My Wife Asked For a Divorce, So I Became Another Man to Win Her Back

“Why am I here…?” Awareness came slowly, like someone being forced awake from a sleep that was too deep. My head felt heavy. My body felt unfamiliar. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a high white ceiling with a crystal chandelier that shimmered softly. I blinked. Once. Twice. This… isn’t my room. My breath caught in my throat. I sat up quickly, my heart pounding. My hand touched the bedsheet, smooth. Too smooth, too clean, too… expensive. Even the mattress felt like it was swallowing me whole. “Where am I…?” My eyes scanned the room. A spacious bedroom. Elegant white and navy walls. A large dark-wood wardrobe. Tall windows with thick curtains. Nothing looked familiar. Damn it. I got out of bed, nearly losing my balance. My head throbbed, like I’d been drinking all night. Wait… all night? I tried to remember. The last thing I remembered, I was… at school. In the back courtyard. She stood in front of me, her cheeks slightly flushed, her hair in two braids, her eyes unable to meet mine directly. “I… like you.” Her soft voice had made me smile without realizing it. Yesterday, we had just started dating. What happened after that? Knock. Knock. The soft knocking sound startled me. I immediately turned toward the door. “S-sir?” a woman’s voice came from outside. “Breakfast is ready. Ma’am is already waiting at the dining table.” I froze. Sir? Ma’am? Did I walk into someone else’s house? I stepped closer with hesitation, then opened the door slightly. A middle-aged woman stood outside. Her uniform was neat, like a housemaid’s. As soon as she saw me, she lowered her head. “Good morning, sir.” I reflexively stepped back. She was definitely addressing me. “Si-sir?” She looked at me in confusion, but remained polite. “Ma’am is waiting.” Ma’am. The word sounded foreign to my ears. I’m Landon Vance. I’m only eighteen years old and still a high school student, that title doesn’t fit me at all. I closed the door without answering. My heart was beating irregularly. This isn’t a dream, right? I tried pinching my arm— “Ow!” “Sir? Are you alright?” The knocking came again. I bit my lower lip, holding back my voice. “I-I’m fine,” I said while rubbing my arm. Finally, I gathered the courage to open the door. With slow steps, I walked out of the room, following the maid. A long hallway stretched out before me, quiet, neat, and far too luxurious to be real. I went down the stairs. And there, I saw her. She sat at the long dining table, her back straight, her movements calm. Her long black hair was neatly combed, falling over her shoulders. Her clothes were formal, elegant, mature. I stopped. “…Wrenley?” My voice was barely audible. She lifted her gaze. Our eyes met. And for some reason, my chest felt strange. It was her. Wrenley Reed. The girl who stood in front of me yesterday in her high school uniform. The one who smiled awkwardly. The one who had just confessed that she liked me. But… this woman was different. That was the first thing I felt. Even so, a smile immediately appeared on my face. “Thank God I found you here—” I stepped forward quickly, even raising my hand to hug her. But she stood up and stepped back. The reflexive movement was enough to stop me. My hand hung in the air. My smile disappeared. Her gaze was cold. Not sparkling like yesterday when she confessed her love to me. “You’re awake?” her voice was flat. “Or are you still drunk?” I blinked. “…What? You know I’ve never drunk—” “If you’re sober, watch your behavior.” Wrenley sat back down calmly. “I don’t have time for this.” I could only stare at her. She continued eating, as if I didn’t exist. For a few moments, I stood there in silence. Trying to process it, Wrenley’s change in attitude made no sense. My Wrenley, who was so gentle, who always looked at me warmly. My chest felt strange, aching without knowing why. Why is she like this? What did I do wrong? Wrenley, perhaps sensing my gaze, clicked her tongue in annoyance and stood up. She wiped her hands with a napkin. “I’m leaving.” “Wait!” I called out reflexively. She stopped, but didn’t turn immediately. “Where are you going?” My voice sounded weaker than I expected. “And… what is this place? I don’t know where I am.” Silence for a moment. Then she turned. Her gaze this time was sharp. “Still trying to cause trouble?” Her tone was cold. I fell silent. “There’s an important board meeting today,” she continued. “If you don’t want to come, sign this document.” She threw a large envelope toward me. I caught it instinctively. “What is this?” I hadn’t even finished asking when she was already walking away. “Make sure you’ve signed it before I get back.” The door slammed shut. I stood there. Alone. My head felt even dizzier. I stared at the envelope in my hand. What is actually going on? I need to find out. My gaze shifted unconsciously, then stopped at a large photo on the wall. My steps slowed as I approached. And when I saw it, my breath stopped. It was me, with a sharper jawline, a more muscular build, looking handsome in a suit. Standing beside Wrenley, with her darker hair color, looking stunning in a wedding dress. We were smiling widely. Her eyes sparkled, she looked incredibly happy. As if there had never been any problem. Completely different from the Wrenley I just met. My hand slowly lifted, touching the frame of the photo. “We… got married?” The corner of my lips lifted slightly. So… I really married my first love? Is this serious? I let out a soft chuckle. But the feeling didn’t last long. Because the woman in the photo wasn’t looking at me the way the woman I just met did. I immediately turned around. “You!” I called to the maid from earlier. She came quickly. “Yes, sir?” “Why is Wrenley…” I cleared my throat awkwardly, “…I mean, my wife, acting so angry like that? Did I do something that made her mad?” The maid shook her head in confusion. “I don’t understand, Mr. Vance. Perhaps you can find the answer in that envelope.” Oh, right. The envelope in my hand. I quickly opened it. The first words that appeared made the world feel like it was spinning. “Divorce papers…?” Silence. For a moment, I didn’t understand what I was reading. My heart pounded too hard. The words felt foreign, as if they weren’t meant for me. With trembling hands, I pulled the paper completely out of the envelope. My eyes traced every word written on it. [Wrenley Reed files for divorce from Landon Vance.] “No way…” My ches t rose and fell more intensely. It felt like oxygen was being slowly taken from me. “I just accepted her feelings yesterday… so why does she want to leave me today?”