Chapter 1 

Chapter 1 

“Mrs. Everly, here are the divorce papers. Please have a look, and if everything’s alright, just sign at the bottom.” Amara stared at the papers in front of her, feeling a buzzing silence in her mind that drowned out everything else. 

“Mrs. Everly?” 

Seeing her lost in thought, Will Zade waved a hand in front of her eyes to get her attention. 

Snapping back to reality, Amara asked, one of bafflement, “Finnian wants to divorce me?” 

Her face was partially hidden behind a mask, but her dewy eyes, filled with confusion and sadness, were visible. Will felt a pang of sympathy and looked away. 

“Yes, Mr. Finnian Everly mentioned that with Mrs. Grace Everly’s passing, there’s no need to continue this marriage, so he wants to proceed with the divorce.” 

Amara felt a sharp pain in her heart, but it was accompanied by a strange sense of relief, as if a weight had finally been lifted off her shoulder. 

Three years ago, to bring some joy to Grace in her final days, Amara, the second daughter of the Sullivan family, who had once been disfigured, married into the Everly family and became Finnian’s wife. 

In those three years, she’d only seen Finnian a couple of times–once on their wedding day, and another a month ago at Grace’s funeral. 

Throughout those three years, Finnian never came home, clearly disregarding her as his wife. She had always known that once Grace passed, a divorce would follow. 

“Mrs. Everly?” 

After a few minutes of silence, Amara suddenly picked up a pen and signed her name decisively. Will quickly reminded her, “You haven’t checked the terms of the agreement yet.” 

“No need.” 

aven¿ 

Amara capped the pen and pushed the divorce papers back to him. 

She wasn’t concerned about how much money Finnian was offering her. When the Everlys initially approached her, they had compensated her generously, enough for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life. 

Besides, marrying Finnian had never been about money for her. She had liked Finnian since high school, an infatuation that lasted eight years. Agreeing to marry him three years ago was just a way to fulfill her own 

dream. 

“Could you let him know I’ll be moving out in the next couple of days? He can come back home then.” 

Keeping a woman he didn’t love at home and avoiding it for three years–it must have been tough for him. 

Amara’s lips curled into a bitter smile, and she turned to head upstairs, holding back the tears threatening to spill. 

“Ely, I’m divorced.” 

She stood by the window, calling her friend Elysia Moon, who sounded shocked. “You got divorced? Did Finnian ask for it?” 

“Yes.” 

“How could he be so heartless! Not coming home for three years was bad enough, but now he wants a divorce too!” 

Hearing her friend’s indignation, Amara pressed her lips together. “It’s no big deal. He told me from the start 

16:17 

Chapter 1 

that he was marrying me just to make Mrs. Grace Everly happy. He never intended to fall in love with me.” 

Her fingers gripped the window sill tightly as she spoke. Even though she told herself to move on, talking about 

it still hurt. 

“Oh, Amara, how could you be so silly?” Elysia sighed. 

As Amara’s closest friend, Elysia knew better than anyone how deeply Amara loved Finnian. Remembering all the things Amara had done for Finnian over the years, she felt it was all so unfair. 

“You worked so hard these three years to remove those scars, hoping Finnian would at least notice you. Now that you’ve finally succeeded, this is what happens.” 

“It’s fine. My face is my own, and getting it back to normal is good for me too.” 

“True, just think of it that way! You’re free now. Live your best life, and let that jerk be wherever he wants to be!” Elysia’s words brought a smile to Amara’s face, easing the tension for just a moment. But then her eyes fell on the wall where a lone wedding photo hung, causing her heart to ache once more. 

She removed her mask, gazing at her reflection–a beautiful face tinged with melancholy. 

After all these years of marriage, Finnian had no idea what she truly looked like. She had been Mrs. Everly in name only for three years, the subject of gossip in their social circle. Now it was over, and perhaps, this was a new beginning. 

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