Dear Ex-wife: I Want You Back

"Your husband is cheating on you!"

Miriam Dunstan was making a final revision to a wedding dress design when she received the call from her best friend, Patricia Mitchell.

Hearing Patricia's statement, Miriam trembled. The pencil in her hand left an ugly stroke on the nearly finished design drawing.

"What did you just say?" Her mind totally went blank. For a moment, she thought she was having a nightmare.

Emphasizing each word, Patricia answered, "Your ungrateful husband is sleeping with another woman right now. Room 1102, Golden Light International Hotel. Come here, quick!"

Miriam didn't remember much of what happened after hanging up. It was like she had an out-of-body experience for at least half a minute.

She didn't move until the sharp sound of a car horn from outside jolted her back to her senses. She rushed out, still holding the pencil in her hand.

Kayson Harvey was cheating on her. The words cut into her heart like a knife. After making only a few steps, she collapsed and knocked over a nearby easel.

All sorts of stuff scattered all over the floor.

One of Miriam's staff heard the noise and asked with concern, "What happened, Miriam?"

Miriam didn't know what to say. She just got up and continued running.

She and Kayson had been married for two years, and their relationship had been very impersonal. It was because Kayson had the marriage thrust upon him.

They only got married to build family alliances.

Kayson's grandfather, Shawn Harvey, liked Miriam and her family's powerful connections and rich resources. The deal was made easy by the fact that Miriam had liked Kayson since she was a child. Shawn believed that Miriam was the most suitable wife for Kayson, so he forced Kayson into marrying her.

Even though they became husband and wife, Kayson still didn't like Miriam.

In the past two years, he had come home no more than five times.

Miriam always knew that Kayson didn't like her or their arranged marriage, but she chose to believe that someday, maybe Kayson would develop some feelings for her if she showed him how devoted she was to him. All they needed was to spend some time together.

But she never expected Kayson to cheat on her.

Miriam drove to the hotel at full speed.

"Miriam, you're finally here!" Patricia exclaimed, running over to Miriam quickly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to the elevator.

"They've been in the room for half an hour," Patricia said as she walked. "Maybe they've finished already."

Miriam made an effort to keep up with Patricia. She still couldn't think straight. Every word Patricia uttered was like a ghostly whisper against her eardrums. She knew what Patricia was saying, but her brain refused to process the meaning.

"If Kayson's cheating on you, ask for a divorce on the spot. Don't listen to his crap," Patricia ordered, which Miriam immediately got.

"Divorce..." Miriam repeated the word in a daze, feeling it completely foreign.

Patricia said through gritted teeth, "Yes, divorce. He has been hanging out with his childhood sweetheart every day. Over the years, you have suffered countless grievances, and it stops today."

"But what if it's just some misunderstanding?" Miriam asked in a hoarse voice. Her throat suddenly became as dry as a desert.

Patricia sneered and took out a key card. "Well, I guess we'll see for ourselves."

She stuck the key card into the door slot, and right after unlocking the door, she barged in.

"Kayson Harvey, you bastard!" Patricia bellowed. Then came a woman's shrill scream and the manly, mellow voice Miriam would recognize anywhere.

"What are you doing here, Patricia?"

Standing at the door, Miriam couldn't bring herself to walk inside.

Once more, she felt like she was having a nightmare.

"Miriam, get in here and have a look yourself! Your husband is in bed with another woman right now!" Patricia shouted, but her words didn't register in Miriam's brain. Patricia's words reached her ears and then broke into pieces.

The room was still in chaos, and the pitiful cries of a woman and Kayson's angry shouts hung in the air.

Patricia rushed to the door and flicked on the light switch. Then, she dragged Miriam into the room and pointed at the two people in front of them.

Kayson stood by the bed, only wearing a shirt with several conspicuous red lipstick marks on it. Half of his buttons were undone, and his usually meticulously combed hair was messy. With his piercing eyes, he was now staring at the two intruders who just showed up out of nowhere.

The woman he was with looked familiar. Her hair was still wet, and she was wearing nothing but a bath towel around her body, revealing her shoulders and long legs. She held onto Kayson like she was grabbing onto a lifeline in the open sea. Miriam recognized her-Annette Murray.

Kayson snatched up the quilt and covered Annette's delicate body. He cared for her and was protecting her.

However, when he looked at Miriam, his eyes became devoid of any emotion. There wasn't even a hint of warmth.

"What the hell do you want, Miriam?"

Miriam looked at Kayson with wide eyes. The hostility in his tone felt like a knife piercing through her heart.

"Did you two just sleep together?" Miriam asked straightforwardly, still refusing to let go of the hope that all this was just a simple misunderstanding.

