Chapter 1: The Six-Letter Word

10:00 PM, the broadcasting room of WFRD Radio Station.

Seraphina Cross took one last look at her chat history with Ethan Vance. From three days ago until now, it still showed "Read," but remained unanswered.

With a heavy heart, she put away her phone. After downing a cup of bitter black coffee, she forced a smile and flashed an "OK" gesture to the radio editor, gathering her strength.

"As many people as there are in the world, that is how many stories exist. Good evening, listeners, and welcome to Whispers of the Night. I am Seraphina Cross."

Her clear and gentle voice was like a clear spring in the desert, flowing into the hearts of everyone who listened to the radio.

"Now, let us listen to our first story of the night."

A call was patched through to her headphones.

"Hello, dear listener," Seraphina greeted warmly.

"Hello."

A voice as cold as winter frost pierced Seraphina's ears, and the smile on her lips instantly froze.

It was Ethan's voice!

Suppressing the slight tremor at the core of her heart, Seraphina maintained her professional smile. "May I ask what story you have to share with us tonight, sir?"

Meanwhile, her hand unconsciously gripped the headphone cord, slowly tightening.

She had been married to Ethan for three years. He probably didn't even know what show she hosted, so why would he suddenly call the station?

"I want a divorce."

Four simple words, yet they pierced Seraphina's ears like an iron spike.

Her eyes darkened, and she had to force herself to keep her voice from shaking. "Sir, marriage is not a game. May I ask what conflict you and your wife are facing?"

Every single word felt exceptionally draining for Seraphina to utter.

However, there was no more sound from the headphones. After five or six seconds, the call was abruptly cut off.

The radio editor looked at Seraphina with an awkward expression. It was the first time she had ever encountered a situation where a caller hung up immediately after saying just one sentence.

Seraphina's face was somewhat pale, but she quickly put on a smile as if nothing had happened and continued hosting the show.

12:00 AM, Whispering Pines Estate.

Seraphina arrived home. With a heavy exhaustion on her face, she unlocked the door, but in the next instant, her movements froze as if locked in place.

She heard a woman's voice coming from inside the house.

"Ethan, aren't you afraid Seraphina will be upset if you bring me here?"

The forced, sickeningly sweet voice gave Seraphina a wave of goosebumps, yet it could not compare to the sharp pang of pain in the depths of her heart.

It was Janice's voice.

Ethan had actually brought her home!

"What does her happiness have to do with me?" Ethan's deeply mocking tone was like a red-hot nail driven straight into Seraphina's heart.

Amidst the burning pain, she deliberately made her movements heavier as she opened the door, attempting to make her presence known.

Stepping into the house, she saw Ethan and Janice sitting intimately on the sofa.

Seraphina's heart jolted violently, and her hand holding the keys tightened unconsciously.

When Janice saw her, a provocative gleam flashed in her smiling eyes. "Cousin, why are you just getting back now?"

Seraphina pressed her lips together, feeling that everything before her eyes was utterly absurd.

Ethan didn't even spare her a glance, but the ice in his eyes was like a winter wind, making her shiver involuntarily.

Seraphina tried her best to control her breathing, calmly staring at Janice. "It's very late. You should go home."

Janice's expression twisted for a moment, her eyes filled with disdain.

"You head back first." Ethan patted her shoulder, his tenderness completely at odds with the freezing coldness he showed Seraphina.

A wave of bitterness rose in Seraphina's throat, and she averted her eyes with great difficulty.

Janice stood up gracefully and walked toward the front door.

As she passed Seraphina, she let out a soft laugh. "Goodnight, Cousin."

Seraphina's expression dimmed, and she did not acknowledge her.

After the sound of the door opening and closing faded, the entire living room fell back into silence.

Ethan's ink-dark eyes were bright as stars. "Divorce."

Those two light words drifted into Seraphina's mind, and her heart was instantly gripped ruthlessly by them.

She looked at him, her voice incredibly hoarse. "Grandfather Vance has only been gone for a month, and you want to divorce me already?"

Ethan let out a cold laugh. "The day Grandfather passed, or rather, the moment I saw him take his last breath, I wanted to divorce you."

