The wind blowed against my face as I stepped out of the civil office.
The divorce certificate felt light in my hand, yet my heart felt heavy. Three years of marriage ended with a few stamps and signatures. No tears,no drama just silence.
I took a deep breath and walked forward.
I did not look back.
Behind me, Adrian stood near his car. He watched my back slowly disappear into the crowd. He did not know why his chest felt tight. He told himself it was relief.
Yes. Relief.
This marriage was finally over.
That was what he believed.
Inside the car, his assistant Mark waited quietly.
"Sir, should we go to the company now" Mark asked.
Adrian nodded.
"Yes."
The car started moving.
As it passed the street corner, Adrian glanced out of the window without thinking.
I was standing there, holding a small suitcase.
I was smiling.
Not a sad smile. Not a forced smile.
It was calm. Peaceful.
That smile made his fingers tighten slightly.
He looked away quickly.
"She is good at acting," he said coldly. "She always has been."
Mark did not respond.
He had worked with Adrian for years. He knew when to stay silent.
Meanwhile, I stopped a taxi and gave the driver an address.
A small apartment on the east side of the city.
It was not fancy,It was not big but it was fine.
When I arrived, I paid the driver and stood in front of the building.
I looked up at the faded walls and smiled.
This place was far from the Blake villa, far from memories, far from Adrian.
Perfect.
Inside the apartment, it was quiet. Sunlight came in through the window. Dust floated in the air.
I put my suitcase down and sat on the floor.
I breathe quietly with a force smile on my face.
The smile slowly broke.
Tears fell without warning.
I did not cry loudly. I just sat there, hugging my knees, letting the tears fall.
I cried for the nights I waited alone.
I cried for the meals that went cold.
I cried for the love I never received.
When the tears finally stopped, my eyes were sore.
I stood up and washed my face.
"Enough," I said to my reflection. "Crying will not change anything."
I opened the small box again.
The medical license lay quietly inside.
My fingers trembled slightly as I picked it up.
I used to be a doctor.
A good one.
Before marriage, I worked at the best private hospital in the city. I had a future. I had dreams.
Then I became Adrian Blake's wife.
And I disappeared.
I placed the license on the table.
"It is time to go back," I whispered.
That afternoon, I made a phone call.
The line rang twice before someone answered.
"Hello" a warm female voice said.
"Auntie," I said softly. "It is me."
There was a pause.
Then a sharp intake of breath.
"Yvonne Is that really you" the woman asked.
"Yes."
"Where have you been all these years Do you know how worried I was"
"I am sorry," I said. "I will explain everything when we meet."
Another pause.
"Are you free tomorrow" she asked.
"Yes."
"Then come to the hospital. I will wait for you."
I hung up the phone and closed my eyes.
Tomorrow.
Everything would start again.
At the Blake villa, the house felt strangely quiet.
Adrian loosened his tie and walked inside.
No lights were on.
Normally, even if I was asleep, I always left a lamp on in the living room. I once told him it made the house feel warm.
He frowned slightly and turned on the lights.
The house was empty.
Too empty.
He walked upstairs and opened the bedroom door.
The closet was half empty.
The dresser was clean.
The bathroom shelf no longer had my things.
A strange feeling rose in his chest.
She moved out fast.
He told himself that was good.
That was how it should be.
He sat on the bed and picked up his phone.
There was no message.
No missed call.
For three years, every day at this time, there was always a message from me.
Have you eaten
Are you coming home
Take care of yourself
He opened the message app without thinking.
The chat window was quiet.
His thumb hovered over the screen.
Then he locked the phone.
"She agreed to the divorce," he said to himself. "This is what she wanted."
But for some reason, his chest felt uncomfortable.
The next day,I took a taxi to the hospital and stood in front of the hospital entrance.
The sign above the door read Bright Star Private Hospital.
I looked at it for a long time.
This place used to be my second home.
I walked inside.
The smell of disinfectant filled the air.
Doctors and nurses walked past me, busy and focused.
I felt like I belonged again.
"Yvonne"
I turned around.
A woman in her fifties stood behind me. Her hair was neatly tied. Her eyes were sharp but kind.
"Auntie Lin," I said.
She walked over and hugged me tightly.
"You look thinner," she said. "And older."
I smiled.
"I am fine."
She pulled back and looked at me carefully.
"You got divorced?," she asked suddenly.
I was not surprised.
Auntie Lin was never someone you could hide things from.
"Yes."
She sighed.
"I told you back then. Do not marry for gratitude. It never ends well."
I lowered my head.
"I know."
She patted my shoulder.
"Come with me."
Inside her office, she poured me a cup of tea.
"So," she said, sitting down. "What are your plans"
"I want to work again," I replied. "If the hospital will have me."
She laughed.
"You think I would let talent like yours go?"
My eyes widened.
"You mean?"
"I kept your position open for three years," she said calmly. "I knew one day you would come back."
My throat tightened.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"You start next week," she continued. "But this time, you will be more than just a doctor."
I looked up.
"You will be the head of the emergency department."
I froze.
"That is too much," I said quickly. "I have been away for years."
"You never stopped studying," she said. "Your records are perfect. And I trust you."
Tears filled my eyes again.
This time, they were not tears of pain.
They were tears of rebirth.
That evening, Adrian attended a dinner party.
Sophia sat beside him, wearing a gentle smile.
"You look tired," she said softly. "Are you still not used to living alone"
He paused.
"No," he replied. "I am fine."
She leaned closer.
"I am glad you got divorced," she said. "It is better for everyone."
He nodded.
"Yes."
But when he returned home that night, the villa felt colder than ever.
He stood in the living room and suddenly remembered something.
The soup.
Every night, no matter how late he came home, there was always soup.
Even if he never drank it.
Now, there was nothing.
No warm light. No waiting figure.
Only silence.
For the first time, he felt something close to unease.
A week later, I put on my white coat.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
Doctor Yvonne Carter.
Not Mrs Blake.
I smiled.
"Welcome back," I said to myself.
The hospital corridor was busy.
A nurse walked up to me.
"Doctor Carter, emergency room three needs you."
"I am coming."
As I walked past the glass wall, a familiar figure appeared on the other side.
Tall,Cold and Perfect.
Adrian Blake.
He was standing at the entrance of the emergency department, looking around impatiently.
My steps slowed.
Why was he here
Before I could think more, his eyes met mine.
Time seemed to stop.
His pupils shrank.
He looked shocked when he see me.
"You," he said.
I stopped in front of him, calm and distant.
"Mr Blake," I replied politely. "Please wait outside. You are blocking the way."
He stared at me, as if he was seeing a stranger.
"You are a doctor" he asked.
"Yes," I answered simply.
His eyes dropped to the name badge on my chest.
Doctor Yvonne Carter.
Not Mrs Blake.
Something inside him cracked.
Just then, a nurse rushed over.
"Doctor Carter, the patient's condition is critical."
I turned away from Adrian without hesitation.
"I am coming," I said.
As I walked into the emergency room, Adrian stood frozen in place.
For the first time since the divorce, he realized something terrifying.
The woman he let go of was no longer someone he could easily reach.
And he had no idea how to pull her back.