When Love Runs Out

When my wife, also the president of a company, learned that I had voluntarily donated part of my brainstem tissue to awaken her long-cherished love, who had been lying in a coma, she finally left the abbey where she had been praying for his recovery for the first time in seven years. She came to the company and asked what compensation I wanted. Everyone assumed I would seize the chance to ask her for a child to secure our marriage. Instead, I handed her a divorce agreement. For a moment, the entire office thought I was simply playing hard to get. My wife’s expression turned icy. She stripped me of every position I held, then immediately promoted her beloved man and raised his salary, telling me to reflect on my mistakes. Little did she know… The surgery had cost me my memory. The man standing before her now was no longer the husband who had swallowed every grievance. He was now the spirited young man from seven years ago. And this time, he would never sacrifice himself again. Chapter 1 Claudia Yates had just finished ordering my suspension when Isaac Spencer stepped forward to defend me. “Claudia, the doctor said Jayden temporarily lost the last seven years of his memory because of the surgery. What he did just now was just a moment of impulse. Please don’t be angry.” Isaac and I, Jayden Clement, had been friends since childhood. I once saved his life when we were kids. Ours was the kind of friendship forged through life and death. After I woke up and realized I had lost my memory, he was also the one who helped me leave the hospital and brought me straight to the company. But what he didn’t know was that my decision to divorce wasn’t impulsive at all. When I first woke up, I noticed I looked older than I remembered, and the timeline didn’t add up. I consulted the doctor and learned that, as a side effect of having my brainstem tissue removed, I’d lost about seven years of memories, and my mind was stuck in the year I had graduated from university. The doctor contacted my family on my behalf. I had to admit, when I saw that my wife was Claudia, the legendary campus belle everyone knew back in school, I felt quite lucky to have married the woman everyone admired. However, in less than a single morning it took to process my discharge, that illusion was shattered as I could already tell Claudia didn’t love me. She didn’t know I was allergic to peaches, and the clothes and shoes she brought me were all the wrong sizes. Even when filling out my discharge papers, she didn’t know my birthdate. Before the doctor could tell her about my amnesia, she hurriedly signed the forms, tossed me the company address, and then ran off to another ward to take care of another man. I had no idea who that man was, but the difference in the way Claudia treated him compared to me was impossible to miss. It wasn’t until just now that my friend told me his name, Gerald Lowe. He was Claudia’s ex-boyfriend and her former assistant. Whatever happened during those missing seven years must have been unpleasant. If I had forgotten them, then so be it. Either way, this marriage was falling apart. Before I could speak, Claudia’s voice cut through the room, cold as ice. “Do you take me for a fool? “You thought you’d play hard to get, and now that I’ve caught one, you’re trying to feign amnesia to win my sympathy, is that it?” Behind her, Gerald was clearly struggling to suppress a smug grin, yet he forced his expression into one of surprise and concern. “Coco, Jayden seems off today. It doesn’t look like he’s faking it. “What if he really did lose his memory? Should we take him to the hospital for another check? “After all, you’ve spent all these years praying for me in the abbey, while Jayden stayed home alone every day. That must have been hard on him. “Besides, the brainstem tissue was donated to me by Jayden. If something were to happen to him, I’d be too ashamed to face anyone.” Watching Gerald’s over-the-top performance, I nearly threw up my breakfast. I had assumed he must have something extraordinary about him to make my wife obsess over him for so long. It turned out that he was just a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a pretentious, manipulative guy. Honestly, Claudia’s taste was truly terrible. She couldn’t even see through such a shoddy performance. I had no idea how she ever became the president of a company. Sensing my gaze, Claudia shot me a disdainful look before turning to comfort Gerald. Chapter 2 “There’s no need to go to the hospital. “Gerald, you’re too kind for your own good. That’s why you keep getting deceived by him. “Besides, if it weren’t for what Jayden did seven years ago, you wouldn’t have fallen into a coma. Even if he transplanted brainstem cells to you, it can’t make up for the seven years of youth that you’ve lost!” I frowned. “Seven years ago? What did I do?” Seeing the confusion