Maybe Kayson just accompanied Annette back to her hotel room.

"What are you playing at, Miriam?" Kayson didn't deign to answer her question. "How do you know that Annette and I are here? Are you still sending people to follow me around?"

When he said the last sentence, he let his voice drip with contempt.

During their first six months as a married couple, Miriam had been acting like a complete lunatic and hired people to monitor him and his whereabouts.

He was thoroughly disgusted with her.

Looking at Kayson's face, Miriam felt like she was staring at a total stranger.

She just caught him cheating on her, but he was acting like she was the one in the wrong here.

Did their marriage mean nothing to him?

"Just look at them, Miriam. Maybe they've done this countless times already," Patricia said.

Hearing that suggestion, Miriam clenched her jaw. The thought of that possibility tore up her heart. She kept staring blankly at Kayson, her face deathly pale.

If he denied it, Miriam would believe him.

However, Kayson just frowned, raised his hand, and pointed at the door. "Get out. Now."

Miriam trembled, and her knees threatened to buckle.

As it turned out, he had no intention to explain. He just wanted her out of here.

Their two years of marriage turned into a sad joke.

There never was hope for Kayson to develop feelings for her.

Miriam closed her eyes tightly. When she opened them again and looked at Kayson, there was only despair in them.

She cleared her throat, raised her chin, and said, "You win, Kayson. Let's get divorced."

As soon as Miriam finished speaking, the whole room fell into a dreadful silence.

Kayson was too taken aback to say anything. For a moment, he couldn't believe a word he had heard.

For as long as he could remember, Miriam had been following him since childhood. No matter how much he wanted to get rid of her, she was always persistent and refused to leave him alone.

During their two-year marriage, he seldom went home. He acted as if she didn't exist. Even though he always hung out with Annette, Miriam never complained about it.

But now, she wanted a divorce out of the blue.

Kayson's darkened eyes glared piercingly at the woman in front of him as if trying to read her mind. Finally, he sneered, "Divorce? Are you trying to play some kind of trick right now? I've heard enough!"

Deep in his heart, he didn't believe that this woman was attempting to divorce him at all.

Miriam lowered her eyes. She noticed Annette interlocking her fingers with his. A deep sense of despair overwhelmed her.

A lump formed in her throat and tears welled up in her eyes. She used all her strength not to let out a sob.

"Kayson, it's over. Trick or not. We are over," said Miriam, her voice shaky. Her eyes stung with tears, and her throat felt tight. "Let's get a divorce!"

Her legs felt like lead, and she tried to focus her spiraling thoughts on moving them. Slowly, she turned around and left the room.

Patricia, who was standing beside them, looked on at the scene, aghast. She never expected Miriam would agree to a divorce so easily. Miriam could be as stubborn as a mule sometimes. Patricia thought it would take Miriam having a heated argument with Kayson and having her feelings hurt deeply again before finally deciding to move on and get a divorce.

She never expected things to go so smoothly.

Patricia was stunned for a while. She was about to follow after Miriam when a tall, sturdy figure strode past her.

It was Kayson.

He suddenly caught Miriam's slender wrist, looking down at her with a piercing gaze.

"Miriam, explain yourself. What do you mean you want a divorce?" Kayson asked, his voice sharp and cold, oblivious to how strange he was acting at the moment.

Miriam's tears escaped the corners of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away in frustration and looked up to meet Kayson's gaze determinedly.

"What part of 'divorce' do you not understand? I remember you sending me divorce papers every year since we were married. Kayson, I'm tired of this. I don't want to be in this kind of marriage anymore. If you want Annette, then you two can be together. I won't be in your way anymore!"

After that, she jerked away from his hand, turned around, and hurried out of the room, tears streaming down her face.

Staring after her resolute back as she left, Kayson stayed still. He didn't come to his senses for a long time.

Miriam finally agreed to divorce him? Was this some kind of joke? Didn't she love him to bits?

Patricia chased after Miriam. When she passed by Kayson, who was still rooted in place, she snarled loudly, "Scum!"

Kayson's handsome face tensed up slightly. His expression was stoic on the surface, but there was evident confusion in his eyes if one looked closely enough.

"Kayson..." It was not until then Annette finally spoke. She rose from the bed, tightened the towel around her, and cautiously approached Kayson. She suggested in a soft voice, "You should go after her. We did nothing. Just explain it to her..."

Kayson's hands balled into fists. The confusion in his eyes was replaced by indifference and resentment in an instant.

"Why should I explain anything? I've wanted to divorce her for a long time. She's the one who's been pestering me. Now I'm finally getting what I wanted!" Kayson snapped vehemently. Then he stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him.

