After the redemption arc finally concluded, my husband grew tired of me. We had been married for eight years, the perfect picture of a couple, a flawless façade for all to admire. But then, the heroine of the original story suddenly returned to the country. Caleb started drifting off more frequently, and the scent of unfamiliar perfume often clung to him. The third time I caught him tangled up with her, I looked at him with an unnerving calm. “Let’s get a divorce.” As we walked out of the civil affairs office, he murmured, “You can’t go back, you know. I’ll give you a huge sum of money… We can still be friends.” “No thanks. I hope we never meet again.” I transmigrated into a novel, tasked with saving the troubled, obsessive male lead. I arrived earlier than the original heroine, staying by his side, attending school with him, and helping him through every obstacle. When his father brutalized him, I threw myself over him, shielding him, then brought him back to my place to patch him up. To quell his suspicions, I told him I’d come to this world just for him. After my mission was complete, he begged me to stay. Later, we married. Life lost its former drama, settling into the mundane grind of daily routines. He started to grow tired of me. “Man, if I’d known, I wouldn’t have gotten married so soon. Could’ve had a couple more years of fun. Not like you can go back anyway, right?” He lay on the couch, chatting casually, almost joking. When he saw the strained look on my face, he turned, grabbing my hand tightly. “Vivian, that’s not what I meant. You know how much you mean to me.” I didn’t reply. My heart felt like it had been plunged into a vat of acid, a burning, unbearable ache. “Goodnight. I’m a little tired.” With that, I opened the door, quietly walked to the bed, pulled the covers over me, and wept silently.
“So many young, pretty women are lining up for your attention, you could easily go out and have some fun. Your wife is getting old, after all.” “Don’t say things like that, ever again. Vivian… she’s wonderful. It’s just…” Caleb and his friend Noah were casually chatting in the study, just shooting the breeze and laughing. I stood outside the study door, holding a fruit platter, my feet glued to the spot. I had deeply analyzed Caleb’s personality. His childhood had been a dark, cold, oppressive void, leaving him with an insatiable hunger for thrills. He would kneel all night in a torrential downpour, begging the one he loved not to leave. He’d even free-climb six stories for a business deal. At his core, he loved adventure and excitement. Now, our peaceful, comfortable life was boring him. He was just waiting for the right moment, a perfect excuse to shatter the fragile, surface-level peace between us.
Coming home from work, the housekeeper had already prepared dinner. I looked at the empty chair across from me and asked, “Is Caleb not coming home for dinner tonight?” “Mr. Caleb said he was tied up with a business dinner, very busy.” I didn’t say anything, eating alone before lying in bed, not an ounce of sleep in me. Caleb’s “business dinners” were growing more frequent, and the strange perfume clinging to him was becoming unbearably sharp. In the dark, I counted every tick of the clock. It felt like an eternity before I finally heard the familiar click of the keypad lock outside. I sat up, ready to head to the living room. “Aurora, this is far enough. You’ve had too much to drink, I’ll have the driver take you home.” Aurora’s voice, laced with a faint, almost desperate joy, said, “Caleb, I can’t believe you still have my access code saved…” “I just tried it on a whim, and it actually worked… I’m so sorry.” I leaned weakly against the door. Hearing those words, my heart felt like it was being ripped apart by a hurricane. A few minutes of silence passed outside. Then Caleb spoke, his voice flat. “You should go home. It’s late.” “Caleb, I’m really scared. Every night, I’m haunted by those painful memories. Can I just stay here tonight?” “You once told me you’d always keep a room for me here. Is it… still available?” Aurora’s voice cracked, raw with a vulnerability that would make anyone instinctively pity her. And Caleb, after a few drinks, was even more susceptible. Caleb was silent for a moment, his voice hoarse. “I’m married.” They were locked in a stalemate outside. Another stretch of silence, then Aurora’s broken sobs grew louder. Caleb sighed softly. “Keep it down, don’t wake Vivian. And that room… yes, it was always meant for you…” “Thank you, Caleb…” Aurora’s joyful tone made the bitterness in my heart spread even further. When we were decorating this house, I’d wondered why that room was as large as our master bedroom. When I’d asked him, he’d explained it was for close friends or his parents when they visited. Now, it was clear he had lied to me. My tears streamed down uncontrollably. Caleb’s actions outside only deepened my disappointment. I heard him say, “Go get some sleep. Vivian doesn’t usually wake up until eight. I’ll wake you at six, so you won’t run into her.” In those few short sentences, Caleb was determined to keep me completely in the dark. Any last flicker of hope in my heart was mercilessly extinguished by his words.
