My Ex-Husband Begged Me After I Vanished for 3 Years

Chapter 2

Catherine had spent the entire night tossing and turning without getting any real sleep. The next morning, she received a call from Selena, who asked her to meet at a café.

The moment Selena saw her, she got straight to the point. "Divorce Michael."

Catherine's fingers curled tightly around each other beneath the table. "And why would I do that?"

Selena smiled faintly, her expression carrying a hint of ridicule. "Because Michael loves me, not you."

Looking at Selena's face, which bore such a close resemblance to her own, Catherine understood the meaning behind those words. In Selena's eyes, Catherine had only ever been a replacement. Michael had turned to her only because Selena had been away abroad all these years.

Perhaps Selena believed that someone who wasn't truly loved should leave on their own and preserve their dignity.

Catherine pushed her coffee aside, unwilling to waste another moment here. She calmly looked at Selena and said, "Even if I divorce him, you still won't become Mrs. Stewart."

Selena had abandoned Michael years ago and left without a second thought. That had become a wound buried deep in his heart, one he had never truly healed from. If Michael really couldn't let her go, and if the Stewart family truly welcomed her, Selena wouldn't have needed to come here and ask Catherine to step aside herself.

Catherine pointed out the insecurity Selena was desperately trying to hide. "If the Stewart family accepted you and Michael had already made up his mind to marry you, why would you spend all these years waiting and then come to me personally to ask for a divorce? The truth is, you don't even have the courage to bring up marriage with him because you're not sure whether he'll actually choose you over me."

Selena's face changed the moment Catherine hit the exact spot she was avoiding. "What?"

"Besides, I have no intention of giving up my position as Mrs. Stewart." Catherine stared into her furious eyes and slowly continued, "Unless Michael comes to me himself and asks for a divorce."

Selena was left speechless by her anger. Catherine had gotten the answer she wanted and picked up her bag, preparing to leave.

When she walked past Selena, she suddenly paused as if she had remembered something. "There is one more thing. Michael has some issues with his s****l ability. For the sake of your future happiness, you might want to think this through carefully."

Selena's expression immediately turned dark. Catherine's words were clearly telling her that she and Michael had already crossed that line.

But even if Selena wanted to insult Catherine, she couldn't find a valid excuse. Michael and Catherine were married. A husband and wife being intimate was perfectly natural. Instead, it reminded Selena that she was the one trying to interfere in someone else's marriage.

The moment Catherine stepped out of the café, the confidence she had forced herself to maintain completely shattered. She had no strength left to argue with Selena because she knew the truth. Michael didn't love her.

The moment she discovered what had happened between Michael and Selena, she had sent a message to her mentor, Sam White. Since staying here meant she was destined to never receive his love, she had decided to leave this place and leave Michael behind.

Yesterday had been her birthday. Sam had personally called her and told her about a project that was a perfect match for her. The research team had also acknowledged her abilities and hoped she would consider joining their group.

However, the project was classified as top secret. Accepting it meant leaving her family, leaving Michael, and cutting off all communication with the outside world. Back then, she had loved Michael too much, so she had firmly rejected Sam's offer.

Now, she was beginning to reconsider it.

Her phone rang at that moment. Catherine received a message from her adoptive father, Felix Wilson. Felix had come to attend a gathering organized by his former comrades and happened to be passing through her area. He wanted to meet her for dinner and asked her to bring Michael along.

After replying to Felix's message, Catherine immediately regretted it. She didn't want to face Michael when everything between them had become so uncomfortable.

Catherine's relationship with her adoptive parents was complicated.

After bringing Catherine, who had lost her memories, home from the orphanage, they had always treated her well. Yet that kindness had never truly felt like family affection. They remained courteous and distant, as if she were only a guest staying under their roof rather than their own child.

But they were the ones who had raised her. Catherine didn't want to disappoint Felix or make her family worry, so she took the initiative to send Michael a message and ask if he was available.

Michael replied almost immediately.

Michael: I'm free. I'll come over after work.

That afternoon, Catherine went to the station to pick up Felix.

They had chosen a restaurant near Michael's company for dinner. After parking her car, Catherine was about to send him the location when his message arrived first.

Michael: Something urgent came up. Apologize to Felix for me.

Catherine stared at the screen, a familiar disappointment settling in her chest. It was exactly like what had happened on her birthday.

Back then, he had been busy welcoming Selena back. What was it this time?

He had promised her again, yet he had broken that promise again. In Michael's world, it seemed that everything and everyone else mattered more than Catherine's feelings.

But she didn't want Felix to worry, so she forced herself to smile and said, "Michael has to work overtime, so he won't be able to make it to dinner. He asked me to apologize to you."

Felix didn't take it to heart. "Work comes first. Just remind him to take care of himself even when he gets busy."

