Bye, My Irresistible Love

Scarlett's POV:

I checked the time again and sighed. It had been one and a half hours since I flew in, and I had lost count of the times I had glanced at my watch. My husband, Charles Moore, was nowhere to be found. He was supposed to pick me up from the airport. But he must be with his girlfriend right now. I shook my head and smiled bitterly at the thought, stood up, and dragged myself and my luggage out of the airport.

I married Charles three years ago. But shortly after our wedding, I received some good news from my dream university abroad. I was accepted to one of their programs, so I left to study there. Charles and I had not seen each other for three years. While I was away, he was spending all his time with the woman he truly loved.

Now, I was finally finished with my studies and I came back home. I wanted to end our nominal marriage. I decided it was time for me to stop hoping for things that would never happen.

On my way home in a cab, I sent Charles a message that read, "We need to talk."

Before long, I was standing inside our empty house. I set my luggage aside and headed to the living room. I sat on the sofa and waited. The house looked and smelled like no one had lived in it for years. Our wedding photo was still hanging on the wall. It offended and saddened me at the same time.

I glanced at my phone. Charles still had not replied. I guessed that maybe he would not be home tonight.

But I just sat there for a long time and immersed myself in my thoughts. Then, I heard a car pull over outside. I shot up from my seat, feeling my heart break into a gallop. Did I still expect anything of my stone-hearted husband? Maybe. Maybe not. But at the last moment, I gnashed my teeth together and clasped my trembling hands. I reminded myself, 'I'm here to end this.'

The doorknob turned, and the door swung open. Charles turned on the lights, and they cast a tall shadow of him down the hall. He walked in. He was clad in a charcoal black suit and immaculate white shirt. His expression showed exhaustion, but it did nothing to overshadow his angular face and prominent cheekbones. Everything was still the same. He still exuded that icy aura that I could feel from a few feet away.

As he walked closer, my heart beat faster, and my breath started coming in short bursts. I could not believe I forgot how handsome he was. He was like a god who did not belong in the mortal world. He had the kind of charm that just made people surrender.

Time had made him into a more mature-looking, head-turning man. I averted my gaze as I felt my cheeks burn.

He walked to the sofa and sat down. I took the seat across from him.

Then, he stared at me with his cold, sharp eyes. My first thought was to lower my head and avoid looking directly at him, but I forced my chin up. I saw my reflection in his dark eyes.

"You're back." He spoke in his usual monotone, which would have made me bristle had I not known it so completely.

"Yes," I answered, keeping my voice as nonchalant as his.

"My lawyer just sent you an email." As Charles spoke, he loosened his tie. His muscular chest poked through his shirt.

"Okay, let me check." I swallowed and schooled my features into neutrality.

I took out my phone and pulled up my email, and the subject line of the latest email in my inbox jumped right at me-divorce agreement. Although I was expecting it, I still felt like somebody drove a knife through my chest. The pain was swift and startling, and the only reason I was thankful for it was that it blinded me from Charles's charm for a second.

"All right. I'll sign it." I put my phone away and looked back at my soon-to-be ex-husband. Soon, he would no longer belong to me. I had a good run pretending to be Mrs. Moore. But it had to come to an end now, and I had to kick Mr. Moore out of my world.

"Don't you want to read the agreement first?"

"No need. I'm sure Mr. Moore will treat his ex-wife well." I forced a smile. Ex-wife. I was going to be his ex-wife pretty soon, but I was not sure I was okay with such a blunt term.

"You will get this Garden Street house. And the apartment downtown..."

"When?" I interrupted Charles.

"What?" He frowned and looked at me with probing eyes.

"When are we signing the papers?" I asked softly.

"I'll make an appointment with my lawyer," Charles replied, slightly dipping his chin.

"Very well. I'll wait for your call."

After a moment of silence, he looked up at me again.

"Rita is not in good health. I just want to fulfill her last wish," he explained.

I clenched my fist as I swallowed the lump in my throat. Fulfill her last wish? What a great man. But did he have to do it at my expense? Well, I supposed I had no right to be hurt here. After all, I was just a fake Mrs. Moore. A substitute.

