Ditching Me for His 'Soulmate'? His Loss. Next Stop: My New Life novel Chapter 85

Chapter 8

During those three days apart, Lucas found himself restless and sleepless, his mind racing with thoughts about what would unfold when we finally met at the civil registry office. He wondered if, after all this time, I might soften once more, surrendering to a love that seemed to be fading away with every passing moment.

But in those same three days without him, I had already come to terms with everything. I began to envision a future that belonged solely to me—one free from the suffocating grip of his control. I never imagined I could soar freely in any direction I chose. As long as Lucas arrived punctually at the registry office, I resolved to act as if nothing had ever happened between us. I would let this painful, ugly chapter of our lives remain buried deep in the past, never to be reopened.

When the day came, we met exactly as planned at the civil registry office. Over the course of the thirty-three weddings we had attempted before, Lucas had never once shown up. Yet now, for this single divorce, he was right on time.

The moment Lucas spotted me, he hurried to my side, his voice earnest and filled with vulnerability. “Mia, I’ve spent these last three days thinking a lot. Maybe this isn’t truly the end for us.” He paused, searching for the right words. “I finally understand what it feels like to lose someone you love. I swear, I’ll never betray you again. This pain is unbearable.”

But after three years, Lucas still hadn’t learned. Could three days really be enough for him to grasp all of this? I shook my head bitterly, unable to hide my disappointment.

“Lucas,” I said quietly but firmly, “over these three years, I gave you thirty-three chances. If you had even the smallest desire to turn back, we wouldn’t be standing here today.” My eyes locked onto his. “If you truly cared for me, then give me a path that’s mine alone.”

Lucas shuddered, fully aware of why he had never valued the opportunities I handed him. He had always believed there would be endless chances—maybe someday, when he tired of his games, he could return to the family, and with a wedding, I would become the devoted, unwavering wife he had always wanted.

But if that was the truth, then was I ever really his wife? Or was I just a puppet, a mere extension of him, stripped of my own life and rights?

“Right now, the choice is simple,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “Why prolong this any further? For the sake of both our futures, let’s get the divorce over with.”

Here, everything belonged to me. No one could betray me again. No one would dare.

I would live for myself—guided by my own heart, governed by my own rules.

No one could blackmail me. No one could judge me.

I was free.