In the fifth year of my marriage to Gregory Chapman, the girl he kept in a hotel was exposed, and it became public knowledge. To keep her from being labeled as the other woman, Gregory came to me holding the divorce papers and said, “Her father, Harold Palmer, helped me back in the day. Before he passed, he asked me to take care of Alice. Now that this has come to light, I can’t just ignore it.” Over the years, Alice Palmer had always been Gregory’s first choice. In my past life, when I heard this, I broke down, yelling and refusing to divorce him. It wasn’t until I fell into severe depression that Gregory, after hearing Alice say, “Katherine doesn’t look like she’s sick,” concluded that I was faking my illness. He thought I was just playing hard to get and setting me up to accuse me of cheating, and he filed for divorce. It was then that I realized I could never compete with a favor owed. In despair, I tried to take my own life. When I opened my eyes again, I didn’t hesitate to sign those divorce papers.
“Katherine, after this is all over, will you remarry me?” I was sitting on a stone bench in the villa garden, lost in thought when Gregory and Alice walked up to me. Just three hours ago, Alice was exposed by the paparazzi as Gregory’s lover. The whole internet dug into her past, calling her the mistress who ruined the sweet love between Gregory and me, a homewrecker. Gregory’s image as the loving husband collapsed, and the Chapman Group’s stock began to tumble. In my past life, when Gregory came to me with those divorce papers, I was furious. I tore up the roses he had planted for me in the yard and screamed at him, demanding to know his relationship with Alice. She was just the daughter of his mentor. There were a million ways he could have handled this. But he chose to sacrifice me. He did it only to avoid worsening Alice’s depression. What he didn’t know was that, during the media frenzy, I had been diagnosed with moderate depression. “Katherine,” Gregory called my name again, pulling me out of my daze. I looked down at the divorce papers on the stone table. He kneeled on one knee before me, his deep eyes fixed on mine. His warm hand gently covered my hand, his tone coaxing and gentle. “Katherine, please, for me, will you? “We’ll tell everyone that our marriage was already on the rocks. We planned to divorce a year ago but just didn’t find the right time.” I stayed silent. Behind him, Alice, dressed in a white dress with Gregory’s jacket draped over her shoulders, had pale lips and red, swollen eyes. “Katherine, please help me,” she pleaded, her voice weak, tears in her eyes. “My mother killed herself because of online bullying and depression. I don’t want to follow in her footsteps. Please, Katherine, I’m begging you…” Just as Alice was about to kneel, Gregory quickly stood up, caught her, and held her close. His face darkened as he softly scolded, “What are you doing?” Alice swallowed, her voice still trembling with emotion. She looked down with her tearful eyes. “I… I just want Katherine to feel better.” Gregory’s expression grew impatient, and he looked at me, the tenderness in his gaze fading completely. “Katherine, I didn’t come here to negotiate. “I’ve already made up my mind. If you’re unwilling to divorce, don’t blame me…” I slowly looked up to meet his gaze. His words stopped, but I knew what he was about to say. He wanted to say, “Katherine, you know my methods. I have countless ways to make you sign those papers. “If we go to court, you won’t win against the Chapman Group’s lawyers.” Those were his exact words in my past life. Eventually, I was set up and sent to the beds of several male models with proof of my affair. Overnight, I became the adulterous woman, publicly humiliated, while he and Alice were seen as innocent victims. “I can sign the papers, but you have to promise me one thing,” after a long pause, I spoke.
