A Promise Unfulfilled, a Lover Unreturned

Clara Black, a wealthy heiress from Glenford, openly declares that she only dates men for a month at a time and never gets emotionally involved.

Men eager to climb the social ladder line up across the city, hoping for a chance.

After all, when she is in a good mood, she rewards them with a villa. When she isn't, she still gives them millions of dollars when the relationship ends.

People in Glenford laugh at me, calling me the most humiliated live-in husband they've ever seen. They're convinced that I'll endure it for the rest of my life.

That is until Clara brings home a college student named Leonard Frost. Leonard looks ordinary, yet he becomes the first man to break her one-month dating rule.

Clara then gives me two options.

One option is to accept an open marriage and let Leonard have equal footing with me. The other is divorce, with half of her assets given to me and a clean break afterward.

Her close friends watch from the sidelines, certain that I'll keep enduring everything for the sake of money. Yet I choose the second option without hesitation.

In my previous life, I chose to endure, only to have Leonard take advantage of me even more. He forbade Clara from touching me and refused to let her bear my child.

In my old age, I could only look on with envy as Leonard enjoyed a household full of descendants.

Even after Clara passed away, she didn't mention me in her will at all. Every part of her estate fell into Leonard's control.

I kept the title of Clara's husband, yet I lived my entire life completely alone.

Now that I have been reborn, everything is clear to me. I will take the money and walk away, severing all ties with her for good.

Chapter 1

I took the divorce agreement, read it carefully from start to finish, and was prepared to sign.

Clara Black finally spoke, which was unusual for her. Her voice held a tension she didn't seem to notice. "Sebastian Hale, think it through. Once you sign, there's no turning back."

My hand didn't falter. The pen traced a clean, decisive curve across the page, and I signed.

"I'm packing my things and leaving right now," I said.

How could I possibly regret it?

In my previous life, I had believed that bringing Leonard Frost home was just another way for her to get back at me. I had foolishly thought that after so many years of entanglement, she must have felt something for me.

How ridiculous.

She and Leonard had two children within three years and stayed devoted to each other for the rest of their lives. I, on the other hand, had existed in that house like an unnecessary piece of furniture. I had endured half a lifetime of awkwardness, with people pointing and laughing at me.

It wasn't until I was old that I overheard Clara and Leonard talking in the hospital room about that incident. She admitted that she had staged that dramatic "caught me cheating" scene back then by arranging for the disheveled housekeeper.

"I was simply tired of him but didn't want things to get too ugly," she said.

Not a trace of guilt showed in her clouded eyes. "So I staged the whole thing. That way, whatever I did afterward would seem completely justified."

So that was it.

No wonder every desperate explanation I made was met with nothing but cold disbelief. She had known the truth all along.

Clara didn't love me, yet she trapped me for 50 years with a false accusation. She could have ended it cleanly, yet she chose to torment me slowly until the very end.

I raised my eyes, looking at Clara's youthful yet still indifferent face. All affection in my heart had vanished, leaving only seething hatred.

She stared blankly at the signed agreement, shock flickering in her eyes.

Outside the door, the faint rustle from those eavesdropping fell abruptly silent. The next moment, my "noble" in-laws burst in, beaming with joy.

My mother-in-law, Bella Jarvis, grabbed Leonard's hand. She examined him from every angle and clicked her tongue in approval. "Oh my, young people really are something. They just radiate energy!"

My father-in-law, Shawn Black, who had always scowled at me, was now smiling warmly. He glanced at me and said pointedly, "Finally, we've gotten rid of that useless piece of trash who took up space and contributed nothing. After all these years, and not a single child to show for it."

Leonard lowered his head shyly, feigning modesty. "Mr. Black, please don't say that. I'm not much younger than Sebastian."

He paused for a moment, a blush creeping across his face. "Actually, Clara has been pregnant for a month. But it's still early, so we haven't announced it yet."

I raised an eyebrow.

As expected, it was the same familiar sarcasm and nauseating tone I'd always known. The only difference was that this time, I no longer cared.

Chapter 2

Over the years, in order to be a proper live-in husband, I had pushed myself to exhaustion at Black Group during the day. At night, I still had to cater to my demanding parents-in-law.

I was barely in my early 30s, yet strands of gray had already appeared at my temples, making me look far older than my years.

I turned back to the bedroom and began packing the meager luggage I owned. I was already thinking about where to go first to properly unwind once I had the money.

I didn't notice Clara following me inside.

She said, "It's late. There's no need to move out immediately. Leave tomorrow instead.

"Isn't the villa on the west side of the city still empty? You can stay there for now. I'll visit when I have time.

"Sebastian, I know you love me. Don't act out of spite."