on my face, Claudia gave a cold sneer. “I only spared you some dignity before because you’re my husband in name. That’s the only reason I didn’t punish you publicly. “Did you really think no one knew your true colors? “Seven years ago, Gerald was helping out on your project and accidentally entered the wrong data. It only caused one project to fall through. “To vent your anger, it wasn’t enough for you to pin the blame on Gerald during the meeting. You lured him out after work and deliberately pushed him off a building at a place without surveillance cameras. “At the end of the day, Jayden, if anyone should be leaving the company, it’s you!” Before I could respond, Isaac spoke up, frowning. “Claudia, that project was Jayden’s two years of hard work. Losing something worth tens of millions, are you really brushing it off as losing a mere project? “And the investigation back then already concluded that there was no evidence Jayden pushed him. It was only Gerald’s statement before he went into a coma. “Over the past years, it’s been Jayden managing the company for you. Otherwise, it would have already—” “Enough.” Claudia cut him off sharply. “This is my company’s business. It’s not your place, as an outsider, to interfere. “One more thing. Address me by my title at work. Please call me President Yates.” Watching her so fiercely defend Gerald, I couldn’t help clicking my tongue. It seemed she wasn’t just a terrible wife, but also an incompetent boss. Anyone who allowed personal emotions to dictate decisions involving tens of millions in business clearly had no business running a company with hundreds of employees. Seeing that I remained silent, Claudia assumed I felt guilty, and her eyes brimmed with smugness. “Forget it. I didn’t come here today to argue with you. “Jayden, considering you tried to make amends by donating your brainstem tissue to Gerald, if you apologize to him for what happened seven years ago, I might consider giving you another chance and reducing your punishment.” I shook my head and walked directly toward her and Gerald. “President Yates, there’s no need to consider it.” Seeing what she thought was obedience, she smiled with satisfaction. “That’s more like it. “As long as you’re as obedient as you used to be, I promise the company will always have a place for you.” Even now, Claudia believed I was the Jayden from her memories. She had no idea that I had truly lost my memory due to the surgery. The man standing before her now was no longer the husband who endured humiliation and compromised every single time. Instead, he was the young man from seven years ago, fresh out of university, filled with ambition and pride. And this time, I would never let myself be wronged again. Before Claudia could finish speaking, I interrupted her and handed her a document. “You’ve got it wrong. “I’ve already written my resignation letter; you just need to approve it. “As for the divorce agreement, it doesn’t matter if you don’t sign it. I’ve already contacted a lawyer to file a lawsuit. “When the time comes, don’t forget to show up in court!” … Seeing the resignation letter in my hand, Claudia immediately lost control of her emotions and crumpled it into a ball. It wasn’t until Gerald reminded her that she realized she’d lost her composure. Her face turned cold again. “Are you threatening me? “You think that because my family owed you a favor back then, I’d be afraid of people laughing at us if the story got out. So you’re certain I wouldn’t dare break up with you?” “A favor?” Seeing my confusion, Isaac whispered from the side, “Seven years ago, when Claudia’s family fell on hard times, you used your family’s connections to help her, and that’s why she married you.” Before I could fully process that information, Gerald seized the opportunity to play the victim. Chapter 3 “Jayden, I know you must resent me, but Coco and I are really just friends, and nothing more than a superior and a subordinate. “Even if she prays for me day and night and sends people to look after me every day, that’s only out of friendship. The person she truly loves has always been you.” Seeing Gerald’s smug expression, however, I almost threw up. Just as I was about to respond, Isaac pressed his hand on my shoulder and urged, “Jayden, don’t act on impulse. Just bear with it a little longer. “Three years ago, your parents died suddenly in a car accident. The group was thrown into chaos. After Claudia went into retreat, she issued a statement saying she would no longer involve herself in worldly affairs. She didn’t step in to help you, and you were gradually sidelined by the group. “If you fall out with her now, it’ll be even harder to reclaim your inheritance.” Listening to Isaac only worsened my impression of Claudia. Even an outsider like him knew these inside details. There was no way Claudia wasn’t aware of them. Yet she still chose to