After graduating from university, I married Shen Luo.

He was ten years older than me, didn't understand the ambiguity of youth, lacked sentimentality, and above all, did not love me.

He married me simply because I was obedient enough to help take care of his child from a previous relationship.

Everyone knew that the position of Mrs. Shen was meant for someone else.

Even little He, who was just seven years old, knew that I was only his temporary mother.

Finally, his previous lover returned.

Understanding the situation, I initiated the divorce.

After a lengthy pause, he finally signed the agreement with a smile.

I thought our paths would never cross again.

But the solemn Mr. Shen later begged me to come back with a humble demeanor.

However, it was too late. I was no longer the compliant Mrs. Shen.

When I received a call from Shen Luo, I was baking little He’s favorite bear-shaped cookies.

Usually, it was Shen Luo who took care of picking up and dropping off little He at kindergarten, because little He never took to me as his stepmother.

But due to a sudden emergency at his company, Shen Luo couldn't get away in time.

I glanced at the wall clock which was fast approaching four o'clock. After turning off the oven, I quickly put on my coat and rushed out the door.

Rushing just in time with the school's bell, I arrived at the classroom, only to hear Shen Xiaohe brag about his mother to his classmates.

"Shen Xiaohe, is your mom really a designer?"

"Of course!" Xiaohe fiddled with the longevity lock around his neck, "This is a one-of-a-kind piece designed exclusively for me by my mom. You can't find it anywhere else!"

"Wow! Your mom is so cool!"

"She makes the most delicious bear cookies, and she designs necklaces too. How I wish she were my mom."

Hearing these words, I retracted my foot, which was about to step into the classroom.

I did bake the bear cookies, but I am certainly not a designer.

"Xiaohe, could we come over to your house to see your mom?"

I'm not sure who threw out this suggestion, but Xiaohe's face flushed instantly. He hemmed and hawed for a while before blurting out, "My mom is really busy. She doesn’t have time for all of you! That's enough. My dad is coming to get me!"

However, when he turned around and saw me, his face changed abruptly, nervously fumbling with his backpack strap.

"Eh, who is this lady?"

"Have you ever seen her, Xiaohe?"

It took Xiaohe a while to reply: "She, she is our housemaid. My dad must be too busy today, that's why he sent her to pick me up. Don’t come in, I will leave right away.”

Understanding the situation, I stepped aside.

In the three years since I married Shen Luo, Xiaohe has never acknowledged me as his mother.

Even though I dedicated myself to taking care of them, resembling a nanny, I still felt suffocating discomfort upon hearing this appellation.

Xiao He walked out, bypassing me and heading straight for the school gate.

I hurriedly caught up.

Throughout the journey, he sat in the back seat, completely silent and I didn't know what to say.

However, he seemed to be quite happy today, his face always adorned with a smile.

"Xiao He, what would you like to eat tonight?" I asked tentatively.

Xiao He immediately returned to his cold demeanor, snapping, "Whatever. Anyways, my mum is coming back soon, so you can't linger in my house for much longer."

Hearing this, I was stunned, almost missing the red light.

The sudden brake resulted in a loud complaint from Xiao He.

"Do you even know how to drive? You're even worse than my dad's chauffeur!"

I had nothing to say, my mind filled with thoughts of that girl.

Shen Luo's childhood sweetheart.

On the eve of my wedding three years ago, I received a friend request from a stranger.

She said her name was Yan He, a longtime friend of Shen Luo. She was too busy working abroad to attend our wedding, so she could only send me blessings in this way. Almost at the same time, I received an anonymous package containing a beautiful diamond necklace.

This was her wedding gift to me as a designer.

At first, I wasn't quite sure about what the definition of a "long-term good friend" really meant, until I clicked onto her social media account and caught sight of her selfie. Her eyebrow shape and eyes were unexpectedly familiar.

Yan and Shen Xiaohan

I finally figured out the true identity of this woman.

However, concerning this childhood friend, Shen Luo, as well as his family never concealed it.

I remember the first time I met Luo's parents, and although they tried to show their satisfaction with me, their eyes always held a hint of regret.

Even at the wedding, Luo's friends expressed their pity for him.

"Why didn't things work out between you and Yan after all these years? What a shame!"

Although Shen was very kind to me and gave me the dignity of being Mrs. Shen, I was fully aware his heart had never been with me.

Even when it came to our bed, he held back his flushed gaze and gasped incessantly against my jaw. Despite the mood being set, he would eventually restrain himself and leave me neglected at one side.

I was simply his wife, not his lover.

Arriving home, Xiaohan ascended the stairs without uttering a single word.

Looking at the half-baked teddy bear cookies in the kitchen, my motivation to continue just evaporated.

I clicked on Yan's social media profile from my phone; apparently, she had announced her return to being single on the previous night.