Gregory glanced at me and then nodded in agreement. He handed me the pen, and without any change in my expression, I signed my name on the divorce agreement. “Aren’t you going to look over the agreement again?” Gregory asked, furrowing his brow. I smiled faintly, “No need.” He left with almost nothing, giving up all his assets to me, just for Alice, just to repay a past kindness. “Take some time tomorrow to go to the courthouse,” he said. “Okay,” I replied. Gregory paused for a moment with the divorce papers in his hand. He looked at me, his eyes filled with confusion, but in the end, he said nothing. As they were leaving, Alice turned around and shot me a mocking glance, her lips silently moving. “You lost.” I did lose. I lost last time, so now I didn’t want to lose anymore. After a while, my phone lit up with a message from Gregory. [I’m sorry for making you go through this today, Katherine.] [Once this is all over, I’ll throw you a grand wedding, and we’ll remarry.] [I couldn’t just stand by and watch Alice’s depression worsen. You understand, don’t you?] I read his message and couldn’t help but smile, tears welling in my eyes. It was the same in my past life. To force me into a divorce, Gregory had his friends come up with schemes and then got so drunk. But he forgot, his friends were also my friends. Arthur Dodson had tried to persuade Gregory, telling him not to sacrifice his marriage just for Alice. Then, he came to me, trying to get me to understand Gregory, saying that he was a good man. If it hadn’t been for Alice’s father recognizing Gregory’s abilities, investing in him, and helping him start his business, Gregory wouldn’t be where he was today. Back then, I had cried and argued back. “Gregory could have cleared things up a thousand different ways. Why did it have to be a divorce?” Arthur fell silent. He had asked Gregory, and Gregory had replied at the time. “There has to be someone I let down, so I’ll make Katherine suffer. She loves me, and she’ll understand.” Because I loved him, I sacrificed myself. Where was the fairness in that? Luckily, I still had a chance.
When it came to anything involving Alice, Gregory always acted quickly. Just hours after signing the divorce papers with me, he arranged a press conference and sent his assistant to invite me to attend and clarify things. I hadn’t even said a word yet. The assistant thought I might refuse, but fortunately, he relayed Gregory’s message to me. He said, “Ms. Buckley, you should attend this press conference. Even if it’s not for Mr. Chapman, at least for your reputation.” I paused for a moment and then gave a cynical laugh. Gregory was threatening me. He was trying to use the same tactics he had in my past life to force me into submission, to smear my name, and let me struggle under public opinion. In the end, I would have no choice but to give in. I still couldn’t figure out whether Gregory saw me as his wife or as his enemy… Now, he wanted to publicly clarify his relationship with me. I had no choice either. The press conference was held in the grand lobby of Jymara’s most luxurious hotel, with only the most influential reporters invited. When Alice appeared in a dress, arm-in-arm with Gregory, the reporters swarmed them. Gregory instinctively shielded Alice, stepping in front of her to block the microphones with a smile. “I’ll answer all your questions one by one. Please give us some space.” His voice was gentle, and as he looked up, he happened to meet my eyes. I was surrounded by reporters. At that moment, I actually hoped Gregory would step in and help me out of this situation. But the next second… He calmly shifted his gaze away, his smile still present as he held Alice’s hand and walked onto the stage as if he hadn’t seen me at all. I gave a bitter laugh. The reporter closest to me seemed to be an intern, nervously handing me the microphone and asking. “Ms. Buckley, is it true that you’re divorced from Mr. Chapman?” “Yes,” I smiled and nodded in response. The intern adjusted her glasses. “But you met Mr. Chapman in high school, dated for seven years, and were married for five. “Mr. Chapman even bought you an island last month, spending a fortune, and named it after you.” I kept smiling, but it was not a warm one. “That’s what he owes me.” To make up for missing my birthday while caring for the sick Alice, he gave me that gift. In my past life, I had even felt proud of that gesture, only to later learn that the idea was Arthur’s, the island was picked by Gregory’s assistant, and Gregory didn’t even know where it was. “Do you still love Mr. Chapman?” She looked at me nervously, and the reporters around me fell silent. Even Gregory, on stage, looked at me. His brows furrowed slightly. I met his gaze for a moment and then smiled and said, “Not anymore.”
