"Third Point Of View'
Two Years Ago – City Courthouse
"I'll pay you ten thousand dollars. All I need is your signature."
Anna Song froze, her hand tightening around the eviction notice in her purse. The man who'd just spoken was tall, sharply dressed, and looked like he hadn't slept in days. He stood in front of the courthouse clerk like he owned the air around him.
"You need a wife?" she asked, blinking in disbelief.
He nodded. "Temporarily. It's a legal requirement. We marry, I get my inheritance, and we go our separate ways. You get the money. No strings. No contact. Just your signature."
Anna looked him over. He was clearly wealthy. Desperate, but wealthy. Her eyes drifted to the red stamp on the eviction paper. She had no job, no family, and exactly sixty-seven dollars in her bank account.
"Fine," she said, heart pounding. "I'll do it."
Five minutes later, they were married.
No rings. No witnesses. No eye contact. The only thing she remembered was his name on the license: Ethan Lu.
He didn't even look back as he left. And just like that, Anna Song became Mrs. Ethan Lu.
---
Present Day – Lu Corporation, 27th Floor
Anna adjusted the cuffs of her white blouse and stepped into the office corridor with practiced calm. Her heels clicked on the marble as she passed by glass-walled meeting rooms and curious glances.
It was a big day.
Everyone was talking about it.
"Did you hear? The CEO's finally back."
Anna paused mid-step. Her colleague, Lisa, whispered as she followed behind her.
"Ethan Lu. He's been abroad for the past two years. Took over after his grandfather passed, but he disappeared soon after that. No photos, no interviews. They say he was in Europe, managing international branches."
Anna blinked. That name again.
Her heart skipped.
Could it be... him?
No. It couldn't. That Ethan Lu was just a legal technicality in her past. She never saw his face properly. The man was a ghost she buried years ago.
"Does he even exist?" Anna said lightly, forcing a smile.
Lisa laughed. "He exists, alright. And rumor says he's hotter than sin. Back with a fiancée, too. Some model or heiress he met in France."
Anna's smile stiffened. Fiancée?
Her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number lit up the screen:
From: Mr. Jin - Legal Office
"Your husband has returned. He requests a meeting to finalize the divorce."
Anna's breath caught.
So it was him.
After all this time, he was back... and ready to erase her like she never existed.
---
Same Day – Ethan Lu's Private Jet
"Anna Song," Ethan muttered, flipping through a thin file in his hand.
His lawyer had found the marriage certificate tucked away in an old folder. Two years ago, in a moment of desperation, he'd married a stranger. He never saw her face. He only remembered her name, and the feeling of relief when he signed the paper and unlocked his inheritance.
Now, she was a loose end.
And Ethan didn't leave loose ends.
"Is it really necessary?" asked Isabelle DuPont, the elegant woman sitting beside him, flipping through a magazine. "This whole divorce thing... she's just a nobody, isn't she?"
Ethan didn't look at her. "She was my legal wife. That makes her a problem. Once I sign the divorce papers, there's nothing standing between us."
Isabelle leaned closer, her hand brushing his. "Good. Because I don't share."
Ethan shut the file. "Neither do I."
---
Lu Corporation – Lobby
Anna replied to the message with trembling fingers: "I agree to the divorce. Name the place and time."
Just as she hit send, the elevator doors slid open.
A man stepped out in a charcoal suit, flanked by two assistants. His presence commanded attention. Heads turned. Phones stopped. The lobby fell silent for a beat.
Anna didn't look up. Her back was to him. Her eyes were glued to her phone, heart racing.
Ethan glanced around the lobby, unaware that the woman he sought was only steps away. Their paths crossed without a single glance.
Husband. Wife.
Strangers.
---
Later That Night – Ethan's Penthouse
"She never showed up," he muttered, tossing his phone onto the marble counter. "Jin said she agreed to meet."
Isabelle handed him a glass of whiskey. "Maybe she got cold feet. Or maybe she doesn't want a divorce."
Ethan scoffed. "She took the money and disappeared. Women like that don't want anything more."
Isabelle slid onto his lap, lips brushing his ear. "Then let her keep hiding. She's already forgotten."
But Ethan couldn't forget now. For some reason, the idea of not knowing who Anna Song was began to bother him more than it should.
He pulled up the employee list from the Lu Corporation database and typed in her name.
No results.
He frowned.
But she had agreed to meet. She was here.
Somewhere.
---
Back at Her Apartment
Anna leaned against her front door, fingers still gripping the phone. Her mind raced.
He wanted a divorce. That was fine.
But why now? Why after two years?
And why... why did her chest hurt at the thought?
She slipped off her heels and walked into the dark silence of her apartment. Her phone buzzed again.
New Message: Mr. Jin
"Apologies. There was a mix-up. Mr. Lu will reschedule. He requests another meeting this Friday."
Anna typed quickly: "I'll be there."
She didn't know what he looked like.
And he didn't know who she was.
But fate had a strange way of forcing the truth into the light.
---