stand by and watch. Still, even without her help, I believed my talent and ability would be enough for me to carve out a future of my own. I cut Isaac off and looked straight at Claudia. “I don’t care what your relationship is. “And remember this. Today, I’m the one firing you.” With that, I didn’t bother waiting for her reaction and simply walked out with Isaac. As soon as we stepped out of the company, Isaac grabbed my arm and pressed me. “Have you lost your mind? “Never mind. You’ve got amnesia. Talking to you is pointless. I’ll go talk to Claudia again. For the sake of your seven-year marriage, she’ll surely cut you some slack.” I frowned. It seemed that over the past seven years, I’d lived a life even more pathetic than I imagined. I reached out and grabbed him. “Stop lecturing me. Come drink with me!” The moment I mentioned drinking, Isaac froze in his tracks and stared at me in disbelief. “Didn’t you quit drinking seven years ago because Claudia couldn’t stand the smell of cigarettes and alcohol? “You even got into a fight with us to prove you’d quit, saying you’d cut ties with anyone who ever mentioned alcohol in front of you.” The more I listened, the more absurd it sounded. As far as I could remember, I’d loved alcohol more than anything. Before I was even seven years old, I was already mixing orange powder with beer at home to make my own “cocktails.” I never thought I’d quit drinking for a woman who didn’t love me, or even fell out with a friend I’d known since childhood. That was beyond stupid. Coming to my senses, I gave Isaac a playful punch to the chest and chuckled. “After all those excuses, you’re not getting old and worried you can’t keep up with me, are you?” Isaac instantly flushed red and fired off a message in our circle of friends’ group chat. “Just you wait. Tonight I’m bringing all the guys over, and I’m going to drink you under the table!” … Soon enough, several close friends gathered, and everyone started talking at once, asking how I’d been lately. Eventually, the conversation circled back to Claudia. “I heard from Isaac that you’re getting a divorce?” “Yeah. Didn’t you use to say Claudia was the love of your life, and that you’d rather die than live without her?” Not wanting to worry my friends, I didn’t mention my memory loss. I simply smiled. “I just figured some things out. “Come, cheers!” After a few rounds, the mood grew lively and everyone started teasing me. From what they said, right after the wedding, Claudia had laid down a whole list of rules for me. No smoking. No drinking. Must be home before midnight. No questioning where she was. Not allowed to touch her phone. After Gerald’s accident, things got even worse. Claudia moved out to go to her retreat and completely stopped managing the company. Apparently, because I was worried about her health, I personally brewed healing broth every day and delivered it to her, rain or shine. It had been seven years, and I hadn’t even seen her once. I was even more speechless. In my memory, I had once been full of ambition and talent, determined to make a name for myself after graduation. Chapter 4 Yet, somehow, the longer I lived, the more miserable and stifled my life became. Still, deep in my heart, I couldn’t help feeling a little fortunate. Losing my memory was perhaps not a bad thing after all. Even though it was seven years too late, at least from now on, I could finally be myself again. Coming back to my senses, I smiled wryly. “Alright, don’t worry. I’ve already asked an agent to put the house up for sale. “Once the assets are divided, I’ll be completely rid of that crazy woman. After that—” “Say that again?” … I turned to look and froze in surprise. Claudia? Why was she here?” Wasn’t she the one who hated the smell of smoke and alcohol the most? “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be taking care of your precious Gerald?” As expected, she didn’t get angry and just gave me a piercing look. “It’s already one in the morning. “You promised you’d be home before midnight.” I thought this woman must be sick in the head and sneered. “We’re about to get a divorce. What’s the point of going home?” Claudia didn’t seem surprised. She calmly took out a bank card from her bag and held it out to me. “Isn’t this why you’re doing all this? You want money again. “How much do you want this time? Three million? Five million?” The word “again” immediately caught my attention. From the way she said it, this clearly wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. My expression darkened. I knocked the card out of her hand. “Who wants your filthy money? “You’re not welcome here. Get out. Don’t ruin our drinking.” I turned around and ordered two more crates of alcohol from the waiter. I didn’t see Claudia’s expression. I only heard the sharp, heavy sound of her heels clacking heavily against the floor. The moment she was gone, my