The Unwanted Wife's Stunning Comeback

On their third wedding anniversary, Adelina Spencer prepared an elaborate dinner. She waited alone from early afternoon until darkness fell.

She couldn't help but check her phone again. The message thread still ended with the texts she had sent to Andrew Harrison that afternoon.

"The food is ready. What time will you be back? You said you'd be free today, right?"

"Still in a meeting?"

"Can't make it for lunch. Will you be home for dinner?"

...

No reply came.

Just as she was debating whether to send another message, her phone buzzed. A reply.

"Yes. We need to talk."

A wild surge of hope shot through Adelina. She practically leaped from her chair, her face lighting up with a joy so sharp it ached.

He had something to tell her. Could it be about their anniversary?

The thought that Andrew might actually remember their special day filled her with a fragile, tentative hope. Maybe, just maybe, he would have a gift for her for the very first time.

Fueled by this newfound anticipation, she eagerly reheated the dishes that had already gone cold—an act of faith in their marriage.

When the clock hand finally pointed to eight, the sound of bubbly laughter drifted in from outside. It was their son, Lucas Harrison.

A genuine smile finally touched Adelina's lips as she hurried to open the door.

"Why are you back so late? Did you have a lot of homework...?"

Lucas didn't so much as glance at her. He headed straight for the stairs.

Startled, Adelina instinctively reached out and gently caught his arm. "Lucas, you haven't eaten. Where are you running off to?"

Lucas finally seemed to notice her, shaking off her hand with a flash of impatience.

"Mom, just leave me alone! I'm busy!"

The irritation in his voice was like a physical blow.

She forced a smile. "I made all your favorite dishes for dinner, and even those blueberry cupcakes you love..."

"Ugh, I said I don't want any!"

Halfway up the stairs, Lucas suddenly stopped. He turned, his eyes bright with a new thought.

"Save the cupcakes! I'm bringing them for Emmalyn tomorrow. It's her favorite!"

Emmalyn?

Emmalyn. The woman Andrew had never been able to forget. His one true love.

Adelina's vision wavered. She took a halfstep forward, a question forming on her lips.

But Lucas was completely indifferent to her reaction, already scampering happily up the stairs.

"Mary!"

Adelina stopped the housekeeper, who had been trying to slip away unnoticed. Her voice trembled.

"You... you already knew, didn't you? Lucas and Emmalyn... how long?"

Mary realized that there was no escape and her shoulders slumped. She sighed.

"Miss Bennett returned to the country about three months ago. She met Lucas a couple of times, and they seemed to hit it off. After that... they started making plans to go out together."

The words landed like a slap. Adelina squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to breathe.

"So he didn't have extra classes today. He was out with Emmalyn, wasn't he?"

Mary's expression turned miserable. "He was supposed to come home after class, but Miss Bennett showed up at the school gate to pick him up. I wanted to tell you, but... Mr. Harrison..."

The housekeeper's voice trailed off as she stole a pitying glance at Adelina's face.

A cold dread washed over her. The words flew from her mouth before she could stop them.

"Andrew told you not to tell me."

Mary hesitated, then replied in a small voice, "Mr. Harrison... he was just worried you'd be upset."

Wearily, Adelina waved her off.

"It's fine. You can go."

She stumbled over to the sofa and collapsed, all the strength draining from her body.

Of course. How could a child like Lucas meet Emmalyn on his own?

Someone must have introduced them. Someone who was already seeing her.

Her own son had been spending time with her husband's old flame for three months, and she, his mother, had been kept completely in the dark.

She didn't know how long she sat there before the sound of the front door opening broke the silence.

Andrew stepped inside, the crisp night air clinging to his suit. He shrugged off his overcoat, then paused, realizing the woman who always rushed to greet him was nowhere to be seen.

He finally looked up. The dining table was covered with dishes, steam still faintly rising from them. On the sofa in the living room sat his wife, looking painfully thin and utterly desolate.

"What's the occasion?" he asked. "You made quite a spread."

Seeing that Adelina still wasn't moving to help him, Andrew hung up his own coat and loosened his tie.

"I already ate," he stated simply.

Adelina didn't make a sound. She wanted to ask if he'd eaten with Emmalyn, but the words died on her lips.

Was she just being paranoid?

