Chapter 1 My husband couldn't forget his first love. He spilled his true feelings in a private VIP room at a club, drunk out of his mind. "I've loved her for years. I was too late to confess before, and she got married. Now she's divorced, but I'm the one who's married." I didn't get angry. I just stayed by his side. My husband despised me. He thought I was a pathetic, clingy woman with no sense of self, an obstacle standing between him and his first love. He was desperate to divorce me. Every time he brought it up, I refused. What he didn't know was that he was just a target for my mission. I only needed to refuse his request for a divorce three times, and the system would force the mission to end. ... When I rushed to the club through the pouring rain, I arrived just in time to hear Arthur say, "I've loved her for years. But before I could confess, she got married." "Now she's divorced, but I'm married." One of his friends teased him, "Well, you could always get a divorce too." Arthur's drunken voice dripped with contempt and disgust. "That woman is obsessed with me. There's no way she'd agree to a divorce." "You guys have no idea. Every time I see her buzzing around me, it just annoys the hell out of me. She has absolutely zero personality or sense of self." "She can't even compare to a single finger on Chloe's hand." I froze outside the door of the VIP room. Behind me, the sharp click of high heels echoed down the hallway. It was Arthur's beloved first love, Chloe. "Evelyn, you're here. Why aren't you going in?" She spoke up proactively, flashing me a brilliant, arrogant smile. Malice hid in her beautiful eyes. "What are you eavesdropping on out here?" The people inside finally noticed me. Their faces instantly changed, shooting guilty looks toward Arthur. For a split second, Arthur looked sober and panicked, but his expression quickly hardened into something cold. "You heard that?" The room was packed. To save Arthur's ego, I played dumb. "What? I just got here." Arthur let out a disgusted, cold laugh and turned his head away, refusing to look at me. I walked into the room to help him up. "It's late. Let's go home." Arthur ruthlessly shoved me away, his impatience boiling over. "Didn't I tell you I wasn't coming home tonight? Why the hell did you come looking for me? Do you know how annoying you are?" He was drunk, and he didn't bother reining in his temper. His expression was colder and more hostile than I had ever seen it. It made him look like a stranger. No, not entirely a stranger. He had been treating me like this for quite some time now. Ever since his first love announced her divorce. "Arthur, don't talk to Evelyn like that. She only came to pick you up because she cares about you," Chloe chimed in with fake sweetness. "How about this? Evelyn and I will take you home together. Is that okay?" Looking at Chloe's face, Arthur's expression slowly softened. "Okay." So, I ended up driving while Arthur and Chloe squeezed together in the backseat. I don't know if Arthur was actually blackout drunk or just doing it on purpose, but he laid his head directly on Chloe's lap, acting as intimate as a couple deep in the honeymoon phase. The sight made my eyes burn. Chloe offered me a fake apology. "Evelyn, please don't misunderstand. Arthur is just drunk. Please don't fight with him over me." I didn't say a word. I had absolutely zero desire to waste my energy dealing with a manipulative "pick-me" girl. But Chloe wouldn't stop. "You really are a boring person. No wonder you and Arthur have been married for five years and still haven't developed any real feelings for each other." Chapter 2 Those words struck a nerve. It was true. Once upon a time, I used to fantasize that Arthur and I would have an arranged-marriage-turns-to-true-love kind of romance, that feelings would grow over time. But in the end, Arthur loved his first love more. When the car stopped, Chloe ignored me and practically carried Arthur into the house herself. I didn't try to stop her. I just sat in the car, looking at the photo I had just taken. The next day, when Arthur sobered up, I showed him the photo. It was a picture of him sleeping deeply on Chloe's lap, while Chloe gazed down at him with deep affection. Arthur stared at it in a daze, and then a look of joy washed over his face. I bet he was secretly thrilled that Chloe's eyes looked so full of love for him. So, I intentionally threw a massive fit, demanding an explanation. "What exactly is going on between you and that homewrecker, Chloe?!" Arthur immediately frowned. "Evelyn, stop using such ugly words. Have some class, will you?" I yelled angrily, "Even if I don't have class, I'm still your wife! I have the right to keep you in line, and I have the right to curse out that homewrecker you're messing around with!" My words were harsh, and Arthur's face darkened just as expected. He glared at me coldly. "What? Am I not your wife? Do I not have that right?!" "Then let's get a divorce," Arthur said, his expression filled with revulsion. "Evelyn, let's get a divorce." I shouted excitedly, "I refuse! Arthur, I will not agree to a divorce!" Arthur gave me a "just as I expected" look, as if he knew all along I wouldn't agree. Utterly sick of me, he slammed the door and left. Once he was gone, I dropped the angry facade and calmly pulled out a chair to sit down. I finally got him to bring up divorce on his own. Six years ago, the system pulled me into this world and assigned me the mission of making Arthur fall in love with me. For six years, I worked diligently, playing