Three Years of Silence, regret in His Eyes at Divorce

After completing a retinal detachment surgery, Lily Hart returned to the office to find her mobile phone ringing. It was her friend, Chloe Bennett. "You've seen the news, right?" Chloe asked. "What's that?" Lily Hart was confused. Chloe sighed, "He's back." "Who?" "Ethan! Your husband!" Chloe exclaimed. Lily Hart smiled helplessly, "I don't know." "Come on, you're kidding me, right? You're his wife and you don't know that he's back?" Chloe found it unbelievable. "Chloe, we got married six months ago, and he's been in New York since then. He only comes back once or twice a year, and I never know until he lands. That's how our marriage works," Lily said as she sat down at her desk. "Is this a special arrangement?" Chloe couldn't believe what she was hearing. "No, it's not. We just got married too fast, and he had someone else in his heart. So we agreed to maintain this kind of relationship." Lily shrugged. "Well, I'm sorry to say this, but your husband is on the news." Chloe then sent a photo taken by the media to Lily, "Look at this. Apart from the fact that he's a jerk, he's still pretty handsome, isn't he?" Lily opened the photo and saw her husband, Ethan Cole, dressed in a suit, getting off his private jet. The photographers had caught him at a great angle, and he looked stunning. Lily thought about the news that her husband came back late, and she even knew it later than her bestie, and she felt a little sad. "Then you definitely won't come out to have dinner with me today, will you?" Chloe Bennett muttered, "I just got my bonus and wanted to treat you to a meal." Lily Hart said, "Don't worry, you won't miss out on the treat. Let's schedule it for another day." After hanging up the phone, Lily Hart realized it was already dark outside. She had been busy all day and hadn't even had a chance to eat, her stomach growling with hunger. She hurriedly called a cab to go home. When she arrived home, she saw that the lights were off, which meant that Ethan hadn't returned yet. She wasn't surprised since this was his pattern. Whenever he came back, he would first go out to meet his friends and then come home late at night, usually after she had fallen asleep. Lily went to the kitchen and started preparing dinner for Ethan. She knew he might not come home in time to eat it, but she wanted to do something nice for him since he had just returned. Lily turned on the stove and followed online recipes to prepare a few dishes. After nearly two hours of cooking, the meal was finally ready. She glanced at the time; Ethan Cole still hadn't come back. She sat at the dining table and waited for almost another hour. She called Ethan Cole, but he didn't answer, and he didn't respond to the messages she sent. Having waited so long, her hunger subsided, and she no longer felt hungry. The clock struck ten, and Ethan Cole still hadn't returned home. Lily hesitated about whether to put away the now cold dishes. As she idly scrolled through her Moments feed, she came across a new post from Tom Hastings. "Welcome back, Ethan!" The post included a photo of Ethan and his friends in a private club room, with the caption, "It's been a long time since we've gathered together like this!" Lily clicked on the photo to view it more closely. The lighting was dim, and the photo wasn't very clear. She could see Ethan sitting in a corner with a drink in his hand, surrounded by a group of people. There was a young girl who weares a short skirt next to him,looking at him lovingly. Ethan Cole looked relaxed, with a slight curve at the corners of his lips. Lily closed the social media app and went to her room to take a shower and rest. Meanwhile, in a private club room... Tom Hastings poured Ethan Cole a glass of wine himself. "Bro, cheers to your return!" It was a bottle of Hennessy Paradis, a top-tier cognac, a limited edition that’s not available on the market. The old man in the Hastings family had cherished it for years, reluctant to open it, but his devoted grandson sneaked it out to welcome his best friend home. "Are you leaving again after this visit?" Tom Hastings asked. Ethan Cole leaned lazily against the sofa. "Do you want me to leave?" "No way. I've been hoping for your return every day!" One of the guys nearby teased with a laugh, "Tom Hastings is more devoted to you than anyone else, you know. He misses you more than your wife does." Tom Hastings kicked him playfully, "Shut your mouth!" Ethan Cole held his ornate glass and patted Tom Hastings on the back of the head. "Why would you miss me? Itchy butt?" "Itchy my a*s. My grandpa's been beating me every day." Tom Hastings replied, "You have no idea how dull it's been without you." "By the way, where's your wife? Didn't she come today?" someone asked. Tom Hastings replied nonchalantly, "We're here to drink. Why would we invite her? That would be a buzzkill." Everyone knew about Ethan Cole's relationship with Lily Hart. It was no secret that he had no feelings for her. Their marriage was as good as non-existent, and they never regarded Lily Hart as Mrs. Cole, never took her seriously. A woman sitting next to Ethan Cole picked up on the conversation and asked him, " Ethan, are you married?" Ethan Cole raised an eyebrow and took a drag from his cigarette with a faint smile. "Is my wedding ring not shiny enough?" The woman then noticed the wedding ring on his finger. As he lifted his hand, his collar slightly opened, allowing the light to reveal part of his collarbone, the rest hidden in the shadow of his shirt. It was a lazy yet alluring sight. The woman's cheeks flushed as she wondered what kind of woman was lucky enough to be his wife. "What kind of person is your wife?" Ethan Cole, still lounging comfortably on the sofa, replied, "My wife?" His brown eyes held a thin layer of amusement, giving an illusion of deep affection. "Not as pretty as you." Any woman would be flattered to be told she was beautiful by someone with eyes like his. Her heart fluttered, pounding like a drum. "Come on, don't let him fool you. You won't find a woman prettier than his wife in this entire city." The pink bubble of her fantasy burst as someone bluntly spoke the truth. She looked at Ethan Cole. He lazily bit his cigarette, a carefree smile tugging at his lips, not denying it. Her heart sank and rose again, realizing he was just teasing her. Ethan Cole seemed tired, completely relaxed. He smoked without much enthusiasm, then stubbed out the cigarette in his glass, grabbed his coat, and stood up. Tom Hastings, who was about to pour him another drink, was stunned. "Leaving so soon?" Ethan Cole, looking utterly uninterested, replied, "I'm tired. You guys continue." When He arrived ,he opened the door and entered the house. He saw that the lights were off and assumed that Lily Hart had already gone to bed. He went straight to the walk-in closet, changed his clothes . Lily Hart woke up to the noise of the door opening. She turned on the bedside lamp and saw Ethan Cole standing by the bed. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back today?" Lily Hart asked. Ethan Cole looked at her, his eyes cold and indifferent. "What if you had a man hidden in the house?" Lily was taken aback by his words. She couldn't process it with her groggy mind. Ethan didn't care about her answer and took his pajamas to go shower. Listening to the sound of the water, she gradually became more awake.