The End of Our Vows

I loved Cassidy more than anything. Although she had been involved with countless men, and she had even cheated on me with Henry, the fake heir, I still couldn't bring myself to let her go. I worked out, took medication, and did everything I could because I wanted to have a child with her. When the doctor finally told me today that I met the required fertility criteria, I grabbed the test results and rushed straight to her office. "Cassidy, I–" My voice came to an abrupt halt. Cassidy was passionately kissing her new male secretary with her arms wrapped around him. She glanced at me impatiently. "Get out!" I suddenly came to my senses. I could accept having a wife like her, but could our future child accept having a mother like her? Chapter 1 Thirty minutes later, the office door finally opened. It was the new male secretary. He straightened his disheveled clothes and gave me a disdainful snort before swaggering away. I, Jeremy Sandler, had seen this kind of provocation hundreds of times. At first, it would break my heart and bring me to tears. Now, I was actually used to it. I pushed open the door. Cassidy Simone heard my footsteps. She turned around, and the moment she saw me, her brows furrowed. "What are you doing back here? "Didn't I tell you not to come to the company unless there's something important?" I hesitated. Suddenly, I stuffed the medical report in my hand into my bag and said, "Cassidy, let's get a divorce." She stopped smoking for a moment. She then snorted and looked at me. "What? Can't take it anymore? You were the one who begged and begged, doing everything you could to marry me." Just as she finished speaking, the phone on her desk vibrated twice. It was a call from Henry Sandler. Cassidy glanced at it without making any attempt to hide the call from me. She spoke in a flirty voice. "Did you miss me? "Of course I love you the most. You're my darling. "Are you back in the country? Okay. I'll see you in a little while." The faint sound of a man's laughter came from the other end. A few minutes later, Cassidy hung up and shifted her attention back to me. She lifted her chin and nodded toward the other corner of the desk. "The divorce agreement is over there. I've already signed it. "If you want to sign it, go ahead. "It's not like this is the first time you've threatened me with divorce." Cassidy stood up, casually grabbed the coat from the back of her chair, and headed to the door. After a moment, she stopped and deliberately reminded me, "Oh, and don't wait for me at home tonight. There's no point in pretending to wait for me every day. "My mom sees you doing that and keeps nagging me about it." With that, she opened the door and walked out without hesitation. Faced with Cassidy's humiliation and contempt, I should've collapsed to the floor and sobbed uncontrollably. Oddly enough, I didn't shed a single tear. I walked over to Cassidy's desk and picked up the divorce agreement. On the last page, her name was scrawled across the signature line. "Heh." I shook my head and gave a self-deprecating chuckle. I didn't bother reading the clauses on the preceding pages. The division of property, emotional damages, and everything else no longer meant anything to me. I retrieved a pen from the holder. Stroke by stroke, I signed the document and took a copy of the divorce agreement with me. It wasn't until I walked out of the company that I retrieved the semen analysis report, which confirmed my fertility, from my pocket alongside the early-stage stomach cancer diagnosis. I had wanted to leave Cassidy with a child. Chapter 2 When I returned to the villa, I realized Hannah Simone, Cassidy's adoptive mother, had been waiting for me for a long time. The moment she saw me, she came over and asked, "Jeremy, you're finally home. "You went to the hospital for your checkup today. Did you get the results? You've barely had an appetite these past few days. Are you feeling unwell?" I lowered my gaze and calmly lied to her. "Not at all, Hannah. "The doctor said I only have a digestive problem. I ate a little too much and experienced indigestion. It's nothing serious." Hannah had always treated me well. Since I had already made up my mind to get a divorce, there was no reason to make her worry about me. The concern on Hannah's face faded, but her tone remained gentle. "Oh, that's good to hear. Your health is the most important thing. I'll have Jessie make you some soup to help with your digestion. Drink some later." "Thank you, Hannah." Hannah seemed like she wanted to say something else, but the villa door was pushed open again. Was it Cassidy? Hadn't she said she wasn't coming home tonight? A pair of black leather shoes appeared behind her. A handsome man showed up. It was Henry. "Mrs. Simone, Jeremy. Cassidy brought me home for dinner. I hope you won't mind." The smile on Hannah's face instantly disappeared. She glared at Cassidy. She could look the other way when Cassidy messed around outside, but bringing other guys back to our place was simply disrespectful to me. "Cassidy, you–" I hurried forward and gently