Chapter 3 The Three of Them Meet

• Melanie had originally thought about walking away, but in the end, she asked, "Did you receive the divorce agreement? If you have time tomorrow, let's go to the City Hall and—"
• "I don't mind wasting time with you here," said Benjamin, who then killed the engine and lit a cigarette, staring at her, his gaze deep and unfathomable, his face even icier in the night, even his tone became much frosty.
• Melanie furrowed her brow tightly. It was true that there were fewer people at the TV station at night, but there were still late-night broadcasts, and it was inevitable that someone would see them. So, she gritted her teeth, opened the car door, and got in.
• "What else do you want?" she asked with great impatience. Since she had made a decision, she didn't want to drag it out.
• Benjamin caught the underlying message and glanced at her, asking, "Enough of this, alright?" However, Melanie still saw threat and impatience in his eyes.
• Based on her understanding of him, the fact that he came to find her tonight was already his compromise.
• Melanie fell silent for a moment before gazing solemnly at him. "Benjamin, I'm serious about the divorce."
• Silence filled the rest of the journey until the car stopped at the residential area Melanie lived in before their marriage. As Benjamin lit up a cigarette leisurely, he reiterated, "I'm going to ask you one last time, are you sure about getting a divorce?"
• Melanie didn't answer him. Instead, she got out of the car without a second thought and walked toward the residential area. However, she stopped in her tracks just after taking a couple of steps.
• Thinking that she had changed her mind, Benjamin smirked, and he was about to get out of the car when he saw her turn around with a determined expression. "From now on, let's be strangers."
• The man turned grim at once. However, he merely withdrew his gaze and smirked contemptuously before driving away.
• …
• Fortunately for Melanie, it was her day off, for she had a terrible sleep the night before. She had nightmares throughout the night—faces of Jadyn mocking her aggressively, moments of her proposing to Benjamin whose eyes were full of pity and manipulation, and images of him embracing other women.
• Finally, he opened his lips. "Don't ever dream of comparing yourself to her. I will never love you."
• Her phone rang just then, and she fished for it groggily, her voice hoarse with a tinge of resentment. "Who is it?"
• Benjamin's hand, in the midst of signing a document, paused upon hearing her complaint. His gaze, however, fell on the new divorce agreement with unfathomable depths.
• Meanwhile, Melanie had also taken a good look at the caller ID and sat up. For a moment, neither spoke; the sound of their breathing echoed from the other end of the line. She quietly clenched her phone as images from her dream resurfaced, and her heart suddenly twinged.
• "Come to the company now and pick up what you want," Benjamin said ultimately, his voice cold and distant.
• "What—"
• "The divorce agreement."
• His indifference instantly brought Melanie back to her senses. She closed her eyes, slowly loosened her clenched fist, and said calmly, "Right away." With that, she hung up the phone and muttered to herself, staring at the device. "Melanie, don't cling onto it anymore when you've decided to drop it."
• Meanwhile, Benjamin stared at the decisively hung-up call, his gaze becoming colder and more chilling by the second.
• "Mr. Moore, Miss Walker is here to see you."
• At that, Benjamin put his phone down. "Let her in."
• Sophia entered his office carrying a food container in a white midi dress and her long dark hair flowing with a pleasant fragrance. Her gaze was gentle as she looked at him.
• "Ben, I made your favorite pastry. Would you like to have a taste?"
• After pausing his gaze on her face for a moment, Benjamin glanced at the food container in her hand, seemingly reminiscing something.
• Sophia, on the other hand, had walked to the coffee table and taken the pastries out. When Benjamin came around, he silently sat opposite her and watched as she fed him the pastry with a smile, her gaze filled with tenderness and affection. "I haven't made it since we separated. Try it and see if it tastes the same as before," she said.
• However, Benjamin kept his gaze on her face. "Why have you returned?"
• Sophia's smile stiffened for a split second, and a hint of hurt flashed across her eyes, but she stubbornly held her hand up. "Do you not want me to come back? You're still mad at me for what I did, don't you?" As she spoke, her eyes turned red-rimmed with oncoming tears.
• Benjamin furrowed his brows and pressed his lips together in response, seemingly lost in thought when the door to his office was pushed open.
• Henry's anxious voice rang out behind him, "Sir, Mrs.—Miss Davis is here—" However, before he could finish his words, Melanie had entered.