No Winter Ever Hurts Like the One I Spent With You

Miss Shelton, are you certain you wish to return to Milan for your studies and divorce Mr. Ryan Fulmer?

I nodded without hesitation, yet a mocking smile touched my lips.

In three years of marriage, he touched me only once on our wedding night. After that, even brushing against a strand of my hair filled him with disgust. He said, "Since you married a heartless and loveless man, you have to bear the consequences."

I believed him, until another woman appeared and he tasted the sweetness of love for the first time.

I even overheard them flirting once. "Could you assign me that nanny you married as my assistant?" she asked him.

Hearing it, Ryan chuckled with indulgence. "As long as you like it, even making her your slave is fine. She's best at serving people anyway."

For this decade of loving Ryan Fulmer, I gave up my chance to study abroad and paid with my father's life, all to finally become his wife. Yet I was merely a joke to him.

Since that was the case, I would grant him his freedom. I immediately called my mother. "Mom, please help me apply to study abroad."

***

"You want to climb into my bed and make me fall for you? Wake up."

Those words were like knives slowly tearing at my heart. I clenched the hem of my clothes tightly, letting out a bitter laugh.

I knew this would happen before I married him, so why did my heart still ache so much? For a moment, I regretted loving such a heartless and loveless person.

On the day I got married, my neighbors openly showed their disdain and hurled abuse, while my mother nearly cried herself blind. Nevertheless, I chose to marry Ryan without hesitation.

But because he was inherently heartless and loveless, I got warned on our wedding night. He told me, "Our marriage is only an arrangement by our parents. From now on, whatever I do, you have no right to interfere."

Not only that, over the next three years, I was treated like I didn't exist at all.

Messages I sent him always went unanswered. When I had a full-body allergic reaction and foamed at the mouth, he simply walked past. Even after I shielded him from a rival's knife, bleeding profusely from my abdomen and suffering a miscarriage, all I got was his indifference. He ignored my feelings and refused to touch me.

Ryan played the character of the unfeeling, heartless man to the extreme; as a result, I broke down. In deep agony, I desperately sought a reason, but was met with mockery.

"You know better than I why I married you back then. This is the last time. Don't ever play the victim with me again."

With that, he disgustedly shook off my hand as he coldly warned me.

Suddenly, the villa door swung open. A woman briskly walked to Ryan's side, linked her arm with his and whispered something.

He nodded repeatedly and even affectionately pinched her nose, showing not a trace of displeasure.

My whole body trembled as I stared at the two of them in disbelief. Was this still my husband, Ryan Fulmer, the man known for being heartless and keeping me at a distance?

I remembered that he only made love to me once since our marriage and never shared a bed with me again.

Later, after three years of marriage, I couldn't even recall the exact location of the mole on his collarbone. Meanwhile, the woman before me skillfully lifted his collar and bit his neck.

It turned out his heartlessness had exceptions, too.

After a moment of flirting, the woman seemed to notice me out of the corner of her eye. "Is this the nanny you married?"

Ryan seemed to find me an eyesore, wrapping his arm around her to leave. Unexpectedly, the woman affectionately grabbed my hand, smiling innocently. "It's so lonely leaving her alone in the villa. Ryan, could you assign her to me as an assistant?"

My husband chuckled indulgently. "As long as you like it, even making her your maid is fine."

I unclenched my palm, which was raw and bleeding from being dug by my fingernails and forced a smile. "Didn't you say you wouldn't fall in love with anyone? Why "

"Bodyguard, tie her to the car," Ryan cut me off and continued walking forward with the woman in his embrace.

When I was thrown into the back seat, I slammed heavily against the car window and a hanging ornament cut my forehead. A rush of bitter resentment welled up in my heart, but then a bandage suddenly appeared in front of me.

"My little dog got hurt earlier and Mr. Fulmer helped buy this," that woman said, then extended her hand to me in a friendly manner. "Hello, I am Annie Whitmore."