buddies gathered around me. “Are you really Jayden Clement? Since when did you grow a spine?” “Did you see the look on Claudia’s face? She was red with anger. It was the first time I’ve seen the so-called ‘Ice Queen of Jorswe’ this angry!” I just smiled and opened another bottle of alcohol. “Don’t make a big deal out of this. Come on, bottoms up!” … It wasn’t until the following afternoon that I decided to go home. On the way, I looked at the marriage license in my hand and couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. That morning, my lawyer rushed over to tell me the lawsuit had been rejected. I couldn’t file for a divorce. At first, I thought there was something wrong with the paperwork, but he said it was because Claudia and I weren’t legally married at all. In other words, our marriage license was fake. Whatever trick Claudia had used back then, and whatever reason she had for deceiving me, I couldn’t remember, and frankly, I didn’t care anymore. I never wanted to be with her in the first place, so this actually saved me a lot of trouble. I just needed to go home and pack up. Of course, Claudia’s bags. Last night, my buddies said that when I first got together with Claudia, I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I never even considered a prenuptial agreement on the basis that I would never divorce in my lifetime. I’d always thought dividing assets would be a hassle. I never expected Claudia to be even more ruthless than I imagined. She never even registered our marriage. Since that’s the case, the house naturally still belonged to me. While she was out with Gerald during the day, I planned to clear out all her belongings so she wouldn’t argue with me about it later. The moment I opened the door, though, I froze in my tracks. Claudia was curled up on the sofa in the living room. Dark circles hung under her eyes, as if she hadn’t slept all night. Just as I was bracing myself for another explosive argument, Claudia pressed her fingers to her temples and spoke calmly. “You’re back… “I have a headache. Make that healing broth for me from before?” Only then did I notice the floor beneath the table had empty liquor bottles scattered everywhere. I was momentarily stunned. Hadn’t Isaac said last night that Claudia never drank alcohol, and that even the smell alone made her nauseous? Chapter 5 Why had she suddenly drunk so much? And the healing broth she mentioned, I hadn’t the slightest recollection of it. Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I waved a hand dismissively as I said, “I told you, I’ve lost my memory. I have absolutely no idea what broth you’re talking about. “Besides, you’re not paralyzed. It’s just a headache. Why didn’t you just order some takeout and buy yourself painkillers?” Claudia flinched, then frowned and said, “Jayden, there’s a limit to throwing a tantrum. “How could you not know about my headaches? You spent half a year pestering that medical expert to get that recipe. “If you’re sulking over what happened at the company, then I’ll say this one last time. There’s nothing between Gerald and me. I only want to make up for the seven years of his youth he lost because of you. “If I really loved him, I would’ve married him seven years ago. Do you really think it would’ve been you?” Listening to her high-and-mighty excuses, I could only find it laughable. I must have been blind to waste seven years of my life on a woman who didn’t love me. If I’d spent that time developing my career instead of brewing healing broths, I’d probably already be successful by now. “Are you done? I’ve got work to do.” Seeing my indifference, Claudia suddenly sat upright. “You’re not going to do anything for me? “Jayden… you’re not usually like this. “We’ve been married for seven years, and you’ve never once refused me. But lately you’ve been pushing me away and resisting me time and again. What exactly do you want this time?” I found this funny. “I’ve said it. I want a divorce.” I went to the bedroom to pack. I was only halfway through when a scream suddenly came from the kitchen. When I rushed over, Claudia was sitting on the floor, clutching her hand that had been scalded badly enough to blister. Apparently, she couldn’t bring herself to ask me for help, so she tried to make the broth and ended up burning herself. Instead of treating the burn, though, she just stared straight at me. I frowned, hesitated for a moment before I walked over. A triumphant smile immediately curled up at the corners of her mouth. “I knew it. You still can’t bear to—” Before she could finish, I walked right past her. “Move! “You left the gas stove on. What if it exploded and blew up my house?” … Only after confirming the gas was completely turned off did I finally breathe out in relief and head back to the room to continue packing. Claudie’s face flushed red with anger. I couldn’t be bothered with her