Her Provocation, My Broken Heart

Leaving Anya

I nearly rolled my eyes as I thought dryly, 'The man who married Anya is far from a happy camper.'

When the doctors wheeled me over to the operating theatre, I saw Anya walking over with John.

"What's with you?"

She frowned at me.

"Why can't you concentrate when you're driving? Fortunately, John's alright."

John immediately donned a piteous look on his face, complete with wide, teary eyes..

"It's all my fault. I wanted Shane to drive me to my campus. That's why all this happened."

Anya hastily turned to calm him down, saying reassuringly, "It's not your fault. You're hurt too. There, there. Let's head out for some supper."

That was when the doctor came over, informing me that they were ready for my operation.

Anya glanced at me in shock.

However, she was soon distracted by John's response.

The operation went well.

Afterward, a nurse asked if I had notified my family yet.

It took me a few seconds before I responded, "There's no need. I have no family."

When I was hospitalized, I hired a personal caretaker to take care of me.

Meanwhile, Anya was busy fooling around with John.

He would send me photos of the places they'd been every single day.

They went to the beach. They snorkeled and went stargazing.

Each picture showed them intertwined in a passionate embrace.

However, I felt nothing when I scrolled through those photos.

After all, I was busy getting the logistics down with my friend on the new research laboratory we're planning on starting up.

In the eight years I'd been married, I would help my friend with the research and development of various products in my free time.

He kept pushing for me to start a company with him, but I never said yes.

Many of my friends said I'd wasted eight years of my life just for a mere contract.

Still, I never regretted one moment of it.

At that time, nothing was more important to me than my mother.

Now that the contract between Anya and me was over, I was free.

What I didn't see coming was that Anya would call me when I was discharged from the hospital.

"When are you coming home? Everything's a mess here. Are you still hospitalized?" she demanded.

I chuckled and shot back with a mocking lilt in my voice. "Are the servants you hired useless?"

She grumbled in annoyance, "You know that I don't like it when other people move my stuff. I also need you to organize some of the company documents."

I glanced at the time. Just as I was about to tell her I was busy, a nurse stopped by to tell me I could head down to pay and get discharged.

Anya happened to overhear the nurse and began urging me to hurry up.

I ignored her. After my discharge, I got into my friend's car.

Jerome Mullen, my friend, turned to ask me if I was finally free.

There was a faint smile on my lips as I told him everything about my current situation.

"Everything's over. I'm leaving the second the divorce is finalized."

Jerome was even more excited about that prospect than I was. "Let's go! After we sign the deal, let's celebrate with a feast!"

I nodded with a grin.

Anya called me when Jerome and I were discussing the specifics of our new enterprise.

I glanced at my phone before turning it off to focus on my discussion with Jerome.

He let out a whistle at my audacity. "You really don't love her anymore, do you?"

Jerome was the only person in the world who knew I actually had feelings for Anya.

However, all of the love I once felt had been reduced to nothing when Anya hurt me time after time.

My eyes turned distant as I stared at my phone. After a while, I finally replied, "We're too different."

He nodded in agreement.

After the agreement was signed, we headed to the restaurant we'd always gone to when we ate together.

The first juicy bite of that spicy beef made me tear up.

Jerome laughed at me, joking that I was crying from how delicious the food was.

I merely smiled in response.

He wasn't exactly wrong because I hadn't been able to consume anything that was cooked with even the slightest hint of spice ever since I started living with Anya.