Seeing that I hadn't responded, Annie continued to smile happily. "You probably don't know this, but not only is my studio equipped with the best art supplies in the world, but also because I'm holding an art exhibition, Mr. Fulmer specially brought in experts from all over the world to support me."

"However, compared to all that, I envy you more, Miss Shelton. You occupy a position that no one else can steal."

I lowered my gaze, lifting the corners of my mouth in a self-mocking smile. "Is that so?"

It seemed that loving Ryan had long become something carved into my bones.

When I was little, I didn't understand anything; all I knew was chasing after him all day long. As I grew up, I even gave up my opportunity to study art abroad for him, even though he was naturally cold and indifferent to everyone.

Still, I never gave up. I believed that I could melt the ice and so I stayed by his side year after year.

Over the years of our marriage, I've been injured countless times. Yet no matter how deep the wound, Ryan never once cared about my pain. Even when my life hung by a thread, he showed not a trace of concern. Instead, he fawns over Annie's dog.

After marrying him, I wanted to continue my art studies, only to be mocked for dreaming.

Whenever this happened, I would always console myself, thinking he was a heartless, loveless person and treated everyone this way. But now, reality had slapped me hard in the face. I suddenly felt that my dream was far more important than my marriage.

By the end of her words, Annie lifted her innocent and adorable face as she smiled at me. "Do you think Mr. Fulmer really likes me?"

I snapped out of my reverie and politely agreed. At that same time, Ryan, in the driver's seat, glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

Once we arrived at the art exhibition, I immediately excused myself to use the restroom and called my mother. "Mom, please help me apply to study abroad."

My mother was somewhat surprised. "Honey, why do you suddenly want to study abroad?"

My nose stung with holdback tears.

Back then, giving up studying abroad to marry Ryan was the one thing my mother opposed the most. We'd even had a huge fight over it. That's why I drowned in regret.

I sniffed back tears. "It's just that I realize now you were absolutely right back then."

After exchanging a few more words, I returned to the event. Reporters swarmed around the couple, snapping photos frantically as flattering whispers filled the air.

"A business tycoon versus an innocent art muse, they look made for each other!"

"Mr. Fulmer has remained unmarried all this time, probably reserving the position of wife for Miss Whitmore!"

I forgot that no one knew that Ryan and I were married. The outside world simply assumed the head of the Fulmer Corporation had never taken a wife and that the position was being held in reserve for his true love, Annie Whitmore.

My heart slowly tightened and I forced myself not to shed tears. Even though I was telling myself to let go just a second ago, my chest was now filled with bitterness once more.

After Annie finished her interview, she handed me everything she was holding, rubbing her wrists. "These things are so heavy, could you please help me carry them? And remember to buy me a bottle of water too."

I took a deep breath, but when I turned back, my eyes accidentally caught one of Annie's paintings.

Although it was her work, I could tell the artistic approach was exactly the same as the mentor who taught me to paint years ago. Wasn't this plagiarism?

My heart raced and the water cup in my hand slipped, shattering on the floor. A staff member shoved me, saying, "How can an assistant like you do your job? What if you ruin Miss Whitmore's painting?"

"I'm sorry." I frantically gathered the shards when a startled gasp erupted nearby.

"Look! Annie's painting has been exposed online as plagiarism!"

As a commotion broke out among the crowd, I was jostled back and forth. Losing my balance, I ended up kneeling on the broken glass and tears streamed down my face from the pain.

Even then, Ryan only focused entirely on Annie, his brow furrowing as he gently patted her shoulder to comfort her. "It's okay. I'm here."

Sensing the shift in momentum, the reporters immediately turned their cameras toward them, closing in step by step.

Ryan wrapped his hands around Annie, then spoke with a resounding voice.

"I pledge the integrity of the Fulmer Corporation to guarantee Miss Whitmore's innocence. This incident is nothing but a fabrication and we will pursue legal action against those responsible for spreading these rumors."

I stared blankly at the wound on my knee.

There was a time when Ryan left important, confidential documents at home. Even though I had a high fever, I dragged myself out to deliver them to him, only to be drugged and knocked unconscious halfway there.