and dragged her luggage toward the door, ready to toss it outside. It was only then that she realized what I was doing, looking utterly bewildered. “Why are you packing my stuff?” I looked at her, baffled. “To throw them outside, obviously. And to ask you to leave.” “You’re kicking me out?!” She froze for a moment before letting out a contemptuous laugh. “Where did you pick up this trick? “I’ll admit, you almost fooled me just now. “But… you forgot about that.” Claudia pointed at my ring finger. The ring was simple, but engraved along the band were the initials of both our names. That must’ve been the wedding ring she and I had exchanged. Perhaps because I’d worn it for so long that I’d forgotten it was even there. “If you really want to divorce me, then why are you still keep—” I yanked it off and tossed it outside along with the luggage. Her expression instantly darkened. Just as she was about to speak, Gerald happened to walk in and witness the scene. Naturally, he wouldn’t let this golden opportunity slip by. He immediately feigned tears. “Jayden, so you really are jealous of me after all.” Was this guy insane? Jealous? With that kind of energy, I’d rather do something productive. Why must I make things so hard for myself? Gerald had no intention of letting it go. He put on another act of deep sorrow. Chapter 6 “Jayden, I know you hate me, but Coco cares about you. That’s why she’s angry with you. “You’ve gone too far today. That’s your wedding ring. How could you have just thrown it away like that? “Think about it. She’s a young woman who’s had to run an entire company all these years. With all that pressure, it’s only natural she’d snap at you sometimes. Why can’t you just try to understand her?” If my friends hadn’t told me the truth last night, I might actually have believed him. For seven years, she’d abandoned everything and run off to hide in the mountains, while every single company project had been handled and pushed forward by me alone. What did any of it have to do with her? Before I could snap back, Gerald suddenly took my hand. “It’s my fault, Jayden. “I’m willing to apologize to you. Let’s bury the hatchet from now on. Together we can help Coco shoulder the pressure and make the company bigger, stronger!” One second, he gave a cold chuckle, and the next, he suddenly collapsed to the ground, wailing in pain. Claudia froze, then hurried forward to help him up before turning and slapping me hard across the face. “Jayden, Gerald has already made a concession. Why did you push him? Don’t you know he just had the surgery? “Do you want to kill him again?!” Seeing her indignant expression struck me speechless. It seemed Claudia had indeed drunk too much to have gotten such a bad judgment. No matter how frail Gerald looked, he couldn’t possibly collapse like a piece of paper from a simple push, could he? “I didn’t push him. He fell on his own.” “So you’re saying Gerald would risk his life just to frame you?” Before Claudia could finish her tirade, Gerald put on an understanding act and grabbed her arm. “Coco, don’t misunderstand. Jayden isn’t that kind of person. “Whether it was seven years ago or just now, it was just my old low blood sugar acting up again. “Please don’t argue with Jayden because of me.” Watching his pretense nearly made me throw up all the alcohol I’d drunk the night before. I might not remember the past seven years, but I was no fool. Once bitten, twice shy, after all. I raised my hand and slapped Gerald across the face, and he was stunned into stillness right where he stood. Before Claudia could accuse me, I casually spread my hands. “See? I couldn’t even knock him over with that much force. How could I possibly have pushed him over without you noticing?” Claudie sobered up considerably, standing there pretty stunned. “You’ve completely lost your mind! “Regardless, you shouldn’t lay a hand on someone unwell! “Didn’t you suspect something between Gerald and me? Fine. If that’s what you want, I’ll move out right now and live with him!” As she turned to leave, I suddenly grabbed her arm. “Wait!” Claudia stopped in her tracks, crossed her arms, and studied my expression with a smirk. “What, having second thoughts? “Weren’t you the one who insisted on kicking me out and divorcing me? “I’ll admit, I’ve had my faults these past seven years. But if you apologize to Gerald, I can pretend these past few days never happened and move back from the mountains. “After all, we’ve been married for seven years. Didn’t you want a child with me before? As long as you behave, I can give you—” Her sentence was cut short as I frowned in disgust. I tossed the fake marriage license onto the table. “We’re not even husband and wife. What child are you talking about? “Also, you’ve got it wrong again. “I’m not trying to keep you. You’ve just been freeloading in my house for seven years. Pay the rent, then get out!”