Chapter 163: My Wife Will Only Be You
Mia looked into James's dark, deep eyes. After being intimate countless times, how could she not understand what his gaze revealed?
She stood there and let out a long breath.
Just as James couldn't help but step toward her, she said in a low voice, "James, we're already divorced!"
She thought her actions had made her determination to divorce crystal clear to him.
But judging from his reaction tonight, he hadn't gotten it!
Mia's words stopped James in his tracks.
He pressed his thin lips together, suppressing the heat rising from his lower abdomen, his gaze heavy as he looked at Mia's stern face.
"Are you so eager to draw a line between us because you're planning to be with Benjamin?"
Mia felt a headache coming on at his words.
She raised her hand to rub her temples. "How is that any of your business?"
James blurted out, "How is it not my business? You're my..."
The sentence got stuck under Mia's cold stare.
"James, I'm saying this for the last time—we're already divorced."
"Divorce means that whoever I'm with has nothing to do with you. You can't interfere with my love life anymore, understand?"
"From now on, you're you, and I'm me!"
It wasn't that he didn't understand—he just didn't want to understand!
Looking at James, Mia was truly defeated by him.
His expression and behavior made it clear that although he agreed to divorce her, he never intended to exit her life.
"James, my decision to divorce you wasn't impulsive—I've made up my mind. I really don't want to be with you anymore!"
"I don't want to see you, don't want to remember those unhappy days. I really don't want to keep living unhappily—it's truly painful!"
"Tomorrow I'll find a place and move out. I won't come back here. I'll completely let go of the past, including you."
"I'm begging you one last time—please don't deliberately appear in my life anymore."
"I've started a new life, and in my new life, I don't want you in it."
Mia accepted everything James gave her only for the sake of the divorce!
Now that they were divorced, she wouldn't continue living here.
James felt bitter!
He looked at Mia, listening to her speak with such firm determination, leaving no room for negotiation.
His deep eyes were invaded by sadness again. These words were Mia's way of making him face reality, telling him he couldn't deceive himself anymore.
"Mia, is this really what you want?"
James asked softly, full of bitterness and sorrow.
This was his last desperate struggle.
"Yes!"
The definite answer came from Mia without hesitation.
James's eyes grew even sadder.
After a long while, he spoke again, "Will this make you happy?"
"Yes!"
Still without hesitation!
Leaving him, she would truly start living again.
She would work hard to let go—let go of the hurt he caused her, and let go of the child she was never meant to have.
No more self-torture, no more self-punishment. She would live well, live with effort.
This time, James was silent for a long time.
Mia stood quietly, watching his sadness, her face showing no sign of softening.
She was serious.
Finally, he agreed and gave her his promise.
"Okay! I promise you, as long as you can be happy again, I won't deliberately appear before you."
If this was truly what she wanted, then he would make it happen for her.
From this moment on, he would try to force himself to let go, to exit her life.
In the end, he had thought too simply and been too presumptuous.
He had hurt Mia so deeply—her not hating him was already the biggest concession.
His constant presence would only make her keep remembering those hurts.
If he truly cared for her, he should stay far away from her.
"Thank you for letting me go."
Mia thanked him softly and turned to go upstairs.
James watched her go up, and only after she closed her door did he follow upstairs.
Not to the guest bedroom, but to the master bedroom.
He began packing the things he had deliberately left here.
They were all his daily necessities, things he was used to using.
He had already planned in his heart that by leaving these things here, he could use them as an excuse to come back.
Taking one thing at a time, he could see Mia each time.
He could even shamelessly stay longer, and maybe before he finished taking everything, he and Mia would have gotten back together.
No matter how beautiful his thoughts or how well he calculated, none of it could match Mia's determination to separate from him.
All of this was now meaningless.
After packing, James came out of the master bedroom and passed by the guest bedroom, looking at the lights that were already off. Finally, he silently picked up his things and left Luxe Haven.
...
The next day, Mia slept until she woke naturally.
She had forgotten how long it had been since she'd had such a good night's sleep.
Sitting up in bed, Mia reached for her phone and saw messages from James on WhatsApp.
She opened them.
[Wife, I know that in your heart, from the moment we divorced, you were no longer my wife. But in my heart, you always will be! My wife will always and only be you.]
[I'll keep my promise to you, but I also want you to know that no matter when or where, as long as you need me, as long as you turn back, I'll always be there. I'll always wait for you.]
Mia's eyes reddened as she read the two messages.
Looking at the time, they were sent in the middle of last night.
She could imagine what mood he was in and how slowly he must have typed out these messages.
She also knew that her words last night had hurt him again.
It wasn't that she was truly heartless or didn't feel for him anymore.
But since their fate had ended, it was better to make a clean break.
Lingering connections would only add to the sadness.
This relationship had exhausted and hurt her too much—she had lost all confidence.
She no longer trusted James and didn't want to try accepting him again.
From choosing divorce to actually getting divorced.
This road had been too difficult and too painful.
Every step was thorny.
She didn't want to go through it again.
She was truly scared and truly tired.
Let it end like this, end while they could still preserve a bit of beauty. End while she was still trying not to hate him, end so that in the future, if they happened to meet, they could still smile and say hello.
Not allowing herself to dwell too long in sadness, Mia exited the screen and threw off the covers to get up. She had a lot to do today.
After changing clothes, she went downstairs.
There was no trace of James left in the house—everything that belonged to him was gone.
She didn't know when he left last night, but looking at the ashtray on the coffee table piled high like a small mountain with cigarette butts, he must have sat here smoking for a long time.
She knew he was in pain and knew he was reluctant to let go.
But time was the best medicine—it would heal.
Mia looked away and left Luxe Haven.
Taking the subway, she went to the apartment she had looked at during her lunch break yesterday, planning to negotiate the price and rent it if suitable.
When she arrived, the landlord said she felt a connection with her, and hearing that Mia found the price a bit high, immediately lowered it.
She had expected to spend some effort negotiating, but unexpectedly, it went more smoothly than she imagined.
After signing a one-year lease, Mia took the subway back to Luxe Haven.
She began packing her things.
She didn't have much, and soon she had packed everything that belonged to her into her suitcase.
Once again standing in the entrance, Mia held her suitcase, and before leaving, turned back to look at the place where she had lived for over three years.
She looked deeply, choking up as she softly said, "Goodbye."
The moment tears fell, Mia gently wiped them away.
She firmly turned the doorknob and walked out with her suitcase.
Stepping out at that moment meant her rebirth.
The past was locked behind that door.
Her brand new life began from here!