When I woke up, my clothes were disheveled and my body was covered in hickeys.

Because of this, Ryan flew into a rage and punished me by making me kneel on the tile floor for three days and three nights. Furthermore, he forced me to recall the details of the rape and even sent people to collect evidence from my body. Throughout the entire ordeal, he never once asked if I was afraid or in pain.

I had always thought he was simply cold-hearted and accustomed to being loveless, with only profit in his eyes. It never occurred to me that he, too, could feel heartache for someone.

The art exhibition ended abruptly and I was dragged back to the villa.

Before the wound on my knee could even begin to heal, Ryan had his men pin me to the ground again. The leftover glass shards dug deep into my flesh, causing me to scream in agony.

"Didn't I tell you not to interfere in my affairs?" he demanded.

"It wasn't me!"" I bit my lip and looked up, stubbornly glaring at him."

Ryan merely let out a cold scoff. Immediately, the bodyguard beside him took the cue and grabbed my head, slamming it against the ground.

"It doesn't matter if you don't apologize. I'll have someone apologize on your behalf."

Annie's eyes welled up with tears and she blinked her innocent eyes repeatedly. "Miss Shelton, just hurry up and admit it. I'll beg Mr. Fulmer for mercy and ask him to go easy on you!"

I felt the world spinning violently, as if my brain were about to be churned to pieces. Even so, I suppressed the nauseating turmoil in my stomach and shouted hoarsely, "I'll say it one more time. It wasn't me. I won't admit it!"

Annie's sobs grew heavier as she whimpered, "I'm begging you, Miss Shelton. Whatever grievance you have against me, I can apologize for it. I just hope you'll stop targeting me, alright?"

As she spoke, Annie dropped to her knees with a thud, yet her eyes shone with stubborn tears. She looked exactly like a picture of utter resilience.

At the same time, my nausea intensified and I finally vomited on the floor.

Almost instantly, Ryan pulled Annie into his embrace. He shielded her, while staring at me with utter disgust. "You're married into the Fulmers now. Can't you show some dignity?"

Annie cried, her face streaked with tears. "My dress My mom sewed it for me herself."

Ryan hurriedly kissed her forehead, patiently coaxing her in a low voice. "It's alright, Annie, I'll buy you whatever you want later, okay?"

Soon, a spasm wracked my stomach and I collapsed uncontrollably to the floor.

My heart was filled with nothing but regret and sorrow. After loving Ryan for so many years, I had finally reached the point where I could no longer love him anymore.

Ryan's gaze was like daggers aimed at me.

Without warning, the bodyguard suddenly stepped on my finger.

That's when I finally showed fear. "Ryan, what are you doing!" I screamed.

"Apologize," Ryan repeated that word, his voice cold and threatening. "If you don't apologize in a minute, I'll break one of your fingers. Now, you have ten minutes."

My face turned pale and my lips trembled uncontrollably. He knew better than anyone how dazzling I was in the art world because of these hands. How could he destroy the very hands he used to be so proud of?

"Ryan, you're a lunatic!" I could no longer restrain myself and roared in fury.

If I had another chance, I would rather never have met him.

Then, the housekeeper walked over cautiously and said, "Mr. Fulmer, your father just called. They said to come over for dinner tonight."

Annie wrapped her arms around Ryan's neck and smiled sweetly. "Mr. Fulmer, since we're meeting the parents tonight, let's not pursue this matter further. I believe I'll be cleared of all suspicion in the end."

"You're still so kind-hearted." Ryan smiled as he carried her in bridal way and went upstairs.

Before leaving, he shot me a look. "Clean things up properly. Don't let my father notice anything."

I was left alone downstairs. Struggling to get up, I realized my heart didn't ache as much as I had imagined. It seemed that Ryan was fading from my memory.

Soon, after leaving this place, I could start a new life.

Arriving at the primary residence, Elliot Fulmer's voice was filled with anger upon seeing Annie. "How dare you! This is a family dinner. What is the meaning of bringing an outsider here?"