"I understand." I just nodded, even though deep inside, I was brimming with so many things I wanted to say to his face.

"If you need anything else, I'll have my lawyer put it in the agreement."

"No, I'm good. Whatever's in there, it's enough." Once again, I curled my lips into a weak smile.

"Come see Rita tomorrow." Charles stood up and started pacing in front of me.

He said his last remark firmly. He was not asking me to come see his girlfriend. He was commanding me. What did he think of me? And why should I go meet that woman? Did he just want to rub salt into my wound?

"And why would I do that?" I asked him with a straight face.

"I don't want her to feel guilty about our divorce. Tell her that you're in love with someone else. Assure her that our decision to end our marriage has nothing to do with her." He stopped in front of me and looked into my eyes once again.

"Fine."

I wanted to refuse. But for some reason, I had always found it difficult to say no to him. All he had to do was look me in the eyes and ask, and I'd just give in without a fight.

"Thank you. I'll pick you up tomorrow."

"Don't bother. Just text me the address, and I'll be there."

Charles took one last look at me and then walked away.

I watched his receding figure as tears welled up in my eyes. We had been hiding our marriage during the past three years. No one knew about it except our family and close friends. A few months ago, the media reported news of Charles and Rita's engagement. Photos of Rita trying on wedding dresses were also published and got circulated all over the Internet. What a perfect match!

I spent some long nights staring at those photos, and each and every time, my eyes automatically darted to Charles. At that time, I thought that I should not lose hope in us. I believed that as long as I stayed married to him, there was still a chance that he could fall in love with me and then our relationship would become real. I loved him, and as long as I did, that was enough.

I did not realize until much later that I also needed him to love me back and not just for a bit. I wanted him to love me as much as I loved him.

I spent the last three years waiting for him. I tried and tried my best to show him my affection and concern despite the distance between us, but I got nothing in return. One day, I woke up and allowed the truth to beat me to a pulp.

That day, the clingy, needy Scarlett died a painful death, and from her corpse rose a new one, a Scarlett clad in an armor so thick, no sword or spear could pierce it.

I went up to my room with my suitcases and unpacked my clothes. Then, I took a shower and changed into a nightgown. The room looked like nobody had touched it since I left. There was not a knickknack out of place or even a wrinkle on the sheets. It was obvious that Charles had not used it in the last three years because he was probably living someplace else with Rita.

The thought made me wince. I went to the balcony to breathe some fresh air. To my surprise, I saw Charles's car still parked in the driveway. Why was he still here? Should he not be rushing back to his beloved Rita?

While I was blankly staring at his car, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Tiana. I answered her call.

"Hey, Tiana!"

"Bitch! Welcome back!"

"Thank you."

"I'm still on a business trip. I'm so sorry I couldn't pick you up at the airport today."

"It's okay. Work comes first."

"Are you back for good or are you going to leave again the first chance you get?"

"I think I'll be staying for now."

"Great! Come work in our TV station then. I mean, you're perfect for the job. You majored in media, your voice is pleasant to hear, and you're gorgeous. People are going to love you. You'll fit right in. What do you say?"

"Okay."

"Have you talked to Charles?" Tiana's voice suddenly became low as if she wanted to feel out something.

"Yes." I looked at Charles's car in the driveway again.

"Did he tell you about his little girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"What a shameless jerk! How dare he mention her to you?"

"It's all right, Tiana. He asked me to come see Rita tomorrow, and I said yes."

"What? You agreed to meet that bitch who stole your husband? Are you out of your damn mind, Scarlett? That woman seduced Charles and encouraged him to divorce you. I honestly don't know why she's wasting her energy. The Moore family didn't approve of her for Charles three years ago. What makes her think they've somehow changed their minds now?" Tiana was practically roaring from the other end of the line.

"All's said and done. At this point, I just want to let bygones be bygones." I smiled lightly.

"Bygones? Scarlett, you still love him, don't you?"

I did not answer. Of course I still loved him. I had never stopped loving him.