Below were comments from Shen Luo's friends.

"Congratulations Yan on returning to the single life! When will you come back?"

"Yeah, someone has been waiting for you for a long time!"

There are quite a few people liked the post, but my eyes instantly landed on Shen Luo at the front.

After all, Yan He is the girl he has loved since childhood, and now that she's single again, he should be happier than anyone else.

The comments seemed endless, and my sight started to blur.

Marrying Shen Luo in the first place was merely a transaction. He sought a virtuous wife who could take care of daily life, while I needed someone to save our Wen family from ruin.

Shen Luo was the ideal choice; we each got what we needed.

It's just that, over the course of the three-year transaction, I fell for him.

I guess I can only blame myself for having some unrealistic expectations towards Shen Luo.

Recalling those days of unrequited affection, I suddenly feel so tired.

Now that Yan He is back, should I exit gracefully?

Having made this decision, I dialed Shen Luo's number.

There was a lot of noise on the other end of the line, and it took me a while to hear his voice clearly.

"Wen Yin, has Xiao He been picked up yet?"

Before I could reply, Shen Luo asked about Xiao He.

I responded with a mhm.

"That's good. I have some things to handle so I won't come back tonight. Tomorrow is Saturday, and I will return in the morning to take Xia He to her hobby class, so you won't need to worry."

"Shen Luo!" I called out just before she hung up.

"Do you need anything else?"

With a regulated tone, I asked, "Can you come back earlier tomorrow? I have something important to discuss with you."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the call.

"Alright, I will try."

She hung up immediately after finishing her sentence.

After preparing dinner for Xia He and sending her back to her room, I sat alone by the dining table.

Everything felt so tasteless and dull.

I couldn't help myself but once again check Yan He's social media circle, only to be surprised that she had just posted an update.

The location tagged was the city's airport.

"Thank you, Mr. Shen, for taking time out of your busy schedule to pick me up from the airport. What a pleasant surprise!"

I stared at that sentence for a long time, finally realizing the source of the background noise in Shen Luo's phone call.

So she was in such a hurry.

With a laugh of self-mockery, I mechanically stood up to clean up the untouched dinner.

Sure enough, one should take the initiative.

That night, I tossed and turned, woke up and dozed off again numerous times. By the time I woke up groggily, it was already nearly nine o'clock.

Xia He was already picked up. After cleaning up a little, I drove home.

After all, I need to consult my parents about the divorce.

My parents were stunned for a long time but finally chose to respect my decision.

My mother, with a painful heart, comforted me, "If we had known this would happen, even if we went bankrupt, we should not have let my precious daughter suffer. Shen Luo, what a stubborn and ungrateful man! After all, you were his wife for three years, and he did not even take into consideration the slightest bit of affection. Ah Yin, let's divorce him. We do not need this kind of man who does not know how to love!"

Actually, that's not true.

Shen Luo knows how to love and care for someone—it's just that the person isn't me.

While cleaning up the old stuff at home earlier, I came across Shen Luo's diary from his student days. It meticulously recorded all of Yan He's likes and dislikes.

Every date and surprise he had planned for and every trick he used were all clearly recorded.

He used up five large notebooks.

Perhaps this was his treasured surprise to present to Yan He when they got married.

However, no one expected that after a one-night stand, Yan He, who gave birth to Xia He, would still pursue her dreams of being a designer abroad, and once she left, she never came back.

Until the notebooks were covered with dust and Shen Luo's heart completely cooled after learning about her marriage abroad—that's when I happened to catch his attention.

At that time, everyone thought I had scored above my level—I indeed did no match Shen Luo.

Now, we can all let go of our pretenses and regain our freedom.

"However, it might take me a while to let go of my love for him."

After returning to the Shen residence, I started to pack my belongings. Having been a housewife for three years, my collection of clothes and cosmetics was pitifully small, and it didn't take long to finish packing.

At the vast Shen's place, almost every corner holds my traces.

In order not to trouble them further, I planned to thoroughly clean this room before I left.

Consider it as my blessing to their family of three.

When the sun set in the west, Shen Luo brought Xiao He back home.

Seeing me mopping the living room, he carried Xiao He and walked along the wall to get in.

"How come you are cleaning?" Shen Luo casually asked while taking off his suit jacket.

He caught sight of the suitcase in the corner while hanging his jacket, and was stunned on the spot.

I picked up the mop and walked into the bathroom, and after washing, I returned to the living room.

Shen Luo was still standing where he was, but Xiao He was nowhere to be seen.

"Are you going on a trip?"

I shook my head, "The house has been cleaned, it's very neat, and all my things have been removed."

Dumbfounded, Shen Luo watched me pass him the divorce agreement on the coffee table.

"When you have time, let's go to the Civil Affairs Bureau."