"Annie is pregnant, so she's hardly an outsider anymore," Ryan stated.

Seeing his father stunned into silence, he scoffed lightly. "If it weren't for Annie, I would never have had the desire to have children. You should thank her."

"You!" Elliot was so angry that he clutched his chest and stomped his feet. "What a disgrace!"

Not wanting to deal with the toxic atmosphere, I excused myself to take a walk and ended up by the swimming pool. I turned on my phone and found a video from an unknown contact.

The screen showed a black-and-white photo of my father strapped to a dog's head, the excited animal thrashing wildly before the camera. Not long after, Annie's smug voice came through.

"He dedicated his life to the country while alive and even after his death, he's still arranging his daughter's marriage. What a loyal dog!"

Her words grew more frenzied as she repeatedly slapped my father's face, laughing smugly with each strike. "If you were watching from heaven, why didn't you stand up for your daughter when she was being bullied to death? What a useless piece of trash you are!"

I gripped my phone tightly, my knuckles turning white.

My father's contribution to the country was not something Annie was allowed to insult! Furthermore, I have felt guilty for a lifetime because of what he did for me just before he died.

Was this the resilient little innocent in Ryan's eyes? I wonder what he would think if he knew he had fallen for such a monstrous woman.

"How about it? Do you like the gift I sent you?" Seeing my eyes turn crimson, Annie couldn't help but feel extremely pleased.

"You probably still don't know this, but the only time you were touched, it actually wasn't done by Ryan. It was simply because his brother wanted to taste what a virgin was like, so Ryan handed you over to him."

She ridiculed, "Otherwise, do you think he would care to touch you?"

Hearing this, I stumbled back two steps in disbelief, my body swaying unsteadily. My heart felt like it had been ripped open, the pain spreading through my entire body.

After that incident, I became pregnant and eagerly awaited my child's arrival. But I lost the baby because I shielded Ryan from a rival's knife.

No wonder when I cried my heart out at that time, that man didn't even frown. It turned out that the child was never his in the first place.

Seeing my pale face, Annie crossed her arms and threatened, "If you know what's good for you, get out of the Fulmers residence right now. Don't dirty my eyes. I am the only one who can be Mrs. Fulmer."

Even though I was leaving in three days, I had no intention of telling him. Instead, I stared intently into her eyes. "As long as I'm here, I will always be Mrs. Fulmer and you you will only ever be trampled under my feet."

"Charlotte Shelton!" Annie shrieked.

She grabbed my hair and shoved my head into the pool, her face twisted with rage. "I've been lying low by Ryan's side for so long, just to become Mrs. Fulmer. What right do you, bitch, have to stop me?"

I choked on several mouthfuls of water, my nose and throat stinging painfully.

"You're asking for death!" she yelled.

Snapping back to my senses, my gaze turned fierce. I grabbed Annie's hair and yanked her into the pool.

"Ouch!"

Both of us fell into the water together.

"Annie!" shouted Ryan, rushing over in a panic.

Without the slightest hesitation, he jumped in to save her.

After pulling Annie out of the water, Ryan anxiously checked her body. Once he confirmed she was safe, he held her in his arms and comforted her for a while.

"Charlotte! Quick, save Charlotte!" Elliot pounded his cane in agitation, but Ryan ignored him while meticulously feeding Annie a cup of ginger tea.

Only after I was pulled out and coughed up several mouthfuls of water did he snort coldly. "It's all a trick, Dad. Don't be fooled."

Elliot was so angry he didn't know what to say and quickly arranged for someone to take me to the hospital. "If you hate Charlotte so much, why did you marry her in the first place!"

Unexpectedly, Ryan raised his head. His voice suddenly became sharp. "Aren't you the one who knows best what happened back then? Why question me now?"

With that said, he picked up Annie and left without looking back. "It's a dark and windy night. Please take care of your health, Dad. I'm taking Annie back first."