"Scarlett!" Tiana's yell snapped me right back to reality.

"I'm tired, Tiana. I'll call you tomorrow, okay? See you soon."

I hung up the phone before Tiana could protest and took a deep breath. Charles's car was still there, and it didn't look like he planned to leave anytime soon. But what did I care?

All of a sudden, exhaustion finally weighed down on me. I went back to my room and crawled into bed. I laid on my back, stared at the ceiling, and waited for sleep to come. A few moments later, I heard someone knocking on the door.

Rubbing the sleep off my eyes, I slid out of bed and opened the door. I found Charles standing outside.

Scarlett's POV:

"Anything else?" I asked in disbelief.

"We have to get up early to see Rita tomorrow," Charles replied coldly.

"Okay."

I was confused. I could not help but wonder if he returned just to make a point.

"I'll sleep here tonight," he added.

I came to my senses the instant I heard what he had said. I wanted to ask him if it was really okay for him to stay here, but I decided to swallow my words instead.

"I'm afraid you'll oversleep because of the jet lag," he explained. He must have seen the confusion on my face.

"Oh. Okay. I'd better clean the guestroom now."

As soon as I finished speaking, I turned around and walked over to my suitcase, ready to leave with it.

But then, Charles walked up to me and blocked my way.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

I looked back into his cold eyes and reminded him, "I'm just doing what you want. Didn't you ask me three years ago to keep a distance from you?"

As soon as I said those words, he slowly walked towards me, a hint of anger in his eyes.

"You stay here."

His words made me lose my grip on my suitcase, making it fall to the ground. He then walked closer, and my heart beat faster and faster...

To my surprise, he just walked past me and then sat on the sofa. There he unbuttoned his shirt and made himself comfortable.

"I'll sleep on the sofa," he said flatly.

I could not help but hit my head and scold myself for being imaginative. A dirty thought crossed my mind just now! Without another word, I picked up my suitcase and put it aside.

I turned my back on Charles and heard him take his clothes off and open the closet to get fresh ones. A moment later, he finally entered the bathroom.

It had been three years since we got married. The man of my dreams, my legal husband, was now only a few feet away from me. Even though he had gone to the bathroom, his scent still lingered in the air. It smelled so good, and it made me feel butterflies in my stomach.

I walked to the bedside and lay down on the bed. I lay on my side with my body curled up and listened to the sound of running water from the bathroom.

When the sound finally stopped, I quickly closed my eyes and pretended to be fast asleep. I even slowed down my breathing, so he would not notice I was just feigning sleep.

There were so many guest rooms. Why did he insist on sharing a room with me? Perhaps it was because we had not seen each other for three years. Nevertheless, this man was getting more and more unpredictable.

A deafening silence filled the air after a long while. I secretly opened my eyes and looked at Charles. He was lying on the sofa with his back to me. As I gazed at his figure, my body finally relaxed. I had known that nothing would happen tonight. Even so, I still could not help but be disappointed deep inside.

******

Charles was already gone when I woke up the next morning. I checked the time on my phone, and my eyes widened in shock. It was already ten o'clock in the morning!

I jumped off the bed and washed up as fast as I could. When I walked out of the room, I saw Charles reading a book on the sofa in the living room.

"Why didn't you wake me up?!" I asked, my voice slightly louder in panic.

"I did. In fact, I almost splashed cold water on you just to wake you up." Charles did not even take his eyes off the book when he spoke. There was no emotion in his tone either.

"Sorry. I was a little tired yesterday. Let's go now," I said awkwardly with my eyes lowered to the floor. It seemed that I slept so soundly last night.

"Eat something first."

"What? Then Ri-"

"There's no need to hurry. We'll meet later at lunch."

His words took me aback. Did he not say that I was supposed to get up early? Did I hear it wrong? Perhaps he said that only to trick me.

Anyway, I did as I had been told. I ate a light breakfast and then urged him to leave afterwards. It was not because I was in a hurry to see Rita. It was just that I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.

I was silent on the way to the restaurant. Charles did not say a word either. We had been married for three years. But for some reason, we were like strangers to each other. To make this worse, I was currently accompanying my husband to his fiancee.

