The Saintess Broke Her Vows for Him, I Walked Away Forever

Three years after leaving the country, I landed at the airport, my two young children clinging to me.

Seraphina, the Church's Saintess, who was always so cool and distant, messaged me: You're back?

I lied without a flicker of emotion: No way, I'm still in England. Just about to go to bed.

But the very next second, she materialized in front of me.

Her eyes were fixed, burning, on my two children.

"Is this why you disappeared? To do this?"

"Don't you understand? I never agreed to a divorce. This is cheating!"

I scoffed.

My hand reached out, brushing against the prayer pendant around her neck.

"You wouldn't have children with me, so I had to find someone who would, didn't I?"

When we got married, she claimed to love me fiercely.

She said she'd do anything for me, as long as it didn't mean breaking her sacred vows.

But then, her first love, Caleb, came back.

He said if he could make Seraphina "break her vows" nine times, then I was to "voluntarily divorce" her.

I lost that battle, utterly and completely.

When Caleb returned to the country, he challenged me to a bet: who could make Seraphina break her vows nine times first?

I sneered and immediately wrote out the agreement by hand.

"If you win, I'm out."

"But if you lose, I'll make sure you can never show your face in this city again."

Yet, only I knew the truth.

I wasn't nearly as confident as I appeared.

For three years of marriage with Seraphina, I'd bent over backward for her, giving her everything I had.

But I could never make her break those sacred vows she held so dear.

Less than a week into the bet, Seraphina's visits home became fewer and far between.

Gritting my teeth, I slipped into a new silk robe and walked into her meditation room.

I took her hand and leaned in, my lips tracing a path down her body.

I could feel her breathing grow heavy, her eyes clouding with an unfamiliar desire.

But then her phone rang C that distinct chime meant it was the Church. Seraphina instantly jolted awake, pushed me away, and stormed out the door.

She was gone for three hours, and she didn't come back.

The blood in my veins ran cold, inch by agonizing inch.

I stood there like a statue, my mind utterly blank, unable to process anything.

It wasn't until Caleb arrived at my door, holding an intimate item and showing me the unmistakable traces left inside.

"Aaron, this is the ninth time."

"I told you, Seraphina loves me. Why wouldn't you believe it?"

"A bet's a bet. You lost, now pay up."

I stared at his triumphant face, then remembered myself just moments ago, craving Seraphina's touch like a pathetic beggar.

A wave of dizziness washed over me.

Why was I humiliating myself like this?

Before marriage, I was the proudest heir from a prominent family in our circle. Why was I now competing with Caleb over what happened in a bedroom?

I feigned nonchalance, pulling the signed divorce papers from my nightstand.

"Here. Now get out."

Caleb's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"You confronted Seraphina?"

I acted indifferent.

"No. Seraphina said the divorce was up to me."

"It's just a woman. If you like her, she's all yours."

But looking at Seraphina's name on the agreement.

It still felt like a hole was brutally ripped right through my chest.

This was Seraphina's "gift" to me on our wedding day.

Seraphina was a woman of her word.

Back then, she'd stopped my more intimate advances, saying she couldn't break her vows, that she had to keep her sacred commitment for three years, and asked me to wait for her.

But if I ever grew weary.

I could sign the divorce papers anytime, and she would never stand in my way.

At the time, I was incredibly moved.

I thought she was the one for life.

Now, I just felt horrifically foolish.

Did she do this to give me freedom, or to simply leave herself an escape route?

Caleb took the agreement, flipped through it twice, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"Just like the proud Aaron I know, so casual."

"Everyone in town knows you spent five years just chasing Seraphina. I thought you'd be more reluctant to give up."

"Alright, in a week, when Seraphina's vow-keeping period officially ends, I'll give her this agreement as a gift."

"You two can finally stop torturing each other."

I gave him a cold look and showed him out.

But then, I found myself thinking Caleb was right.

I'd tied someone who didn't love me to my side for five years. What else was that but torture?

I pulled out my phone and found the flight tickets I'd booked for Seraphina and me to Iceland, set for a week later.

Seraphina didn't like long trips; I'd pestered her into going.

When she agreed, did she also think I was such a bother, so demanding?

I tapped my screen, canceling Seraphina's ticket.

If this was how it was, I'd set her free.

Such a mistake, I couldn't let it continue.

Not long after Caleb left, I went to bed.

Half-asleep, someone slipped into bed beside me, their arms wrapping around my waist from behind.

Annoyed, I batted her hand away.

"Aren't you going back to your meditation room? What are you doing here?"

