Chapter 3 You Were Planning to Get Divorced Six Months Ago

• Raiden's nonchalant response left Stefan taken aback.
• "Are you not busy at work?" Raiden asked.
• Stefan quickly shook his head. "No, I'm busy." He stole a glance at the window. Seeing that it was already dark outside, he couldn't help but remind the man, "Boss, it's been quite a while since the end of work hours. Um… I have an appointment with my real estate agent, so can I go first?"
• Raiden glanced at the top right corner of his computer, noticing that it was already past 7.00PM. "Sure," he replied with a slight nod.
• "Thank you, Boss." Stefan packed up and left immediately after hastily expressing his gratitude.
• When the office door closed, Raiden finally lifted his head from the laptop, his gaze lingering on the closed door for a moment before shifting toward the vast night view outside the window.
• It was the time when lights went on in countless houses. The residential area in the distance was already densely illuminated.
• He recalled the lights that were always on when he returned home, as well as Isabelle nestling on the couch drawing.
• Raiden's expression faded when the image of Isabelle's face flashed through his mind. He withdrew his gaze from the window and looked at the laptop screen. His slender fingers rested on the keyboard, poised to continue working. He typed a word but then paused.
• These design drawings and reports that had once fascinated him now appeared tasteless to him. He pushed the keyboard away, stood up, and grabbed his suit jacket from the coat stand. After bending down to pick up the car keys on his desk, he turned around and left the office.
• Once he got into his car, his emotions gradually settled down. Letting out a soft sigh, he started the engine and slowly drove out of the building.
• Outside the car window, the city was alive with hustle and bustle. The streets were illuminated with a myriad of colorful lights. Raiden drove aimlessly, with no intention of going home. As his car passed by Isabelle's neighborhood, Stefan's words about her selling the house suddenly crossed his mind.
• He instinctively glanced toward the neighborhood's entrance, where Isabelle happened to be coming out. Their eyes met as she looked up, causing her to pause in her tracks. He calmly swept his gaze across her face, and she forced a smile toward him. However, he coolly turned his head away, leaving her feeling embarrassed. She let out a self-deprecating laugh and withdrew her gaze, intending to walk away.
• Raiden suddenly called out to Isabelle, "Are you going out?" His voice remained steady and calm as usual.
• She looked at him in surprise and nodded. "Yeah, I'm going out to buy some stuff."
• He nodded without saying anything else, as had been their norm for the past couple of years.
• Isabelle didn't say anything, either. After giving Raiden a polite smile, she was about to leave. Suddenly, the man spoke again. "Have you eaten?"
• She nodded. "Yeah, I just ate."
• He gave a slight nod in response, but he showed no intention of leaving.
• She didn't know why he was there, and she didn't ask many questions. She simply greeted him with a polite smile before excusing herself. He, on the other hand, stayed silent, neither following her nor leaving. As she glanced through the glass window of the roadside store, she noticed his car still parked in the same spot. Puzzled, she frowned and entered the roadside supermarket.
• Isabelle had come to buy a replacement for the broken light bulb in her bathroom. When she came out of the supermarket with the newly purchased light bulb, she found that Raiden was still there. Their eyes unavoidably met again.
• Since they weren't separating as an embittered couple, she couldn't ignore his presence. However, their marriage had been characterized by a sense of estrangement, making it difficult for her to offer an affectionate greeting. So, when their eyes met again, she mustered a polite smile in acknowledgment.
• Raiden remained expressionless, watching Isabelle without making a move. Despite his apparent calmness, an oppressive aura accompanied him, causing her to catch her breath. When she walked past his car, he silently opened the door, stepped out, and began following her. His silence rendered her speechless. He wordlessly accompanied her upstairs, and no words were exchanged between them during this time.
• Once they reached her apartment door, she hesitated before turning to look at him. "Is there… something you need?"
• "No, there isn't," he replied, leaving her at a loss for words.
• Then, he asked, "Is there any food left at home?"
• Speechless, she couldn't help but remind him, "You know, we're divorced now."
• He retorted, "Can't I come to your place for a meal as an old classmate?"
• Isabelle stood in silence for a moment, then hesitantly opened the door.
• Raiden's brow furrowed slightly when he noticed the light bulb she was holding. "Is there a broken light bulb?"
• She nodded. "Yeah. The light bulb in the bathroom burned out."
• He held out his hand toward her. "Give it to me."
• "There's no need to. I can—" Isabelle refused, but before she could finish her sentence, Raiden took the light bulb from her.
• He looked up at the bathroom light and casually grabbed a chair from the hallway. He positioned it under the bathroom light fixture and mounted it. With his tall stature, reaching the light was effortless.
• Fearing the possibility of an electricity leakage, Isabelle said, "I'll go turn off the electricity first." With that, she flipped the circuit breaker, submerging the room into darkness. Using her phone's flashlight to provide illumination, she inquired, "Can you see clearly?"
