Amanda pauses for a moment, staring at her phone. Finally, she begins to respond to Riley’s messages, one by one.
“I’m fine, thanks for asking. Mr. Griffin.”
“No need. I won’t be coming back.”
“I’ve already taken my belongings from the villa. Don’t worry about the rest—it’s just trash. The cleaners will handle it.”
“If you have any additional requests regarding the divorce, feel free to contact me. I’ll cooperate. If you need us to consult a lawyer together, let me know. I hope we can settle this quickly and avoid wasting time.”
She pauses again, her fingers hovering over the screen. After a second thought, Amanda retracts the second-to-last message.
There’s no point in spending energy on matters Riley never cared about.
With the messages sent, she sets the phone down, gathers herself, and begins preparing for her day.
After re
Meanwhile, Riley is in the middle of a meeting.He’s now in complete control of Griffin, busy cutting ties with his father’s lingering influence. His schedule is packed with endless meetings, leaving him hardly a moment to breathe. And to make matters worse, Amanda isn’t around.While Riley has more than one assistant, Amanda has always been the most exceptional. Without him needing to say a word, she would anticipate his thoughts, organizing even the most complex tasks in a smooth, efficient way. No matter how heavy his workload, with Amanda’s help, everything ran like clockwork.Now, even though the setting is familiar, the absence of that familiar face has thrown him off balance. Just a few days without her, and Riley already feels a distinct discomfort.He isn’t a difficult boss to work for, but he values efficiency and dislikes unnecessary chatter. Griffin employees are well-accustomed to this high-efficiency style, and
Riley never stared at the text bubble for such long time before.Only teenagers in love or people in fresh relationships stare at their screens like this, waiting for a reply. Only with those kinds of intense feelings do people get so affected by a few words.Riley has never felt this way before. With his appearance, wealth, and status, he has girls lining up. He doesn’t have to chase behind others. He’s never had to do something like this.To be honest, Riley doesn’t understand what true love is. His parents were initially in love. But that love soon wore off. His father was having an affair and his mother didn’t want to let him go.His mother spends her days in tears, and his father never cares about him, even sees him as an adversary. Even as a child, he knows—that isn’t love. But he has no idea what real love looks like, nor does he understand how to love someone.Even after three years of marriag
Amanda arrives at the company. With a lightness in her step and a radiant smile, she floats along as if she has wings on her feet.It won't take long for her to leave the company.“Amanda, are you going to quit this job?” Chloe, the human resource manager and a friend of Amanda’s, asks her.“Yes, I… just want to try something different.”“But… Mr. Griffin…” Chloe has always known Amanda’s feelings for Riley. Not just her—most people in the company are aware. Amanda is really bad at hiding her affection.Even though they’ve heard Riley’s married, no one has seen his wife, nor does he wear a wedding ring. Some assume he uses his “married” status as a way to keep others at bay.So many of them feel that Amanda deserves better. She shouldn't have poured too much emotion into Riley.Chloe hesitates, looking around to make sure no
Riley’s face is cast a cloud of gloom. He stands frozen, and he can feel the weight of something crushing his chest like a ton of bricks, making it difficult to catch his breath. And his mind races with thoughts of what Amanda has just said.He stares at Amanda, replaying her recent actions. At the hospital, she ignored his calls twice. Her only message sent to his personal phone during this whole time is that she’ll never come back.“That’s all you have to say?”Amanda doesn’t understand what’s going on with Riley. At this point, what else is there to talk about?“I have nothing to say,” Amanda replies as calmly as possible.“I disagree,” Riley says.Amanda sighs. It’s obvious what’s happening here. Riley’s pride is hurt; he can’t stand that she’s the one asking for the divorce.“Let’s cut to the chase.” Amanda looks stra
Meanwhile, Amanda has already hashed down down her indignation.This is her first time seeing Riley alone since she moved out of his mansion.Amanda finds out that it’s not as hard as she imagined to let go of her love and affection for Riley. In fact, every day of their marriage has slowly chipped away at her love. Faye Aiken’s presence only helps her to part ways from Riley.Amanda thinks she is beyond stupid. She has just imagined an entire relationship with someone that doesn’t exist. She used to put a spin on Riley, hoping that he’ll show concern for her one day. But in truth, he's not that kind of person at all.Back at her desk, Amanda is surprised to find it covered in small gifts. Her colleagues are excited to see her back and keep checking on her well-being. Even though Amanda has always been willing to lend a hand, no one here takes her kindness for granted.Honestly, she likes this job. If it weren&rs