A woman's breath tickled the back of my neck. After a long moment, she whispered:

"Why did you cancel the Iceland tickets?"

My irritation and gloom intensified. I snapped back, "Can't I just not want to go anymore?"

And pushed her away: "Get away from me."

But my hand pressed against her chest, and Seraphina let out a muffled groan, as if in immense pain.

I felt an odd sensation on her chest again and quickly pulled back her nightgown.

In that instant, the world spun around me.

Below her left breast, a brand new belly button ring gleamed!

And beside it, two tiny letters were tattooed:

C.B.

I didn't know if my eyes were bloodshot, but my voice trembled uncontrollably:

"What is this?"

Did Seraphina like Caleb so much that she'd do anything for him?

When Seraphina's parents died unexpectedly, her relatives swooped in, grabbing most of their assets and even hiring people to harass and bully her.

I was the one who stood in front of her, pulling every string and leveraging every contact to shield her from humiliation.

Seraphina said she needed solitude and spiritual guidance.

I stayed by her side, never forcing her, pouring my entire being into loving her.

Until she gradually emerged from the shadows and accepted my proposal.

How ridiculous.

She kept her vows, saying she couldn't touch me.

Yet she could get a piercing, branding herself like a pet with an owner's mark, all for another man?

But if Seraphina didn't want it, who could force her?

Was this just another one of their intimate games?

Or did Caleb want me to see firsthand just how much Seraphina would compromise for him?

Seraphina frowned, pulling her clothes back up.

"It's nothing serious, just a piece of jewelry. If you don't like it, I won't wear it."

"As for those two letters... Aaron, I'll explain it all to you later."

Then she hesitated, stepping out of the bedroom:

"I'm going to pray. You get some rest."

My keen eyes caught it: the sacred medallion necklace I had painstakingly customized for her was gone, replaced by a strange, exotic-looking new one.

I gritted my teeth and called Alfred, the butler:

"Find out where Seraphina went today, who she saw."

"And where her old necklace is."

Not long after.

A security camera video was sent to my phone.

In the video, Seraphina was drinking glass after glass of wine offered by Caleb, clearly quite drunk.

A few friends at the table exclaimed:

"I heard Ms. Seraphina never touches alcohol because of her faith. Caleb, you really have pull!"

"Isn't that right? Back in school, Seraphina only ever showed special treatment to Caleb. Seems Caleb being abroad didn't change a thing."

"I heard Seraphina's married. Must have a pretty strict husband, right?"

Caleb chuckled, taking Seraphina's hand:

"If I hadn't had to leave back then, Aaron would never have had the chance to marry Seraphina."

"And I told Seraphina not to touch Aaron for three years, and she actually kept that promise. What kind of feelings are those? I don't need to spell it out, do I?"

My heart gave a violent jolt.

What did Seraphina take me for?

She leaned on me to get through the lowest point of her life, yet she diligently followed her "true love's" command, preserving this ridiculous "chastity" for him?

Caleb patted Seraphina's cheek, rousing her from her daze:

"Throw away this old necklace. I bought you a new one. From now on, you'll only wear mine."

Seraphina looked hesitant.

But under Caleb's urging, she still unclasped the necklace and dropped it to the ground.

Perhaps even heaven couldn't stand it.

The chain snapped the moment it hit the floor, and the sacred medallion cracked against the hard ground with a sharp sound.

Just like my heart, shattering into a million pieces.

Alfred placed the two retrieved medallion fragments in my palm:

"Master Aaron, the chain and other parts were collected by the cleaning staff. Shall I retrieve them?"

I gave a bitter laugh:

"No need."

"What's the point of finding a few fragments?"

Seraphina was just like this necklace.

Once a treasure I painstakingly sought out and cherished.

Now, fallen and broken, it's nothing.

I instructed the staff to pack up all of Seraphina's belongings and send them to her own apartment.

Seraphina walked in, carrying breakfast, brushing past the movers.

She watched her scented candles, spiritual books, and prayer mat being carried out, her face a mask of utter bewilderment:

"What's going on?"

"Aaron, are you moving?"

I flashed her a wide smile:

"Yeah, I've lived here too long. Looking at it just irritates me more and more."

Then I glanced at the tray in her hands:

A plate of salad, a bowl of oatmeal, a few slices of whole wheat bread.

Not even a fried egg.

Seraphina had a very clean diet, and I had followed suit, eating light for years.

So I grabbed my bag and headed straight for the door:

"Eat it yourself."

Completely ignoring her astonished expression.

