Forgetting My Wife After She Left

Seven years into my mission to win Stephanie Chelle's heart, I had helped her become one of the business world's rising stars. And yet, she divorced me for her first love. All because her first love was terminally ill, and she had promised to marry him. I refused to give up and begged her to stay. "Once we're divorced, I won't remember you anymore." But she impatiently shook off my hand. "Can you stop being so selfish? Grayson is dying, and you're still fighting for my attention?" Later, I remembered everyone except Stephanie. Yet she came to me with red-rimmed eyes, begging me to come back. Chapter 1 "I told you I'm with Grayson. Stop making a scene," Stephanie Chelle snapped. After the call ended, I looked up at the clock on the wall. It was already past midnight. I blew out the candles on the cake and dumped every carefully prepared dish into the trash. Today was my wedding anniversary with Stephanie. I had started early, pouring my heart into a whole table of food while I waited for her to come home. She had promised me she would be back. Yet there was still no sign of her. I knew Stephanie had only married me out of spite. She had never loved me. It just hadn't been so obvious before Grayson Knapp came back from abroad. But ever since he returned, everything had changed. Stephanie started staying out night after night. Even when she did come home, it was only to grab clothes or documents. I tried talking to her, but she wouldn't listen. She would even tear into me for Grayson's sake. When I stepped out of the shower, I found Stephanie sitting on the couch. I had no idea when she'd come back. The moment she saw me, she tossed a stack of papers onto the coffee table. "Sign these. Find some time and let's get the divorce done." I didn't ask any questions. I had seen this moment coming for a while. I just hadn't expected it to come so soon. When I didn't move, Stephanie pressed, "Stop dragging your feet. Grayson has cancer. I promised him I'd marry him and stay with him for the rest of his life." I knew nothing I said would change anything, but I still had to ask, "What if I told you that once we divorce, I'll be punished?" Stephanie frowned. A moment later, she let out a scoff and looked at me with open mockery. "Do you think this is some TV drama? Punished for getting a divorce? That's hilarious. Do you have any empathy at all? Now you're even lying just to compete for my attention." I wasn't lying. When I crossed over into this world ten years ago, I was bound to a Conquest System. As long as I succeeded in winning Stephanie's heart, I would get to live. If I failed, I would be punished. Maybe that meant death, maybe something else. Now she was asking me for a divorce. The moment I agreed, the punishment wouldn't be far behind. Five years ago, when Stephanie confessed her feelings to me, I was happier than words could say. It wasn't just because of the mission. It was because I had fallen hopelessly in love with her. Back then, I thought we would live happily ever after. I never imagined Grayson would suddenly come back. Grayson was Stephanie's first love, and the one person I feared most. I looked up at Stephanie, who was already growing impatient, and stubbornly asked, "Stephanie, if you never loved me, why did you marry me in the first place?" I could more or less guess the answer, but I still wanted to hear it from her own mouth. But when Stephanie heard the question, her eyes darted away. She didn't seem to have any intention of answering. She just threw the divorce agreement in my face. "Enough talk. The sooner we divorce, the better for both of us!" I picked up the divorce agreement and asked, "Do you even remember that yesterday was our wedding anniversary?" Stephanie's brows knitted together. "So what? Grayson is suffering through the torment of his illness, and you're selfish enough to want me to celebrate our anniversary with you? How can you be so selfish and heartless?!" Chapter 2 Stephanie said it with such righteous conviction, as if all of this were my fault. She seemed worried I would keep pestering her. "That's enough. I need to get back and take care of Grayson. Hurry up, sign it, and send it over." With that, she left without sparing me another glance. I sat on the couch, staring blankly into the distance. Suddenly, a message notification snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked down and saw that it was from Grayson. I opened it. It was a picture. Grayson and a woman were holding each other sweetly, taking a selfie in front of a mirror. The phone blocked the woman's face, but I still recognized Stephanie at a glance. The moment I finished looking at it, the photo was unsent. Right after came an apology from Grayson. Grayson: [So sorry, Howard. I sent the wrong picture.] Grayson had waited that long to unsend it. He definitely wanted me to see it. I didn't reply. I just backed out of the chat, only to see a notification that Stephanie had made a new social media post. I tapped into it. She had posted that very photo of the two of them, with a simple caption of just a few words. Stephanie: [Finally found the one to spend the rest of my life with.] Reading that line, I let out a scoff. If Stephanie had only now found the one to spend her life with, then what had our five years together been? The System's emotionless voice rang in my ears. "Host, if you sign this divorce agreement, I'll have to punish you. There's still time to turn things around. I suggest you go find Stephanie." I grabbed my jacket and headed to the hospital. Going off memory, I found Grayson's room. It was a VIP suite, one Stephanie had specially arranged for him. It suddenly reminded me of the time I had fallen ill and needed emergency surgery. The hospital needed a family member's signature before the operation. But when I called Stephanie to come to the hospital, she answered with open impatience, "Can you stop being so dramatic? You're not