Until the Marriage Contract Ends

Three years ago, on the day I married Luca Moretti, he personally handed me a marriage contract with a fixed term of three years.

His tone was casual, indifferent, as if he were discussing an ordinary business deal.

"This marriage exists solely to serve the alliance of interests between the Morettis and the Vitales. Sign this agreement. After three years, the marriage will automatically dissolve. When that time comes, you can go and pursue your true love."

I barely hesitated before signing. Ten years earlier, at an inter-family business gala, when I was ten and Luca was sixteen, I had already fallen hopelessly in love with him.

What looked like a strategic alliance was, in truth, the outcome of my decade-long unrequited love.

During the three years of our marriage, Luca was attentive and gentle toward me.

Over time, I began to believe I was loved. I sank into that illusion, unable to pull myself out, forgetting entirely about the agreement.

That illusion was shattered completely on the night of our third wedding anniversary.

That evening, Luca arrived with Elena, who had just returned to New York, and attended what was supposed to be our third anniversary celebration together. She stood beside him with ease and composure, smoothly engaging with business partners. People praised her, saying she looked more like the Donna of the Moretti family.

In that moment, even though Luca never mentioned the agreement again, I understood clearly that it was time for me to step aside.

After breaking free from his control, crossing an ocean to rebuild myself, and becoming a brilliant leader in my industry, I would no longer wait for his love.

After returning home from the party, I booked a flight to France.

Once the call ended, I opened the combination safe and took out the divorce agreement inside. It had been stored there for too long. The text had faded, the ink blurred with age.

I sent it to my lawyer, Evan Rothwell, who replied that it would need to be re-signed. Otherwise, it would not hold legal effect. Therefore, I printed a fresh copy.

Then I sat on the couch and waited for Luca Moretti to come home. Just like always, he brought me a bouquet of red roses, my favorite.

"Why are you still awake?" he asked. "Didn’t you say you caught a cold? Did you take your medicine?"

He reached out and touched my forehead, his hand warm and familiar. "You’re fine. No fever. Go get some rest."

I rubbed my sore nose, forcing the tears back before they could fall. "Can you sign this for me?"

I handed him the agreement.

"What's this?" he asked casually. "An investment contract? Property purchase?"

"A div… investment agreement."

The word changed at the last second. I did not know why. I simply did not want him to know.

Three years ago, he had personally handed me a divorce agreement. This was nothing more than asking him to complete what he had started.

While still on a call, he signed without looking, moving his pen swiftly across the page. Then he walked into the study.

I mailed the signed agreement to Evan. He told me the divorce certificate would be processed in three days.

I looked at the news alert on my phone. It was photos of Luca and Elena standing side by side.

"Top Business Partners Reunite After Three Years: New Investments Focus on Cutting-Edge Technology."

They looked perfectly matched in the photo.

Only then did I finally understand why he had set the divorce agreement to take effect after three years. Maybe it had always been a promise between him and her.

He had even said that after three years, I could pursue my true love. It almost sounded as if he were the one begging in this relationship.

I let out a quiet, bitter laugh and turned off my phone.

Maybe Luca and I were never meant to be.

At dinner, Luca suddenly spoke, "My birthday celebration is in three days. I’ve already arranged our outfits. You’ll attend with me."

My hand paused slightly on the knife and fork. Then I nodded. "Okay."

He said nothing more and stood up to leave.

I lowered my head and continued cutting my steak. It tasted bland.

Just then, the phone he had left on the table lit up. It was a message from Elena.

"Thanks for taking me home. Dinner tomorrow. No excuses."

As I stared at the words, my emotions were tangled.

Ten years ago, I was kidnapped by an enemy family. It was sixteen-year-old Luca who saved me. At the time, I did not even know his name.

A month later, when I saw him again at a business gala, I recognized him instantly. That was when I fell in love. The marriage alliance had been an opportunity I begged my father for.

During the three years of our marriage, Luca treated me well. On my birthday, he would arrange an entire fireworks display, reserving the venue a month in advance. He sent small gifts to my friends as well.

When showering them with gifts, he would always say, "Please take good care of my wife."

They all envied me for having such a perfect husband.

Only now did I realize that perhaps it was not love. Perhaps it was simply responsibility.

"Here. Drink some warm water." Luca walked over with a glass and placed it in front of me, then sat down beside me. "You said this morning you were craving truffle steak. I had the kitchen prepare it specially."

I forced a smile. "Thank you."

He rubbed my head gently, his eyes full of affection.

Before, I would have fallen into it without hesitation. Now, there was only bitterness in my chest.

He did not notice the emptiness in my eyes and continued talking. "Elena likes steak, too. She says the ones in New York can’t compare to those from her family’s farm."

The fork slipped from my fingers and clattered against the plate. The last trace of hope was shattered completely. So he remembered her preferences so clearly.

I had believed I was the only one who mattered to him.

I took a deep breath and swallowed the tears back down.