Outside Riley’s window, twilight fades from orange and pink to deep blue as white and yellow lights flicker on in the office buildings nearby. The stars glimmer like a diamond necklace against the black velvet sky.At this hour, Riley is still in office.Riley usually leaves the office immediately once he’s done with his tasks; he doesn’t waste time lingering in the office.But today, he doesn’t have many files to review and already finished his work, yet he’s still here.The sudden ring of his phone pulls Riley out of his thoughts. He looks up and realizes it’s already dark outside. Most of the other employees have already left.It’s Shawn calling, which is rare—Shawn almost never calls him.As soon as Riley answers, Shawn’s voice comes through. “Riley, Faye told me the gathering. Have you set a date yet?”Since meeting with Amanda earlier, Riley’s been distracte
Riley returns home, only to find the house completely empty, again.A heavy feeling of suffocation presses down on him. He clutches at his chest, feeling his shirt twist under his fingers. Then he rushes from room to room, desperately searching for any sign that Amanda has come back.But Amanda, he knows, always tidies up meticulously, never leaving anything out of place. It’s a habit she keeps, probably to match his own preference for a spotless home.Now, though, that very habit backfires. He can’t even tell if Amanda’s been here or not, because the house looks exactly as she would leave it—flawless and untouched.Riley finally stops, his footsteps echoing in the stillness. He pulls out his phone, scrolling through his unread messages. When he finds nothing, he checks his work phone too. But there’s nothing there either. Not a single message from Amanda.No, he tells himself, that can’t be. He reassures h
After sending the message to Shawn, Amanda gets back to editing the website.Having a photographic memory is both a blessing and a curse. Amanda has never forgotten the pain Riley caused her.But that day, in the stairwell, she faced Riley head-on and said everything she’d been holding back. It felt like cutting loose a weight she’d been dragging around for years. From that moment on, life feels lighter, clearer, like an open road stretching out ahead.Over the next few days, Amanda sticks to her routine. She goes to work, finishes her tasks, and smoothly handles the handover process.Friday night comes. It’s her farewell dinner with her coworkers.She’s also arranged to meet Shawn afterward to deliver the incense she promised. She’s excited to have him test a new product she’s been working on.After dinner, a heavy rainstorm rolls in.Amanda stands outside the restaurant, weighed
He flips another page. This one lists his favourite foods:“Simple tastes. Grilled salmon and salad. Always skips dessert but secretly loves lemon tarts. Prefers red wine over white—Merlot especially.”He chuckles under his breath, the sound surprising even himself.She had always been spot-on with his quirks, even the ones he never admitted.How many times had she left a lemon tart on the counter, claiming it was “leftovers” from her baking, just so he wouldn’t feel guilty eating it?Further in, a recipe catches his eye:“Cinnamon coffee—Riley’s favourite.”Beneath it, Amanda had carefully outlined the steps: • Freshly ground beans, dark roast. • Two teaspoons of cinnamon powder. Must be fresh, not the old jar in the pantry! • Brew
Still, life doesn’t pause for reflection, and Riley forces himself to carry on.Determined to find a solution, he resolves to speak with Shawn and Rex, hoping their perspectives might offer clarity.But before he can arrange a time, his butler, Mr. Harris, calls to inform him that the villa’s cleaning has been completed.It has been a while since Riley last set foot in the villa.Ever since Amanda moved out, he’s only been back a handful of times.The place feels empty, too vast for one person, and its silence is oppressive.Riley has avoided it whenever possible, preferring the comfort of his more modest city apartment.Now, with the villa cleaned, he decides it’s time to return.Mr. Harris mentions something peculiar before ending the call.The janitors had discovered a few items in the rubbish bin that didn’t look like trash. Uncertain about what
Riley bites his lip gently. He’s thinking about how to explain their relationship.He thinks about the photo Amanda has posted to insta—that mysterious man.He also remembers what Rex and Shawn has said to him.Riley takes a deep breath. His fingers clutch at his pants.“I wonder if... you can give me a moment,” he begins. “to talk about Faye.”Amanda sits upright and gently pushes her hair back off her forehead. And then she nods to Riley to show she’s listening.“Sure.” She answers.He exhales slowly, trying to find the right way to say it. “Do you know how my mum passed away?”Amanda freezes for a moment, giving Riley a sad look.She shakes her head slowly.It suddenly hit Riley that Amanda had asked him about his mom a few years ago but he didn’t tell her.He lowers his eyelids, his gaze dropping to the floor. “It was a air cr