Elliot stared at his son's retreating figure. In the end, he could only let out a heavy sigh. "So be it, it's all karma."

When I woke up again, I was already in the hospital.

Seeing Ryan standing by the bed, my lips trembled. I was just about to say something, but Ryan's words cut me off. "You designed this entire scene just to get me to stay with you, Charlotte. You truly have surprised me."

I had choked on a lot of water yesterday and my consciousness was hazy, but I still remembered everything that happened.

Nevertheless, I couldn't be bothered to explain and simply stared coldly out the window. "Think whatever you want. There's no need for you to stay here now."

He had expected me to argue that Annie pushed me into the water and had even prepared sarcastic remarks in advance. But seeing me like this, an unusual feeling stirred inside him.

"Aren't you leaving?" I smirked mockingly, "Don't make your little innocent darling wait too long at home. She might start crying."

On the other side, Ryan remained silent for a long time. When I finally turned my head, he was already gone.

I took out my phone and saw a message from my mom. [Sweetheart, we can leave for Milan in three days. I've already bought the tickets for us, just the two of us.]

My eyes welled up. Finally, I could leave this place.

At that moment, a news report caught my attention.

"Recently, the plagiarism controversy surrounding Annie Whitmore has been cleared. It was her assistant who maliciously leaked her inspiration, leading Annie to create plagiarized paintings."

In the video, Annie cried pitifully, bowing to the camera in apology. "I'm so sorry, everyone. I've caused you all worry. It was my fault for not being careful enough in choosing my assistant, which allowed someone with ulterior motives to take advantage of me. The assistant has been dismissed. I will hold myself to higher standards from now on. Please keep an eye on me!"

I felt sick to my stomach when I witnessed her hypocritical behavior.

She was the one who had plagiarized my mentor's artwork, so what right did she have to play the victim and shift the blame onto me?

Looking at the news, which included my photo, I realized netizens had already dug up my old school pictures. Countless rumors and attacks came flooding in.

[How malicious, to actually use her mentor's work to frame Annie! Just looking at her face, she's clearly not a good person!]

[Maybe she's in cahoots with her mentor, or maybe Annie is just too kind. If this gets serious, they'll all be in deep trouble!]

I felt all the blood rush to my head. Without thinking, I rushed out of the hospital and headed straight to the Fulmer Corporation building. Today, I was going to demand an explanation!

When I reached the office entrance, I was stopped by the receptionist.

The woman in a suit asked me cautiously, "Miss, may I ask who you are?"

"I'm here to see Ryan Fulmer," I replied coldly. I didn't want to waste time arguing with her, so I moved as if I was about to walk in.

"Do you have an appointment? If you don't, we can't let you go in," she added.

"I don't have an appointment, but if you ask one of his bodyguards to pass along a message, he'll let me in." I clenched my fingers tightly, doing my best to steady my emotions.

But when the bodyguard came out, he just shook his head at the person at the front desk.

The receptionist covered her mouth and laughed. "Wow, anyone and everyone really thinks they can meet Mr. Fulmer. Don't you ever take a look at yourself? Are you trying to climb the social ladder and become a socialite? Please give it up. The perfect match for Mr. Fulmer is Miss Whitmore, the genius painter. You should really see what you're worth."

I laughed. I'd forgotten that no one knew we were married.

Well then, I wasn't going to hide it either. I directly tossed out the divorce papers and shouted toward the office door, "Ryan Fulmer, I came today to divorce you! If you're any kind of man, sign it quickly. Don't hide in there like a coward!"

As soon as those words fell, I was finally allowed into the office.

I snorted as I handed over the divorce papers, while glancing around at everything, which felt completely unfamiliar. This was the first time I'd been to Ryan's office since we got married and it was to talk about divorce.

Meanwhile, Annie could come and go freely by his side. How ironic.

"You knew I was being framed, don't you?" I questioned.

Ryan didn't look up at me. Instead, he signed the divorce papers without hesitation and threw a black card at me. "This time, I'm the one who's wronged you. So, I'll let you do whatever you want this time, but only this once."