As Annette stared at the closed door, a smug smirk slowly appeared on her seemingly innocent face.

She wanted all of this to happen. It went exactly as she had planned.

She was aware that Patricia was having a meal with a business client at this building today. She intended to let Patricia see her and Kayson enter the room together. When they were inside, she took off her clothes to seduce him...

Her plan went even better than she expected. She managed to get Miriam to ask for a divorce.

The more Annette reveled in her success, the more elated she felt. If Kayson weren't in ear-shot range in the bathroom, she would have sung a victory song. But it didn't last long. Suddenly, her celebratory thoughts were cut short when the bathroom door swung open. Kayson rushed out, his clothes disheveled.

Without even glancing at her, he strode toward the door with a livid expression.

After getting over her initial surprise, Annette hurried toward him and asked quickly, "What's wrong, Kayson?"

Kayson didn't answer. Whether he ignored her or didn't hear her, he walked out of the room with a frosty look.

He didn't even stop to put on his coat or button up his shirt. He just walked out as quickly as he could. His intentions were clear-he was going after Miriam.

That was unacceptable to Annette.

Annette's gloating expression took a dramatic turn. She called his name several times, but Kayson didn't seem to hear. Her heart sank like a stone, and her fingers turned cold with anxiety. She covered her mouth and nose and trotted after him.

Because of her heart disease, she was warned against excessive exercise, lest the lack of oxygen cause her to faint.

After thirty seconds of running after Kayson, Annette gasped for air and fell to the floor with a flop.

The sound of her collapse made Kayson stop in his tracks. He looked back and, upon realizing what had happened, he hurried to Annette to help her back up.

The lack of oxygen in her blood was causing her eyes to become bleary, her head dizzy, and her face turned as pale as a sheet. But Annette was a good actress. She remembered to put on her act and asked in feigned concern, "Kayson, don't worry about me. Go after Miriam and talk it out. I..."

She pretended to pass out mid-sentence.

"Anne!" Kayson's eyes widened in fear. It was because of him that Annette had heart disease. He couldn't let anything terrible happen to her again.

Kayson had no time to discuss the divorce with Miriam now. He picked Annette up in his arms and ran to the underground parking lot.

On the other hand, Miriam bit her lip hard to keep herself from sobbing, but tears kept trickling down her flushed cheeks.

Patricia's heart ached for her when she saw this.

She desperately wanted to comfort Miriam, to make her feel better somehow, but she couldn't find the right words. She could only curse Kayson inwardly.

These years, she had witnessed first-hand Miriam's faithful devotion and love to Kayson. But he had turned a blind eye to it.

Miriam walked to the parking lot, her shoulders shaking with emotion. Maybe her tears blurred her vision, or perhaps she simply didn't have the strength anymore, but she suddenly tripped over her own feet and fell down a slope.

She lost control of her limbs as she hit the slope and began rolling until her body slammed into a wall at the corner.

"Miriam!" Patricia shouted in panic. She rushed down the slope to help her up. "Are you okay?"

Miriam felt a searing pain erupt from her right leg. She looked down to see her knee was scraped and bloody, and her ankle was sprained.

The physical pain of her injuries and the grievance of her heartbreak seemed to combine and swirl up in her chest, surging up her throat. A wail escaped her lips, and hot tears erupted again as she broke down and began to cry.

"Miriam..." Patricia's heart ached heavily again. She knelt and held Miriam tightly in her arms, fighting the urge to weep, too. "Let's go to the hospital."

Miriam buried her face in her hands, her body convulsing with sobs.

She had been in love with Kayson since she was a little girl. Today, her earnest feelings were completely uprooted from her heart and humiliatingly destroyed by reality.

She raised her head and cried harder, her sobs raw and full of heartbreak. They only subsided when she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure rushing into the parking lot.

Her body stiffened in shock, and her mind went blank. Sitting on the ground, tear-stained and bruised, she was in a miserable state. She couldn't take her eyes off the person who was hurrying across the parking lot.

It was Kayson.

Kayson was making his way to his car while carrying Annette in his arms.

Miriam's face was still wet from crying, her hair was messy, and her clothes were disheveled and covered in dirt. When she raised her head and saw him, she froze. Her mind seemed to go blank.

Kayson saw the injured woman sitting on the ground.

His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her. It was the first time he had seen her look so fragile and helpless. Her sorrowful eyes were glistening with tears as she peered back at him. It felt like she was gazing at the deepest part of his heart.

He felt a strange sensation when he looked at her.

The closer he got to her, the slower his steps became. It was like a dreamlike trance came over him as he looked into her eyes, rendering him unable to move.

He stopped nearly in front of Miriam.

