Chapter 1 Predicting The Future

• “A-Am I really heading to City Hall to get a divorce? Haven't I already been through one divorce? No, that's not right! That didn't actually happen. It's something that's supposed to occur in the future. I'm not divorced yet. What I'm experiencing now is something that's supposed to happen in the future! A-Am I able to foresee the future?”
• A man and a woman were seated in the back seat of a taxi in Bloudence.
• The man lowered his head, remaining silent.
• The woman was stunningly beautiful, reminiscent of a delicate flower under the moonlight. However, her face bore slight traces of bruising, and her hair was somewhat disheveled.
• She stared blankly out the window, her mind drifting back to her college days. She remembered how this man had relentlessly courted her, making all sorts of promises.
• In the end, these memories shattered into fragments, transforming into the despairing yet mocking smile that lingered on her lips.
• Just yesterday, Maverick Lane had a heated argument with her family, even ending up in a physical tussle with her younger brother.
• For Josephine Clarke, such incidents had long since become the norm. However, the argument from yesterday was the final straw that broke her.
• When Maverick got into a scuffle with his younger brother, Sebastian Clarke, he was inadvertently pushed onto a table. The back of his head took a hard hit, knocking him out cold. It wasn't until two hours ago that he regained consciousness.
• Josephine was truly terrified that someone would lose their life if things continued like this.
• And so, she chose to get a divorce.
• At that moment, the two of them were on their way to City Hall.
• The scenery around them hadn't changed at all from several years ago when they got their marriage certificate. They were still going down the same familiar streets.
• Yet, what they were about to receive now was a divorce certificate.
• It was a cruel irony.
• Maverick lifted his gaze, taking in the sight of the woman beside him, her expression filled with quiet sorrow.
• The various bruises and scars on her face and body caused a pang in Maverick's heart.
• Smack!
• Suddenly, Maverick raised his hand and harshly slapped himself.
• You jerk! You're such a jerk! You monster! You have such a beautiful and virtuous wife, who had devoted herself entirely to you, and yet, you had her endure your countless acts of violence over the past few years! F*ck!
• The sudden slap from Maverick startled the elderly driver.
• Josephine also snapped back to reality from her daze.
• However, she merely glanced at Maverick indifferently, then once again turned her gaze back to the window.
• How many times has this happened? These laughable attempts pleading for my forgiveness have long since become a common occurrence!
• “Young man...”
• The driver had held his peace for a while, but he finally decided to speak up. “You know, household conflicts are just minor issues. When a woman marries, she's supposed to share in our good fortune. As me, we should pick ourselves up from wherever we fall. No matter what, it's never right to raise a hand to a woman. Wouldn't you agree?”
• The taxi driver was experienced in such things. From the moment Maverick and Josephine got into his car and stated their destination, he had already pieced together most of the story.
• Little did he know, his words nearly took Maverick's breath away.
• He's right... When Josephine initially rejected countless suitors and agreed to marry me, the light in her eyes was something I would never forget for the rest of my life. That was a sense of anticipation for the future and a sense of expectation for me! Why? Why have I ended up like this? Even if we weren't living in wealth and luxury... Even if we were just leading an ordinary life, she wouldn't have any complaints. Yet, I treated her so poorly...
• With that in mind, Maverick was overwhelmed with heartache and slapped himself on the face yet again.
• Unable to stand it anymore, Josephine exclaimed, “That's enough! I've seen you pull such stunts countless times and have forgiven you countless times, but all I've received in return are your escalating acts of violence.”
• It was hard to imagine, the level of anger and disappointment that Josephine must have felt when she said that in such a nonchalant tone.
• “It's always a good thing to be able to turn over a new leaf. After all, a fault confessed is half redressed.”
• The driver discreetly stole a glance at Josephine.
• He naturally understood the principle that one shouldn't judge a man until one has walked a mile in his shoes, hence he could only help up to this point.
• Regrettably, it seemed as if Josephine hadn't heard a thing.
• Ten minutes later, the taxi came to a halt.
• The towering structure of City Hall came into view.
• Maverick wanted to pay the taxi fare, but after searching himself thoroughly, he realized that he was out of cash. Even his digital wallet only had one yuan and fifty cents.
• He had gambled away all of his possessions, leaving nothing behind.
• “Here's your fare, sir.”
• Josephine said as she handed the driver some money, then proceeded to step forward.
• Maverick was about to get out of the car when he heard the old driver say, “Where can you find such a wonderful woman, young man? Make sure you cherish her. Don't make the same mistake I did. I took a wrong turn in my youth, and now it's too late for regrets!”
• Maverick hesitated for a moment, then said, “Take the next left turn at the junction, sir.”
• “Hmm? Aren't you getting off here?” The driver was a bit perplexed.
• “I do need to get off, but you have to make a left turn, or rather, you absolutely mustn't go straight. Understand?”
• Seeing the confusion etched on the taxi driver's face, Maverick added, “Even if you disregard my advice, make sure you get out of the car quickly in case of an accident, otherwise, you'll be engulfed by flames in no time.”
• Once he finished speaking, Maverick stepped out of the car and closed the door behind him.
• “Young man, I was just trying to give you a friendly warning, and you turn around and curse me? It seems good intentions really don't pay off! What bad luck I have!”
• The driver, an older gentleman, mistakenly thought his words had upset Maverick. Completely disregarding Maverick's warning, he continued to drive straight ahead.
• The next intersection wasn't far off, roughly about a hundred meters away, and conveniently, the light was green.
• However, as the taxi was passing through the intersection, a dump truck suddenly dashed out from the right lane.
• Screech!
• The sound of abrupt braking echoed.
• Following that, a loud crash rang out, and the taxi was thrust more than ten meters away, nearly toppling over.
• Fortunately, the driver had been wearing his seatbelt and the impact was on the passenger side, so surprisingly, there was no serious damage.
• While his mind was filled with confusion, the driver suddenly remembered the words Maverick had said when he got out of the car.
• Driven by an inexplicable urge, he unbuckled his seatbelt and quickly got out of the car.
• Just after he stepped out of the car, the vehicle's fuel tank suddenly caught fire.
• Under the disbelieving gaze of the driver, a sudden explosion engulfed the entire car in flames.
• “What...”
• The driver swallowed hard, his gaze instinctively shifting toward the entrance of City Hall.
• The young man, who had helped him dodge a bullet, was nowhere to be found.
• Is he a deity or something?
• Those words filled the driver's mind.
• In the waiting area of City Hall, Josephine asked, “Are you sure your head is all right now?”
• “Yeah, it's all good now,” Maverick said.
• Not only was he all right, but it was precisely this impact that led to Maverick's sudden realization. Even more astonishingly, he acquired the ability to predict the future.
• Josephine let out a slight sigh of relief. “As long as you're all right, that's all that matters.”
• Before Maverick could even utter a word, Josephine continued, “I've done the math. The total debt is eight hundred twenty thousand. We'll split it equally. Although it was you who incurred it, we are, after all, a married couple, so it's our shared responsibility. My brother went too far, and I apologize on his behalf.”
• After a brief pause, Josephine took a deep breath, as if exerting all her strength, she fixed her gaze on Maverick.
• “Sasha is only four years old. Please let her stay with me, will you?”