After all, they had grown up together. Setting aside their romantic past, wasn't it normal for him to welcome back an old friend?

"Today is..." She finally gathered the courage to speak.

Just as she pressed a hand to the sofa cushion to stand, a document landed heavily on the coffee table.

"Sign it," he said coldly. "This has dragged on long enough."

On the cover, in stark, bold letters: Divorce Agreement.

Adelina's eyes widened. A highpitched ringing filled her ears as her vision tunneled.

This wasn't the first time Andrew had brought up divorce.

In their threeyear sham of a marriage, he proposed it every time they argued. And every single time, Adelina had been the one to bow her head, apologize, and beg him to relent.

Year after year, the cycle repeated. She had always believed that if she just poured every ounce of her love into him, one day he would finally turn around and see her.

Now she knew it was nothing but a fool's dream.

Adelina sank to her knees beside the coffee table and reached for the pen.

A flicker of surprise crossed Andrew's eyes before his expression went flat again. "You'll be taken care of financially. The money I've transferred to your account is yours. You'll also get the Azure Bay villa, the cars you use, and five percent of the group's shares..."

Adelina's fingers tightened around the pen, then she abruptly set it down.

She lifted her eyes to his, a desperate light flickering in them. "What about Lucas? Can... can he come with me?"

At her words, Andrew's detached expression instantly turned to ice. He looked down at her with contempt.

"Adelina, are you trying to use our son to threaten me again?"

His words were like ice water in her face. She stared, stunned.

"What..."

"Wasn't using the child how you tricked me into this marriage in the first place? After all these years, aren't you tired of it yet?"

Horrified shock widened Adelina's eyes. She scrambled to explain, "No! I was set up back then. I was a victim—"

"Enough, Adelina."

Andrew sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette. "Isn't three years as Mrs. Harrison enough for you?"

The slowly spiraling smoke blurred his features.

As tears finally began to spill from her eyes, Adelina heard her own voice, as if from a great distance.

"Fine. We'll get a divorce. I hope you'll be happy."

Adelina scribbled her name across the divorce papers with frantic finality, not daring to spare another glance at the man on the sofa. She rose clumsily and fled upstairs to the master bedroom, her every movement a testament to her raw humiliation.

Only once she was completely out of Andrew's sight did she allow herself to slump against the back of the door, her strength draining away. More than her body, it was her heart that felt utterly exhausted.

Three years of marriage. It all felt like a desperate, beautiful fantasy. Now that it had shattered, she no longer knew who to blame, or if blame even mattered.

Perhaps neither of them was at fault. Maybe love simply couldn't be forced. The realization settled over her with a quiet, tired acceptance.

She dragged in a deep breath and began the silent work of emptying her side of the closet. Without ceremony, she pulled out her clothes, one piece after another, and shoved them into a suitcase.

It had been a shotgun wedding, a marriage born from an unexpected pregnancy. After Lucas was born, she'd poured every ounce of herself into their family, her own identity slowly dissolving. Her wardrobe reflected that sacrifice—simple, practical pieces chosen for housework and looking after her husband and son, not for herself.

One large suitcase was all it took to hold everything she owned in the Harrison household.

Adelina dragged the suitcase out of the bedroom, pausing at the door to cast one last look at the space where she'd lived for three years. A pang of bittersweet longing for what could have been pricked at her, but she forced herself to turn away, her posture resolute. She found Andrew still in the living room and walked right up to him.

Without a word, she met his gaze and pulled her wedding ring off right in front of him.

"Take it," she said, her voice flat.

Andrew's eyes dropped to the ring in her outstretched hand, but his attention was caught by something else: the faint, pale band of skin on her finger, a mark left from how long she'd worn it. His eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of something unreadable in their depths.

The ring had been too small when he'd bought it. She'd worked so hard to lose weight just to squeeze into it, a silent pledge of her commitment. For three years, she'd never once taken it off.

Now, watching her surrender it so decisively, Andrew felt an unfamiliar knot tighten in his chest.

He looked up, feigning nonchalance as his gaze drifted to the suitcase standing behind her. His brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"There's no rush for you to move out," he said, his tone deceptively casual.

"What?"

The word escaped her before she could stop it, her heart giving a sudden, traitorous lurch. Adelina frowned at him. For one foolish, desperate second, a flicker of hope ignited within her—the thought that he might actually be asking her to stay.