I didn’t stay for the rest of the interview. After Gregory clarified that our marriage had been falling apart for over a year, I left. Overnight, I became Gregory’s dumped woman. Meanwhile, Alice became the only victim of this public scandal. That interview stayed pinned on social media for days, and the buzz didn’t die down. Especially the part where Gregory said: [Katherine and I had already planned to divorce a year ago, but it wasn’t the right time.] [We wanted to handle it quietly, but now it has affected others, so we had to clarify things publicly.] [Alice is not the cause of our breakup.] [She is the only person my mentor cares about in this world. I take care of her, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I hope everyone can look at this rationally.] Some fans, led by this, claimed that the reason our relationship fell apart was because I couldn’t stand the idea of Gregory’s pure sibling bond with Alice and that I was too petty, unable to understand his deep loyalty. They said I was small-minded, and after five years of marriage, I hadn’t learned Gregory’s sense of loyalty and care. The topic kept gaining traction for days. I became the target of public scorn. After getting the divorce certificate from the courthouse, I walked out. Gregory stopped me. “Don’t take what’s said online to heart. It won’t be long before everyone forgets about it.” I stopped in my tracks and couldn’t help but laugh lightly. How was it that the difference was so stark, even though we were both being slandered online? “Katherine, the Christmas is only two months away. “Why don’t we remarry early next year?” He looked at me, stepping closer, but I took a step back and, with a calm expression, turned my gaze to the reporters not far away, blocked by the bodyguards. Gregory seemed to sense that it wasn’t the right moment and stopped in his tracks. “Gregory, I’m going back to Gerelden.” “You really haven’t been back in a long time. It might be good for you to visit. When Christmas comes, I’ll come to pick you up…” “I’m not going back to Jymara,” I calmly interrupted Gregory. His faint smile froze on his face, and his eyes were filled with confusion. I continued, “When I agreed to sign the divorce agreement, you promised me something. Now, it’s time to fulfill that promise.” Gregory stared at me, stunned. When I first came back to life this time, it only took me a few seconds to digest my feelings of love and resentment towards Gregory. The moment I saw the divorce papers, I considered going crazy and tearing them up, maybe even causing more trouble with him. But in the end, reason prevailed. After a long silence, I smiled. “Gregory, I hope you never show up in front of me again.”
After Katherine finished speaking and disappeared into the crowd, Gregory was left frozen, unable to react. For a brief moment, he felt a strange panic, as if he were about to lose something incredibly important. It was the same feeling he had when Katherine calmly signed the divorce papers, a quiet unease in his heart. She hadn’t yelled or caused a scene. It seemed as though she had already predicted the outcome. But just not long ago, Katherine had been furious with him for forgetting her birthday, causing a huge uproar. He even got slapped by her. He had thought when he brought up about faking the divorce, Katherine would have gone crazy, causing a scene, and he was even prepared for it. But she didn’t. She picked up the pen. Her expression was calm. At that moment, he had thought about stopping her, but in the end, he did nothing. He convinced himself it was okay, that Katherine loved him. They were only faking it, and after things settled down, he would propose to her again, giving her the marriage she deserved. But Alice was different. She couldn’t be hurt because of him. If it hadn’t been for Alice’s father recognizing his talent all those years ago, taking the risk of being kicked out of the shareholders’ meeting to invest in his project, and helping him grow and rise as a new force in Jymara, he wouldn’t have achieved what he had today. He didn’t deserve Alice. Before Alice’s father passed away, he had asked him to protect Alice, to ensure she lived a peaceful life. He didn’t want to be the kind of person who betrayed his word. Arthur had once asked him, “If one day, both Alice and Katherine fall off a cliff, who would you save?” At the time, he laughed, thinking the question was beneath him. He would save Alice, but he would die with Katherine. Arthur laughed along but then asked, “But what if Katherine doesn’t want to die? “Gregory, you can’t always take Katherine’s love for granted. If she can’t feel your love, she will despair.” At the time, he didn’t take his words seriously. He had never even considered them important. He didn’t expect it, but in the end, his words came true.