What Seraphina thought now, I simply didn't care.

That evening, I met up with a few friends from our circle at a bar, a farewell of sorts.

My friends kept teasing me:

"Aaron, the great heir, finally out for a drink? Aren't you afraid your meticulous and self-disciplined wife will disapprove?"

"Yeah, after getting married, you became a model husband. What's changed today?"

I scoffed:

"Rules are for people who deserve them."

Just then, a commotion broke out in a corner of the bar.

Someone said two people were in a drinking contest C whoever finished twelve shots of hard liquor first would get to take home a "special guest" tonight.

A friend went to check it out, returning with a grim expression:

"Aaron, you need to go look... It's Seraphina."

My expression remained unchanged.

I knew I should be surprisedsurprised that a teetotaler would desperately gamble like this for someone else.

But in my heart, there wasn't a single ripple.

It was as if all my feelings for Seraphina had completely died yesterday.

I even walked over with a sense of detached amusement, joining everyone:

"Come on, let's go watch the show."

Seraphina stood before a long table covered in glasses. When she saw me, she couldn't hide her shock.

But just as she tried to move, the bartender spoke up:

"Ma'am, leaving now counts as a forfeit. Are you sure?"

She looked at me, then at Caleb beside her, her lips moving silently, before finally turning away:

"I'm not forfeiting."

Caleb leaned in close to my ear.

Under the cover of the bar's booming music, he whispered malicious words into my ear:

"Aaron, maybe you should try to talk some sense into Seraphina?"

"After all, you'll barely be married for a few more days. How many more times can you openly beg her?"

"But then again, if Seraphina doesn't listen to you even once, you'd be truly pathetic."

I ignored Caleb, just staring at Seraphina's face.

Her gaze never met mine, as if she was deliberately avoiding me.

Her fingers unconsciously toyed with the new necklace around her neck.

I knew herit was a nervous habit when she felt guilty.

The onlookers were moved by her and Caleb's "deep affection":

"Drinking twelve shots, she'll probably end up in the hospital, right? This girl is truly devoted to her boyfriend."

"So touching! Wishing them forever."

A vein pulsed in Seraphina's temple.

She snapped, "Shut up!"

Then she turned to me, her voice softening: "Aaron, I have my reasons. Listen, I'll explain everything when we get home..."

I smiled.

I simply reminded her in a calm voice:

"Seraphina, you said you'd keep your vows for three years. There are three days left."

"Drink this, and all our agreements between us will be null and void."

Her expression froze. She was silent for a long time, then finally nodded:

"Then they'll be null and void... Tonight, when we go home, I'll make up for everything I owe you..."

I knew she meant she would finally consummate our marriage.

But now, I only found it laughable.

She was finally willing to "break her vows" for meafter she had done everything she shouldn't have, for another man.

I took off my wedding ring.

I dropped it into the glass of liquor in front of her and turned to leave.

But unexpected, there were too many onlookers.

Someone knocked over a champagne tower nearby.

Countless glass cups came crashing down on my head.

I heard Seraphina shout my name.

But in that critical moment, she shielded Caleb, who was on the other side.

The sound of shattering glass exploded in my ears. As my vision gradually darkened, I saw Seraphina rushing towards me.

I knew she was holding my falling body, knew her hands were trembling.

She whispered in my ear, over and over, that she loved me.

But the sound only made me sick.

When I woke up, it was exactly three days later.

My friends told me that after I was rushed to the emergency room, Seraphina stayed by the door, refusing to get her hands bandaged even though they were covered in cuts from the shattered glass and bleeding profusely.

They said Seraphina had stayed by my bedside for days, personally taking care of everything, not even letting anyone else touch my face.

They also said Seraphina had booked a huge banquet hall, filled with my favorite blue irises, though I had no idea what she was celebrating.

I called Alfred: "Take me to the airport."

As the car pulled away from the hospital, I saw Seraphina's car driving in.

The moment our cars passed, I raised my window.

Seraphina was truly happy.

She had owed Caleb twelve favors, and the drinking contest was the last one.

Seraphina thought she could finally let go of Caleb completely and devote herself wholeheartedly to the husband of her life.

But when she walked into the hospital room.

The bed was empty.

Every inch of the sheets was perfectly smooth, not a single wrinkle.

In that moment, her face first showed confusion, then bewilderment, finally turning into an indescribable panic.

Caleb, all smiles, handed her a document:

"Seraphina, you're finally free!"

"This is the divorce agreement Aaron signed. We can finally be together again!"

Seraphina froze.

