Chapter 1

On our third wedding anniversary, Edward Hawthorne didn't come home.

I called him 32 times, but every call went unanswered. At midnight, his assistant finally sent me a cold text: [Mr. Hawthorne is with an important guest. Mrs. Hawthorne, please go to sleep early.]

I knew who that "important guest" was: Olivia Lane, the one Edward broke up with six years ago. But she remained the woman he could never forget, and she was back.

The next morning, I walked into the living room with a bowl of hangover soup for Edward, and I froze.

On the couch, Edward was looking down at a little boy who was maybe five years old. The kid was the spitting image of him, with delicate features. He curled up in Edward's arms, sleeping peacefully.

Olivia was dressed in my silk nightgown; her hair was slightly tousled. With a hint of exhaustion and satisfaction in her smile, she was quietly tucking a blanket around the child.

The three of them looked like a cozy, tranquil scene out of a painting. And I, the real Mrs. Hawthorne, stood there like an intruder, looking out of place and ridiculous.

"You're up?" Edward looked up at me. There was no trace of guilt in his eyes, only impatience at being disturbed. "Keep your voice down. Lucas kept me up all night and only fell asleep not long ago."

The boy was Lucas Hawthorne.

Olivia walked over, elegantly taking the tray from my hands. Her voice was gentle, as if she were explaining to an ignorant younger sister. "Evelyn, don't blame Edward. Lucas suffers from severe insomnia. He can only sleep soundly when Edward's around. We've got no options."

She paused and added as if unintentionally, "Lucas was named by Edward. Edward said he decided to accept this child because he still couldn't move on from the past."

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a cold hand; the pain was so sharp that I could barely breathe.

Edward and I had been married for three years, but it turned out that all the love and warmth I thought I was giving was only a joke.

I looked at the child and suddenly realized that, aside from looking like Edward's, his eyes faintly resembled mine, too.

What an ironic coincidence.

Edward, was this your way of telling me whom you really wanted to spend your life and have children with?

I didn't say a word, turned, went back to my study, and printed out the divorce agreement I'd prepared long ago. Then I walked back into the living room and set the thin papers down on the coffee table in front of Edward.

"Let's get a divorce," I said, my voice calm and steady. "I don't want the house or the car. Leave me my lab and my research. It's better for you, me, and her."

Olivia's face instantly turned pale, and she gave Edward a pitiful look.

Edward finally tore his gaze from Lucas and fixed it on me. He let out a derisive laugh, as if he'd heard a big joke. He stood up and strode toward me. He was 4 inches taller than me, and his shadow swallowed me whole.

"Stop throwing a tantrum, Evelyn," he said, his fingers gripping my chin. He didn't use much strength, but the gesture was very humiliating. "My patience is limited."

"I'm not throwing a tantrum," I said, locking eyes with him. "I'm serious."

"Serious?" Edward's sneer deepened. "Divorce? Evelyn, everything you have, including your lab, research funds, and the easy life you enjoy, is provided by me. Can you bring yourself to give that up? Where else could you go?"

He released me and picked up the divorce papers with deliberate grace. He didn't read them, slowly tearing them to pieces in front of me and casually tossing them into the trash.

"Behave yourself and play the part of Mrs. Hawthorne," he whispered calmly. "Don't make yourself an eyesore."

Then he turned to Olivia; his voice suddenly became gentle. "Has Lucas's luggage been properly placed? The south-facing room on the second floor gets excellent sunlight. I've asked Molly to prepare it."

That used to be our bedroom.

I stared at his cold, resolute back, at Olivia's victorious smile, and at the mess of torn paper scattered across the floor. The last trace of warmth in my heart faded away.

Great. Edward, you thought I couldn't live without you and that I was nothing without the title of Mrs. Hawthorne.

You had no idea that I'd been waiting for this day for so long.

*****

Edward did what he said. That afternoon, half of my belongings were cleared out of my bedroom, replaced by Olivia and Lucas's luggage.

Molly Sanford, the housekeeper, gave me a sympathetic look, acting like she wanted to say something. But in the end, she only sighed.

I didn't shed tears or make a scene. Instead, I moved into the guest room calmly.

Olivia slipped into the role of the lady of the house very soon. When I came home late from the lab, she'd be wearing my clothes, arm in arm with Edward.

She'd flash me a smile and say, "Evelyn, you must be tired. Edward and I saved you some dinner. Go ahead and eat."

Her tone made it feel like I was the guest here.

What really made me feel suffocated was how she kept telling me that Edward couldn't let go of the past.

She said, "Back then, Edward used to write me letters, saying he couldn't get me out of his mind. He missed me every single day, and every night he wished we could go back to the day we first met."

She gently stroked Lucas's head, but her eyes glanced at me. "So he brought Lucas home. He couldn't forget how much we loved each other in the past. Evelyn, don't you think that's romantic?"

I stared at her, expressionless, but inside, I was sneering. Edward couldn't let go of the past? Maybe. But unfortunately, he couldn't tell who he was really missing.