dying. It's just some stupid surgery, and you need me there for it? From now on, don't bother me with stuff like this." Only later did I learn that she had been out shopping with Grayson at the time. Just because of a shopping trip, she couldn't be there for my surgery. Now, though, Stephanie was pouring everything she had into taking care of Grayson. "Stephanie, yesterday was your wedding anniversary with Howard, but you missed it because of my health. Why don't you spend more time with him today? I don't have much time left anyway. I shouldn't hold you back." Grayson's gentle, frail voice drifted out of the room. I stopped with my hand on the door and stood there, listening. I couldn't tell what Stephanie was doing, but she sounded a little angry at that, her tone full of distaste. "You're finally feeling a bit better today. Don't bring him up. He's bad luck." I shook my head with a bitter smile. Stephanie was the one who had wanted to marry me in the first place. And now, somehow, I was the bad luck. Grayson asked, "Stephanie, if you don't love Howard, why did you marry him back then?" There was a brief silence in the room. Then Stephanie answered in a sugary voice, pretending to complain, "It's all because you went abroad. I married him out of spite. If I'd known how disgusting he'd turn out to be, I never would have married him." My heart gave a violent lurch. It hurt terribly. I had known all along that this was the truth, but hearing it from Stephanie's mouth still made my heart ache. It felt like a needle stabbing into my heart over and over, riddling what was already rotting with even more holes. Before Grayson could reply, Stephanie went on, "So, Grayson, you don't need to put so much pressure on yourself. I'm not marrying you out of pity. I really do want to marry you. We'll finally get to keep the promise we made when we were young." Chapter 3 Even I was moved by that, let alone Grayson. I heard the sound of kissing from inside, followed by Grayson's heartfelt confession, "Stephanie, I love you." Stephanie answered, "I love you too." Just as I was debating whether to go in, a nurse's voice came from behind me. "Who are you? What are you doing standing at the door?" The nurse's voice caught Stephanie and Grayson's attention. Stephanie opened the door and met my gaze head-on. Her face had been glowing with happiness, but the moment she saw me, her smile vanished, replaced by a look of disgust. "Howard, do you have no shame? I told you Grayson needs rest. Why have you come here to bother us?" Grayson got out of bed and walked over with a slightly unsteady gait, wearing an understanding smile. "Stephanie, Howard must have come to visit me. Don't talk to him like that." I glanced at Grayson. Other than looking a little pale, he didn't look sick at all. Especially his energy. He seemed livelier than me, and I was the one getting divorced. Stephanie hurried to take Grayson's arm. "Only you would be this kind. Howard doesn't care about you at all." Grayson waved me in, "Howard, come in and sit down." I followed the two of them into the room. Stephanie helped Grayson back into bed, then picked up a half-peeled apple and went on peeling it. Watching Stephanie patiently peel that apple, I felt an indescribable sense of hurt well up inside me. Grayson glanced at me, then quickly turned to the thermos on the table. "Stephanie, I'm a little hungry." Stephanie immediately picked up the thermos. "Try the chicken soup I made you. I simmered it for hours." The moment she opened the thermos, the aroma drifted over to me. In five years of marriage, Stephanie had never once been this tender with me. She even abandoned me when I needed her. Like the last time I got sick. I had no energy and hadn't eaten in a long time, so I begged her to make me some porridge. She refused without even glancing at me. "Why are you so dramatic? It's a fever. You're not dying, so is it really that big a deal? Just order takeout. You actually want me to cook for you? Dream on." Then Stephanie left the house, leaving me home alone with a fever. I had no energy at all, but I wanted to get up and go to the kitchen to make some porridge to get my strength back. But while it was cooking, a wave of dizziness hit me. Before I knew what was happening, I collapsed straight onto the floor. And the porridge in the pot kept on boiling. I had no idea how much time passed before a sharp, acrid smell jolted me awake. When I came to, my head was pounding like it was about to explode, but the will to survive drove me to keep pushing myself up. I turned off the gas, whose flame had long since gone out, then used every last ounce of strength to call Stephanie. Unfortunately, she didn't pick up. Right before I blacked out, I managed to call a friend. After that, I lost consciousness completely. When I woke up again, I was in the hospital. The doctor told me I was lucky I'd been brought in on time. Otherwise, I really would have died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Not long after I came to, Stephanie called me back. The moment I answered, she started accusing me. "Howard, are you sick in the head? Why did you call me for no reason? Didn't you know I was in a meeting?" But the second she finished speaking, I heard Grayson's voice. It was faint, but I picked up on it right away. "Stephanie, are you with Grayson?" Chapter 4 My voice had been extremely weak at the time, but Stephanie didn't notice. She just got angrier. "Who do you think you are? Do I have to report to you about who I'm with?" With that, she hung up. When I tried calling back, she wouldn't pick up anymore. Snapping back to the present, I watched Stephanie feed Grayson and couldn't help a self-mocking smile. So Stephanie could take care of someone after all. She could cook, too. So by now, I couldn't bring myself to ask her not to divorce me anymore. Rather than keep torturing myself, I would let myself go. I looked at Stephanie, feeling unusually calm. "Stephanie, I