'd finally achieved the purpose of her trip today. She'd just stepped out to grab a cab when headlights flared. Bang! Pain exploded through her body as she hit the ground. She forced her head up, just in time to see Noah's familiar black car. As the window rolled down, she heard Bella's panicked voice. "Noah, I think we hit Emily! We should check on her!" In the driver's seat, Noah shot her a cold look and said, "No need. Your ankle needs looking at. She'll call an ambulance herself." With that, he resolutely drove off, the tires splattering filthy rainwater over Emily. Lying in the pool of blood, Emily clutched the divorce papers in her hand as rain mixed with blood soaked through the pages. A forced smile tugged at her lips. "So, that's it. To you, Bella matters so much that you'd watch me die and not lift a finger." Fine. When the divorce cooling-off period ended in just one month, he'd have his divorce and openly date Bella. As for Emily, she'd finally be free.