I chuckled. It turned out that this man knew everything. Yet, he still selflessly protected his innocent darling's reputation, even at the cost of my life.

Oh, God! What had I been hoping for all this time? The Ryan standing before me was no longer the man I remembered.

On the other side, Annie could hardly keep the delight off her face. Still, she pretended to be understanding and said, "Miss Shelton, don't worry, I've already pleaded for you. From now on, you can sleep in the same bed with Mr. Fulmer, just like me. It's just ... "

She pretended to hesitate, "It's just that Mr. Fulmer still won't touch you."

I laughed in anger and threw the black card back in Annie's face. "Well, thank you so much."

"Charlotte, stop making a scene!" Ryan scolded me with a grim expression, but I ignored him while spreading my arms to brace myself on the table.

I gritted my teeth. "Not everyone wants a husband who's like shit wrapped in chocolate. If you like him, I'll give him to you. But remember, he is just the trash I don't want anymore."

After saying my piece, I didn't care about their reactions and went home to pack my belongings. Only then did I realize how pitifully little I owned. When I put them in the suitcase, they formed only a thin layer.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips, but this was fine. I didn't want to owe Ryan anything anyway.

A few minutes later, I took out my phone and called some friends to arrange a dinner party.

When everyone was present, I barely touched the food and poured myself a drink. Before long, my face was flushed.

Over the course of our marriage, I had avoided alcohol entirely, simply because Ryan disliked its smell.

Therefore, my behavior at the moment was quite unusual.

Finally, a friend couldn't help it and grabbed my wrist. "Charlotte, tell me the truth, what exactly are you planning to do?"

My cheeks were rosy from the drinking and a smile hung on my face. "I'm not doing anything. I'm just leaving and I'm a little sad to leave you all."

"Leaving?" my friends spoke in unison, exchanging glances.

Some of them whispered, "Didn't she treat Ryan as her life's creed? She was willing to give up her future for him, so why was she choosing to leave now?"

"Are you and your husband immigrating?" one of them asked.

I shook my head, pulling a divorce agreement from my bag with a cheerful smile. "I am a free woman now. I'm going to study abroad."

My words struck like thunder, shocking my friends. They stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what had just come out of my mouth.

"But you have to promise me," I begged, gripping my friend's wrist tightly. "Don't tell Ryan where I am. I'll make sure he never finds me."

My friends exchanged glances, then nodded and patted my shoulder.

"Charlotte, we're glad you're doing this," one said. "You haven't been yourself because of that man and we all wish you a better future."

Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open.

Ryan walked in, his eyes sweeping across the room until they stopped on me. Seeing how drunk I was, he strode over, his voice as cold as ever. "You're drunk."

I lay sprawled over the table.

When I saw that it was Ryan, I slapped my own face. "I must've had too much to drink. I'm actually seeing Ryan come to pick me up, hahaha."

That man said nothing more to me. He simply scooped me up and carried me out, his voice flat.

"I've already paid the bill."

He then dumped me into the passenger seat, started the car and headed home.

The cool night breeze quickly sobered me up by about seventy or eighty percent. Recalling what had just happened, I patted my head, probably because I'd drunk too much and misremembered. How could Ryan possibly carry me out himself?

Ryan's voice snapped me from my thoughts. "I brought you some cake."

Looking at the mango cake in front of me, I let out a cold laugh.

I really wanted to say that I was allergic to mangoes, but in the end, I still said, "You did all this just so I wouldn't expose what Annie has done, right?"

That man shot me a dark, unreadable look, then stopped the car and walked into the house. In the living room, he was directing the housekeeper to move my things into the main bedroom.

"I will let you sleep in the same bed as me, but I won't touch you," he said.

I rolled my eyes, not intending to respond.

He clenched his fists and for some reason, suddenly spoke again. "I'm going on a business trip tomorrow. If you want anything, I can bring it back for you."

"No need. Just save it for your little Sweetheart." I was too lazy to argue with him.