She gently rested her hand on her still-flat stomach. "But I truly can't stay married to you anymore. I can't let my child be labeled illegitimate from birth."

I said nothing. I simply lifted my suitcase, walked past her, and headed straight for the door.

"There's nothing left for us to discuss. I'm glad that we're getting divorced. If you have any conscience left, hurry up and pay what you owe me," I said.

The night wind carried fine snow against my face. It was biting cold, but it couldn't extinguish the fire burning hotter within me.

Clara was as efficient as ever. By the time I woke up, three billion dollars had already been deposited into my bank account.

With the money in hand, I immediately booked the most luxurious private club in Glenford. I got a haircut and indulged in a full-body spa. The haggard man with graying temples in the mirror was gone, replaced by a young man with striking red hair and sharp eyes.

I had just finished changing when my close friend, Frank Roth, called me.

"Sebastian! What happened between you and Clara? Are you out of your mind? The whole world has gone crazy!" he shouted the moment the call connected.

I held the phone away from my ear and asked lazily, "What happened?"

"Why are you asking me? Haven't you seen the news yourself?"

His voice brimmed with disbelief. "The headlines are swamped with photos of Clara at a gala with Leonard! She told all the reporters that he was her only husband and that they were holding the wedding immediately!

"Your snobbish parents-in-law were there too, praising him and saying that he was worth it."

He lowered his voice and asked with cautious concern, "Seb, are you okay?"

Clara was now giving someone else all the public acknowledgment I had never received and all the recognition I had longed for half my life.

I replied, "I'm fine."

I admired my new look and said calmly, "We're already divorced."

"D-divorced?"

Frank could barely believe it. He had watched me love Clara for over a decade. He had seen how I humbled myself for this marriage, erased who I was, and begged for her affection.

I didn't explain further, letting out only a soft laugh. "Are you free tonight? Come out for drinks. It's on me."

In the most extravagant bar in Glenford, my booth was lined with bottles of the priciest Ace of Spades. Several young, beautiful hostesses surrounded me, eagerly pouring drinks.

Frank's eyes widened. "Damn, I believe it now. You really had let go. You were never like this before."

In the past, I had carefully calculated the value of everything I bought, just to prove to Clara that I wasn't after her money. I had feared that she might think that I spent recklessly and was neglectful of the family.

Now, I sat in a lavish private room, looking at my reflection in the glassbold red hair and a perfectly tailored bespoke suit.

Frank raised his glass and clinked it hard against mine. "You finally look like that once-in-a-century genius from Ashford University's finance department again."

He took a long gulp of liquor and spoke for me. "Back then, countless venture capital firms fought over you. If you had launched your own company, you would've crushed Black Group years ago."

Chapter 3

"You worked for her family for over a decade, and in the end, you got so little from the divorce. Seb, I really feel for you," Frank said.

It was far more than a decade. In my previous life, under my leadership, Black Group had once ruled as the country's most powerful company.

Yet in my later years, I couldn't even afford a box of painkillers. In the end, I was thrown out by Leonard's children and died of illness beside a pile of trash on a winter night.

The business empire I had spent my entire life building ultimately benefited Leonard and his children.

At that thought, I drained the glass in one go. The sharp liquor burned its way down my throat, yet it ignited the fire deep in my chest.

I was going to make them see for themselves whether they could still live so comfortably without me.

The next day, news of me registering a company spread like wildfire, and everyone in the circle reacted immediately.

Some saw opportunity and arrived overnight with proposals, hoping to invest. But even more people were gauging the Black family's reactions, mocking me and waiting to see what I would do.

I had no idea who was pulling the strings, but the paparazzi's articles were all belittling me, painting me as overconfident. I looked at the notifications on my phone and swiped them away without expression.

I didn't expect to receive a call from Clara.

"Sebastian, stop fooling around. Starting a company isn't a game, and your money won't last more than a few days. I haven't taken your position at the company away from you, so come back," she said.

I refused her coldly. "You don't need to worry about me, Ms. Black."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end. Clara sounded slightly annoyed, yet she still spoke patiently. "Sebastian, can't you try to understand me? I've just found my true love.

"Besides, instead of starting a small company, why don't you stay at Black Group? The southern district acquisition you were handling before"

I hung up immediately. As expected, she only remembered my usefulness when she needed me.

The southern district project was a tough challenge that took me half a year to secure. I pushed myself through endless drinking at negotiations, ruining my stomach in the process, just to get it done. Without me, Black Group would have no idea where to even begin.

At Black Group, although I held the title of CEO, my monthly salary was only 3,000 dollars. That was because Shawn said that we were all family and shouldn't be so calculative.

I once naively believed that it was his test for me. Now it was clear that I was nothing more than a competent and extremely cheap worker they recruited.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.