the role of the deeply devoted lover, sacrificing everything to marry him. At one point, I even developed genuine feelings for him. But Arthur still didn't love me. My mission was a failure. Now, as long as Arthur brought up divorce three times, the system would force the mission to end, and I could return to my original world. Now, there were only two times left. When Arthur came back, I was in the study organizing my illustration drafts. After marrying Arthur, I became both a full-time housewife and a full-time illustrator, gaining a small following online. Right now, I was organizing the manuscript for my very first graphic novel. I had spent over two years preparing it. I originally planned to publish it in this world, but since I was leaving soon, I decided to take the work back to my original world with me. Hearing the sound of Arthur opening the door, I closed my manuscript folder, looked back at him, pretended nothing had happened, and said gently, "You're back?" Arthur's expression was stiff and awkward, like he wanted to say something but was holding back. I stood up and walked toward him. Even though I knew he had something to say, I played dumb. "I made your favorite soup. I'll go get you a bowl." As soon as I walked out of the study, I immediately understood why Arthur had that expression. Chloe was there, and she had her luggage with her. "Evelyn," Chloe smiled warmly at me, adding a touch of apology to her tone. "I've been getting harassed by some crazy fans lately, and it's not safe at my place. Could I crash here for a few days until things blow over?" I looked at her expressionlessly and didn't say a word. Arthur, looking guilty, spoke softly to explain. "It's true. Some fans found out Chloe's address. They knock on her door every night and even follow her." Seeing that I remained silent, Arthur started to get impatient, his brow furrowing. "There really is nothing going on between Chloe and me. We're just friends who have known each other for years. She's in trouble right now, I can't just ignore her." "Evelyn, there has to be a limit to your unreasonable behavior. Stop testing my patience. We've been married for years, can't you show a little maturity? Stop acting like a spoiled child." "Fine." I looked away and said to Arthur, "I agree to let her stay." Chapter 3 Why wouldn't I let her stay? Only if she moved in would the conflicts between Arthur and me escalate faster, which meant I could hear him bring up divorce for the second time much sooner. The sooner I could leave this world, the better. Arthur looked at me in total surprise. The look in his eyes was strange, as if he was still dissatisfied. "What, I agreed and you're still not happy?" Arthur frowned and warned me, "Don't try any funny business. If I find out you're bullying Chloe behind my back, I won't let it slide easily." I wanted to laugh. He was supposed to be my husband, but right now his loyalty was entirely with an outsider. I really wanted to ask, Arthur, in all the years we've been together, have you never felt even a shred of genuine affection for me? Arthur ignored me and quickly went downstairs to help Chloe with her luggage and prepare the guest room. While he was at it, he enthusiastically offered, "Evelyn made some restorative soup in the kitchen. Once we're done unpacking, I'll bring you a bowl." "Evelyn might not be great at much else, but her cooking is top-notch. You haven't been feeling well, let her cook for you and help you get your strength back these next few days." I let out a dry, speechless laugh. Arthur, did you really think that just because we got married, I became your servant? That no matter how you treated me, I would never leave you? I really want to know how you're going to react when I'm gone. I walked downstairs, went into the kitchen, drank a bowl of soup myself, and then poured the rest of it straight down the drain. I spent all day making that soup. I'd rather pour it out than let you two toxic pieces of trash drink it. I went back to the study and continued organizing my comic. It didn't take long for Arthur to storm into the study, demanding, "Where's the soup you made?" I kept my eyes downcast and said coldly, "Poured it out." "What?!" Arthur sounded like a completely different person, his tone explosive. "Evelyn, what is the meaning of this? If you didn't want Chloe to stay, you could have just said no! Instead, you play nice to my face and then pull this petty, passive-aggressive bullshit behind my back!" I countered coldly, "If I had said no, would you not have gotten angry?" Arthur stared at me, speechless. I stared back at him, waiting to see if he would bring up divorce for the second time. But I was disappointed. He didn't. Arthur slammed the door and stormed off again. Late that night, after washing up and getting into bed, I could hear Arthur and Chloe drinking and chatting in the living room. The atmosphere sounded incredibly cheerful; even from upstairs, I could hear their laughter. I don't know how much time had passed, but while I was deep in sleep, I felt someone hug me from behind. It was Arthur. His breath was scorching hot and reeked of alcohol as he affectionately kissed the back of my neck. I felt utterly disgusted and shoved him away forcefully. "What are you doing?" Arthur sobered up a bit, complaining, "You're my wife, what do you think I'm doing?" Seeing my entire body radiating rejection, his face gradually darkened. "This is your duty as a wife, Evelyn. If you're going to keep acting like this and refusing to let me touch you, then get