Chapter 5

Sera Hayes' POV

Five days left until I leave.

Caleb took me to the hospital to get my wound bandaged. My palm had a deep cut from the glass, requiring three stitches. Throughout the entire process, I didn't make a sound, as calm as a puppet without sensation.

"The overseas paperwork is all settled," Caleb looked at my face and sighed. "Sera, if you can't bear it, you can always come to me. You don't have to carry it all alone."

"Thank you, I'm fine." I looked at my bandaged hand, a faint smile playing on my lips. "I just feel like these three years were a bizarre dream, and now that I've woken up, it's time to go."

Leaving the hospital, it was pouring rain.

Caleb drove me back to the villa. As the car pulled up to the gate, we saw Ethan's black Maybach parked in the rain.

Ethan stood under a black umbrella, his face terribly grim. Seeing me get out of Caleb's car, he strode over, roughly pulling me under his umbrella, with a force that tugged at my fresh wound.

I winced.

"Ethan, you're hurting her!" Caleb pushed open his car door, angrily moving to intervene.

"Get lost!" Ethan glared coldly at Caleb, his eyes like poisoned daggers. "She's my wife, it's none of your business! Caleb, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Stay away from her!"

With that, he forcibly embraced me and strode into the villa, slamming the door shut.

The villa was dark, no lights on.

Ethan pushed me against the door, his chest heaving violently. He had clearly smelled the unfamiliar cologne on me.

"Sera, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded in the darkness. "I just wasn't there to take care of you, and you're already rushing to find a lover? Do you have any idea what people in that room will say about you tonight?!"

Leaning against the cold door, I suddenly felt very tired.

"Do you care what they say about me?" My voice was especially hollow in the dark. "In their eyes, I was already a mercenary woman. Ethan, you're the one who pushed me into that position."

Ethan was stunned.

"Sera, I didn't mean it like that..." He softened his voice, trying to take my hand. "Tonight was an accident. Lana suddenly had an episode, I was too anxious and didn't think about you. How's your hand? Let me see."

I avoided his touch.

"Ethan, you're always like this," I stated calmly. "You think that as long as you apologize, as long as you explain 'it was for Lana,' I have to unconditionally forgive you, understand you. But why should I?"

"Because you're my wife!" Ethan blurted out. "We're married! We're family. Lana isn't my family, I'm just repaying a debt! Why can't you be a little more understanding and not make a fuss right now?"

Family. I laughed, tears almost welling up.

"Yes, I'm your wife," I said softly. "So you can propose to someone else on a national live broadcast, you can make me pour wine like a servant in front of others, and you can walk away without a backward glance while I'm injured and bleeding."

"Ethan, you actually dare to call me your family. It's truly disgusting."

"Sera!" Ethan was stung. He suddenly raised his voice. "Do you have to be so mean? I told you this is only temporary! Everything will go back to normal once she has her surgery!"

Just then, Ethan's phone vibrated wildly.

He answered with annoyance. The urgent voice of a hospital nurse came through. "Mr. Knight, Ms. Bellweather suddenly became emotionally unstable and ran to the hospital rooftop, threatening to jump! Please come quickly!"

Ethan's face instantly changed.

He hung up, gave me a deep look. "Sera, Lana is threatening to jump, I have to go. We'll talk about us when I get back."

With that, he turned and without hesitation, pulled open the door and rushed out into the rainy night.

I stood there, listening to the car engine start, watching the Maybach disappear into the rain.

I slowly walked to the sofa, pulled out a pre-prepared divorce agreement from my bag, and placed it prominently on the table.