Chapter 1

I, Ethan Lane, chased Olivia Sutton for eight years from college until she agreed to marry me. But she never loved me.

I knew that. There was always another man in her heart, Nathan Cole.

I thought if I kept being good to her, I'd eventually warm her heart.

It had been eight years, and it never happened. I was tired.

*****

The day my company went public, I stared at the numbers in my account and suddenly realized none of it meant anything.

I reached out to an immigration consultant. Heading to Toksima.

In the last six days before I left, I decided to stop chasing after her. There would be no more fights, no more drama, and no more love.

On the first day, I personally drove her to see Nathan.

She smiled and said, "About time you figured it out."

The next day, Olivia didn't come home all night. I made breakfast and waited for her, feeling emptier than ever.

Olivia looked at me and said, "You should've done this a long time ago."

By the sixth day, Olivia was on her knees at the airport entrance, sobbing so hard her whole body trembled.

I put on my headphones and walked away without even glancing back.

*****

June in Ashford was so stifling, and it felt like I couldn't even catch my breath.

I leaned back on the couch, watching Olivia touch up her lipstick in the hallway mirror. The dress was new, and so was the perfume.

I recognized that scent. Nathan had given it to her. What was it called again? Azure Coast.

Every time she went out wearing that perfume, I'd stop her. I'd start a fight, make a fuss, and ask if she was seeing Nathan again.

She'd roll her eyes, slam the door, and yell at me for being nuts.

But that day, I didn't stop her. I even grabbed the car keys off the coffee table and waved them at her. "I'll drive you."

Olivia turned around and froze for a second.

She shot me a suspicious look, like she was wondering if I was pulling some new stunt.

I smiled. "It's hard to catch a cab when the sun's blazing."

She stared at me for three seconds, put her lipstick away, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door. "You drive."

This was the first time she'd ever let me drive her to see Nathan.

We'd been married for a year. It wasn't really a marriage. It was a piece of paper I had been begging for eight years.

The first time I saw her in college, she was standing outside the library in a white T-shirt and jeans, laughing and chatting with her friends.

I stood there for five whole minutes, staring at her. My legs wouldn't budge.

From that day on, I started chasing her. I brought her breakfast, saved her a seat, stayed up all night with her working on essays, and even fixed her roommate's computer.

If she ignored me, I hung around and waited.

If she had someone she liked, I stayed by her side, always there for her.

After four years of chasing her, we both graduated.

She got a job at an ad agency, and I started my own business.

I kept pursuing her, but this time, I tried to win her over in bigger ways.

I helped her out with work problems, covered her dad's gambling debts, and even protected her from harassment at her job.

Another four years passed. In the eighth year, she finally agreed to marry me.

But it wasn't because she loved me. It was that Nathan had gone abroad.

She needed someone, and I was the one who happened to be there.

I knew all that, but honestly, I didn't care.

I figured if she stayed by my side, maybe someday she'd finally see the good in me.

But after a whole year, nothing changed. The way she looked at me was always the same. She was tired of me, annoyed, and sometimes there was this impatient pity in her eyes.

Three months ago, Nathan came back from Unairea.

And like that, she changed again. She started going out more, coming home later, and her phone was always flipped over on the table.

I fought with her, made a scene, even stalked her at night. But what did it get me?

She looked at me coldly and said, "Ethan, can you stop being so gross? I've told you, I don't love you.

"I only agreed to marry you because you begged me for eight years, and I felt I owed you something. But that doesn't mean you can control me."

That night, I sat alone on the balcony, from midnight until dawn.

The coffee in my hand was ice cold, so bitter I could barely swallow it.

Then Derek Cox texted me: [Ethan, the IPO price for StellarTech came out.]

I glanced at the numbers and laughed to myself, bitterly. What a damn joke.

I'd spent eight years chasing after a woman who never even gave me the time of day.

And the company I started on a whim was worth six billion dollars.

That morning, I made two decisions.

First, I was moving to Javadarea.

Second, before I left, I'd be the husband she always wanted me to be.

There would be no more jealousy, no more clinging, and no more making her uncomfortable. I would be paying back what I owed her for this year.

Six days were enough.

The car pulled up in front of that restaurant by Westbrook Lake. I saw Nathan leaning against his Porsche, dressed in a crisp white shirt, his hair perfectly styled.

Olivia unbuckled her seatbelt and gave me a look. There was a hint of challenge, a bit of testing, and something else I couldn't quite read.

I smiled at her. "Go on, have fun."

She paused for a second, then a slow smile spread across her face. She gave my shoulder a casual pat and tossed out, "About time you figured it out."

Then she pushed the door open and walked straight over to Nathan.

I watched her walk away, hooked her arm around Nathan's like it was nothing.

Nathan glanced over at me and smirked, looking totally pleased with himself.

I pulled away and drove off. They faded into the distance in my rearview mirror.

I ran my fingers over the ring on my left hand. There were five days to go.

My phone rang, and Derek's voice came through the car speakers. "Ethan, your immigration papers are all set. I found you an apartment in Toksima, Hopponri Hills, 1,900 square feet. Let me know what you think."

"Yeah. Did you get the plane ticket?" I asked.

"Already booked. Six days from now, Saturday at 2 PM," Derek replied.

"Okay," I said.

After a pause, Derek asked, "Ethan, are you really sure about this?"

I kept my eyes on the road and didn't say a word.

Derek sighed. "Alright. I'll handle things at StellarTech with Sam."

"The company's been split up between you. We'll sign the papers tomorrow."

He was quiet for a long time, his voice low. "I've been with you for six years, and this is the first time I've ever felt my heart ache for you."

I chuckled. "Come on, Derek, that's pretty mushy."

I hung up. The sunset outside was gorgeous. Shame I won't get to see many more sunsets in Ashford.