the hell out of my house." Ever since I discovered Arthur was cheating, I had refused to let him touch me. It had been almost three months now. "Your house?" I asked. Arthur looked smug, as if he was absolutely certain I would submit. "You married me with absolutely nothing to your name. I owned this house before we met, so of course it's my house. Evelyn, did you forget? You were the one who begged me to marry you." "Now, if you won't let me touch you, get out!" Chapter 4 I was left speechless, then silent, and finally, I started laughing. Back then, he was my mission target. To complete the mission, I really did beg him to marry me. I couldn't deny that. I just never expected that this man, who I once genuinely had feelings for, would use that to attack my dignity. "Fine, I'll leave." I opened the closet and packed a few essentials. Before walking out the door, I paused slightly, waiting for Arthur to say something harsh, like threatening to divorce me if I dared to step outside. But Arthur completely misunderstood my hesitation. He mocked me mercilessly, "Didn't you say you were leaving? Go on, get out!" His tone made it clear he was convinced my threat to leave was just a manipulative tantrum, not a genuine intention. I felt like the fire needed just a little more fuel. So, I marched over to the guest room where Chloe was staying and started pounding on the door. I wanted to manufacture a massive fight, something that would push Arthur to finally say the word "divorce." Arthur quickly rushed downstairs and grabbed my arm. "What are you doing, Evelyn?! Are you crazy?!" I struggled. "Let go of me! Arthur, don't think I don't know what's going on in your head. You like Chloe, right? Well, I'm going to ask her right now if she likes you back." I thought this would force Arthur to bring up divorce, but to my absolute shock, he raised his hand and slapped me across the face. I instantly went quiet. Arthur froze too. He looked panicked and at a loss for what to do. His lips moved, perhaps realizing what he had done and wanting to apologize. But in the end, he didn't apologize. He just said, "Go back to your room." I was utterly disappointed in Arthur. I stared at him, my eyes bloodshot, on the verge of tears. Arthur avoided my gaze. "Evelyn, if you keep acting this crazy, I'm genuinely going to divorce you." I finally heard the words I had been waiting for. Even though I was thrilled on the inside and wished we could sign the papers immediately, I had to hold back. Acting aggrieved and furious, I let tears stream down my face. "I refuse." I turned around and walked out of the house. Finally. Finally, just one more time, and I can leave. I walked the streets for a long time before stopping. Looking at the empty roads and the dim yellow streetlights, I felt a sudden sense of aimlessness, like I had nowhere to go. Six years ago, when I arrived in this world, my entire life revolved around Arthur. I had been focused on him for so long that I didn't even have my own social circle. Thankfully, I hadn't given up on my career. When I returned to my original world, I could still use my new work to become a successful comic artist. Thinking of that, I suddenly felt a wave of frustration. How could I have forgotten to bring my comic manuscript with me?! It seemed I had to find an excuse to go back and pack it up. I found a hotel to stay in temporarily. For days, Arthur didn't reach out to me. I didn't want to waste time pointlessly, so just as I was preparing to swallow my pride, go back, and force Arthur to bring up divorce one last time... something happened. Chloe posted my comic on her social media art account. Even though it had been converted from hand-drawn pages to digital art, the character designs, the storyline, and even the storyboards were completely plagiarized. I was so furious I saw stars. I immediately called Arthur. I called several times, but Arthur didn't answer. Eventually, his phone was just turned off. I tried to calm down. I logged online, tagged Chloe, and publicly exposed the fact that she had plagiarized my work. Like me, Chloe was a professional illustrator. The difference was that I focused purely on drawing, while she leaned heavily into being an influencer. She had previously capitalized on her divorce to gain massive online traffic, and she was currently riding a wave of popularity. Chloe denied the plagiarism accusations, claiming I was slandering her. She demanded I produce evidence, or she would force me to issue a public apology. My original manuscripts were all back at the house, so naturally, I couldn't produce them right then. Consequently, her fans swarmed my accounts, burying me in insults and hate messages. The volume of notifications was so massive it caused my phone to freeze. Chapter 5 I called Arthur while in a cab heading back to the house. This time, he finally answered. I could clearly hear the guilt in his voice. Being cautious, I turned on the call recording feature beforehand. "Did you take my manuscript and give it to Chloe?" Arthur didn't admit it, instead asking, "Where are you?" "Answer my question, Arthur! You know perfectly well that comic is the result of years of my hard work!" Arthur sounded impatient. "I'll compensate you. What do you want? I'll buy you a house, how's that?" I gritted my teeth. "I'm asking you, why did you give my comic to Chloe?! That is my work!" "Didn't I say I'd compensate you? Once Chloe gets the revenue from the comic, she'll compensate you too." Arthur once again shattered my understanding of how low he could sink. "Delete