Chapter 34

Eleanor Thompson vividly recalled the day she married Nathaniel Carter. Though she never gained the affection of her own family, she was still the eldest daughter of the Thompsons. As such, her wedding had been a grand affair.

Six months before the ceremony, they had gotten engaged, chosen a wedding gown, taken photos, selected a marriage registration date, and eventually prepared for the big day. During that time, Eleanor had put everything else in her life on hold, dedicating herself entirely to the wedding preparations. Yet today, their marriage ended with just a few words in less than thirty minutes of legal proceedings. Nathaniel's lawyer worked with ruthless efficiency, and there was no waiting period before the divorce was finalized. Soon enough, the couple received their divorce decrees.

Nathaniel seemed overwhelmed with work. Incoming calls kept him occupied from the moment he entered the courthouse, and after receiving the decree, he left while still on the phone. Eleanor had planned to say goodbye, but by the time she stepped outside, he was already gone. He hadn't even bothered to bid her farewell.

She stood still for a moment, then slowly lowered her gaze to the divorce decree in her hand. "Two years of marriage," she thought. "It began with anxiety and ended in a frantic rush. All this time, I was the only one running around in panic."

Her phone suddenly rang, jolting her out of her thoughts. "What the hell?" Eleanor had just answered when a hysterical voice erupted from the speaker. "Are you kidding me? What was that update you sent me this morning? Why did the male lead die? Wasn't I clear in my drawing? Death by car accident."

"Are you insane? The male lead gets run over by a car on the day of his proposal? Aren't you afraid your readers will come after you instead?"

The editor's words drew a chuckle from Eleanor. "They won't. They don't even know who I am."

"But I do! Babe, don't mess with me like this. If I upload this version, I'll be bombarded with curses and threats and—"

"Relax. I'll bring it full circle later."

"For real? Will the male lead be reborn? Or is it time travel? Come on! Give me a spoiler!"

"Nope! The female lead gets a rebirth." Eleanor looked up at the sky and continued, "Isn't it much cooler that she'll leave the man and start a new life?"

She didn't fully convince her editor, Caroline Wright. Since they lived in the same city, Caroline came to confront her in person.

Meanwhile, Eleanor was unpacking her belongings at her new rental apartment. When Caroline arrived, she was stunned by the scene. "Are you running away or something?"

Eleanor glanced at her. "Can't you tell this is a new place I've rented?"

"Nope! I can't tell. I thought this was where you were having your little affair with some young, handsome man." Eleanor paused briefly at her words, then came clean. "I got a divorce."

"D-Divorce?" Caroline's eyes widened in disbelief. "Say that again?"

Eleanor smiled. "You heard me."

In this city, Caroline was one of the few friends Eleanor had. However, they rarely interacted in person. Caroline was her editor, so most of their communication happened online. She knew Eleanor's identity, as well as Nathaniel's—the CEO of Amity Group in Coppersville.

The two women locked eyes for a moment. After ensuring Eleanor was serious, Caroline asked, "So, what now? Is this your way of seeking revenge? By hurting all your readers?"

"No... Actually, I find the plotline quite nice."