That night, countless times I wanted to storm out of the room and confront Caleb, but each time, I bit down hard on my lip, forcing myself to regain composure. I carefully considered everything that had happened recently… Aurora’s sudden return had stirred Caleb’s already restless heart. The girl he had yearned for in his youth was now, literally, within arm’s reach. After Caleb and I married, I’d foolishly thought the heroine’s allure had finally faded. In a haze, I recalled Caleb and Aurora’s past… His father, fueled by alcohol, had thrashed Caleb’s back with a belt like a madman. I called the police, screaming for help from the neighbors, but no one responded. I watched the boy, bruised and bleeding on the floor, my fists clenched, ready to grab a kitchen knife and charge at his father. I threw myself over him, stopping him, taking the blows of the belt myself. He released his grip, trembling, and held me tight. We were both covered in blood as the faint wail of police sirens approached. At that moment, Aurora appeared in a white dress, timidly peeking in from the doorway. “Are you two okay?” Caleb and I were still embracing, but his eyes had already shifted to Aurora. Perhaps in that moment, Aurora appeared like an angel in his heart, reducing my presence to a mere fleeting second. My heart had ached that night, just as it did tonight. All my careful efforts couldn’t compare to Aurora’s single, fleeting appearance. After that, he started noticing Aurora, the shy boy awkwardly approaching her, ready to offer her everything. But Aurora was never truly his. When Aurora was twenty-two, she left the country and married the male lead of the original story. Caleb then seemed to have finally moved past that chapter of his life, turning his gaze to me, who had always been by his side. It seemed we had both found our happy ending. … From our wedding day until now, he had always been good to me. He protected me, respected me, and made me the radiant Mrs. Caleb. I had money, status, a career… just no love. I wasn’t a victim. I wasn’t pitiful. But the memories still stung. The Caleb who had knelt in the pouring rain that night, begging me not to leave, was a man I found impossible to forget, impossible to let go of. I suppressed the ache in my heart and closed my eyes. Tomorrow, I had work. 4 (Note: The original text has two ‘4’s. I will follow this format but note it’s likely a typo in the original.) Putting on a brave face, I headed for the parking lot. I planned to get my car detailed before work. At my usual dealership, I was surprised to find Caleb and Aurora there. The manager, oblivious to my relationship with Caleb, warmly grabbed my hand and said: “Ms. Aurora and her boyfriend are so sweet! He doesn’t want her battling the subway every day, so he’s getting her a new car. That sales rep is gonna have a great month!” I watched the three of them chatting animatedly, trying my best to control my emotions. I greeted Aurora. “Aurora, why didn’t you tell me you were back? And honey, you too, you know how long it’s been since we all got together.” The manager was quick. In an instant, he understood, subtly signaling to the sales rep before patting my shoulder and excusing himself. “Vivian, I just got back myself. I ran into Caleb by chance at work,” Aurora said, deftly changing the subject. Caleb quickly chimed in, “Aurora was alone and it wasn’t convenient, so I offered to help her look at cars.” I let out a brittle laugh. “Oh, is that right? Because the manager was just telling me you two were a couple. For a second there, I almost thought Caleb was cheating.” My sarcastic tone must have been too obvious, because both of them looked visibly uncomfortable, almost embarrassed. Especially Caleb, under my unyielding gaze. I saw his lips move, but no words came out. He looked like he was sitting on a bed of nails. Finally, he abruptly stood up, mumbled something about urgent company business, and rushed off. Aurora quickly said her goodbyes to me as well. Watching them walk away, I smiled, a bitter smile that brought tears to my eyes. This was Caleb, the man I had spent years trying to redeem, my husband. There was no room left for us to talk things through. I couldn’t find any excuses for him anymore. Before, when he was entangled with Aurora, I still believed it was the force of the plot. The System had told me that before the story ended, supporting characters would involuntarily be swayed by the protagonists around them. But eight years after the grand finale, eight years after we married, Caleb and Aurora were thousands of miles apart. He wasn’t under any control. His kindness to Aurora, from beginning to end, had been genuine. He was doing it because he *wanted* to.
