Chapter 1

Willow took the agreement and nodded slightly. "Alright, I got it." With the divorce agreement in hand, she bid goodbye to Rachel, then hailed a cab to Chad's company. … Willow pushed open the door to the CEO's office. Chad was sitting behind his desk, a document in his hand. Upon looking up and seeing her, he smiled. "Why were you late? Don't think you can slack off on work just because you're the CEO's wife." Chad sounded like an affectionate older brother, yet not a trace of love could be found in his tone. "I got stuck in a jam." Willow walked over and handed the divorce agreement to him. She took a deep breath in order to hide the nervousness in her tone. "I've just sealed a new deal, Mr. Lawson. This is the contract—I need your signature here." As Chad reached out to take the document, she looked up—only to meet his bright gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, afraid he might notice something was off. Fortunately, he didn't so much as glance at it. He took the agreement, flipped it to the last page, and signed it without hesitation. His tone was light when he said, "You've closed another deal? Good job, Wil." Willow felt a wave of bitterness crash over her as she watched Chad sign the agreement. In the five years they'd been married, his affection toward her had always been because of the benefits she'd brought him. She had never been treated as a lover who was truly worthy of standing by his side. Chad's phone rang, and he picked it up to look at it. His calm expression turned tender all of a sudden—even his tone became soft as he answered the call. "Are you hungry? I'm working in the office now. If you're hungry, I'll buy you some food and bring it over later, okay?" Anyone who didn't know better would've thought the person on the other end of the line was his wife of five years. But no one else, other than Willow herself, knew just how many years she'd loved him. Chad and Willow were childhood friends who grew up together. For him, she'd given up her own passion, studied finance, and joined his company as an assistant. They accidentally slept together five years ago. After they woke up, Chad said he would take responsibility and marry her. Delighted, Willow readily agreed to it. Little did she know he was talking about a secret marriage by contract, and they would divorce once they each found someone they actually loved. She fell from cloud nine instantly, yet she couldn't resist becoming his wife. She ended up agreeing to marry him, signed the contract, and helped him deal with his parents. After they got married, Willow worked diligently by Chad's side and handled business deals for him. She thought it would make him see her in a new light—that she was no longer the young girl who needed his protection. However, he remained indifferent toward her. Even their intimacy seemed like a mere formality—just to tend to his physical needs. Later on, Willow found out the reason Chad got drunk and slept with her was because his muse had married someone else. That woman was no other than Laurel Lawson—his "younger sister" whom his family had once mistakenly adopted as their own. Unable to accept the news of her getting married, Chad expressed his affections and almost got caught. As such, he hastily married Willow in order to put his parents at ease. Willow had been hurt by the truth, yet she believed that one day, she would eventually move him with her love. However, she recently discovered a secret on Chad's phone. Laurel had already moved out of her husband, Andrew Hale's, house and was currently in the middle of a messy divorce with him. With nowhere to go, it was Chad who handled everything for her—renting a hotel for her, accompanying her for meals and walks, and even helping her with her divorce lawsuit. A month ago, when Willow was abducted by a rival company, she called him for help. However, his phone was turned off. Later on, she received a video from an unknown number. Only then did she discover that he had been enjoying himself in Laurel's bed that day. At that moment, Willow decided to end their hopeless marriage for good. She scoffed mockingly at that thought and turned to leave Chad's office. She then mailed the signed divorce agreement to Rachel. … Willow started packing up once she returned home. The clothes in her wardrobe, books on the bookshelf, and jewelry from her drawers were all packed up one by one, yet she felt not the slightest bit of attachment. It took a long while after Chad got back for him to realize many things were missing. He walked over to her and casually asked, "Why did you pack them up? Are you planning to get new ones?" Willow replied calmly without looking up, "They're old. It's time to replace them." Chad chuckled and replied in a light tone, "You're right. You've worked so hard for me, so it's only right for you to treat yourself better. Just buy whatever you want." Willow didn't reply to him and merely continued with her packing. Later at night, Chad hugged her after his shower and said flirtatiously, "Tonight, how about we…" Willow shoved him away and replied indifferently, "I'm on my period—I don't feel well." Chad was taken aback. "Hasn't it been four days now?" Willow remained expressionless. "I still don't feel well." In their five years of marriage, this was her first time rejecting Chad's request. In the past, even if her period had just ended, she would force herself to go along with his desires, no matter how uncomfortable she felt. But now, Willow would no longer aggrieve herself for him. She would put herself first, learn to say no, and let go of all her hurt and grievances. This marriage would end here. And after the 30-day waiting period, she would leave for good.