Fake Vows & Forbidden Flames

Chapter 4: A Premonition—Divorce Looms

Three years slipped by in the blink of an eye. At GlobalLink Translation Agency’s German Department, Dora flipped through documents mechanically, her mind drifting back to that fateful night that had defined her life ever since.

"Dora? Dora! What’s with the sighs?" Her colleague Jade Cheng perched on her desk, grinning and waving a sheet of paper. "Next month’s schedule—and this month’s perfect attendance list."

Dora snapped back to reality, smiling as Jade’s expression darkened. "Missing another day?"

Jade nodded miserably. The agency’s $300 monthly perfect attendance bonus was lost if you missed a day, plus a $700 fine—$1,000 gone in an instant. She’d missed one day for months straight, earning the nickname "One-Day Cheng."

Dora patted her sympathetically. "Cheer up. I’ll buy you Blue Mountain coffee for afternoon tea—your treat for being my favorite trainee." Jade, the spoiled only child of a wealthy family, had been her protégé since joining. They clicked instantly.

A burst of laughter cut her off. Dora glanced at the neighboring cubicles. "What’s so funny? Bonuses?"

Jade’s eyes lit up. "Better than bonuses! Mr. Fu’s got a new girl—and they showed up in matching outfits with his ex at the Oscars!

It’s trending everywhere—knockoffs sold out on sss the same day. The joke going around is, ‘Wear the floral dress, win the tycoon.’ Word is his ex only caught his eye because of that dress. Imagine if a pig wore it? Hilarious! I just wonder how his wife feels about all this."

Dora shrugged, her expression neutral. How did she feel? Before she could formulate an answer, Jade shrieked, clasping her hands in mock despair. "Poor Mr. Fu—imagine the trauma if a pig showed up in that dress! Hahaha!"

As Jade was dragged away by another colleague, a news alert popped up on Dora’s screen—photos of Keith’s sharp side profile, standing beside a woman in a white floral gown.

Her heart twinged sharply. "Forty days... he’s never been gone this long." No wonder her mind kept drifting back to that fateful night. A cold premonition settled over her like a shadow: their marriage was on the brink of collapse. Divorce was inevitable.