Chapter 2 Not Anyone’s Substitute

• Melanie returned to her apartment in the wee hours, and as she opened the door, a musty smell hit her nose. She suppressed her tiredness and quickly made the bed, after which she took out her phone, looked at the black profile picture, and ultimately pressed the block button.
• With that, every trace of Benjamin was removed from her life. Tears fell onto the screen as she glanced at the water cup and medicine on the coffee table. Expressionless, she consumed them and lay down.
• After waking up, everything would start anew. She no longer wanted to live for someone else; she wanted to live for herself.
• One month later, at Moore Tower, Henry Green received a courier envelope to the CEO's Office with his contact information, but the recipient's name was Benjamin.
• Curiosity got the better of him, and he opened it. The words that met his eyes made his hands tremble, and he immediately turned to the last page to find the all-so-familiar name. He let out a sigh.
• Having received numerous documents before, this was the first time he had delivered such a tricky one. Now, he understood why Benjamin was in a bad mood early in the morning. The man had always been reserved, but on this day, that handsome face could be described as exceptionally cold.
• Meanwhile, inside the CEO's office, Benjamin sat in his swivel chair, seemingly holding something in his hand. Upon hearing a voice, he glanced at Henry and quickly concealed whatever he had.
• "Mr. Moore, I have a document here that requires your signature."
• At that, Benjamin picked up a pen but paused after seeing what document it was. He stared coldly at the prominent words, then looked at the signature bearing her name before asking calmly, "Where is she?"
• Henry might be Benjamin's assistant, but he was also his junior in school, and they were good friends outside of work. As such, he genuinely wanted to read something from Benjamin's face, but unfortunately, there was nothing. Hence, he quickly lost interest.
• "I didn't see her. It was a delivery."
• Although it was working hours, he couldn't help but wonder how Melanie could heartlessly divorce him.
• "What in the world did you do, though? How did she agree to divorce you voluntarily?"
• However, Benjamin merely stared icily at the beautifully calligraphed 'Melanie'. Her writing reflected her personality, but he was in no mood to appreciate it. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, revealing a hint of annoyance.
• Henry, on the other hand, was astonished. Apart from when Sofia wanted to break up with Benjamin, he had never seen the man with so much emotional turbulence over something and someone. Even in deals worth billions, Benjamin could remain impassive. To put it nicely, he was calm and mature, but in reality, he was just cold and indifferent.
• "Did you take your anger out on her?"
• Benjamin remained silent, simply lighting a cigarette before saying indifferently, "She prepared a whole table of food and waited for me all night."
• Henry nodded in response, having an epiphany. "Your doting wife waited at home while you secretly met with your old lover…"
• Benjamin shot Henry an icy glare in response.
• Henry quickly shut up and tapped the divorce agreement on the table after looking at it. "What? Looks to me like you never expected her to divorce you, or did you never take divorce as an option?"
• After a long pause, Benjamin took a drag from his cigarette. The smoke floated lightly in the air as he spoke softly. "Indeed, it has never crossed my mind."
• Which question did he answer, though?
• Nighttime at Bramble City TV Station, in the recording studio for the late-night radio program…
• "I just found out today that my boyfriend only dated me because of someone else. It's because I resembled his ex-girlfriend. He couldn't forget her, so he settled for me instead. Should I break up with him?"
• Melanie froze in place in response, and when the staff in the control room saw her spacing out, they waved their hands anxiously, urging her to respond.
• Melanie finally came to herself, and she pursed her lips before speaking into the microphone. "Love should be beautiful and pure. A relationship is like a glass of water; only the person drinking it knows its temperature. But if it were me, I think I would choose to be my unique and irreplaceable self rather than a substitute."
• The person on the other end seemed to have burst into tears. Melanie didn't rush her either; instead, she played a sentimental song for her.
• "Thank you. I think I know what to do now."
• "I hope you'll meet someone who will truly love you in the future." After ending the call, Melanie said softly, "Alright, that's the end of tonight's program. See you tomorrow."
• After taking off her headphones and walking out of the recording studio, she found two missed calls on her phone. Though the number wasn't saved, the owner had already been seared into her mind. However, she merely deleted the call logs, grabbed her coat, and left.
• As she walked out of the TV station, she said goodbye to her colleagues, and when it was just her alone, a black Maybach slowly pulled up in front of her. The window rolled down, revealing a sharp and distinctive profile.
• Their eyes met. His black hair was neatly groomed, and his gaze fell upon her face. "Get in."