Chapter 3 He has divorced his wife

"Ethan! We're home!"

The front door of the luxurious Blackwell estate swung wide open, and hurried footsteps followed the cheerful call. An elegant woman in a cream-white dress entered, dragging a small suitcase behind her, followed closely by her husband and Ethan's younger sister.

"Ethan!" the mother repeated. "Where is my daughter-in-law? Where's Aurora?"

Ethan, who had been sitting in the living room, stood up abruptly. His whole body stiffened at the sound of his mother's voice. He had just taken a sip of his bitter black coffee-though it did little to counter the bitterness in his chest.

"Uh-Mom..." Ethan mumbled, his deep voice unsteady.

"Where is Aurora? I can't wait to hug her. The last time we spoke, she sent me a picture of her new houseplants! She's such a sweetheart. Where is she?"

Ethan swallowed hard. "She's... not here."

"Where'd she go? The boutique? Shopping?" Margaret turned toward the stairs. "Then I'll just go up. I want to see her room-"

"Wait!" Ethan almost shouted, rushing to intercept his mother. "Don't go upstairs. Her room is... a mess."

Margaret eyed him suspiciously, her brow furrowing.

"I'm not a guest, Ethan. I'm your mother. Messy or not, I still want to go up. I brought some souvenirs from Australia she'd love."

Without waiting for an answer, Margaret turned and ascended the stairs.

Ethan panicked. He rubbed his temples, the pressure in his chest growing unbearable. Nathan, his father, noticed the change in his son's demeanor.

"Is there a problem?" he asked flatly.

Ethan shook his head, but his body remained frozen.

A few minutes later...

Margaret returned downstairs with a completely different expression. Her eyes wide, her steps quick and firm. In her hand, she clutched a delicate scarf-one Aurora often wore while reading.

"Ethan," she said evenly. "Where is your wife?"

Ethan opened his mouth, but no words came out.

"I didn't find a single piece of her clothing. No shoes, no perfume, nothing personal at all!" Margaret's voice rose. "What does this mean? Don't tell me-"

"She left," Ethan finally answered. "Almost a month ago."

Margaret fell silent.

"And you... didn't tell me?" her voice trembled.

"Mom, I can explain-"

"Explain what?" Margaret snapped. "You just got married! What do you mean she left? Did you drive her away? Did you fight?"

Ethan took a long breath. "I... divorced her."

Silence.

The word hung in the air like lightning striking in broad daylight. Margaret stepped back, barely able to process what she had just heard.

"You... what?" she whispered.

"Ethan!" Now Nathan's voice thundered, heavy with disappointment. "You divorced your wife? After one night of marriage?"

Ethan ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. "I didn't want to hurt her any further..."

"So you divorced her?" Nathan now stood tall, his face stern. "Do you even understand what you've done, son? That woman married you with sincerity. You didn't even give her a chance to live as your wife!"

"I'm not good enough for her!" Ethan finally burst. "I did something I shouldn't have. I broke my promise. I touched her that night... and I had vowed never to touch another woman until my girlfriend came back."

Margaret looked at him, visibly hurt. "So because of a woman from your past, you destroyed your marriage?"

Ethan lowered his gaze.

"My God, Ethan..." Margaret shook her head slowly. "Do you really think Aurora was just a body you touched? She gave you her full trust. She saw you as her husband. Do you think it's easy for a woman to give her dignity and be treated like this?"

"I know I was wrong!" Ethan yelled, as if scolding himself. "I know!"

"Did she ask for your money?" Margaret asked sharply.

"No."

"Did she cheat on you? Shame this family? Do anything that deserved a divorce?"

"No."

Margaret stepped forward, eyes locked on his. "So your only reason for divorcing her... is your guilt over someone from the past?"

Ethan remained silent, then slowly nodded.

Margaret's hand lifted and landed softly-but firmly-on Ethan's cheek. Not enough to hurt, but enough to stun him.

"I'm sorry," she said, trembling. "But you deserved that."

Nathan exhaled deeply, suppressing his own fury. "Where is Aurora now?"

"I don't know," Ethan replied quietly. "She left with nothing but the clothes on her back. She refused my money, my credit cards... she didn't even look back as she walked away."

Nathan stared at his son for a long moment. "You truly broke her."

Ethan bowed his head. "And I don't know how to fix it."

Margaret wiped her tears. "Then start by finding her. Don't let a woman that strong vanish because of your own foolishness. If you still have a heart... find her."

---

That night...

Ethan sat alone in his room. He stared at a photo on his phone-a candid of Aurora sleeping on the sofa, a small smile on her face and a book resting on her chest. She loved reading, loved lavender flowers, and cherished the quiet moments Ethan had taken for granted.

Ethan closed his eyes. The ache in his chest grew heavier. For the first time in his life... he missed someone. Not out of love. Not out of obsession. But from the kind of loss he knew was entirely his fault.

Aurora was gone.

And only now did Ethan realize-he had let the only light in his life... go dark.