During this time, she'd constantly heard Caleb talk about "freedom," and occasionally heard the word from Aaron too.

But she had never imagined that this so-called "freedom" would be a divorce agreement!

Caleb picked up a bouquet of flowers nearby:

"Seraphina, everything you've done for me since I came back, I've kept it all in my heart."

"I never thought you'd do anything for me, even risk your life."

"So, I made Aaron sign the divorce agreement. We can finally be together properly!"

Friends who had come to visit Seraphina also flooded in:

"Congratulations, Seraphina! Finally reunited with your true love!"

"Ms. Seraphina, you're so lucky! Not only did you win back your old flame, but you also got your husband to let go willingly. Amazing!"

No one mentioned what would happen to Aaron.

Seraphina remembered that during her three years of marriage to Aaron, people always said how he wasn't good enough for her, how he was inferior.

Aaron never cared.

In his eyes, as long as they truly loved each other, other people's opinions didn't matter.

Seraphina struggled to control her trembling voice:

"So... where's Aaron?"

Everyone present was stunned.

For a moment, no one spoke, and the atmosphere became incredibly awkward.

Caleb felt a bit guilty.

He suddenly dared not look at Seraphina's expression: "He left... Aaron's parents came to pick him up. I heard the whole family went abroad."

After a thirteen-hour flight, I arrived in Iceland.

I had planned to come here with Seraphina after her birthday.

I had even booked the best suite for our romantic getaway.

Who knew she was that kind of person, simply not worth all my effort.

That evening, soaking in the hotel's hot spring, I finally felt a long-lost peace.

Maybe Caleb was right.

Ending this marriage truly brought freedom.

And I was free too.

I opened my phone, and messages flooded in.

[Aaron, where are you? Why is your phone off?!]

[Aaron, please listen to me. Caleb was lying; it's not what you think!]

[Come back, let's talk this through properly.]

I was about to delete and block her.

I'd given her nine chances; wasn't that enough?

Now, even if she knelt and begged me, saying she loved me, not Caleb.

I wouldn't care.

The calls kept coming, non-stop.

I looked at Seraphina's name on the screen and decisively hung up.

She still wouldn't give up, trying again and again.

To think, Seraphina was one of the proudest and most aloof people in our circle.

I'd truly never seen her cling so desperately.

Seraphina was out of options.

She sent a photo of the divorce agreementthe document had been torn to shreds.

[Aaron, our divorce agreement is void.]

[You are still my husband. You must come back and give me an explanation.]

It was like someone backed into a corner, still desperately clinging on.

I felt a rare thrill of satisfaction.

The frustration Caleb had caused me was almost completely gone.

I took a photo of the final divorce papers and sent it back.

[You can tear your agreement all you want. I have a copy here anyway.]

[The legal procedures are complete.]

[And thank you, Seraphina. Your lawyer said that if I agreed to the divorce, it could happen anytime.]

Looking at Seraphina's messages, it seemed she wanted to go back on her word.

Unfortunately, I had no magic pill for regret to offer her.

What I wanted, she could never give me again.

Knowing Seraphina was still contacting me, my parents looked displeased:

"That Seraphina girl really has issues. When you were married, she didn't bother treating you well, but now that you're divorced, she's throwing herself at you."

"Aaron, you need to be more discerning when you choose someone in the future. Looks aren't important; character is key."

I gave a dry laugh.

Actually, my feelings for Seraphina weren't entirely superficial.

She probably didn't even remember it herself.

I pursued her, not because of love at first sight.

But because she was the most unique person I'd ever met when I was studying abroad.

Back then, Seraphina Smith didn't have all the prestige she later acquired.

Nor was she as cold and distant.

I quietly watched her for many years.

After graduation, I thought I'd never see her again.

Who knew that later, the Smith family suddenly faced misfortune?

Seraphina's parents both died in an accident, and most of the Smith family's assets were divided among distant relatives.

Worried something would happen to her, I rushed to the Smith family mansion that very night.

I saw her kneeling before her parents' memorial tablets.

Her eyes were completely hollow.

Later, she joined the Church, going to pray devoutly every day.

People in our circle laughed, saying she couldn't handle the blow and would sooner or later be devoured by her relatives, leaving nothing but bones.

I told myself I couldn't just leave her.

And so, I stubbornly stayed by her side for many years.

Many of the Smith family's businesses were secretly supported by me.

When the Smith family finally got back on their feet, Seraphina also finally accepted my proposal.

I thought we would live happily ever after like that.

But everything, in the end, was a lie.

Seraphina and I, we had no future.