Rain hammered violently against the tall glass windows of the Civil Affairs Bureau, streaking the city lights into blurred lines of silver and gold.
Inside, the office was almost empty. Fluorescent lights flickered softly overhead, casting a sterile glow over metal chairs and polished floors that felt too cold for something as intimate as the end of a marriage.
Elena Vale stared at the divorce agreement in front of her. The black ink blurred for a second — not because she couldn't read it, but because she had memorized every word already.
Three years of marriage. Reduced to two signatures.
Her fingers trembled slightly over the paper. She hated that he might notice.
Across the table, Adrian Knight didn't hesitate. His suit was immaculate.
Dark. Sharp. Perfectly pressed — just like him. His pen moved smoothly. No pause. No tremble. No second thoughts.
Click.
The sound of the pen pressing against paper echoed louder than the thunder outside.
"It's done," he said flatly.
No anger. No regret. No emotion.
Elena swallowed.
This was the same man who once held her waist during their first dance, whispering that she looked beautiful under crystal lights. The same man who had placed a diamond ring on her finger. The same man who had slowly, quietly, stopped coming home.
She still remembered the first night he didn't return. She had waited at the dining table until midnight. The food had gone cold. The candles burned down to wax puddles. He didn't call. The second time, she didn't light candles. By the third month, she stopped waiting altogether.
And tonight—she was signing away what little remained.
She lowered her head and signed her name. The moment the ink settled onto paper, something inside her cracked. Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just a quiet, irreversible fracture. She placed the pen down carefully, aligning it with the edge of the table like she used to align his ties in the morning.
"So that's it?" she asked softly.
Adrian finally looked at her. His eyes were sharp. Controlled. Distant. For a fraction of a second — just one — she thought she saw something flicker there. But it disappeared too quickly to name.
"Is there anything else?" he asked. Polite words. Cold delivery.
Elena forced a small smile. The kind she had practiced during countless family dinners when his relatives measured her worth with silent glances. The kind she wore when his mother said: A woman without background should know her place.
"No," Elena replied gently. "There isn't."
Thunder roared again, shaking the glass. For one reckless second, she wanted to ask: Did you ever love me? But pride swallowed the question before it reached her lips.
Adrian stood up first. His chair slid back with a faint scrape.
"Don't appear in my life again, Elena."
He didn't wait for her response. The glass doors slid open automatically. Cold wind rushed in with him. For a second — just a second — Elena thought he might turn back. He didn't. The doors closed. She was alone.
Her phone vibrated in her handbag. She stared at it for a long moment before answering.
"Mira?" she said quietly.
"You're still at the Bureau? It's raining like crazy. Do you need me to pick you up?"
Elena looked at the signed document on the table.
"No," she replied after a pause. "It's finished."
There was silence on the other end. Then a careful question.
"Are you okay?"
Elena's lips curved into a faint smile.
"I will be." It wasn't an answer. But it was a promise.
She ended the call. Her reflection in the darkened window startled her. She looked pale. Smaller. As if the last three years had drained color from her. But somewhere deep inside — something stubborn remained. If he thought she would disappear quietly... he was wrong.
Simple. Clean. Final. The words sliced cleaner than any argument ever could.
She didn't remember how long she sat there. Minutes. Maybe longer. The office lights dimmed automatically as closing time approached. A staff member coughed politely.
"Miss?"
Elena blinked. Right. The world was still moving. She stood slowly. Her legs felt weak. The hallway seemed longer than before. Maybe exhaustion. Maybe hunger. Or maybe—her vision blurred. The floor tilted beneath her heels. The walls spun. She reached out for support, but her hand grasped nothing but air. The last thing she heard was someone calling for help. Then darkness swallowed her.
When she woke up, the scent of antiseptic filled her lungs. White ceiling. Soft beeping. Hospital.
For a second, she wondered if this was what heartbreak felt like physically.
A nurse noticed her movement and called the doctor.
"Miss Vale, can you hear me?"
Elena blinked slowly. Her throat felt dry.
"What… happened?"
"You fainted due to stress and low blood pressure," the doctor explained gently.
Stress. Of course. She almost smiled bitterly. That sounded polite.
"However," the doctor continued, glancing at the chart, "there is another reason."
Elena's fingers tightened around the bedsheet. Something in the doctor's tone made her heartbeat shift.
"What reason?"
The doctor's expression softened.
"Congratulations. You're six weeks pregnant."
The room went silent, as if the world paused to make sure she understood.
Pregnant?
Her lips parted slightly. "That's… not possible," she whispered. But it was. Six weeks. Which meant—before the divorce. Before tonight. Before he told her not to appear in his life again.
Her hand slowly drifted to her abdomen. Flat. Still. But no longer empty. Inside her… was Adrian Knight's child.
Elena closed her eyes slowly. Tears slid down — not from sadness alone. But from something fierce. Protective. If this child entered the world—he would never feel unwanted. Never feel like an option. Never feel second best. Even if she had to build everything from nothing. Even if she had to stand alone. She would.
Her hand rested firmly over her stomach now. And for the first time that night — she didn't feel broken. She felt determined.
A soft laugh escaped her lips — but it broke halfway. How ironic. He had ended everything tonight. And yet—something had just begun.
Outside the hospital window, the rain finally stopped. Clouds drifted apart, revealing faint city lights beneath.
And somewhere in that vast, glittering city—Adrian Knight had no idea—
that the woman he had discarded was carrying his heir.