Chapter 1

"I want a divorce." After being married for four years, Pearl Hamilton decided to bring her marriage to a close. Yet, the lawyer before her seemed to think she was merely pulling a prank. He arched his brow and drawled, "Kid, a divorce isn't a solo gig." Pearl could understand why the lawyer didn't think she was being serious. After all, she had rolled into his office right after class. She was even wearing a hoodie and a pair of jeans, for crying out loud. Suffice it to say, she did not look like someone who wanted to get a divorce. Regardless, she had come prepared. So, she ignored his silent dismissal and continued calmly, "I just need you to draft a proper divorce agreement for me. I'll get my husband to sign it myself." She had borne Jonah Lawrence no children, and she had no interest in his wealth. Thus, the divorce agreement came to a total of two measly pages. When she returned home, a disgusting scent hit her smack-dab in the face. Pearl searched for the source of the smell and saw that Cecelia Shaw and Jonah were having surströmming together. There was even a half-eaten nectarine on the table. She couldn't hear their conversation, but they looked so intimate as they laughed together. When Jonah saw Pearl standing by the door, the smile on his face immediately disappeared as he asked her sternly, "Pearl, I didn't know you were coming home, so I only ordered two portions. What do you want? Should I place another order?" "It's fine. I ate at the cafeteria," Pearl murmured. She glanced at the surströmming before lowering her gaze. She had never dared to indulge in any pungent dishes over the years because of Jonah's rhinitis. He even made it clear that he didn't like weird smells in his home. Pearl took out the divorce agreement from her bag and handed Jonah a pen, saying, "The university needs this safety slip signed by family. Could you sign it for me?" Pearl was an orphan. Since Jonah was her husband, he really was her only kin. "Give it here." Jonah furrowed his brows slightly and reached for the papers. Pearl didn't think he would actually read it. After all, he had never really paid much attention to her affairs. In fact, he had become even more indifferent ever since Cecelia returned to the country after her divorce a month ago. Pearl's fingers tightened around the divorce agreement, her body stiffening in anxiety. She had no idea how to proceed from there. "Jonah, what's with you?" Cecelia suddenly interjected. Her red lips curled into a teasing smile as she swatted Jonah playfully. "Look at you being all serious in front of Pearl. You look like you're a second away from signing her pink slip. Look at how scared she is." "Is that right?" Jonah retorted in jest. The frown on his face had vanished the second Cecelia spoke up. There was mirth in his eyes as he took the papers from Pearl and casually signed his name where Pearl had pointed. Pearl nearly deflated with relief, but that sweet victory was soon followed by a wave of bitterness. Jonah had always been cautious and solemn whenever he was before her. Yet, his sharp edges seemed to soften whenever Cecelia was around. He looked at ease, something that he never was with her. He could've discovered the truth if he had taken a closer look at the papers. He would've known then that he wasn't signing some safety slip but a divorce agreement. Alas, he was far too busy having fun with Cecelia. "I think of Pearl as a sister. As her elder brother, I naturally have to be stricter with her." A sister? Pearl froze as she thought wryly, "That definitely wasn't what he was saying when he was fucking me into the bed every night." Her parents passed away when she was still young. When her mentor, Nathaniel Lawrence, found out about her living situation, he often invited her over for meals under the pretense of needing her help organizing research materials. As time passed, Pearl eventually got to know Nathaniel's son, Jonah. Nathaniel was a highly respected clinician, but his only son, Jonah, did not follow in Nathaniel's footsteps. Instead, Jonah started his own gaming studio while he was still in college. He had even become a rising star in the business world before turning 30 years old and was often featured in financial magazines. He had the looks and the money. So, he was practically every woman's dream guy. Pearl was no exception to that rule. In fact, she had developed a rather hopeless crush on him after interacting with him a few times. Still, she was well aware of the vast difference between them. So, she kept her feelings to herself and didn't even dare to look him in the eye when they ate together. She thought life would go on just like that until that incident four years ago. Nathaniel and his wife, Marlene Darrow, had left on a business trip together and asked Pearl to drop off a document at their home. That night, she was just about to leave after mailing the package when a completely wasted Jonah suddenly burst in and collapsed into her arms. Things escalated quickly. Jonah was relentless, and Pearl… Pearl was a doormat when it came to him. In the end, they ended up tangled in each other. Jonah had even left a rough bite mark on her shoulder. The scent of alcohol lingered on his breath as he growled with frustration, "You knew full well that I like you!" Only later did Pearl learn that Cecelia had gotten married to a foreigner that day. Unfortunately, she had no idea Cecelia even existed then. At the time, she was overjoyed. She assumed that her crush was requited. So, she gave herself to him completely that night. The next morning, Marlene soon discovered what had happened between them. When she did, she immediately made Jonah promise to take responsibility. So, they got married as soon as Pearl was legal. They barely interacted the next four years because Jonah was busy with work, and she herself was still living in the dorms. When Jonah treated her coldly, she had chalked it up to his personality. She had loved him with all her heart, never asking for anything in return. A month ago, she used her scholarship money to book a high-end restaurant to celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary. It was, incidentally, also her 24th birthday. She had scheduled the dinner weeks in advance and told Jonah's secretary about it repeatedly. Jonah had promised he would come. Yet, she waited and waited for him till the restaurant closed. To make matters worse, his phone remained unreachable. The restaurant staff eventually asked her to leave. When she did, she saw a news headline on her phone. There had been an accident nearby. Panic had instantly gripped her heart like a vice. She rushed to every nearby hospital in just two hours. Yet, Jonah was nowhere to be found. Just as she was about to lose it, she finally got hold of Alex Fallows. Alex was one of the few people who knew about her relationship with Jonah. He sounded surprised when he heard her, saying, "Didn't Jonah tell you? Cecelia returned to the country today. He's hosting a welcome banquet for her at the hotel." Pearl had never heard Jonah breathe a word about Cecelia. She only found out about it when she arrived at the hotel. She only learned that the travel influencer Jonah followed nigh religiously was none other than Cecelia. She stood by the private room's entrance and saw Jonah's classmates having the time of their lives in there. Amid the laughter and cheers, Jonah lifted Cecelia in his arms and even chugged a glass of alcohol. Pearl had never seen Jonah that happy. She had barged into the room, hoping for an explanation. However, Jonah looked embarrassed and awkward when he saw her. Then, he turned to the others and introduced her, "She's a relative." In that moment, Pearl finally understood the truth of it all—she had never once been part of Jonah's life. Now, she watched Jonah and Cecelia casually serving each other's dishes with cold eyes as the divorce papers crinkled slightly in her hand. After the one-month cooling-off period, she would get the divorce certificate and leave. She would leave Jonah, who had never once been hers from start to finish.