Riley feels the weight of her words settle into his chest.He looks down at the roses he has brought, now resting on the table between them.They seem ridiculous, almost insulting, in the face of everything Amanda has endured.“Is there nothing I can do?” he asks softly, his voice barely audible.Amanda stands, smoothing her hands over her dress.“You can let me go,” she said gently. “That’s what you can do, Riley. Let me live the life I’ve built for myself.”Riley lowers his head and doesn’t speak for a long time.Amanda ignores him and walks into the room.A few minutes later, she walks out of the room, a necklace in her hand.She hands Riley the necklace and says, “Give it back to you. It’s yours.”Riley looks up, surprised, at the necklace in Amanda's hand. “This—”“Maybe you don't rem
“Why? You don't want to be beholden to me?”“No, of course it's not because of this. Just because it's not working for us anymore.”Riley gives a puzzled look. “What does that mean?”“I’ve already took Kara to Dr. Hayes a long time ago.” Amanda explains.Riley stares at Amanda, her words settling heavily between them like a stone dropped in still water.“You already saw Dr. Hayes?” Riley repeats her words again, his voice barely above a whisper.Amanda nods, her fingers lightly resting on the edge of the table. “Yes, about a half year ago? Kara had her first appointment shortly after I called you.”Riley’s brow furrows as fragments of memory begin piecing themselves together.He remembers that phone call vividly now.He had been in a hotel room on a business trip, rushing to prepare for a major client meeting. At the tim
He looks down, his voice breaking slightly. “You left, and I thought I’d get used to it. But I haven’t. I can’t. Every moment you’re gone, I think about you. About us. And I realized… I love you, Amanda. I always have. I was just too blind, too stupid to see it.”Riley looks back at her, his eyes pleading. “I know I’ve been awful. I know I don’t deserve another chance. But I want to change. I will change. Please… don’t divorce me. Let me try to make this right.”“Please give me a chance to make it up to you.”Amanda looks away, her gaze flicking to the roses, then back to Riley’s face.“And I hope you can meet some of my friends—Rex, Shawn, even Faye. I want you to be part of every part of my life.”He pauses, running a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to find the right words. “I know I’ve got a lot to
Amanda stays a whole day in Kara’s house.The sun is setting as she steps out, the soft glow casting warm hues across the quiet street.The day has been long but strangely soothing—a much-needed pause after everything that’s happened lately.She tightens her scarf against the crisp evening air, feeling the faint scent of the incense still lingering on her coat.Sliding into the driver’s seat, Amanda takes a moment before starting the car.The leather of the steering wheel is cold against her fingers.She glances back at Kara’s house.Through the window, she catches a glimpse of her friend, curled up on the sofa, the faint glow of the lit incense stick flickering in the dim room.Amanda smiles softly to herself.It looks like she comes at the right time today.As the engine hums to life, Amanda adjusts the rear-view mirror.The drive bac
Kara’s parents look stunned, their faces a mix of anger and disbelief.Amanda doesn’t waver, meeting their gazes head-on.Kara breaks the silence, her voice quiet but firm. “She’s right. You’ve done enough damage. I’ve had enough.”She stands, moving to Amanda’s side, her posture strong despite the tremor in her hands.“Get out.”Her mother sputters. “Kara, we’re trying to help—”“No,” Kara says, cutting her off. “You’re not. You never have. Now leave.”Her father looks like he’s about to argue, but something in Kara’s expression stops him. He grabs his coat and heads for the door, her mother trailing behind him.As the door slams shut, Kara sinks onto the sofa, her face pale but determined. Amanda sits beside her, placing a steady hand on her shoulder.“You didn’t ha
“No, it’s not!” Kara snaps.“You come here, uninvited, and demand I help Fiona? And you expect me to be okay with it? After all the crap you’ve pulled? You’ve badmouthed Amanda—yeah, I know about that—because you don’t like me and she is my best friend. You’ve criticized every decision I’ve ever made, and now you think I owe you?”“Don't forget, I'm sick too. And you're the contributors.”Her mother stands abruptly, her hands trembling slightly. “That’s not our fault. We didn’t do it on purpose.”“Yeah, but it's true that you caused it. Double standard. Treat Fiona and me differently, right?”The room falls silent for a moment, the tension so thick Amanda feels like she can’t breathe.Even though it's Kara's family business, Amanda feels like she should say something.She couldn't interject just now, but