Chapter 2: The Prime-Time Slot

The air seemed to solidify with Ethan's words.

Seraphina didn't know how long it took to find her voice. She turned to walk upstairs. "It's too late tonight. Let's talk tomorrow."

Seeing through her desire to escape, Ethan said impatiently, "I only married you to inherit Vance Enterprises."

Seraphina's step froze, and she turned around to stare at him blankly. She knew.

She had always known.

Because back then, Old Mr. Vance had stated that if Ethan wanted to inherit the family empire, he had to marry her.

Therefore, Ethan marrying her had nothing to do with love.

But Seraphina marrying Ethan was a moth flying into a flame for the sake of love.

After a long while, Seraphina finally suppressed the bitterness in her throat and heart, asking in a trembling voice, "When do you want to do it?"

"The seventeenth of next month."

Hearing this, Seraphina froze, an unspeakable heartache surging within her. "That... is our third wedding anniversary..."

"Then that's great. A proper beginning and a proper end." Ethan smiled casually.

He stood up, taking long strides as he walked toward Seraphina step by step.

Seraphina's breath hitched; every step he took brought an overwhelming sense of pressure.

"On that day's show, you can finally tell your own story." When he reached her side, the smile on Ethan's lips vanished, leaving only a coldness that seeped into the bone.

Having said his piece, he brushed past her and walked straight upstairs, ignoring Seraphina entirely.

Watching Ethan's retreating back, Seraphina's eyes stung. She turned her head and sniffed her reddening nose, having never felt this miserable and wronged before.

The next day.

Seraphina woke up early as usual to prepare breakfast for Ethan. Just as she brought the porridge out, Ethan came downstairs while adjusting his tie.

Holding the bowl, she felt a bit awkward. "Eat some breakfast before heading to the office."

Ethan didn't have the habit of eating breakfast, and she often worried about his stomach aching.

Ethan glanced at the breakfast on the table. It was all prepared according to his taste, which should have stimulated his appetite, but just seeing the person who made it was enough to completely ruin it.

He looked at Seraphina and coldly spat out two words: "Disgusting."

With that, he walked straight past her.

With a loud clatter, the bowl knocked by his shoulder slipped from Seraphina's hands and shattered on the floor, spilling the porridge everywhere.

The front door slammed shut ruthlessly.

Seraphina silently stared at the spilled porridge on the floor. Its sweet aroma seemed to turn exceptionally bitter. Her eyes gradually grew red, but she merely knelt down and silently wiped the floor clean.

She had long grown used to Ethan treating her this way. Yet, perhaps because the divorce was looming, her heart ached a few degrees deeper this time than usual.

A breakfast made over the course of a whole morning took only a minute to throw away.

While cleaning the kitchen, Seraphina received a call from her director.

"Seraphina, the station has decided to move your show to eight o'clock, and change it from a solo host to a dual-host format. So you need to come in two hours early tonight."

Seraphina froze for a good while before responding, "Alright, I understand. Eight o'clock... that's a prime-time slot!"

She had doubts in her heart, but she didn't think too much of it.

By six o'clock, Seraphina arrived at the radio station building and happened to run into her colleague, Arthur Pendelton, at the entrance.

Arthur first congratulated her on the time-slot upgrade. Then, noticing her poor complexion, he asked, "Didn't sleep well? You look a bit pale."

Seraphina touched her face unnaturally. "Yeah, I've been having some insomnia lately."

The two chatted casually for a few more moments and were about to head inside together when a sharp, piercing honk suddenly echoed from behind them.

Seraphina turned around and froze.

Ethan was leaning against his car door with an expressionless face, looking at her with eyes as dark as a demon's.

Her long lashes trembled. "Ethan? Why are you here?"

Ethan glanced at Arthur standing beside Seraphina, then poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue. "What, afraid I'm interrupting your intimacy?"

These unkind words turned Seraphina's face pale.

Seeing Arthur's puzzled and displeased expression, she took a step forward, suppressing the heartache inside. "Do you need something from me?"

"Get in the car," Ethan said flatly.