But his next words made her silently mock her own wishful thinking.

"The legal process will take about a month to finalize," he explained, his tone cold and pragmatic. "You can use that time to find a place. Get your affairs in order before you leave."

A bitter, fractured smile touched Adelina's lips at his detached, businesslike manner.

She shook her head slowly, her eyes clear and unwavering. "Since we're getting divorced, a clean break is better," she said, her refusal absolute. It was the only way.

The sooner she was gone, the less chance she'd have to nurse any more false hopes.

Andrew's lips pressed into a thin line. A brief silence hung between them. "Suit yourself," he said finally, his voice carrying a distinct chill.

"I'm going to say goodbye to Lucas."

Just as she turned to leave, Andrew's cold voice stopped her.

"Grandma has had a few health scares recently," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "The doctors said she can't handle any major shocks. For now, don't mention the divorce to anyone."

His words brought Joan Harrison's kind, gentle face to mind.

The old woman was one of the few people in the family who had ever treated her well, and had even scolded Andrew on her behalf more than once.

Even if Andrew hadn't said anything, Adelina would have kept the news from Joan.

"I understand," she replied, her voice regaining a measure of calm.

Her quiet, almost detached compliance seemed to surprise Andrew. He had halfexpected her to throw a fit, to run crying to his grandmother and use the old woman's affection to cling to her place in the family.

He watched her, his eyes dark and pensive, his gaze lingering on her face a moment too long.

"We'll still need to act like a married couple in front of her," he added.

It wasn't a request, but a logistical requirement. "Fine," she murmured, her thoughts already elsewhere.

Nodding, she changed the subject. "I'm going to check on Lucas. See if he's asleep."

She knew Andrew would never willingly give her custody of their son, but she had to try. There was always a small, desperate hope: if Lucas wanted to come with her, Andrew usually respected his son's wishes. He might even let him go. It was a fragile lifeline, and she clung to it.

Adelina walked to the children's room just down the hall. She paused, lifted her hand, and knocked gently.

"Lucas? Are you still awake? Can Mommy come in for a minute?"

Her voice was soft, hesitant, almost pleading. A long silence answered her. Her expression fell, a feeling of defeat washing over her. Assuming he was already asleep, she was about to leave when a voice from inside the room stopped her—overly cheerful and drifting right through the door.

"Emmalyn, can you come see me early tomorrow? Pleeeease? I'm going to have your favorite blueberry cupcakes ready for you!"

Her son's sweet, pleading tone pierced Adelina's heart.

There was a time when Lucas had used that same voice with her. She couldn't even pinpoint when it had changed, but lately, he'd grown so cold and dismissive. Every conversation felt like a chore for him.

Adelina clenched her fingers into a fist, then deliberately loosened them. Taking a steadying breath, she pushed the door open.

"Sweetheart, Mommy needs to talk to you about something—"

The instant the door opened, Lucas ended the call with a frantic jab of his thumb.

He was sitting on his small bed, and he turned to glare at her.

"Mom! Don't you know how to knock?" he snapped.

The words hit her like a physical blow. The childish cruelty in his voice twisted in her chest. Her steps faltered, and she reflexively managed a small, pleading smile.

"Sorry, baby. Mommy was in a hurry. I just wanted to ask you... would you like to..."

"No!"

Lucas cut her off before she could even finish, his impatience a shield. "Why can't you be more like Emmalyn? She's so amazing."

Adelina froze, the words so unexpected she felt the air leave her lungs.

"You don't do anything," Lucas continued, his voice a torrent of pentup resentment. "You just spend Dad's money, and you're always nagging me. I'm too embarrassed to tell my friends about you! I wish Emmalyn was my mom!"

The confession was so impatient, so final, that Adelina felt the floor vanish beneath her feet. She opened her mouth, a desperate denial on her lips, but Lucas had already lost interest. He lowered his head and began scrolling idly through his phone.

The bright screen showed his chat with Emmalyn, the notification icon still active. Adelina's heart plummeted.

She took one last look at her son, then stepped back out of the room and pulled the door shut behind her without another word.

She grabbed her suitcase and called a cab, her movements swift and efficient, a woman determined to leave. As she walked out the front door, she didn't spare a single glance for Andrew, who was still sitting on the living room sofa.