His eyes lowered to look at her sitting at the end of the slope. His throat tightened as he tried to think of something to say.

"Kayson..." Annette shifted slightly in his arms, a pained groan escaping her lips. "My head hurts. Kayson, it hurts..."

Her weak voice drew Kayson's attention back to her. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked away, quickening his pace toward the car.

Annette's life was more important than worrying about divorcing Miriam right now. He had vowed not to let anything happen to Annette ever again, and he didn't intend to break it now.

Withdrawing his gaze, he swiftly turned away from Miriam and lowered his head to whisper to Annette, "Don't worry. I'm taking you to the hospital. You'll be fine."

Miriam's eyes widened as she watched Kayson leave. She did not think her heart could break any further. Her lip trembled slightly, and tears fell silently from the corners of her eyes.

What was she hoping to happen just now?

She should've known, more than anything, Annette was the most important woman in his heart.

Miriam felt her energy drain from her body. She didn't want to think anymore. She curled up into a ball on the ground and rested her face on her knees, her sobs ringing relentlessly through the air.

Listening to her sorrowful bawls behind him, Kayson felt himself hesitate as his steps slowed down again.

For a second, he wanted to turn his head and look back at Miriam.

Annette's shaky hand clung onto his shirt suddenly, and her weak voice called his name again. Kayson looked down to see her hand fall limp. She had fallen unconscious, her head lolling. Her complexion was so pale it was as if she was dead.

"Anne!" Kayson felt his heart jump in fright. His face turned ashen, and he ran faster toward the car.

After carefully setting Annette inside and getting in the driver's seat, he started the engine and whizzed past Miriam, who still hadn't moved from the ground.

The car sped away, and all that was left behind was the sound of its screeching tires and a cloud of foul-smelling exhaust smoke.

The horrible stench felt like a bitter reminder, wrapping around Miriam tightly, almost suffocating the air out of her lungs.

She kept her head on her knees and didn't dare watch the car leave as if that would make it worse. Instead, she hugged herself tightly and whimpered like an injured stray animal.

Patricia remained silent, watching the horrible scene play out. She felt remorse for Miriam. If she hadn't had to stay by Miriam's side to take care of her, she would have given Kayson the beating he deserved.

When Miriam arrived at the hospital, the sun had already set, and the evening sky had lit up.

She looked in a miserable state. Her hair was messy, her eyes swollen, and her nose red from crying so hard.

The wound wasn't serious, but the skin around it was peeling and gruesome. And her ankle was in a much more dire state. She damaged a hamstring in her leg and required at least a month's rest for a full recovery.

Patricia stayed by her side to support her and helped her deal with all the trivial procedures at the hospital. Then, she went to purchase some warm food for Miriam. When she returned, she saw Miriam lying awake in the hospital bed.

The fluorescent hospital light illuminated her gaunt, delicate features, making her look even more pale and fragile. She was gazing out the window, her eyes full of empty loneliness.

Her eyes were so sad. It looked as though she had been rejected and isolated from this beautiful world.

Patricia sighed silently and approached the bed with the meal. "Miriam, have some food. Then you can get some rest."

Miriam didn't turn to look at her. Still gazing pitifully at the evening sky out the window, she murmured a reply so softly that it could have been mistaken for the wind.

"I'm not hungry. Patricia, please, help me find a lawyer. I... I need to file divorce papers."

In a different hospital, Kayson was standing in front of a window, his tall silhouette outlined by the bright city lights outside. He gazed at them, lost in thought.

His handsome features, sharp and austere, were reflected in the glass. His emotions were masked well beneath his cold expression.

"Kayson." Annette called his name after she came out of the bathroom.

Kayson didn't move as if he hadn't heard her.

Annette's eyes hardened for a moment, and her eyebrows furrowed. Kayson had been acting strange ever since Miriam brought up the divorce.

It seemed Kayson cared about his marriage more than she had initially thought.

Annette bit her lip hard, her mind racing. Then, she put on an innocent face and approached him, feigning worry. She said softly, "Kayson, Miriam seemed set on divorcing you. How about you let me explain things to her? What happened today was my fault. I should've controlled my feelings for you. If it weren't for me, Miriam wouldn't have asked for a divorce."

"Explain what?" Kayson turned his head slightly to look at her and sneered. "Why do I owe her an explanation for anything? A divorce is exactly what I want."

Kayson spoke firmly and stressed every word with an air of defiance. But there seemed to be other emotions laced in his disdainful tone.

Annette sensed it, though she tried her best not to show it on her face. She felt uneasy, and she had to ensure nothing would go wrong. She reached out and took Kayson's arm. "Will you marry me after you divorce her?"