Chapter 1

A female college student in the class hadn’t submitted a single assignment, so Amity White deducted points from her regular score. In the afternoon, her workstation was vandalized by a group of people. The lesson plans were scattered on the floor, the computer screen was shattered, and the water from the cup spilled onto the desk, soaking the student papers she had stayed up late to grade. Amity stood before the mess, her fingertips trembling slightly. She took a deep breath, turned around and prepared to talk to Cynthia Tylor, but saw Lawrence Rodriguez ,her husband at the corner of the teaching building. Her husband was carefully holding Cynthia in his arms, gently wiping her tears with his fingertips, his voice was unbelievably gentle : “Don't cry. I've already stood up for you. With me here, no one will dare to bully you.” Cynthia sniffled and looked up with her eyes red: “Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez... If it weren't for you, I would have been bullied to death at school. I don't know how to repay you.” Lawrence chuckled softly, running his thumb over her lips: “Then give me a kiss as a reward, okay?” Cynthia feigned shyness, hesitating for a few seconds before tiptoeing up to gently kiss his lips. “This is just reward... not consent to your pursuit,” she whispered. “You already have a wife. If you want to pursue me, I still need to observe for a while.” Lawrence gently ruffled her hair: “Alright, I'll wait for you.” Amity stood in the shadows, her blood seemed to coagulate. She suddenly recalled the day of their wedding, when Lawrence knelt on a bed of rose petals, his eyes filled with deep affection and said, “Amity, I’ll only love you for my whole life.” It had only been three years—had his “forever” already come to an end? After Cynthia returned to the dormitory, Amity walked to the car . Lawrence was leaning against the car, lighting a cigarette. His long fingers held the cigarette, and the flickering light illuminated his sharp-featured profile. When he saw her, he clearly startled: “Amity?” “Lawrence.” Amity heard her voice trembling, “When did you and her start...” Lawrence paused for a moment, then laughed softly. He slowly exhaled a smoke ring, and in the swirling smoke, his almond-shaped eyes remained as captivating as ever. “Since you've discovered it, I won't hide it from you.” His voice carried a casual, lazy tone, "In a lifetime, one can only play for about ten years. Once one grows old and loses their looks, there's no opportunity for him to play anymore. " “Amity, I love you, but I can't just love you alone; I’ll get bored.” “Cynthia reminds me of you back then—innocent and pure, I'm interested. Don't worry; I don't plan to divorce you. When I've had enough fun, I'll naturally come back to be with you.” Amity's heart clenched painfully, as if being squeezed and twisted in someone's hand: "I can't accept this! If you break up with her now, I can still forgive you.” Lawrence suddenly frowned and his tone became impatient: “Don't make trouble. I’ve made myself clear. I’ll spend the rest of my life with you, as long as you…” He gripped her chin and his gaze turned cold: “Behave yourself and don’t bully my little lover.” After speaking, he released her and turned to leave. Amity stood there, trembling all over. She had heard about the absurdities of high society—marriages where one spouse is faithful while the other cheats—and how someone like Lawrence, an heir to a wealthy family, was the object of desire for countless socialites and heiresses. But she never imagined that Lawrence would become one of them. Because he had once loved her so deeply. He loved her so much that he defied the opposition of the entire Rodriguez family and insisted on marrying her, the daughter of an ordinary teacher; he loved her so much that he stood outside her dormitory building for three days and three nights just to persuade her to reconcile; he loved her so much that he remembered she liked her coffee with three sugars, remembered she had menstrual cramps on the 15th of every month, remembered she hated rainy days... On their wedding day, he held her hand and solemnly promised in front of everyone that he would only love her for the rest of his life. But she never imagined that his love would end so quickly. Amity didn’t know how she got home. She collapsed onto the bed in a daze, and her tears soaking the pillow. When she woke up again, icy cold water had already risen to her chest. She suddenly opened her eyes and found herself suspended in a massive transparent water cube, her hands chained above her head, and the water level was slowly rising. Across from her, Lawrence sat elegantly in a leather sofa with his long legs crossed, playing with a lighter in his hand. The flickering light illuminated his handsome profile, but couldn’t penetrate his icy eyes. “Lawrence…!” She struggled and the water splashed everywhere. “What are you doing?!” “You contacted Cynthia,” he said, his voice as cold as ice,“You tell her to stay away from me.” The lighter clicked shut. He stood up and walked step by step to the water cube: “So she deleted all my contact information.” “This is your punishment, remember this lesson.” Amity shook her head wildly, her voice trembling on the brink of collapse: "I didn't! I haven't seen her at all since I went home!" “Still trying to justify yourself.” Lawrence sneered, raising his hand to signal the bodyguard and said“Increase the water flow.” The water level surged suddenly, the icy current like countless demonic hands, instantly wrapping around her neck. Amity was forced to tilt her head back, the water had already flooded to her chin, and every breath was accompanied by the fear of drowning. Lawrence ignored her suffering, watching her struggle coldly: “I told you, I love you. Give me ten years, and I'll come back to be with you.” “But the condition is, don't target Cynthia anymore.” After saying that, he turned and left. “Lawrence! Lawrence—” Her screams were drowned out by the water as Lawrence walked away without looking back. The water level rose every ten minutes, and the cold, suffocating sensation followed her like a shadow. On the brink of death, she faintly saw that spring outing when she accidentally fell into the water, and Lawrence jumped into the lake like a madman; she saw countless nights when she was afraid of the dark, and he stayed up all night chatting with her; she saw when she had a stomachache, and he ran all over the city to buy her a bowl of hot soup... But now, everything was gone. When the bodyguard dragged her out, Amity didn't even have the strength to stand. She collapsed on the ground, coughing violently, soaked all over, and in a mess. She trembled as she pulled out her phone, and the screen lit up— Cynthia had updated her Ins. “This is the first time someone has waited for me all night downstairs just to add my contact information back~” The photo showed Lawrence standing below the girls’ dormitory building, holding a bouquet of roses with a gentle look in his eyes. Amity looked at the photo and suddenly smiled, but tears fell onto the screen. She staggered to her feet, and the first thing she did when she returned home was draft a divorce agreement. It wasn’t until evening that Lawrence returned. Seeing Amity's pale face, he softened his tone unusually: “Let's have dinner outside and cheer you up, okay?” He ruffled her hair, as if soothing a sulking pet: “This matter is over. I only played with her for ten years. Don't bother her anymore.” Amity looked up calmly: “Alright, but you must sign an agreement.” She handed him a document: “Promise to return to the family in ten years.” Lawrence signed it without even looking at it. “Satisfied?” He smiled, leaning in to kiss her. Amity turned her head away and whispered, “Yes, satisfied.” She was satisfied. Because he didn’t realize that what he had signed wasn’t a return agreement at all, but a divorce agreement…