Chapter 1 Divorce

• Just like any other day, I prepared many delicious meals and set the table. I knew that Xin was going to come home today.
• I wanted to surprise him. Maybe his attitude towards me would change.
• My heart began beating so fast when I heard him drive into the parking lot. Despite his cold nature and his indifference towards me, I still wanted to make him happy.
• I still hoped that one day he would change and treat me as the wife I was supposed to be.
• I rushed over to him when he walked into the house, a sweet smile on my face. I wanted to use all of my charm to win him over today.
• “Xin, I prepared your favorite dishes. Would you like to try?“ I asked. Of course, I would prepare the food every two days.
• Xin only returned home once in two days. And he only ate my food whenever he chose to. However, I had never given up trying to please him.
• He was the man I loved—the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I was willing to go to any lengths for him.
• And just like I had expected, he did not say a word. Instead, he extended his arm and handed me a document that he was holding.
• Confused, I took the document. That was the first time he had ever given me anything.
• Curiously, I ran my eyes over the words, and my heart went numb. I raised my eyes to look at him, and I was only met with his indifferent gaze.
• “Um… this?“ I asked in confusion. It was a divorce document, and his name was already signed on it.
• Wait!
• Xin was divorcing me after being married for one year. He wanted to end things with me!
• I looked at the document again before shaking my head. “Xin, I didn't do anything wrong. Please don't do this to me,” I begged.
• I did not know why he was asking for a divorce all of a sudden. He had never mentioned it in the past!
• “Sign it,” Xin said coldly, and he walked upstairs. Of course, he had never said more than two words at a time to me after we got married.
• “Noo!“ I said that and tried to run after him, but I stopped when I thought about it. He never liked anyone close to him.
• Even though we had been married for one year, he had never touched me. I was never sure if I was the one he detested or if it was just his decision.
• I sighed and threw away the document. “Keep dreaming! I am not going to sign this,” I said, walking to my room. Of course, we had separate rooms.
• …
• “Chris,” I said when the person I was calling answered. “Are you with Xin?“
• “Isabel! It is late in the night. Why are you still awake?“ Chris asked. Xin and he were best friends. And most of the time, when Xin wasn't home, he was with him.
• I sighed. “He has not been home for some days. And the last time he was here, he handed me divorce papers,” I said, wiping away my tears.
• I just could not understand why someone would be as cold as him. He was never like that in the past.
• “Isabel, I am really sorry for you. But he is not here,” Chris said softly. At times, I wondered why Xin could never be as good as him.
• “Do you know where he is?“ I asked again. I only wanted to know if he was fine.
• But Chris sighed deeply. “Bella, I think you need to know about this,” he said tensely. “Xin's ex-girlfriend came back. He is with her now."
• “What?“ I sat up with a start. “Ex girlfriend?“ I asked in confusion. I didn't know that he had a girlfriend.
• “Bella, after Xin left your home, he was taken abroad. He met Skye, who helped him a lot. I heard that she even took a bullet once for him. They were dating before your uncle showed up with marriage documents his dad signed. They had to break up,” Chris explained.
• I was stunned. “Because of me? I didn't know about it. Where is he now?” I asked. Did he not like me because I had made him break up with his girlfriend? But why did he agree to marry me?
• “You have to be strong, Bella. Don't go to him and cause any trouble. I will try talking to him and see what to do,” Chris said. He was always a good friend.
• “Thanks,” I said and hung up. I was struggling to fight back my tears. I seemed to have finally understood why Xin did not care about me.
• Xin had been raised by my parents until he was fifteen. I heard that something had happened to his family, and he was only safe with us.
• He had been a very good brother to me. I loved spending time with him.
• When he turned fifteen, something happened in our family. Our house was burned down by some unknown people, and I lost my dad and mom in the event.
• My uncle took me in, but he could not afford to raise another extra person. So Xin had to leave.
• I was only ten years old at that time. He had promised to keep in touch and visit me often. However, he never did it.
• When I turned twenty, my uncle told me that before my dad and Xin's dad died, they had signed an agreement that Xin should marry me.
• He said that I was supposed to meet Xin and date him for a while. If we loved each other, he would marry me.
• But Xin had agreed to marry me the moment I met him. I was so happy at that time. I did not expect that my life in marriage was going to be so difficult. I never thought that he would one day want to divorce me.