A Divorce Waiting to Happen

I wasn't at all surprised to see Francesca at the Ludwig residence. Their families had been neighbors for years and got along fairly well.Gloria Denver, Ian's mother, never even tried to hide how much she liked Francesca. She had always regretted not being able to make Francesca her daughter-in-law.When Francesca's family migrated abroad, both families hugged and cried for the longest time.Now that she was back in the country, everyone had gathered around, laughing and chatting happily. No one noticed me even when I walked in and made my way to the dining table.The chatter only stopped abruptly when the sound of me pulling the chair screeched. Gloria's eyes flashed with irritation at my interruption.A guilty look crossed Ian's face as he got up to help me get settled in my seat. He then explained, "Francesca said she hasn't had our home-cooked meal in a while, that's why…"Francesca bolted up before he could finish speaking. Her voice was tinged with nervousness as she said,

Nova chose to hold her wedding in her favorite country, Fontania. It was also where Francesca had been living.On the plane, I sat by the window, staring out at everything below. And despite everything, I found myself thinking of Ian.He had flown to Fontania alone countless times over the past eight years. I wondered what was on his mind during those trips.Was it regret over how little time we spent? Or was it the joy of seeing Francesca again?…On the day of the wedding, Nova looked beyond stunning as she stepped out in her exquisite wedding dress.Her words from a few days back echoed in my mind. "Ian really has great taste," she said.Back when he and I got married, he'd searched all over Fontania to have my diamond ring and wedding dress handmade by local artisans.Although they weren't as expensive as those from luxury brands, the craftsmanship was exquisite, and the designs were one-of-a-kind.Nova's eyes lit up instantly when she first saw them. She said that she'd g

My editor-in-chief, Jean Lovelace, knew about my history with Francesca. She then sent me the recent files she'd gathered.She told me that this was the opportunity she fought hard to get for me.…Ian finally came looking for me two weeks later. He was looking noticeably worn out when we met again.I was suddenly reminded of the fight we had over Francesca before our wedding day. I was crying in frustration, insisting that we call off our engagement. Panicked, Ian apologized profusely and tried to make things right again. When I refused to see him, he started waiting outside my door day and night.Through the peephole, I saw the way he barely had a shut-eye, afraid I'd slip out while he wasn't looking. I eventually caved after three days.Ian stopped contacting Francesca for the next three years. It was also the happiest three years we've been together.Once, I was involved in a car accident. It wasn't anything serious, but I was unfortunately left with a broken leg.The mom

The entire situation with the Yarrington family finally came to an end when Francesca's father got arrested. Not long after, news broke that Francesca was getting married.When Nova brought me along for the wedding, I was surprised to find that the groom wasn't Ian.Francesca broke down in tears during the speech. She kept thanking her husband and in-laws for supporting and caring for her through everything, saying that she was lucky to have met them.However, she didn't mention a single word about the help she'd gotten from Ian and Gloria.Ian suddenly showed up with a wine glass in hand. "Long time no see, Eve."He had lost a lot of weight, but his gaze burned with passion when he looked at me.I nodded indifferently before turning away to talk to Nova.However, Ian was relentless. He switched seats with the person beside me and trained his eyes on me.He said, "Eve, now that Francesca is married, you can finally believe there's never anything between us, right? Let's get r

The first thing I did after getting into Nova's car was to throw away my SIM card.She asked worriedly, "Are you sure you're going there? It's dangerous over there right now, and my parents are worried about you."I looked at her rounded belly with eyes full of affection. "Don't worry, I'll be back before my goddaughter is born."Soon, Nova's phone rang, and Ian's name flashed on the caller ID. She grimaced and said, "You leaving without a word is going to drive him crazy."She turned her phone off altogether and spat, "Serves him right! He didn't cherish such a good wife—so he can cry all he wants now!"…I was surprised to see Nova's parents at the airport. Tears filled their eyes as they said, "There's a war going on over there. Why do they have to send you to cover it? Your company is seriously messed up!"I let out a helpless laugh as I explained that it was my decision to go.On the fifth day of my hospital stay, Jean suddenly reached out to me. She told me that the compa