Who would've thought they were actually getting divorced?
Lin Xin'er stood by the hotel window, sipping her chamomile tea as the New York skyline glittered in the distance. A warm smile tugged at her lips.
She shouldn't be happy about this. She knew that.
But she was.
Deep down, her heart was dancing with joy.
The great Ethan Yu and Hailey Tang—separated, fractured, over.
And not just in a lovers' spat way.
It was real.
They were done.
A rush of anticipation stirred in her chest. She pressed a hand over her wildly beating heart, cheeks flushed with excitement. "I shouldn't be hoping for this," she whispered to herself.
But she was.
Because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't forget Ethan Yu.
He was still the man she had dreamed of for years—the one who had stood like a god in her teenage heart. She had never let him go.
And now… maybe fate was finally giving her a second chance.
Meanwhile, back in the hotel suite, Hailey Tang stood motionless, staring at the crumpled bouquet on the floor.
The roses were ruined—petals crushed, stems bent, thorns snapped.
Just like her heart.
She sighed, picked them up, and without hesitation, tossed them in the trash.
Not worth saving.
Neither the flowers, nor the man who made her feel like a punching bag for his confusion and rage.
She grabbed her pajamas and went into the bathroom, stripping off the dress that still carried the faint, musky scent of Ethan's cologne. It made her skin crawl.
She didn't even remember to text Tao Yi to let him know she'd gotten back safely.
Tao Yi waited by his phone for over an hour. The screen stayed dark.
He hesitated, thumb hovering over Hailey's contact info. He wanted to call, or at least send a quick message.
But the notification in his earbud reminded him: Assignment in T-minus 3 minutes.
With a quiet sigh, he shoved the thought aside and got back to work.
By the time Hailey finally remembered him, his phone was already off.
Since that awful night—the argument, the kiss, the slap—Hailey hadn't seen Ethan at all.
Two whole days had passed.
Ethan had vanished into his work like she didn't exist. He was in meetings, on calls, networking with the US clients like a machine. There wasn't a single knock on her door. Not a message. Not a word.
If she hadn't needed to confirm with Ji Chuan that her presence was still required for the upcoming pitch, she might've packed up and left already.
The bid was scheduled for three days later. If they landed this deal, Ethan's company would officially break into the American market. It was the make-or-break moment he'd been working toward for years.
So everyone on the team was laser-focused.
Everyone except Hailey.
She had no tasks. No meetings. No colleagues to talk to.
She wandered around the city. Sometimes she stayed in her room and binged old Disney movies, trying to forget that she was caught in someone else's power play.
Ever since her rebirth, she'd made a conscious decision to control her temper. She wasn't going to lash out, or play the victim. She would endure.
But once this bid was over?
She'd be on the first flight out of here.
The night before the pitch, just as she was finishing a sleepy episode of Beauty and the Beast, a knock came at her door.
She opened it to find Ethan Yu standing there.
He looked… exhausted. But composed, as always. Tailored charcoal suit, cold expression, sharp gaze.
Hailey blinked. "What do you want?"
"We need to talk," he said.
Without waiting for permission, he stepped past her and into the room. He went straight to the sofa and sat down like he owned the place.
Hailey sighed and closed the door, keeping her distance. "Say whatever you need to say."
He glanced at her. Noticed how she stood with her arms folded, her weight shifted just enough to flee if needed.
That stung more than he cared to admit.
But he masked it with sarcasm. "Relax. I'm not here to kiss you again."
She flinched.
He saw it.
Ethan smirked bitterly and looked away. "Have you thought through your design pitch?"
"I have."
"Let's hear it."
Hailey paused, then said, "My concept came from fairy tales."
"Fairy tales?" Ethan's brows furrowed.
"Yeah. I grew up reading them. Cinderella, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood… The houses in those stories always felt warm and magical. I think deep down, we all want to live in a place like that—a house that feels safe, whimsical, a place where anything can happen."
She spoke freely, her eyes lighting up as she explained. "My design draws from that. I want to create homes that feel like storybooks—charming, a little surreal, but full of heart."
Ethan leaned forward, elbows on his knees, watching her talk.
It wasn't her words that held him—it was the way she said them. So open, so alive.
There was a time when he loved that about her.
But now, all he could think about was how easily she had turned from him. How quickly she could lie about another man's flowers. How she could slap him and not even hesitate.
She was beautiful when she talked like this.
And it hurt.
Because he didn't know what the hell he wanted anymore.
When she loved him, he ignored her. When she stopped, he suddenly needed her.
He was a damn hypocrite.
He stood up abruptly, cutting her off mid-sentence.
"I get it," he said, voice flat.
Then he turned and strode toward the door.
Hailey blinked. "Wait… that's it?"
"You'll do fine," he said, not looking back.
His tone didn't sound like a compliment.
She stood frozen as the door shut behind him.
Outside the room, Ethan leaned against the wall, exhaling slowly.
His heart was a mess.
He wanted to grab her. Apologize. Pull her into a hug and confess everything—that he hadn't slept in two nights, that he regretted every cold word, every unspoken emotion.
But he couldn't.
He didn't know how to be soft.
And she didn't want him anymore.
Not after that night.
Still, his mind replayed the feel of her lips. The slap. Her eyes—furious, betrayed, hurt.
He hadn't just crossed a line. He'd detonated the bridge.
"Idiot," he muttered to himself.
He turned and walked off.
Back in the room, Hailey stared at the TV, but didn't press play.
She wasn't even thinking about the bid anymore.
She was thinking about him.
His silence these past two days. His sudden visit. The haunted look in his eyes.
She hated him.
She missed him.
And she hated herself even more for it.
Across the hotel, Lin Xin'er was putting on her lipstick.
The presentation was tomorrow.
And the cracks between Ethan and Hailey were already wide open.
All she had to do… was give the right little push.
And Ethan Yu would finally be hers.