Ethan Yu grabbed two documents from his study and turned to leave without sparing Hailey Tang another glance.
But Hailey wasn't done. Not yet.
She rushed to block his path, her voice trembling but resolute. "Ethan, please. Let's get divorced now. I swear I won't say a word about it. I'll keep it completely confidential. You have my word."
"Move," Ethan said coldly, not even trying to hide the disdain in his tone.
"I'm telling the truth," she insisted. "I'm not using this to blackmail you. I just want out."
He jerked his arm free from her grasp, his eyes narrowing with a deadly chill. "Hailey Tang, enough with the drama. I've had it."
"I'm not being dramatic," she said calmly. "I'm just telling you again—I want a divorce."
He stepped forward, forcing her to retreat until her back hit the wall. His towering figure loomed over her, radiating frustration and suppressed fury.
"Who do you think you are?" he snarled. "Do you think marriage is some kind of game? You want in, you want out, just like that? You think I'm a puppet you can command at will?"
She stood her ground, even as her heart pounded.
This was the real Ethan Yu. Cold. Arrogant. Uncompromising.
He'd never been the gentle man she once dreamed of. She had spent her past life chasing a fantasy, and that fantasy had destroyed her.
"I'm serious," she said, her voice steady despite the ache in her chest. "Tell me your condition. Whatever it is, I'll agree."
Ethan let out a dark chuckle, the kind that sent chills down her spine. "Anything?"
"Yes."
"Fine," he said, leaning close enough for her to feel his breath on her skin. "Then die. If you die, I'll divorce you immediately."
The room fell into dead silence.
Hailey froze. Her eyes trembled for just a second, but she didn't look away.
Even though she'd long stopped expecting love from him, those words still pierced through her like a blade. She had once loved him with everything she had. And though she had done foolish things in the past, she had never truly harmed him.
But this… this was his answer?
He'd rather see her dead than set her free?
In her past life, she hadn't understood just how cruel he could be. But now, she did. Ethan Yu wasn't just cold—he was utterly heartless.
And that was exactly why she needed to get away from him, for good.
He was poison wrapped in charm. The kind of man who could destroy a person without lifting a finger. One wrong step near him, and you'd never recover.
So no. Not this life.
She wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
"I get it," Hailey said, swallowing back the lump in her throat. "I was wrong in the past. I hurt you. But I don't want revenge. I just want to move on, for both our sakes. You don't even have to announce it. Just give me the papers. I'll sign them and disappear."
Ethan's expression didn't soften.
He leaned closer, eyes like obsidian. "Tell me the truth. What's your real plan? What are you trying to pull?"
"There is no plan," she whispered.
But he didn't believe her. Not even for a second.
And with a scoff of disdain, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone in the hallway.
To him, every word she spoke was just another trick.
Every gesture—another performance.
Even her desire to leave him… he thought it was just the beginning of a new game.
But this time, she wasn't playing.
This time, she meant every word.
She was done begging.
She just wanted her freedom.
Even if he didn't believe it yet—one day, he would.