Countdown to My Divorce (Rachel and William) novel Chapter 1

 "Let's divorce." Cold words, freedom sought.

"Ms. Lloyd, once you make this decision, you won't be able to return for at least five years, maybe even longer. We'll erase your identity from the public. Because of the sensitive nature of our company's research, no one will be able to find you during this time. I hope you understand this."

"I understand."

Rachel Lloyd hesitated for just a second before she lowered her head and signed her name at the bottom of the document.

"Alright. Everything must be finalized by October 20th. We'll contact you when the time comes."

Rachel glanced at her phone.

Today was October 1st. That gave her 20 days.

As she walked past a shopping mall, something on the big screen outside caught her eye. She stopped to watch footage from a press conference held last week.

William Lewis, the CEO of Lewis Enterprise, had spent three years designing a custom wedding dress for his wife. According to him, the breathtaking, one-of-a-kind dress, a gift for their upcoming anniversary, was meant to make up for the regret that she hadn't worn a wedding dress at their wedding ceremony.

The moment that dress was revealed, it took the world by storm. Everyone admired Rachel for marrying someone as wealthy and deeply devoted as William.

Girls walking by glanced at the screen, their wide eyes full of envy.

"Did you know? Their love story is like a fairytale. I heard Mr. Lewis remembers every little thing she likes. Even the tiniest details," one girl whispered to another.

"Yeah, and didn't she get into a car accident a while back? The doctors said she might need a cornea transplant. Mr. Lewis signed the papers without a second thought. Luckily, she didn't end up needing it."

"No matter how busy he is, he always gets her gifts on every holiday. That alone makes him better than ninety-nine percent of men," the other girl added.

Rachel's lips twisted into a bitter smile.

How she wished she still couldn't hear. Everything she heard right now only disgusted her.

A few years ago, William had gotten into trouble with some classmates. When someone threw a chair during the incident, Rachel had stepped in front of him and taken the hit. As a result, she lost her hearing that day.

Afterwards, everyone treated her like a freak. They excluded her from activities, mocked her, and called her names behind her back.

"Deaf girl."

They said it like a curse.

But William had come to her like a ray of light in the darkness, holding her tight while she trembled in silence.

"Rachel, you're not deaf. I'll be your ears. I'll never let anyone hurt you again. Anyone who tries—I'll fight them myself!"

She thought their love would last forever.

He pointed at it, asking, "What's this?"

Rachel looked down, hiding the emotions swirling in her eyes.

She replied softly, "A gift for our anniversary."

William's eyes lit up as he smiled gently. He reached out with the intention of opening the box.

However, Rachel quickly pressed his hand down. "Open it on the day of our anniversary."

William looked curious, but when she spoke like that, he never pushed.

He grinned, then reached out and playfully tapped the tip of her nose. "We'll do it your way. But first, let's retake our wedding photos."

William wanted her to wear the custom wedding dress he had designed—something no one else in the world had. He wanted to take photos of it now, to be looked back on when they celebrated their 50th anniversary one day.

Only Rachel knew the truth.

There would be no fiftieth anniversary—or any future for them.

What would William's expression look like when he finally opened that box?