When the Contract Ends in Goodbye Chapter 1

My husband, Julian Costello, has held the reins of his family’s East Coast business empire for five years.

Every time he returns from New York, I wait for him in our cavernous, empty mansion.

But every single time, he goes to see his childhood sweetheart, Ava, first.

For every visit he pays her, he promises to grant me one request as compensation.

This routine continued until the day he handed over the family’s new territory in Miami to Ava to manage.

I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream.

I calmly presented my one-hundredth request.

He didn’t even blink as he signed the documents I had prepared.

I had finally become exactly what he always wanted: the sensible, understanding wife.

Perhaps out of a sliver of guilt, he promised to take me to see a grand fireworks display.

What he didn't know was that the final document he signed was our divorce agreement.

The dinner on the table had gone cold once again.

Just as I was about to reheat it, the internal house line rang.

When I heard him say he had given the Miami territory to Ava Russell, I felt nothing but a deep, bone-weary exhaustion.

He said he wanted to make it up to me. Whatever I wanted, I just had to tell his deputy, Marco.

Perhaps what I truly wanted was something he never considered valuable.

Moments later, Marco called.

He proactively asked what I wanted, offering to prepare the transfer agreements for me.

I told him that this time, I would prepare them myself.

I hung up the phone and sat silently at the dining table, staring at the cold food. It seemed to silently narrate the bleakness of our marriage.

I used to crave sharing these simple, home-cooked meals with him. But now, that craving had burned to ash under his coldness and distance.

This was only the second time I had ever visited his office alone.

My husband sat behind his massive mahogany desk.

His gaze remained fixed on the ledgers and documents before him.

It wasn't until I walked right up to him that he finally lifted his head.

"You're here. You could have just told Marco what you wanted. No need to make the trip yourself."

I smiled faintly. "I want Grandma's old house on the outskirts of the city. It holds a lot of memories for me, so I wanted to ask you personally."

He seemed to be in a good mood today. He took the file from my hands and signed his name with a flourish.

"That's all you want? If you had said so earlier, I would have given it to you ages ago. After this busy spell, I’ll take you to the Sotheby’s auction."

"You have pretty much every asset imaginable now. It’s thoroughly changed your social class, hasn’t it?"

His tone was relaxed, casual, and brimming with suppressed joy. Probably because he would soon be able to see his precious Ava every day in Miami.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll have someone drive you back. I have a lot to deal with."

I didn't tell him that this was actually his one-hundredth compensation to me.

Hidden within those complex asset transfer contracts was the divorce agreement I had drafted long ago.

He naturally didn’t bother to check every page.

The 99 gifts he carefully prepared when he proposed were now buried under these 100 instances of hurt.

He had left me behind to go to his childhood sweetheart countless times.

Handing the Miami territory to Ava marked exactly the one-hundredth time.

Julian, I have forgiven you 99 times.

Julian, I don't want to forgive you anymore.

I don't need to forgive you anymore.

I left his office alone.

"This is the divorce application for Julian Costello and me. I leave the rest to you."

I handed all the materials to my lawyer.

I had paid a heavy price for this attorney. If everything went smoothly, I wouldn't have to continue this life of self-deception and emotional torture.

If everything went smoothly, in one month, my future would no longer include him.

For the next few days, my heart was strangely calm.

Countdown: 27 days.

Things were lively on Julian’s end.

He was celebrating with his crew, moving the party from downtown clubs to private yachts.

Every place they went, I had walked there alone many times before.

As for his promise to me? I never believed it.

When disappointment accumulates enough, this is what a person becomes.

I stood up to pack my luggage. I planned to travel the moment the divorce certificate was in my hand.

Suddenly, I received a call from Marco. "Mrs. Costello, there will be a fireworks show at Star Point Pier tomorrow. Please, you must attend."

"The boss prepared this specifically for you. You really have to come."

In the seven years I’ve been married to Julian, his deputy Marco has always been very respectful to me.

I didn't want to make things difficult for him, so I agreed.

But when I actually set off for Star Point Pier, I felt a moment of daze.

Our wedding had been held right there.

That day, the night sky of the entire city was lit up by brilliant fireworks.

In just a few short years, my state of mind was worlds apart.

Approaching Star Point Pier, the crowd was thick.

I checked the time; it was nearly eight o'clock.

Countless tourists and socialites had gathered.

Buzzing whispers rippled through the crowd: "I heard the matriarch of the Costello family is drop-dead gorgeous. Mr. Costello dropped a fortune on the 'Heart of the Ocean' diamond necklace a couple of days ago. Maybe it’s for her."

"Mr. Costello prepared these fireworks for his wife. We're just lucky to catch the show."

I paused.

Very few people knew about our marriage. Surely, they couldn't be talking about me.

Star Point Pier was deafening with noise.

Julian and his inner circle were all there. Ava was clinging to Julian, snuggled up against him. They looked like the perfect couple.

Around her neck hung a dazzling diamond necklace—the very one I saw Marco buy two days ago.

Ava looked at him shyly. "Julian, let me toast to you. Thank you for giving me this chance to prove myself in Miami."

Julian tilted his head, listening carefully, his eyes full of smiles.

Someone on the edge of the group saw me out of the corner of their eye.

"Sister-in-law... Ella, what are you doing here?"

I looked at Julian. His brow was relaxed, showing not a trace of guilt as he glanced at me indifferently.

The entire pier was filled with the sound of whispering.

"Why are you here?" Julian seemed genuinely confused by my presence.

"Marco notified me."

It was only then that he remembered. Today's fireworks show was the compensation he had promised me.

"Sorry, I forgot. Next week... no, I can't do next week, no vacation time. Next month. I'll take you somewhere even better next month."

I shook my head. "We'll see."

By next month, I should be far away.

All the promises he gave no longer mattered.

"Hey? Who is this lady? I've never seen her before," someone asked.

I looked at Julian's friend, Nico. He was obviously tense.

I smiled and simply said I was a distant relative of Julian's.

At that moment, Ava stood up with her wine glass and walked over to me.

"Thank you, Ella, for letting me have this opportunity."

Ava reached out her hand, smiling at me.

I glanced at Julian. He seemed stunned. I lowered my eyes, shook Ava's hand, and replied, "It's because of your outstanding ability. It has nothing to do with me letting you have anything."

I looked closely at the necklace on her neck and said, "Your necklace is beautiful."

She hadn't expected me to mention it. She looked at Julian with feigned shyness. "It was a gift from Julian."

Someone nearby chimed in flatteringly, "Mr. Costello has such taste. That necklace is blindingly beautiful. So enviable."

"Exactly, it's gorgeous."

So, it was a gift prepared for her all along.

"It suits you perfectly."

With that, I found an excuse and left.