A strong wind outside quickly dried my tears. I drove to Caleb’s company. Looking at Caleb, bent over his desk, my heart felt like a barren wasteland. “Explain yourself.” Caleb looked a bit flustered. “Aurora and Spencer divorced five years ago. She was stranded abroad with nowhere to go. I couldn’t just leave her, could I?” “Now that she’s back, she only knows the two of us here. It’s difficult for her to navigate things alone, so I’ve just been helping out.” “I know it was wrong not to tell you I was in contact with her, but there’s genuinely nothing romantic or ambiguous between us.” He finished speaking, looking at me with an expectant gaze, as if my forgiveness was just a clear explanation away. Perhaps, in the past, it would have been. But this time, I didn’t want to compromise. My heart was just too tired. His heart was still set on his ‘white moonlight’—that idealized, unattainable first love. So why did he beg me to stay? He never truly forgot Aurora, yet he had pretended to love me with a passion that defied death. He’d deleted everything related to Aurora right in front of me, only to secretly message her, not missing a single day. The last, fragile string holding my heart together finally snapped. I gave him a bitter smile. “Caleb, let’s get a divorce.” He stared at me, astonished. “Vivian, calm down. There’s really nothing going on between Aurora and me. Are you really going to divorce me just because you saw us looking at cars?” I watched Caleb frantically trying to distance himself from Aurora, and a wave of pure disgust washed over me. Isn’t this exactly what he wanted? Aurora was back in his life, bringing new thrills. “I’m leaving now. When I get home tonight, we’ll discuss the divorce, in detail.” Caleb tried to stop me and say more, but I was already in the elevator, heading out of the company building.
When Caleb came home that night, I was standing on the balcony, smoking. The smoke swirled between us, forming an opaque veil that felt impossible to lift, a permanent barrier. “Why are you smoking again?” He approached me, snatching the cigarette from my hand, throwing it to the ground, and crushing it under his foot. My expression was blank. “Caleb, have your lawyer draft the divorce papers quickly.” “I won’t divorce you. You stayed for me; I’ll take responsibility for you.” Caleb’s phone buzzed with a message. He glanced at it, a look of urgency on his face, then grabbed his jacket and headed out. “Vivian, something urgent just came up at the office. I’ll be right back.” With that, he disappeared from my sight. I covered my face, a bitter laugh escaping me. Responsibility… He knew all along that he didn’t love me anymore. He knew, deep down, that I’d stayed in this world *for him*, yet he still chose to betray me. Why couldn’t people’s hearts be like computer hard drives? Just a click, and everything could be reformatted, including emotions. I clearly knew Caleb’s cruelty, yet I couldn’t immediately sever my feelings for him. I could only toss and turn countless nights, swallowing the bitter taste of reality. That night, Caleb didn’t come home.
Perhaps due to mental and physical exhaustion, I woke up with a raging fever the next day. I called Briar, my secretary, telling her I’d be resting at home today. After agreeing, Briar hesitated, clearly having something else on her mind. “Boss, a colleague took some photos of Mr. Caleb yesterday. I’m really torn about whether I should send them to you…” I took a deep breath. “Send them to me.” Soon, my phone vibrated a few times. Several photos came through. The screen showed photos of Caleb escorting Aurora into a hotel. Yesterday, I was so sick I felt like I was going to pass out, yet he was checking into a hotel with Aurora. And he hadn’t come home all night.
In the evening, Caleb finally returned. He didn’t notice my discomfort, only looked down and explained, “Work’s been pretty hectic lately, lots of overtime.” “Are you busy with work, or with Aurora?” My gaze was mocking as I stared at his face. Caleb seemed to exhale a sigh of relief. “I can’t just abandon her. And you… you can’t go back anyway. In this world, I’m your only family. Can’t the three of us just… coexist?” I choked back a silent sob, unable to speak for a moment. Then I finally managed, “Are you out of your mind? We’re getting a divorce. I don’t need your pity, or your responsibility. If you refuse to agree, I’ll take you to court.” With that, I showed him the photos of him and Aurora entering and leaving the hotel last night. Caleb looked at me, puzzled, as if he couldn’t understand why I was doing this. “If you’re so determined to divorce, I’ll leave you enough money to live comfortably. Think about it. We’ll talk again tomorrow.” He turned and left again. Now, I understood clearly. Caleb had always been utterly shameless. He believed I was utterly dependent on him, trapped in this world, which gave him the license to act with such blatant disregard for my feelings. But… I actually had one more chance. I sat on the bed, deep in thought, gnawing at my fingers until they bled, a testament to the agonizing decision I was finally making.
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