I was required to go to the local police station in their hometown personally to collect the letter and key left by my biological parents.
After jotting down the address, I was about to slip the note into my phone case when I heard the door open.
Sean pushed the door and walked in.
As he came in, I smelled a strong odor of alcohol.
Before I could speak, he collapsed onto the bed beside me, eyes closed. "Mom told me to live a good life with you from now on," he muttered.
Hearing this, I was shocked.
My mother-in-law had promised to help us divorce. Why had she changed her mind?
A wave of unease swept over me. I threw back the blanket, ready to find her and get an explanation.
But Sean suddenly rolled over, grabbing my arm. His expression turned stern as he scolded, "Do you realize you can't catch a chill right now? You're a mother now—take better care of yourself!"
His sudden concern sent a chill down my spine.
I instinctively pulled away, creating distance between us. "I get it. You should go back to your room. I need to sleep."
He noticed my rejection and laughed bitterly, a sneer twisting his lips. "Don’t flatter yourself. You're a woman who just gave birth—your body's completely out of shape. It’s not like I can’t find someone better."
I bit back a response.
During my pregnancy, the doctor had warned that I wasn’t getting enough nutrition. I forced myself to consume countless supplements to ensure the baby’s health, gaining just enough weight to meet the normal range.
Now, post-pregnancy, soft flesh still clung stubbornly to my waist.
I glanced at him, didn't say anything, and lay back down with my back to him, thinking that I would ask my mother-in-law tomorrow.
In the middle of the night, I woke up in a daze, and no one was around me anymore.
Reaching for my phone, I noticed a message from Sean’s secretary sent three minutes earlier.
The photo attached showed him driving, his profile illuminated by the dashboard lights.
Her text read:
[So, what if you have a child now? If he doesn’t love you, he just doesn’t love you. I only missed him for a bit and called—he left with me right away.]
[Aria, you're the only one who took this ridiculous marriage seriously. You’ve lost.]
She was right. I had lost completely.
But what Sean would never know was that the first time I met his mother, she told me about him.
He would never discover that we had attended the same school since middle school.
I had secretly admired him for years, silently following his life without ever intruding.
So when his mother proposed that I marry him after graduating from college, I was so thrilled I couldn’t sleep all night.
But my happiness had been built on his misery.
Since that was the case, it was time to set us both free.
I didn’t reply to the secretary’s message.
At home, I ate well, rested well, and cared for myself.
Soon, the final day of my postpartum confinement arrived.
During dinner, my mother-in-law, true to her word, placed a divorce agreement signed by Sean in front of me. Her voice wavered with reluctance.
"Tomorrow is your baby’s one-month celebration. Could you stay and attend it before leaving?"
I shook my head firmly. "No, I’ve already booked a ticket for tomorrow morning."
"What about—"
"Mom, I'll leave this family to you from now on."
I cut her off gently, smiling softly.
She recognized my resolve, wiping away tears. "Alright, I’ll raise your baby well. Don’t worry."
I took the divorce agreement from her just as Sean descended the stairs.
He frowned at the sight. "What are you holding?"
Gripping the agreement tightly, I shook my head. "Nothing."
His eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering in his gaze as he stared at me intently.
But I remained composed.
Fortunately, he didn’t press the issue, shifting the topic to tomorrow's baby's celebration.
"I have something to handle tomorrow," Sean said indifferently. "I'll be late to the hotel. If there's an issue, just ask Mom."
My mother-in-law frowned in disapproval. "What could possibly be more important than your son's one-month celebration? You—"
"It's fine. It doesn't matter. If you have something to do, go and get busy," I said calmly. His presence or absence made no difference to the child.
After all, he hadn't spared the boy a single glance since our baby's birth—just like me.
My mother-in-law opened her mouth to argue but stopped when I gave her a reassuring smile and shook my head.
The day of the celebration arrived. The atmosphere at home was quieter than expected.
Holding the baby, my mother-in-law prepared to leave. One of the housekeepers hesitated and asked, "Madam, shouldn't we wait for Mrs. Hampton to go with us?"
She froze, glancing toward the upstairs hallway. Her expression faltered, but she shook her head with a choked breath.
What she didn't know was that I had already left.
The night before the baby's celebration, I had boarded a plane and flown away.
I was long gone when Sean finished his work and rushed to the event, searching anxiously for me.
An inexplicable sense of panic gripped his chest as he frantically asked his mother, "Where's Aria? Where did she go?"