Andrew stared at the door long after she'd gone, the image of her clean, quiet exit replaying in his mind. A strange, unfamiliar irritation pricked at him, a feeling he couldn't quite name.

Away from the house, Adelina went straight to a small apartment she'd had the foresight to buy years ago. It had been her sanctuary after the occasional fight with Andrew, a place to cool down. She'd never imagined it would become her only refuge.

Exhausted, she didn't have the energy to dwell on it. She barely managed to wash up before collapsing into bed and falling into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, she took an early cab to Harrison Group and submitted her formal letter of resignation.

She had only joined the company to be closer to Andrew. Now that the marriage was over, there was no reason to stay.

"Can the paperwork be finalized today?" she asked, her voice direct and professional, laced with a quiet urgency.

She fixed her stare on Alan Marshall, Andrew's personal secretary.

Alan, one of the few people who knew about her relationship with Andrew, wiped a bead of sweat from his temple, not daring to meet her eyes. "Just a moment. I'll have to get Mr. Harrison's approval."

Adelina paused, a sense of reluctance settling in her stomach.

"Does he really have to be told?" she asked, the words slipping out.

Alan gave her an apologetic look. "I'm afraid so. Your employment was personally approved by Mr. Harrison. I can't process the resignation without his signoff."

"I see. Thank you," she said quietly, her politeness masking her exhaustion.

She was still trapped in his orbit. Back at her desk, she was debating whether to get coffee when her eyes locked onto two figures stepping out of the executive elevator.

The man, sharp in a bespoke suit, commanded the space. But it was the transformation in him that stole her breath. His expression, usually a mask of cold stoicism, softened into a rare, gentle warmth the moment he turned to the woman beside him.

It was a look she had never once received. Adelina felt her breath catch painfully in her throat. The last person she had ever expected to see here was standing right in front of her.

Emmalyn Bennett.

The one he'd never gotten over.

What was she doing here with Andrew? At the office?

Adelina's first instinct was to turn and walk away, but Andrew caught sight of her first.

Seeing her obvious attempt to avoid him, he felt a flash of irritation, and the words slipped out before he could stop them.

"What are you doing here?"

Adelina froze, then looked back. Andrew's brow was furrowed, his unreadable gaze scrutinizing her.

Suddenly, the entire situation felt bitterly ridiculous.

Did Andrew really think she was here to chase after him? What kind of person did he take her for?

She let out a cold laugh. "Maybe because I'm still technically an employee here."

At the sight of Adelina, a flicker of something crossed Emmalyn's face, but it vanished in an instant. Her usual smile slipped back into place as she spoke tactfully.

"Andy, if you two need to talk, go ahead. I can find my own way to the office."

But in the next moment, Andrew caught her by the wrist.

"You're my special consultant. You don't have to go anywhere."

Special consultant?

The words sent a jolt through Adelina.

No wonder Andrew had broken his promise so abruptly.

He had promised her that if she secured the major land acquisition deal on the west side, he would transfer her to a consultant role.

She had worked herself to the bone for that deal—pulling allnighters to do research, enduring rounds of drinks at business dinners that nearly landed her in the hospital. Yet when she'd strode back into the office, project file in hand, Andrew had casually told her the consultant position had already been filled.

At the time, though hurt, she had believed Andrew was acting in the company's best interest.

Now she saw the truth—she had just been fooling herself.

It was proof of how much Emmalyn meant to him. Enough to make a man who prided himself on his principles abandon them without a second thought.

Seeing them standing together, looking like the perfect couple, Adelina felt like a complete fool for all the years she had wasted.

She pressed her lips together, about to mention her resignation, but Andrew cut her off, his impatience obvious.

"You agreed to the divorce. You signed the papers. There's no going back."

Andrew frowned, watching her with displeasure. He was convinced she was having second thoughts and had come to cause a scene.

To think he'd actually believed she had changed. Yesterday must have been an act—playing hard to get.

And she had clearly overplayed her hand. His contempt for her deepened.

Adelina stared at his cold expression, her hands curling into fists at her sides. Her gaze flicked between him and Emmalyn. "Don't worry, Mr. Harrison. I know my place.I won't get in your way, or Miss Bennett's."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The mention of Emmalyn brought a flash of cold anger to Andrew's eyes, and his voice turned sharp.