I made up my mind. Even if my new company couldn't take all the projects that I had brought to Black Group in my previous life, I would personally hand them to their fiercest rivals.

After I hung up on Clara, she was so furious that she threw her phone onto the floor.

Over the years, she had grown used to my obedience, calling me at will and dismissing me just as easily. Being hung up on so decisively had clearly embarrassed her.

Just then, her assistant, Hazel Simmons, entered awkwardly with a stack of documents that Clara could barely understand and asked her to sign them. The strain of pregnancy, along with years away from the company, left her feeling completely overwhelmed.

Leonard followed Hazel in and took Clara's hand, his eyes filled with concern. "Clara, don't exhaust yourself. I'm your husband now. Let me join the company and share your burden."

Clara hesitated. "You're still young and unfamiliar with the business. You should start by rotating through the departments."

Leonard's eyes turned red with grievance. "If Sebastian could be CEO, why can't I?"

Clara instinctively wanted to remind him that I was, at the very least, a top finance graduate from Ashford University. But when she looked into Leonard's eyes, brimming with tears, she lost all sense of reason. Her heart softened, and she nodded in agreement.

Leonard hugged her, tears in his eyes but a smile on his face. "I've just been worrying about you too much. Look at youyou've lost weight recently," he said gently.

My company had been running for less than two weeks, yet it was already operating smoothly.

Chapter 4

During this time, Leonard sent plenty of people to cause trouble. Their actions were nothing more than petty, underhanded tactics, all of which I defused with ease.

After years in Glenford, the connections I had built far outmatched Leonard.

Several veteran employees at Black Group whom I had personally trained were already tempted to join me when they heard that I had started my own company. After all, ever since Leonard was parachuted into the company, he had been constantly suppressing them, leaving them miserable and stifled at work.

I didn't rush to have them come over to my side. Instead, I let them stir up minor trouble in their company before they left, as a way to show their loyalty to me.

Leonard thought that losing a few employees was no big deal and even secretly felt relieved that he had cleared out the remnants of my influence. But what he didn't understand was that the departure of certain people could cripple the company at its core.

One project after another fell through, and Black Group's stock price kept sliding.

On my side, I had a strong and well-staffed team. They showed astonishing drive and execution, securing several multimillion-dollar deals in rapid succession.

I stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the conference room, looking down at the cheering team, and announced loudly, "Tonight, we're going to Velour. Drinks are on me, and no one leaves sober!"

"Boss, you're awesome!"

Amid thunderous cheers, I led everyone out of the building in a grand procession.

At the entrance, a familiar black Rolls-Royce Phantom was quietly parked by the curb. The car door opened, and Clara, cradling her noticeably rounded belly, waved at me.

I didn't glance at her and kept moving with my team. Hazel stepped in to block my path.

Clara caught up to me, her face showing clear displeasure and a trace of anger. "Sebastian, what do you think you're doing? Can't you see me? You've really grown bold now."

I grew impatient and looked at her coldly. "Ms. Black, what do you want?"

She was taken aback by my attitude but still got straight to the point and ordered, "Shut down your small company and come back to Black Group."

Her audacious remark made me laugh in disbelief.

However, she mistook my laughter for hesitation and softened her voice slightly. "Sebastian, I've been really tired lately. Stop acting out of spite, okay?"

She paused for a moment, then spoke as if making a huge concession. "If you really care about Leo, I can arrange for him to move elsewhere for now."

As I looked at the self-important Clara in front of me, I couldn't help but doubt my past judgment.

I cut her off coldly. "I'm not acting out of spite. Ms. Black, we're already divorced. Please don't bother me anymore."

Her patience snapped, and her voice shot up. "I've already compromised! What more do you want? The company needs you right now. Why do you have to make things difficult at a time like this?"

I suddenly realized that it was impossible to reason with her. Did she really think that the world should revolve around her?

I replied, "Ms. Black, if you need anything, you should go to your dear husband, Leonard. I'm just an outsider. I have no obligation to clean up your mess."

It suddenly dawned on her, and a flicker of realization crossed her face. "Is it status that you care about? I'll think about it after I give birth, but you must promise not to make it public. I don't want to upset Leo."

I stared at her, pausing between each word. "I'll say it again. Leave. Don't let me see you again. I don't want to remarry you. Never in this lifetime."

Clara's expression darkened with fury. "Sebastian, don't take my kindness for granted! Don't forget that this is Glenford. Bringing down a small company like yours would be a piece of cake for me!"

At that moment, a clear and slightly lazy female voice cut in.

"Oh? Ms. Black, that's quite a bold claim. Are you not only openly harassing my fiance but also trying to destroy his company?"

Clara turned to look, and her expression faltered.