That night, Gregory returned to the villa. Since their marriage, Katherine had always lived in the villa halfway up the mountain. She was an outstanding artist. At the age of ten, her extraordinary landscape oil painting earned her the title of a young prodigy, and everyone believed she would become a leader in the art world. In fact, she did. However, after marriage, Katherine’s style changed and was never the same again. Her teacher tried to guide her but had little effect. Eventually, Katherine gave up painting, even resisting picking up a brush. Gregory walked into Katherine’s studio. When he saw the landscape painting on the easel, he froze for a moment. A few simple strokes, yet it was vivid and lifelike. The maid, Joan Cross, noticing the light in the studio, came over and was surprised when she saw Gregory. “Mr. Chapman.” Gregory looked up. “When did Mrs. Chapman paint this?” The maid, Joan, answered, “The day you came back with Ms. Palmer.” Gregory nodded and tried to smile, but it wouldn’t come. He left the studio and went to the room he had shared with Katherine. Despite telling himself countless times that he and Katherine were only pretending to be divorced, he kept reminding himself that once the storm passed, he would propose to her again, giving her the grand wedding she deserved. But somehow, he couldn’t shake the feeling of something being wrong. His heart always felt empty. Today, he took Katherine’s words as nothing more than the nonsense she spoke when angry. He wondered how Jymara had their home and how she could not come back. The door to the master bedroom was suddenly knocked on. Gregory, sitting at the end of the bed, looked up to see Alice. She was dressed in a thin outfit, her face slightly flushed, standing at the door, silently watching Gregory. “What are you doing here?” Alice bit her lip. “I was scared of being alone at the hotel, so I came to find you. “Is it…?” She looked down as she spoke, “Did I… disturb you?” Gregory furrowed his brows slightly but still said, “It’s fine. It’s just a little late. “I’ll have Joan prepare a guest room for you. You can stay there for now.” As he was about to call Joan, Alice stepped forward, entering the room, her soft, tender eyes fixed on Gregory. “Gregory, I don’t want to stay in the guest room. “Is that okay?” she asked softly, her voice tentative. Gregory’s brows furrowed deeper. He opened his mouth to refuse, but when he met her slightly reddened eyes, his resolve softened.
The plane landed in Gerelden, and Edward Fleming was there to pick me up. When he was eighteen, he had been falsely accused of assault after saving a girl and was sentenced to three years. Because of his criminal record, no company would hire him. I met him at an art exhibition. He never spoke to anyone and always kept his head down. When others approached him, he would only shrink back in fear. Then, one night, on my way home, I was accosted by some thugs and nearly assaulted. He happened to pass by, and I thought he would ignore me. But he didn’t. Without a moment’s hesitation, he intervened. That night, I asked him, “What if I sue you?” He gave a wry smile. “Then I’d accept it.” I used my family’s influence to clear his name, and when the truth came out, he stood from afar, looking at me with reddened eyes, bowing to thank me. Three years in prison hadn’t dulled his kindness. My father, grateful for how he had saved me, offered him a job and brought him into the company. Starting from the ground up, now he was my father’s most trusted assistant. “Ms. Buckley, long time no see,” Edward said, wearing a trench coat and casually taking my suitcase. I nodded, inexplicably feeling tears in my eyes. Five years ago, after I married Gregory, I went north with him. In my previous life, when I got into trouble, he had been sent by my father to Anloria for closed training. I never saw Edward again until today. “Ms. Buckley, are you leaving again after coming back this time?” he asked. “No, I’m not leaving,” I replied. Edward smiled, “Mr. Buckley was very happy when he found out you were back.” Suddenly, I froze for a moment. My hand, which had been in my pocket, clenched involuntarily, and a bitter feeling rose in my chest. Back then, my divorce with Gregory had been the talk of the town. My father, fearing I’d be wronged, had flown to Jymara overnight. He tried to persuade me earnestly. “Gregory always thinks things through poorly. “Back then, he chose to cooperate with that old man from the Palmer family instead of accepting your help. To put it nicely, he didn’t want to rely on you, but let’s face it, wasn’t he relying on the Palmer family’s investment? “Katherine, if you’re divorced, then so be it. Gregory isn’t right for you.” He wanted to take me back to Gerelden, but I refused, crying and begging to stay. With tears in my eyes, I said, “I love Gregory. I don’t want a divorce. “Why should I sacrifice myself to fulfill his favor? Even if he pushes me to death, I won’t divorce. I’m not leaving.”
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