Chapter 1 Divorce Him

"Divorce him, and I'll take care of you."

In the private lounge backstage at Al Jazeera, Katherine White slowly opened her eyes, a mocking smile curling at the corners of her lips.

Four years had passed, but that voice still pierced her heart.

Eliot Hale stood against the light, his off-white shirt outlining his elegant figure, as dashing as she remembered.

But the obsession swirling in his eyes made Katherine feel queasy.

"Eliot," she said, her red lips parting, her voice cold as ice, "I let you see me today, not to listen to your nonsense."

Eliot's eyes showed a hint of sadness. He sighed softly, his Adam's apple bobbing, his tone almost pleading.

"I can explain what happened back then," he said, half-kneeling. "I didn't mean to break my promise. I went back to find you, but the creditors were after me... I had no choice!"

His voice choked suddenly, and he turned his face away in panic.

When he spoke again, his voice was so soft it seemed afraid to break something fragile: "I was really at my wits' end back then."

Katherine pressed her lips together, her fingers clenching tightly as memories surged like a tidal wave...

Eliot's father had been deceived and mismanaged his business, ultimately losing the Hale family fortune and leaving a massive debt.

His father chose to jump to his death, leaving Eliot to shoulder the burden of repayment.

She had loved Eliot for five years, from college to the brink of marriage.

At that time, the White family was also facing a crisis.

Though not on the verge of bankruptcy, her father planned to marry her off to a perverted old man who had beaten his wife to death, just to secure a business deal.

It was called marriage, but it was selling her off.

So Eliot came up with a plan: he would pretend to sell her to Alexander. He promised that once he got the money, he would take her away from the city and start anew in the States.

But that night, she waited in the rain until dawn, and he never showed up.

"Katherine, I'm sorry. I've regretted it every moment of these past four years," Eliot's voice choked with emotion as he carefully took her hand.

Katherine let out a cold laugh, her lips curling into a sarcastic smile, full of undisguised mockery. "What a convenient excuse."

She yanked her hand away forcefully, her eyes burning with endless anger.

"Stop lying. You never intended to take me with you!"

"No!" Eliot vehemently denied, crawling forward on his knees, trying to get closer to her. "Katherine, I loved you so much. How could I ever leave you?"

But those once beautiful eyes, filled with love for him, were now cold, reflecting none of his image.

After all, she knew the truth.

"You sold me for money to save yourself, and now you have the nerve to say you love me?"

Katherine scoffed, her eyes filled with hatred. "You went abroad and started dating a girl. Within a year, you married her! Eliot, did you think I wouldn't find out?"

Eliot trembled all over, shocked that she knew.

He hurriedly explained, "No! I married her just to get a residency permit so I could stay abroad. I divorced her two years ago! Katherine, believe me, everything I did was for you..."

"For me? Can you stop disgusting me?"

Katherine suddenly stood up, kicking a heavy storage box towards Eliot with all her might.

The heavy box crashed into Eliot's shin with a dull thud.

"I'm not here to listen to your excuses." She pointed her chin at the box, her smile icy, her eyes devoid of warmth.

"All your cheap, betraying affections, the things you've sent over the years like trash, are all in there! Either take them and get out, or I'll throw them in the dumpster downstairs, where they can rot along with your laughable affections!"

Eliot staggered from the impact, his face turning pale.

He stared at Katherine, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, his chest heaving.

He had explained so much, but she refused to believe him.

"Cheap affections? Rotting?" His voice was hoarse, filled with disbelief and pain. "I know I wronged you four years ago, but we were together for five years! From college to almost getting married! Does that mean nothing to you?"

Katherine's eyes flickered, a moment of confusion flashing through them.

Five years, the purest love, the best years... she had willingly given them to him.

But the next second, sharper, colder memories stabbed into her mind like poisoned daggers.

"The moment he received a million dollars, he promised me he would never see you again. So within six months, he married someone else." That man, noble as a deity, his eyes cold as polar ice, his deep voice devoid of any emotion.

Katherine had once not believed it and secretly went to the States to find Eliot.

