Chapter 2

After Callie disappeared into the preschool, Faith left for a law firm. She showed them the divorce agreement drafted by Ethan and inquired if it was still valid. Ethan had promised to marry her on the condition that she could not object to a divorce. The agreement had been drafted prior to their marriage. Although it wasn't dated, it had Ethan's signature on it. Once she confirmed that the agreement was valid, she signed her name and requested the lawyer to process the divorce for her. "Please mail the divorce certificate to this address." She shared the address of their villa with the lawyer before leaving. She felt a surge of emotions when she stepped out of the law firm. Tears rushed to her eyes, and she had to lift her head to stop them from falling. Her feelings for Ethan were real. After they were married, she had put in the effort to improve their relationship. She had naively hoped for a change. But after multiple letdowns, she slowly lost her drive in the face of his indifference. She should leave, now that Nicole was back. Unfortunately, Faith ran into Ethan and Nicole on the mall's first floor. Nicole was as dazzling as before. She exuded a wild charm and beamed widely while holding onto Ethan's arm. Ethan held Daniel in an arm with a loving expression, a sight that made Faith's breath catch. It had been her dream to go shopping with Ethan and Callie. Tears rolled down her face as she heartbrokenly stared at the trio. Finally, she moved on with difficulty. Once back at the villa, Faith created a résumé and sent it along with her portfolio to a few of her preferred companies in Averna. Then, she printed out her resignation letter and brought it to the company. After she married Ethan, he had her transferred to another role. Currently, she was just an ordinary employee in the Administrative Department. The resignation process was surprisingly straightforward. Once she completed the handover, she could leave at any time. She returned to her office from the HR Department and started to pack up her stuff. Before long, she heard the footsteps and words of congratulations from the door. When she looked up, she saw a few senior executives welcoming Ethan and Nicole into the office. Nicole had changed into a new outfit. Unlike her previous flashy and seductive fits, she looked professional and eye-catching today. Meanwhile, Ethan had not moved his arm away from Nicole's waist, and he couldn't take his eyes off her. Seeing that, Faith felt a searing pain in her chest. When Ethan did not respond to her gaze, she lowered her eyes. Before she knew it, the couple had arrived before her. "Faith, this is Nicole Sutton. She is Mr. Hale's girlfriend. She will be taking over your job, while you'll be transferred to the Sales Department. Please complete the handover as soon as possible," one of the employees announced. Ethan, however, did not deny that Nicole was his girlfriend. Faith's eyes stung as she clenched her fists tighter. He was so eager to reinstate Nicole in his life that he showed no regard for how Faith or Callie might feel. Once again, Faith looked at him. "Ethan…" He glared at her, silently warning her before she could say anything. With a frown, he stated, "Ms. Sullivan, please talk to your direct supervisor if you're unhappy about the arrangements." He appeared reluctant to reveal his relationship to Faith. As if that weren't enough, he added, "Nicole is a better fit for your position." However, only Faith knew that Ethan was referring to something more than the job itself. A prickly pain spread across her fingertips, yet she maintained her composure. As expected, Ethan did not care about her. "Alright." She quietly nodded and shook Nicole's hand. Ethan appeared satisfied at Faith's response. His gaze became tender when he looked at Nicole. It was a look he had never given Faith or Callie. So, that was how he expressed his love. She should've known—his lack of love for her was obvious. Fortunately, she no longer had any expectations of him. … That night, the company hastily threw together a team-building event cum welcome party for Nicole. As Faith had tendered her resignation, she refused to attend, but Nicole pestered her about it. "Ms. Sullivan, are you unwilling to attend my welcome party because you're mad at me for stealing your job? It was never my intention to do so; it was Ethan's decision. "This is my first day at work, and I really hope to chat with you. I don't even know most of my colleagues. Would you come with me?" Faith scanned Nicole's unreadable eyes. Smilingly, she shook her head and denied, "You're overthinking. I have to pass because I need to pick up my daughter from school. I'm sorry about that." "What about your husband? Make him pick up the kid!" Oh, her husband? Faith suppressed the stinging bitterness within and calmly replied, "I don't have a husband." Ethan had never publicly introduced himself as her husband; they lived separate lives. To Faith, it didn't feel like she had a husband at all. "I'm sorry. I had no idea," Nicole apologized, but she hadn't given up inviting Faith to the party. "Why don't you bring your daughter along? My son will be there too. They'll get along well since they're of the same age." "It's fine. My daughter doesn't really like parties." While Faith was speaking, Callie ran over and threw herself into Faith's arms. The little girl happily reported, "Mom, Uncle Ethan picked me up from school, and he dropped me off here to meet with you." Faith was beyond shocked because Ethan was clueless about the preschool Callie attended. Why did he suddenly pick Callie up from school? When she looked up again, Ethan had approached them with a smile, but his eyes never left Nicole. He couldn't even bother to glance at Faith. Confused, Nicole questioned, "Ethan, do you know Ms. Sullivan's daughter?" "I ran into Callie when I was there to pick up Daniel. Callie is Faith's daughter—she's been to the office a couple of times," explained Ethan, seemingly worried that Nicole might misunderstand him. He kept his tone indifferent and distant when talking about Callie and Faith, as though they were merely strangers to him. Callie was about to call out to Ethan when Faith gave her a look and a shake of the head. Callie, who caught the hint, lowered her gaze with sadness. "Is that so? Did you know that the poor girl has no father? Let's not transfer Ms. Sullivan to the Sales Department. It's hard being a single mom, you know." Ethan furrowed his brows and glanced at Faith. Moments later, he agreed, "Fine. I'll let you decide." Looking overjoyed, Nicole nodded at Ethan. They locked eyes sweetly as though there was no one around. Callie clutched tightly onto Faith and buried her face between Faith's thighs. "Mom, Dad!" Daniel's voice interrupted Ethan and Nicole's flirting. He dashed over and hugged Ethan by the leg. "Dad! I want a hug!"