those posts online. If you agree, I promise I will never bring up divorce with you again." "Ha." I laughed out loud. Never bring up divorce again? My biggest dream right now was for him to bring up divorce. "Keep dreaming," I said fiercely. "Arthur, I am getting my work back." I hung up the phone and immediately posted the recording online. It instantly caused a massive uproar. The hate comments subsided slightly, but there was still a huge amount of skepticism demanding I produce concrete proof. Otherwise, who knew if the recording was real or faked? The cab stopped. I got out and ran toward the house. Arthur and Chloe were both in the living room. Chloe's face was covered in tears. She leaned pitifully against Arthur's shoulder, sobbing. When she saw me, she immediately put on a pleading expression. Arthur stared at me coldly, as if I were his worst enemy. I only cared about one thing. "Where is my manuscript?" Arthur didn't answer immediately. Instead, he marched over, roughly grabbed my wrist, snatched the phone I was using to record a video, and smashed it violently against the floor. He glared at me and said, "Evelyn, you've disappointed me so much. You said you loved me, that your whole life was devoted to me. But when I ask you to sacrifice this one little thing, you refuse, and you even post our recording online." His expression was full of disappointment, entirely focused on blaming me. "Are you trying to destroy me? You never used to be like this. You used to be obedient and compliant. That was the version of you I liked." "The way you are now, I have absolutely zero interest in you." "Let's get a divorce, Evelyn." Arthur stared into my eyes, a deep sense of expectation and certainty hiding in his gaze. He assumed that I would definitely refuse, that I would submit to him, and that in order to stay by his side, I would agree to all his demands. But he didn't know that this was the final strike. He had now brought up divorce three times. This time, I didn't need to refuse. Because the system had already determined that my mission was about to be forcefully terminated. I was free to leave. Chapter 6 I looked at Arthur's confident expression and suddenly smiled. "Okay," I told him. "Let's get a divorce. Right now!" This time, it was Arthur's turn to freeze. His pupils contracted as he stared at me in disbelief. "Evelyn, I said I want a divorce!" He couldn't believe it. He thought I must have misheard him, so he ridiculously asked again, "Do you really have the guts to divorce me? Can you really bear to do it?" I looked straight into Arthur's eyes and told him, word by word, "Even if you ask me ten thousand times, I will only give you one answer: I agree to the divorce." "Arthur, honestly, I've wanted to divorce you for a long time. I refused before just to give you a chance, but you constantly disappointed me." "Now, if you want a divorce, fine. I don't care." I walked around him and headed straight upstairs to the study. When Arthur proposed divorce for the third time, I could have left immediately. But I still hadn't gotten my comic manuscript back. It was the one thing I needed to take back to my original world. I had to find it. So, I chose to stay for an additional three days. After three days, I would be forcibly extracted. I rushed upstairs and yanked open the drawers, but my comic manuscript wasn't there. I had no choice but to return to the first floor. Arthur was still standing in the living room, looking stunned. Chloe held his hand, whispering to him, "You've always wanted a divorce, maybe it's for the best. As for the comic, I'll go apologize." She wiped away her tears, looking incredibly fragile and pitiful. "Let the internet attack me, Arthur. You shouldn't sacrifice yourself for me anymore. Now, it's my turn to sacrifice for you." Chloe squeezed Arthur's hand, a flash of triumph in her eyes. I really couldn't stomach this disgusting performance any longer. I walked over and interrupted them. "Arthur, I've agreed to the divorce. Where is my artwork? Give it back." Arthur slowly looked up, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes. "Evelyn, do you really hate Chloe that much? You're willing to sacrifice our marriage just to destroy her?" I sneered. "Our marriage was destroyed by you a long time ago. Arthur, I don't want anything from you right now. I just want my comic manuscript back." Arthur stared at me. "Then sign the divorce papers first." "Fine." He called his lawyer, who quickly drafted the divorce agreement. Arthur printed it out and placed it in front of me. "If you really want a divorce, sign it right now." I picked up the pen without hesitation. But just as I was about to sign, a bad feeling washed over me. I flipped back through the agreement and realized that Arthur wasn't just demanding I leave with nothing. He had also inserted a mandatory clause forcing me to forfeit all ownership rights to the comic, transferring the copyright to Chloe completely free of charge. I pointed at the clause. "Delete this." Arthur looked at me coldly. "You want a divorce? This is the condition." I mocked him, "Arthur, could it be that you actually can't bear to divorce me? What, don't you want to be with your beloved Chloe anymore?" Chloe looked up, staring at Arthur with hidden anticipation. But Arthur didn't even look at her. Instead, he stared intensely at me. "Evelyn, I said it. You want a divorce, this is the price and the condition. If you don't sign, don't ever think about getting a divorce."
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