"Ms. Spencer, Andy and I aren't what you think. You've misunderstood," Emmalyn said in her usual soft, demure voice.

If Adelina hadn't been so caught in the middle of it all, she might have actually believed Emmalyn's earnest, innocent expression.

"Emmalyn, you don't need to explain yourself to her," Andrew snapped. "A woman who schemes as much as she does assumes everyone else does, too."

Adelina watched coldly as Andrew shielded Emmalyn behind him, glaring at the woman who was still his wife as if she were an enemy.

Even though she had long given up on him, the sight still sent a sharp pang through her chest.

So in his eyes, she, the wife, didn't even deserve an explanation when another woman was clinging to her husband.

How ironic.

"Move. Emmalyn and I have work to do. Unlike you, who spends her days consumed by jealousy and doing nothing."

Deep down, Andrew never believed Adelina could have anything important to discuss with him.

Facing his contempt, Adelina drew a deep breath, her calm expression hardening into steel.

Seeing her still rooted to the spot, Andrew's last shred of patience evaporated. Just as he was about to lash out again, his personal secretary, Alan, approached them.

When Alan saw Adelina with Andrew and Emmalyn, surprise flickered in his eyes before he quickly masked it.

"Mrs. Harrison, have you already discussed your resignation with Mr. Harrison?"

He held out a freshly printed resignation letter, presenting it to Andrew with deference.

"Resignation?"

A rare look of bewilderment crossed Andrew's face as he stared at Adelina's calm expression. It hadn't occurred to him that she would use resigning as a threat to stop the divorce.

"What trick are you trying to pull now? Don't tell me you plan to quit and then run crying to my grandmother."

He fixed her with a suspicious, searching look.

Without the title of Mrs. Harrison, and now without a job, she probably wouldn't even be able to support herself.

"I'm not as despicable as you think, Mr. Harrison."

Adelina met Andrew's gaze, her own expression unyielding. All her former gentleness and obedience were gone.

Andrew was momentarily stung. An inexplicable irritation rose in him.

"You'd better be telling the truth."

He took the pen Alan offered and signed his name without a moment's hesitation.

"I hope you don't regret this."

"I won't."

Adelina took the letter from him, turned, and walked away. Her steps were light, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, with no attachment to the place she had worked for years.

Andrew narrowed his eyes, watching her retreating figure in silence.

Since last night, Adelina had been different. Before, if he'd brought up divorce, she would have fought him tooth and nail.

"Andy, are... are you okay?"

Emmalyn glanced at his dark expression and pressed her lips together.

Her voice shook him from his thoughts, clearing the confusion from his mind.

They were getting divorced now. Whatever happened to Adelina was no longer his concern.

The moment Adelina stepped out of the Harrison Group's main entrance, she felt completely unburdened. The warm sunlight felt like a fresh start, burning away the shadows of the past few years.

She drew a deep breath and made a firm decision: from now on, she would never swallow her pride again.

For the sake of love, she had once lowered herself so much she had nearly forgotten who she was.

A sudden ringtone shattered her thoughts.

Adelina pulled out her phone. The name on the screen made her breath catch.

Paige Smith—her closest roommate and best friend from school. But after marrying Andrew, Adelina had become so absorbed in her new life that she'd drifted away from her old friends. Over the years, they had only exchanged sporadic holiday messages.

Adelina swallowed nervously and answered the call.

A familiar voice burst through the phone.

"Adelina, it's an emergency! You have to save me!"

Hearing the panic in Paige's voice, Adelina furrowed her brow with worry.

"What's going on?"

"I took on a restoration job for this incredibly rare colonialera painting. I thought it would be easy, but it's a disaster. The damage is so bad, no one in my studio can fix it. I've called everyone I know, and they can't help either. If it were just any client, I wouldn't be this stressed, but my family has a major business deal tied to this. If I can't fix this painting, my father will literally kill me—or at least cut off all my funding. My studio will be finished."

Paige sounded like she was about to cry. "I know you stopped taking commissions after you got married, but I'm at my wit's end. Please, just this once!"

The line went quiet. Paige's hope deflated as she remembered how Adelina had abandoned her entire career for Andrew.

"Ah... forget it. I shouldn't have put you in this position. I'll figure something out..."

"I'll handle it."