First Choice

But the next second, Nathan looked away indifferently, his lips curling into a smile as he took Jenny's hand and walked up to the stage, acting as if he hadn't even seen me.

I couldn't help but curl my lips into a bitter smirk.

The reporter closest to me, probably an intern, timidly handed me the microphone and asked, "Ms. Caldwell, is it true that you and Mr. Baldwin have divorced?"

"Yes," I answered, forcing a smile and nodded.

The intern adjusted his glasses. "But you and Mr. Baldwin met in high school, dated for seven years, and were married for five. Just last month, Mr. Baldwin spent a fortune to buy you an island and named it after you."

I kept smiling, though the smile didn't reach my eyes.

"That was something he owed me," I said flatly.

He'd given me that island to make up for missing my birthday while taking care of a sick Jenny.

In my last life, I had actually felt proud of it. Later, I found out that the idea came from Jeremy. Nathan's assistant, Brandon Lindell, picked the island, and Nathan didn't even know where it was located.

"Do you still love Mr. Baldwin?" the intern asked, his voice filled with nervousness. The reporters surrounding me fell silent, and even Nathan, standing on stage, turned his attention toward me.

His brows furrowed slightly.

I looked at him for a brief moment, then curved my lips into a smile and said, "No, I don't love him anymore."

I didn't stick around to finish the interview. Once Nathan had clarified that our marriage had been over for a year, he walked off the stage.

I became nothing more than Nathan's leftover baggage, discarded overnight. Meanwhile, Jenny was painted as the only innocent victim in the whole mess.

The interview was a hot topic on social media for days, and the discussion never really died down, especially after Nathan's statement.

"Lois and I had planned to divorce a year ago. We just didn't find the right time. We wanted to keep it low-key, but now it's affecting innocent people, so we had to make it public.

"Jenny is not the cause of our marriage falling apart. She's my mentor's daughter, and it's only natural that I take care of her. I hope everyone can view this situation with reason."

Some fans were led to believe that Nathan and I divorced because I couldn't stand the idea of his and Jenny's pure sibling-like bond, twisting their relationship into something dirty.

They called me petty and accused me of being too small-minded, saying that after five years of marriage, I hadn't learned anything about loyalty and love from Nathan.

The discussion simmered for several days. I became the target of public ridicule.

After receiving the divorce certificate at the courthouse, I stepped outside when Nathan called after me. "Don't take what's being said online too seriously," he said. "It'll blow over soon, and people will forget."

I stopped in my tracks, a soft, cynical laugh slipping out.

How could the difference in public opinion be so stark?

"Lois, it'll be the New Year in two months. How about we remarry next year?"

He looked at me and stepped closer, but I took a step back, my expression unchanged. My gaze drifted to the reporters, held at a distance by bodyguards nearby.

Nathan seemed to realize that it wasn't the right time. He stopped in his tracks.

"Lois, I'm planning to go back to Holnia. It's been a long time since you've been there. You should visit. I'll come to pick you up after the New Year—"

"I'm not going back," I interrupted calmly.

His smile froze on his face, and confusion crept into his eyes.

I continued, "When I agreed to sign the divorce papers, you promised me one thing. It's time for you to keep that promise."

Nathan stared at me, stunned.

When I was reborn, I took only a few seconds to process my feelings of love and hate for Nathan.

When I saw the divorce papers, I considered tearing them up in anger, maybe confronting him one more time, but in the end, reason prevailed.