came to tell you that I agree to the divorce." The moment I said it, the System frantically chimed in, "Host, have you lost your mind?! If you sign, all that's left for you is the punishment. With my abilities, there's nothing I can do to help you." I shook my head, letting the System know my mind was made up. At worst, I would die. I never belonged in this world to begin with, so I wasn't afraid. Stephanie's eyes went wide at how quickly I'd agreed. "You agree to the divorce?" I nodded. "I agree. Let's go get the divorce certificate when you have time." Stephanie still seemed caught off guard. She nodded a little petulantly. "Fine, Howard. You finally came to your senses this time, agreeing to the divorce so quickly." Grayson hurried out of bed, came to my side, and grabbed my arm. "Howard, Stephanie's just acting on impulse. At the end of the day, this is all my fault. If it weren't for me... I really deserve to die..." As he spoke, Grayson slapped himself across the face. Stephanie rushed to stop him. "What does this have to do with you?" I watched Grayson's performance with zero interest in seeing more and turned to leave. But I never expected Grayson to come after me. He begged me to stay while grabbing my arm. I just found him annoying and wanted to shake him off, but before I could even move my arm, Grayson staggered back several steps and dropped straight onto the floor. Before anyone else could say a word, Grayson cried out, "It's not Howard's fault! I just wasn't careful!" Stephanie threw herself down at his side. "Grayson, are you okay?" I stopped and turned back to look at them. Stephanie charged over and slapped me across the face. "Howard, you've gone too far! Grayson is a patient! You could've killed him doing that!" I didn't explain to Stephanie that he'd done it himself. I just walked out of the room. Behind me, Stephanie called my name, but I didn't spare her another glance. Seeing that my mind was made up, the System stopped trying to persuade me. It only kindly reminded me that on the day Stephanie and I got our divorce certificate, I would definitely be punished. If I was lucky, I might keep my life. The worst outcome was dying on the spot. I didn't waver in the slightest. I signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and set a time with Stephanie to go get the divorce certificate. Honestly, over all these years, I had long expected this day would come. When I first crossed over, I was Stephanie's childhood friend, her best playmate growing up. Back then, I naively thought this mission was way too easy. But I never expected that in college, we would meet Grayson. Chapter 5 Grayson was like a ray of light that lit up Stephanie's heart. After that, Stephanie was always clinging to Grayson. Once they started dating, I barely saw Stephanie anymore. Since my mission had stalled at the time, the System often punished me. Then, right before graduation, Grayson suddenly disappeared. He told Stephanie he was going abroad to study, but after that, she never heard from him again. That was when I swooped in, and one day, out of nowhere, Stephanie asked me to marry her. I had guessed even then that Stephanie was acting out of spite, just venting. But I was so happy at the time. I believed that as we spent more time together, day after day, she would surely fall in love with me. But I bet wrong. After we married, Stephanie often gave me the cold shoulder. Even when I handed her every resource I had and stepped back behind the scenes to help her become one of the business world's rising stars, it made no difference. And after Grayson suddenly came back, she treated me even worse. I knew Stephanie didn't love me. Right from the start, I had only been fooling myself. It wasn't so much that I was winning Stephanie over. I had only ever been talking myself into it. But now I had truly woken up from that dream. And I finally saw reality for what it was. Stephanie and I soon went to get our divorce certificate. Grayson came along that day too. As soon as he saw me, he put on a frantic look. "Howard, please stop fighting with Stephanie. If you two end up divorced because of me, I'll feel so guilty." Stephanie glanced at me. "Are you sure you really want to divorce me?" I didn't answer either of them. I walked straight into the county clerk's office. When I handed the divorce agreement to the clerk, a sudden, sharp pain tore through my heart. My whole body was trembling. I couldn't even sign my name. Grayson was the first to notice something was wrong and rushed to steady me. "Howard, are you okay?" Stephanie, however, crossed her arms with a knowing look. "He's faking it again. I wondered why he agreed to the divorce so fast. So this is how he's trying to get my attention. How pathetic." Stephanie thought this was just a ploy to get her attention. But only I knew how much pain I was really in. It felt like my heart was being ripped open by force. I knew this was the System's punishment. Sweat poured down my forehead, and my face twisted in agony. Even the clerk asked if I wanted to take a break or come back another day. Stephanie still looked at me with disgust. "Keep faking. Let's see how long you can keep it up." I fought through the pain and signed my name on the agreement. Only after the last letter was done could I finally breathe, gulping down air in relief. By the time the divorce certificate was in my hands, I felt nothing at all. Stephanie took her certificate with a huff and, without giving me another look, pulled Grayson away with her. I walked out of the county clerk's office in a daze. People hurried along the street and traffic streamed past, but I stood at the intersection, not knowing which way to go. My punishment was coming any moment now, yet strangely, I felt a little calm. I stood on the street for a while before going back to my car. I texted a buddy to meet up that night, then drove home. But I never expected the punishment to come so quickly.