The mood at the dinner table was quiet and heavy. Felix had always been a man of few words. When Catherine's adoptive mother, Mary Wilson, had still been alive, she had always known how to keep conversations flowing.

After Mary passed away from cancer, Catherine and Felix rarely saw each other, and the things they could talk about gradually became fewer. The dinner ended in an uncomfortable silence.

Felix went to the restroom, while Catherine waited for him by the restaurant entrance. But after a long while, he still hadn't returned.

Catherine went back inside to look for him and found him standing outside a private room. "Dad, why are you..."

Her voice suddenly stopped. The private room door was slightly open, and a familiar voice drifted out from inside. Catherine froze in place, and her face burned with pain as if someone had slapped her.

Through the narrow opening, she saw Michael sitting inside, the same man who had said he had an urgent matter and couldn't join them for dinner. His hand rested on the back of the chair beside a blonde woman, and the two of them sat close together, their behavior unmistakably intimate.

Michael and Selena noticed her at the same time. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere instantly turned awkward.

The people beside them also spotted her. "Catherine, you're here too?"

The carefully built illusion Catherine had been desperately holding onto was ripped apart in an instant. Nothing felt more humiliating than having her lie exposed in front of her own family. Her mind went completely blank, and she couldn't think of any explanation that would make sense.

She couldn't bring herself to tell Felix that Michael had canceled on him because he had someone more important to spend time with. The person who wasn't loved would always be the second choice. Catherine could endure being hurt, but she couldn't let her father's dignity be trampled on as well.

Her throat felt dry as she looked at Michael. "Didn't you have work to deal with? Is this where you came to work?"

Selena smiled and spoke first. "Catherine, I was the one who came to help Michael with work. He said you had something else to take care of today and couldn't come."

Catherine's voice sharpened. "Do you think you have the right to speak here?"

Selena's expression froze.

Catherine stared at her coldly. "Who do you think you are to appear here? And what makes you think you can say these things to me?"

The person beside them quickly stepped in to ease the tension. "Catherine, don't be upset. This is my fault. Selena is an expert in this area. I wanted to ask for her advice, so I asked Michael to invite Ms. Scott over."

Catherine couldn't take in a single word. The sight before her was all she could focus on, and every detail felt like a sharp blade cutting into her heart.

Michael looked up at Felix. "Felix, I'm sorry. Something unexpected came up at work today, and I didn't get the chance to apologize to you face to face."

Catherine wanted to say something, but Felix grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him. He shielded her with his own body and spoke firmly. "Whatever happens between a husband and wife should be settled between the two of them."

Felix rarely showed such a stern expression. His meaning was obvious. He was unhappy with Michael's behavior. Their marriage was their own issue, and no one else had the right to interfere.

Michael lowered his gaze and nodded. "I understand."

Before Michael could continue, Felix took Catherine's hand and walked her away from the room.

Catherine followed her father out of the restaurant, but she didn't know how to explain everything that had happened. His instinctive protection brought tears to her eyes. At that moment, she realized that no matter how painful things became, there was still someone in this world who truly cared about her. She had only fallen for the wrong person. She hadn't done anything wrong.

After they left the restaurant, Felix worried that staying longer would interfere with Catherine's work, so he insisted on taking a taxi home alone.

Before getting into the cab, he turned back to look at his daughter, who was desperately holding back her emotions. "Don't force yourself to handle everything alone. If someone hurts you, tell your family."

Catherine's eyes immediately turned red. The pain she had kept buried for so long finally broke through. She lowered her voice and admitted, "Dad, I want to divorce Michael."

Felix's expression changed, and his brows knitted together. "Have you really made up your mind?"

"I made my decision a long time ago." Catherine's voice was quiet, but every word was firm. "Before that, Sam recommended a classified research project to me. At that time, all I wanted was to stay with the person I loved and live a peaceful life with the person who loved me. But now I realize that the happiness I had was only an illusion."

Catherine took a deep breath. For the first time, she felt a courage and determination she had never possessed before. "If I'm selected, I'll have to completely cut myself off from the outside world. There are still twenty-seven days before the final list is confirmed. I plan to apply. Once the results are announced, I'll submit the divorce agreement and leave this place for good."

Felix gently patted her shoulder, his voice filled with tenderness. "Whatever decision you make, Dad will support you no matter what. Don't worry about anyone in the Stewart family. Never force yourself to stay somewhere that doesn't make you happy."

Catherine's eyes welled up. "Dad, you have to take care of yourself."

Felix nodded and got into the taxi. Catherine stood there watching him leave, refusing to look away until the car disappeared completely.

With her father's support, the last trace of hesitation in Catherine's heart finally disappeared. She returned to her car, opened the application form, filled it out without a second thought, and pressed submit.