When the Contract Ends in Goodbye Chapter 5

He was always like this.

Always self-centered.

I met Julian's slightly panicked gaze.

"We are already divorced. If I don't leave, what am I supposed to do here?"

"You should go back and keep Ava company. You waited for her for so many years. Now you belong to her completely."

"You two should be happy."

But Julian froze, completely skipping over the topic of Ava.

He asked me in confusion, "What divorce? When did we divorce?"

I handed my copy of the divorce decree to Julian and said, "The lawyer will mail you yours later."

"You and I have nothing to do with each other anymore."

I turned to look at Marco. "If we ever meet again, no need to call me Madam."

Julian took the paper, shaking his head rapidly.

His face was full of disbelief. "How can we be divorced... I never wanted to divorce you!"

I suddenly laughed.

"Julian, think back on our seven years of marriage. Did I not have a reason to ask for a divorce?"

"Which one of your actions showed that you loved me?"

"Julian, you're ridiculous. You don't have to say it; your actions said it all."

"Based on what you've done, if I didn't divorce you, should I have stayed to celebrate the holidays?"

But Julian just kept shaking his head.

He couldn't stop shaking his head, as if that would make me stay.

He suddenly grabbed my shoulders and shook me hard.

He looked like a madman as he said to me, "No... I never agreed! You forged this document. It's fake, right?"

"We aren't divorced! You are still mine!"

"This doesn't count! This absolutely doesn't count! We aren't divorced!"

Looking at Julian's twisted expression, I suddenly felt he was insane.

He wanted everything, yet couldn't recognize his own mistakes.

"Julian, what is the use of doing this now?"

"Do you think if you beg now, I will stay?"

A flash of joy passed through his eyes for a second, as if thinking I would stay as he wished.

Despite that, there wasn't a single ripple of hesitation deep in my heart.

Julian's reaction surprised me. Shouldn't he be happy?

"Julian, do you really not know why I wanted a divorce?"

I questioned him, my voice holding one hundred percent certainty.

He held my hand tightly, his eyes full of pleading. "I swear, I knew nothing. How could I agree to divorce you? You are my everything. Ella, I love you."

I began to recall the time we spent together, those moments of loneliness and pain, and our past vows.

"Julian, why are you pretending?"

I asked him with a hint of sarcasm:

"Look at yourself now. What's the point?"

Julian's smile froze on his face.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault, Ella. I really never thought it would come to this."

"I don't want a divorce. I don't want... I don't want..."

He said "I don't want" three times in a row, seemingly searching for an excuse for constantly abandoning me.

But he probably couldn't even say it himself. After repeating it a few times, he silently lowered his head.

Maybe he suddenly discovered a conscience regarding how he had treated me these past years.

I waited again and again.

He chose Ava and abandoned me again and again.

His tacit approval, his neglect, his enabling—these were the true culprits of our broken relationship.

I stared into his eyes and said slowly, "Julian, let's leave it at this. Don't look for me."

"Julian, I wish you a life of endless parties and peace, far away from me."