The car stopped at Rainbow Dream, a Michelin three-star restaurant. This was the most luxurious restaurant in the city. Truth be told, I had never been here before. Even after becoming Mrs. Moore, Charles never took me to this place.

The instant we entered the restaurant, a waiter approached and greeted us. "Mr. Moore, Miss Lively is waiting for you on the second floor." Judging from the waiter's greeting, it seemed that Charles was a frequent guest here.

Without a word, I followed Charles into the elevator.

"Smile when you see Rita and don't pull a long face," Charles ordered coldly.

I forced a smile and reassured him, "I will."

"Scarlett, long time no see!" Rita greeted us with a wide smile the moment we entered the private room. It appeared that she had not aged after all these years. She must be paying an exorbitant amount of money to maintain her youthful face. Impressively, her face was exactly as that in the movies. She did not look like a patient who had been ill for a long time.

"Long time no see," I greeted back with a gentle smile.

"Have you gotten over the jet lag? I was worried that you wouldn't be able to get up in the morning today, so I set the time at noon."

"Yes, thank you. I slept soundly last night. This is my hometown, after all."

"You've suffered a lot in the past three years. It's all my fault. Good thing Charles is here. I feel so much better now than I did in the past." Rita coughed as soon as she finished speaking. As if on cue, Charles handed her a glass of water.

When he saw Rita today, it felt as though the ice in his body melted, and he changed into a completely different person in an instant. His attitude towards Rita was different than the way he treated me.

Today's main course was steak. Charles carefully cut the steak on Rita's plate. It was unusual to see him like this-so gentle and considerate.

"I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm doing great. Actually, I just got my diploma." I smiled at Rita as I struggled with the steak with the knife and fork.

"You stayed in France for three years. Do you have a boyfriend? We're going to spend our honeymoon in France during the Cannes Film Festival this year."

Boyfriend? As a dutiful Mrs. Moore, I had never considered being with another man while I was still married. For some reason, I still had a glimmer of hope for Charles.

"Uh... yes, actually. I met a guy there. He's an artist." I immediately thought of a guy whom I could show to her. As Charles had said yesterday, I should make Rita rest assured.

I saw him from the corner of my eye. He was cutting the steak. He stiffened for a second.

"Do you have any photos of him?" Rita asked inquisitively.

Her curiosity caught me off guard. I looked at Charles in hopes that he would help me. Sadly, he did not even glance at me.

"Well, we're not together yet, so I didn't save his picture on my phone," I reasoned out and then continued cutting my steak.

"Does he have Facebook? Maybe he posts photos there. I want to see him," Rita urged. It seemed that she had no plans of dropping the topic until she saw the man herself.

"Let me check." As I spoke, I took out my phone and thought about which classmate I should pretend to be my pursuer for a while. The first person that came into my mind was Pierre. He and I had a good relationship, so my plan could work. I visited his Facebook page and immediately saw a picture of him in front of the Eiffel Tower. He had long wild hair and a young and handsome face. Pierre and Charles were polar opposites. The former was artistic and went with the flow, while the latter was cold and reserved. I handed my phone to Rita with Pierre's photo on the screen.

Her eyes beamed with happiness upon seeing the picture. "Oh my! He looks just like an artistic and carefree Parisian guy. I'm so happy for you, Scarlett. After all, Charles and I... I'm sorry." She then showed the photo to Charles.

He just glanced at it for a second. "You two are a perfect match," he coldly remarked.

Rita finally returned my phone. "Will he come to America to visit you?" she asked excitedly.

"He's still in Europe. He's holding an art exhibition in Lyon. He'll come here next month to establish his career, though." I lied. Everything that came out of my mouth was nothing but fiction. It did not matter, though. The most important thing for me right now was to make Rita happy. Besides, I might not see her again after I signed the divorce agreement. Otherwise, I would have to think about how to make Pierre come here.

"Do you love him?" Rita asked, her eyes twinkling in anticipation.

I was stunned.