• "Uh-huh." Raiden's deep and calm voice rang from above as he skillfully removed the light bulb.
• She had never seen him replace a light bulb before, but perhaps intelligent people often had a natural talent for everything. He replaced the light bulb with skill and precision, and there was something attractive about it. Her gaze couldn't help but shift from his hands to his face. Looking up from below, she noticed the illumination casting a serious and well-defined profile on his face. Lost in thought, she found herself deeply engrossed in observing him.
• After replacing the light bulb, Raiden got off the chair. Isabelle, who had been staring at him, unexpectedly met his gaze. Feeling embarrassed, she pursed her lips and took a step back to create some distance between them.
• The man's eyes slowly traversed from her legs to her face, settling on her eyes, but he remained silent. His silence only intensified her discomfort. "Um, I'll go check if the light is working," she said, turning to leave. Suddenly, she felt a firm grip on her wrist. Her phone slipped from her hand, casting light throughout the space.
• Isabelle's heart skipped a beat as Raiden pulled her toward him. She glanced up, and his hand moved from her wrist to her waist, holding her firmly. His other hand rested on the back of her head, gently lifting her face. His cool breath drew near, and he kissed her.
• Instinctively, she tried to push him away. However, his grip on her waist and the back of her head tightened instantly. Abruptly, he deepened the kiss, exerting overpowering dominance.
• At that moment, she couldn't resist him either.
• The sound of heavy breathing filled the cramped space. Raiden pinned Isabelle against the wall, kissing her somewhat fiercely. It was rare for her to witness this rough and domineering side of him. There was an underlying emotion that desperately needed to be released, leaving her perplexed. However, he didn't give her the chance to delve deeper. The kiss grew more and more intense, but just when it was about to get out of control, the phone rang, its ear-piercing ringtone instantly disrupting the atmosphere in the house.
• He abruptly stopped and raised his hand, pressing her face against his collarbone so that she couldn't see his face. She could feel his breathing becoming steadier. He released her and turned to pick up the phone that had rang again, handing it to her.
• "Thank you," Isabelle said softly without looking up at Raiden. She silently took the phone, answered the call, and turned around with her back to him, her hand covering the phone. "Hello?"
• He darted a glance at her before walking toward the circuit breaker near the door.
• She couldn't help but glance at his back. A voice speaking in Exebesh reached her ear, asking, "May I ask if this is Ms. Isabelle Berry speaking?"
• Her attention was drawn back to the call. "Yes, I am. May I know who's calling?"
• "Hi, Ms. Berry. Congratulations on being accepted into the Architecture Department at Zuriach Federal Institute of Technology."
• Isabelle was stunned for a moment, but she soon realized what was happening, and excitement surged through her. "Really?"
• The surprise in Isabelle's voice prompted Raiden to look back at her from outside the room.
• Feeling a little embarrassed, she suppressed her excitement and thanked the caller before hanging up the phone. Then, she opened her email on the phone and indeed found the acceptance letter. Joyful emotions surged through her. She wanted to vent her excitement, but she restrained herself embarrassedly when she looked up and saw the man looking at her.
• "Is something happening?" Raiden asked as he switched on the circuit breaker.
• Isabelle shook her head slightly. "It's nothing, just some work-related matters."
• "Work-related matters?" He frowned. He had never seen her so happy about work before. "You're lying to me."
• She hesitated for a moment when her lie was exposed. "It's about my studies. I got accepted into Zuriach Federal Institute of Technology."
• His brows furrowed even deeper. "Applying for a university isn't something you can complete in just a day or two. How long have you been preparing for this?"
• She pursed her lips. "Half a year."
• His expression turned colder. "So, you were already planning to get divorced half a year ago?"
• Isabelle pressed her lips together without saying a word. True, that was the point when the idea of divorce first surfaced, though it remained just a thought. At that time, she had also applied to the Zurich Federal Institute of Technology in pursuit of reviving the plans that were interrupted by her unexpected pregnancy and hasty marriage.
• She studied architectural design at university and had always wanted to further her studies in Sriston. However, her family wasn't well-off, and her parents didn't have the financial means to support her to further her studies. For this reason, she had been doing side hustles to make money since her first year in university.
• Her side business had been doing well during those years, and she had saved up a decent amount of money. Had she not met Raiden at the high school reunion, slept with him in the heat of the moment, and gotten pregnant, she would have completed her studies by now.
• That one night had derailed Isabelle's life, transforming her from a workplace newcomer who was full of energy and passion for life into a physically frail housewife who constantly doubted herself every day in the face of mundane household chores and disdain from Raiden's family. She didn't want to live like that anymore.
• Her silence amounted to an acknowledgment.
• He coldly turned his face away. "I got it," he said. "I wish you a bright future."
• "Raiden," she called out to him instinctively.
• Raiden paused, but he didn't turn around.
• "I overheard your argument with your dad in the study at home the other day," Isabelle said softly. "It was only after that day that I decided to get divorced."
• He suddenly turned around to look at her.