What she saw was him holding hands with that foreign girl, looking blissfully happy...

"Katherine, I'm not the same person I was. I don't care that you've been married, even if you have a child, I'll treat him as my own, as long as you come back to me..."

Eliot's trembling voice pulled Katherine back.

She looked at him coldly, his seemingly heartbroken appearance leaving her completely numb.

After Eliot left, her father had imprisoned her, forcing her to marry the old man. It was Alexander who saved her.

Compared to her five-year boyfriend, Alexander Black, whom she had known for only a few months, had pulled her out of hell.

"Just because you've made some money abroad, you think you can dictate to me? Do you even know who my husband is?"

Katherine smiled playfully, not minding using Alexander's name to scare him.

"His name is Alexander."

Her voice was soft and slow, the syllables rolling off her tongue like a seductive whisper, as she casually flicked her hair, her eyes sparkling with allure.

Eliot's blood seemed to freeze. He had spent four years abroad, and Alexander's name was well-known in the media as a business prodigy.

Alexander had the best family background, power, wealth, physique, and looks. No man stood a chance against him.

"Do you think anyone would dare touch his woman? And you want to be a stepfather to my child? Do you think you're worthy?"

Eliot was forced to retreat by her relentless questioning and merciless mockery, his face turning ashen.

He clung to his last hope, his voice trembling.

"Katherine, I believe you still have feelings for me. Alexander, who is he? A golden boy! How could he truly love you? A man like him has countless women around him. He's only with you because you're young and beautiful! He can't give you true love! Only I know what you need! Give me another chance..."

Eliot remained kneeling, his eyes filled with sadness and fear.

"Love?" Katherine chuckled softly, her eyes momentarily distant and confused.

She did believe Alexander wouldn't give her true love, because on their wedding day, he had made a five-year pact with her.

In five years, he would divorce her.

In the years they had been together, he always craved her body whenever he came home, but he never seemed to care about her career, hobbies, or daily life.

When she worked late into the night, he never sent a single message asking about her.

He would only press her against the kitchen island the moment she walked through the door, his hands slipping under her clothes.

They had never fought in their four years of marriage because Alexander never engaged in small talk or arguments.

She avoided any potential conflicts.

He always had a clear purpose, except when it came to his childhood sweetheart, Thalia Vossler.

Last Christmas's Eve, Alexander left her alone at home to accompany Thalia for an IV drip.

When his grandfather found out, he was furious, demanding Alexander return.

But Alexander, usually so filial, defied him for Thalia.

After that, he flew to another country without telling her, disappearing for three months.

She only found out he was back from his assistant.

Alexander always lost his composure and order when it came to Thalia, his first love.

So she knew Alexander only saw her as a sexual outlet. He had no love for her, only desire.

But she couldn't show any weakness in her marriage to Eliot.

"Whether Alexander loves me or not, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm the Mrs. Black every woman dreams of being!"

Seeing the pain in Eliot's eyes, her tone was almost cruelly clear and self-mocking. "His love is just the icing on the cake. Without it, it doesn't matter. But the status that comes with this position is something you could never give me! Understand?"

Better to marry Alexander than a perverted old man!

"I've said all I need to say. Take your things and disappear from my sight. We're long over."

Her voice dropped to an icy tone, filled with undisguised annoyance.

Katherine grabbed her limited-edition handbag from the table, her movements swift and without a trace of hesitation, and headed for the door.

If she got home late, Alexander would make her suffer double.

"Katherine!"

As she stepped out the door, Eliot lunged forward, grabbing the doorframe, his voice trembling as he pleaded with her straight back, "I won't give up! No matter if he's Alexander or the king of the world, I'll win you back!"

His shout echoed through the empty hallway, filled with desperate madness.

Katherine's steps didn't falter, not even glancing back, disappearing down the corridor.

Eliot clung to the doorframe, his knuckles pale, his body shaking uncontrollably from the intense emotion and crushing disappointment, his eyes fixed on the direction she had vanished, filled with pain and a near-obsessive madness.

Inside and outside the door, hidden cameras' infrared lights flickered silently in the dim light, recording their entire conversation.