Chapter 3: Hurry Up and Sign the Divorce Papers
When Jeremiah and Jack arrived and broke down the door, I immediately accused Elsa of setting the fire and trying to kill me. No one believed me. Jeremiah shoved me aside, prioritizing saving Elsa with Jack. I crashed into the wall, spraining my ankle. I nearly suffered disfigurement in the fire, escaping only narrowly from death. While my face was spared, I sustained burn scars on my arm and thigh. During the police investigation, I identified Elsa as the culprit, but Jeremiah and Jack insisted I was traumatized and delusional. They vehemently defended her at the police station, and she went free due to insufficient evidence. Later, she gloated at the hospital, smugly declaring that Jeremiah and Jack had abandoned me. She would soon possess my shares and my parents’ inheritance. The memory brought tears to my eyes.
Jeremiah, who always disliked my temper, glared at me. “You know I don’t have much patience, Jane,” he snapped impatiently. “I’m exhausted between work and socializing, and I don’t have time to fight you. If you keep this up, divorce is the only option. And if you don’t want that, behave yourself.”
How dare he threaten me with divorce? It might have worked in the past, but it was precisely what I wanted. I smiled and agreed, “Fine, let’s get a divorce, then.”
“What?” Jeremiah froze, disbelief etched on his face.
I produced the divorce papers I’d prepared and handed them to him. “I agree to the divorce. Don’t worry about dividing assets. Pre-marital assets will remain with their owners. I don’t want a single dollar from you; let’s consider it a clean break. All that’s left is for you to sign.” I thoughtfully offered him a pen.
Jeremiah stared at the papers with an unreadable expression. Without looking at them, he crumpled and discarded them, then grabbed my wrist and pinned me down. His eyes blazed with anger. “Have you grown this bold as to bring up divorce?”
I was momentarily dazed by his strikingly handsome face. Despite our engagement agreement, I had been the one to fall for him first. As a young girl, I followed him everywhere, my heart set on him before I even understood love. I relentlessly pursued him, finally winning him over in college. We dated, married soon after graduation, and I dedicated myself completely to the relationship. Though reserved, Jeremiah indulged my whims and met my demands unconditionally. I mistook his tolerance for love. It wasn’t until I saw him gently protect Elsa, his eyes full of laughter, that I awoke from my dream.
Everyone knew how deeply I loved Jeremiah. They assumed I would never leave him, and he thought the same. That's why he could hurt me so recklessly. When I miscarried in my past life, he was celebrating with Elsa. He claimed a business trip on our anniversary, but he was vacationing with her at the beach. When my family went bankrupt and my father died, I begged him to stop, but he said it was the price I had to pay for hurting Elsa. The painful lessons of my past life were fresh in my mind. I loathed him; there wasn't a single shred of love left.
Looking at Jeremiah, I sneered, “What’s wrong? You’re allowed to bring up divorce, but not me?” I struggled, trying to push him away. “Hurry up and sign the divorce papers. Let’s settle this peacefully.” His expression darkened at my words.