"Of course." I tried my best to keep calm and composed, so she would not see right through me.

"That's great! Charles, it seems that we don't need to worry about Scarlett at all. Let's wish Scarlett happiness!" Rita excitedly raised her glass.

Charles also raised his.

"Scarlett, promise me that you'll be happy." Rita looked at me in the eye when she spoke. But then, I knew very well that this was all a facade. Underneath her gentle mask was an ugly evil heart.

"Of course. You too."

We drank up the wine in our glasses as a sign of promise.

When I put down my glass, my hands suddenly trembled. Not only that, but I also felt sick to my stomach. I wished that this meal would be over soon. I did not want to see this hypocrite anymore.

"Sorry, I have to go to the bathroom." I excused myself, unable to take it anymore. I wanted to go outside and breathe the fresh air to ease the sickening feeling in my stomach.

When I returned to the table a few moments later, Charles was already helping Rita put on her coat.

"Rita doesn't feel well. I'll drive her home. Later, I will-"

"It's okay. I can go home on my own," I reassured.

I watched helplessly as Charles walked out of the restaurant with Rita in his arms. All of a sudden, the tense muscles all over my body loosened up.

Charles's POV:

After sending Rita home, I went back to the office to deal with some business matters.

In the evening, I received a message from Spencer.

It read, "Charles, would you like to join us? Everyone is here."

I replied, "Okay. I'll be there soon."

I typed as I walked out of the office.

Spencer owned the Mint Bar. It was one of the most popular bars in the city, and tonight, it was particularly crowded. As soon as I walked in, I saw Spencer and David. We all had been friends since we were little boys.

"Have you seen Scarlett?" Spencer asked as soon as I was in front of him.

"Yes," I answered and then asked the bartender to serve me a glass of whiskey.

"Are you really divorcing her?" Spencer pressed, coming closer to me.

"Yes," I answered impatiently and lit a cigarette.

"How could you, man? Scarlett's, like, our girl. We grew up with her. You and Rita are being cruel to her."

I blew a puff of smoke in the air as the bartender set my drink in front of me. I decided not to answer Spencer and just drank my whiskey. But what he said was true.

Truth be told, I was nervous when I spoke to Scarlett last night about the divorce. Meanwhile, she just sat there the entire time, looking all calm and collected. I could not decide whether it bothered or impressed me. We had not seen each other for three years. She was no longer the sweet little girl who wore her heart on her sleeve. She had grown a lot.

Seeing her again in that cool disposition upset me a little.

"Did she agree?" David asked curiously.

"Yes, she did."

At this time, I was regretting my decision to come out and meet my friends. I just wanted to have a drink with them, and here they were grilling me with all these questions.

"So you're really marrying Rita?"

"Yes."

"Are you serious? Are you really going to sacrifice your happiness just because she saved you?" David got quite emotional at my answer. He accidentally spilled his wine on my clothes.

"Fuck!" I cursed angrily.

"Oh, my. I'm so sorry, man," David immediately apologized.

Since I did not want to sit there looking like a total mess, I excused myself and went home to change my clothes. I left the bar and called for a transport service. I had planned on going home, but as soon as I got in the car, I found myself stopping to think.

Then, I asked the driver to take me to Garden Street instead.

When I arrived, the house was brightly lit, and I could hear bursts of laughter coming through the open windows. A familiar Mercedes was parked in the garage.

It seemed that my mother and grandmother had come to visit.

I walked quickly to the door, but before I could input the password, someone had already opened the door from the inside.

"Where were you? Why weren't you answering my calls?" My mom trotted over and scolded me.

"I was in a meeting, Mom."

"And why do you reek of alcohol? Did you drink? Oh my God, you're a mess. Go get changed." She wrinkled her nose and ushered me in.

I entered the house and saw Grandma and Scarlett sitting in the living room, talking and laughing. There were fruits and even an apple pie on the coffee table.

"Hi, Grandma." I went over to say hello and picked up a slice of apple pie, but my grandma slapped my hand away.

"Hands off. That's not for you. That's for Scarlett."