I grabbed the pillow and blanket, carried them to the guest room and prepared to sleep.

Ryan immediately frowned. "Even throwing a tantrum should have its limits. This was exchanged for your father's life!"

"You have no right to mention my father!" I shouted, then pushed him away and closed the door. "It's getting late, I'm going to sleep."

When I woke up, I discovered that Annie had actually won an award. Taking a closer look, I realized the award-winning work was identical to my own graduation project!

I quickly searched through my belongings and, sure enough, my graduation project was missing.

Back then, to marry Ryan, I had given up further studies and even that project was left unfinished. Over the years, it had remained a scar etched into my heart.

I almost instantly thought of the culprit.

I ran to Ryan like a madwoman, saying with a trembling voice, "Where is my graduation project? Did you give it to that bitch?"

Ryan quickly recoiled in disgust, frowning. "Watch your language."

But I didn't want to control my emotions and I continued to speak agitatedly. "How dare you use my work to pave the way for your mistress! Ryan, you knew it was my heart and soul, yet you still gave it away! Why are you so heartless?"

He only watched my outburst with indifference, then his thin lips parted slightly. "It's your honor that Annie got to use your work."

"Is that so?" I laughed in bitter anger, tears streaming down my face as I spoke. "Would you like this kind of honor for yourself? How noble you make it sound, Ryan. I never knew you could be so despicable."

Only then did I finally understand why he had bought me the mango cake yesterday. It turned out my graduation project could be dismissed with nothing more than a fruit cake.

"If you have no evidence, don't bother me. I still have a business trip to attend to," Ryan said slowly, meticulously wiping his hands.

He watched me desperately search the computer for a backup of my project, only to realize it had been completely deleted long ago.

In that instant, everything became clear to me. I also realized how utterly ridiculous I had been.

"Ryan, since you've chosen to go this far, don't blame me for what comes next!" I sneered.

With red-rimmed eyes, I packed my things.

Just as I gripped the handle of my suitcase by the door, Ryan suddenly warned me, "Don't even think about touching Annie."

Standing beside him, Annie spoke softly, "Charlotte Shelton, if it wasn't meant for you, let me fulfill it in your place."

I glanced at my watch, realizing I had to leave for the airport quickly. After declaring that I would "pursue this to the end," I pulled my suitcase and walked away.

Annie clung to Ryan's arm, pretending to be worried as she asked, "Mr. Fulmer, what will she do after leaving you? She won't really leave and never come back, will she?"

He let out a chuckle, remembering how I once followed him everywhere, my eyes never leaving him. "She won't. Charlotte can't live without me."

On the way to the airport, I dialed a number I hadn't contacted in years. "Sir, this is Charlotte. Can you do me a favor?"

After hanging up, I saw Ryan had posted a video of Annie receiving an award on his social media. The timestamp showed it was from last night, right before he picked me up.

A wave of nausea washed over me. Without hesitation, I blocked his number, then went on to block everyone connected to him.

At the same time, Ryan felt an inexplicable restlessness, his mind flooded with images of me screaming in despair, his heart clenched tight.

After sending Annie away, he called me repeatedly, but the line was always busy.

Once I arrived at the airport and switched to a new SIM card, I thought back to the pure joy I had felt when I married Ryan, always believing that one day I would melt his heart. Now, it was time for that dream to end.

In another place, Ryan suddenly felt an inexplicable wave of agitation; the image of me crying hysterically filled his mind. It was as if his heart was being tightly squeezed, making even his breathing difficult.

For the first time, I had made him feel what heartbreak was like.

He kept dialling my number after Annie was gone, but none of the calls went through. When he opened the chat messenger, he discovered that I had blocked him.

"Boarding is now open for the flight from New York to Milan," the announcer informed.

Without hesitation, I boarded the plane. As it soared into the sky, I watched New Orleans grow farther and farther away, shrinking into a tiny dot.

I closed my eyes and silently whispered in my heart.

"Goodbye, New Orleans. Goodbye, Ryan."