"Charles, what happened to you? Come, let's get you some fresh clothes." Scarlett stood up and walked toward me.

"You've been married for a long time. Why do you still call Charles by his first name?" Grandma asked Scarlett and then looked at me suspiciously.

"Is there anything wrong with the way I address him?" Scarlett stopped and asked.

"Don't young married couples such as yourselves call their spouses honey or babe or something?"

Scarlett froze and seemed to think for a while. Then, she cleared her throat. "Come, honey. Let me help you change."

She helped me take off my suit jacket and flashed me a sincere smile.

"That's more like it," Grandma beamed, her tone filled with satisfaction.

She loved Scarlett very much. While Scarlett was abroad during the past few years, Grandma often asked me about her. I just replied perfunctorily every time.

Before long, Grandma started a new topic.

"Charles, I've made an appointment with the doctor for you this week. Don't drink until then. I want you to go get yourself checked out."

I was stunned.

"But I've just had a physical examination, Grandma. I'm very healthy."

"I don't want you to have another physical examination. It's a more specialized check-up. It's been several years. Where are my great grandchildren? And I definitely think it's not Scarlett's fault. It's yours."

Scarlett pursed her lips and looked at me. A muscle flickered in her jaw. She looked as if she was trying not to burst into laughter.

Before I could defend myself, my phone rang, and I heaved a sigh of relief. Scarlett, who was holding my jacket, took my phone out of the breast pocket and saw the name of the caller on the screen. I could tell that it was Rita by the way her face suddenly changed.

"Is it that woman? Oh, for crying out loud!" my mother exclaimed.

I took my phone from Scarlett and rejected the call.

"Is it Rita? You're a married man now, Charles. Why are you still involved with that woman? You should be loyal to Scarlett. And what were those photos of Rita trying on wedding dresses I saw on the news? What's going on?" Grandma nagged.

"It's not what you think, Grandma."

"Then why did you decline her call? Is there anything that you two have to talk about that you don't want us to hear?"

I did not know how to answer. I could lie to others but not to my grandma. She always saw through me.

Grandma was so angry that she trembled. Scarlett quickly poured her a glass of water.

"Charles will be more than happy to answer your question, Grandma, but let me take him to change his clothes first," Scarlett said, pushing me upstairs and into the bedroom.

"I have a couple of white shirts in the third cabinet."

As Scarlett went to get me a clean shirt, I took off the one that David stained with his wine. It was already ruined. Damn it. I really would not spare David next time.

Then, I felt a palpable silence behind me. I turned around.

Scarlett was standing there and staring at me with one of my shirts in her hand. She dipped her chin, trying to hide the furious blushing in her cheeks.

"How long have you been standing there?"

She did not reply. She just quickly closed her eyes. I walked up to her.

This time, I was able to see more of the new her. She was no longer the little girl she used to be. Her past three years in France had changed her from a mere bud to a delicate rose.

Her long eyelashes were trembling. Her lips were pressed together in a thin line as if she was suppressing something. Her face grew redder and redder with each passing minute.

I took the shirt from her hand and quickly put it on.

After I changed into a fresh shirt, we went back to the living room together.

"I don't have many years left, Charles. Why couldn't you just live a peaceful life with Scarlett? Why are you always trying to piss me off, huh?" Grandma was still blaming me.

"Grandma, next time you want to come here, you can call me and I'll come pick you up, okay?" I still did not know how to answer her, so I just decided to change the subject.

"No, thanks. You're always so busy. I don't want to inconvenience you. I just want to see if you're treating your wife right."

"Grandma, I'm fine," Scarlett chimed in.

"Very well then. By the way, don't forget the 60th anniversary party of the Moore Group tomorrow. Charles, I expect you to buy Scarlett a beautiful evening dress for the party. I want everyone to see how lucky you are to land someone like her. Don't you make me unhappy again, you hear me, young man?"

"Of course, Grandma."

After chatting with my grandma and my mom for a long time, I was finally able to convince them to call it a night and saw them off.

Under the circumstances, there was no way I could mention the divorce to them without unleashing one hell of an uproar.