tried to calm Hannah down. "Hannah, the doctor said you shouldn't get upset because of your poor health. It's only a meal. Don't worry about it." I then turned to face Cassidy and Henry. I smiled and said, "I don't mind. Jessie, could you please add two more place settings? The food's already prepared. You two can wash your hands and sit down." Perhaps my reaction was too calm. Cassidy raised an eyebrow in surprise. It seemed like she couldn't figure out what game I was playing. At the dinner table, Henry smiled brightly as he repeatedly used the serving spoon to pile Cassidy’s favorite dishes onto her plate. He spoke in a very sweet tone. "Cassidy, try this. You've been working so hard lately. You need to eat more." Cassidy didn't refuse. Instead, she smiled, picked up a piece of deboned fish, and naturally held it up to Henry's mouth. "Have some of this." Henry smiled and took the bite directly from her spoon. Right after their eyes met, he deliberately gave me a look. Hannah's face turned pale, but in the end, she said nothing. She simply set her spoon down. "I'm full." She quickly left. I didn't look up. I continued eating slowly and calmly. The doctor had told me that morning that I had early-stage stomach cancer. Fortunately, it had been detected early, and timely treatment could still save me. During this period, I needed to eat properly. Otherwise, by the time of my surgery next week, I might not even be fit to go under the knife. Cassidy seemed bored by my calm reaction. After seeing that Hannah had left the table, she giggled and leaned against Henry's chest before deliberately saying, "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Don't sleep in the master bedroom tonight. "Henry and I are going to sleep there. "You can sleep in the guest room." Henry let out a chuckle at just the right moment before wrapping his arm tightly around her. "Oh, Cassidy. Don't say things like that in front of everyone. It's embarrassing." Only then did I look up. "Okay." I stood up and continued speaking. "I'm done eating. Enjoy your meal." Sleeping in either the master bedroom or the guest room made no difference to me. I wasn't particular about where I slept. For a patient, getting enough sleep was more important. However, an inexplicable anger suddenly flared inside Cassidy. She abruptly pushed Henry away. She then walked over to me and blocked my path. She grabbed my wrist and yelled, "Stop right there! Jeremy, what's with that attitude?" Chapter 3 Cassidy's sudden accusation caught me off guard. What was she angry about? In the past, I had been like a hysterical madman who did everything I could to catch her cheating. I went through her phone to look for flirty messages and tried every possible way to keep her away from other men. Back then, she had been utterly fed up with me. She even called me unreasonable and said I was crazy. Wasn't this better? Somehow, Cassidy still wasn't satisfied. She thought I was giving her the cold shoulder. I suddenly felt exhausted. I took a deep breath. After pulling my wrist free from Cassidy's grip, I said calmly, "I'm not giving you an attitude. I'm just tired and want to rest." After taking a few steps forward, I suddenly recalled something and stopped. I turned around and said, "Cassidy, I've signed the divorce agreement. I left the original place where it was. If you have time tomorrow, let's go to city hall and get the divorce registered." The anger on Cassidy's face faded. Suddenly, she laughed. "Heh. Stop pretending to be such a gentleman. You're still upset, aren't you? "Let me make one thing clear. You can't treat divorce like a game. Once you calm down and regret it, don't come begging me to call it off. It won't be that easy. My patience has limits." After she finished speaking, she looked at me smugly. I recalled how, when we had first gotten married, I often threatened Cassidy with divorce. In the end, she had dragged me to the city hall by force, and I was the one who cried and begged to go home. I was too dumb back then. Cassidy had never loved me. To her, divorcing me would actually be a relief. I murmured 'okay' to acknowledge her words. I then quietly returned to one of the guest rooms. The master bedroom was on the second floor, while most of the guest rooms were on the third. Normally, there should have been no reason for our paths to cross. I had no idea what had gotten into Cassidy tonight. She had said she would sleep in the master bedroom, but instead, she dragged Henry into the guest room right next to mine. Her giggles, flirty whispers, and audible moans drifted clearly into my room. I was a patient, and it was already hard to fall into deep slumber. I spent the entire night unable to sleep because of the noise. Oddly enough, hearing those sounds now didn't hurt anymore. I was simply annoyed at being disturbed. Only then did I realize that I didn't love Cassidy anymore. At breakfast the next morning, Cassidy looked at the dark circles beneath my eyes. She smiled smugly. "What's the matter? Couldn't sleep last night? Has that finally cleared your head? "Do you still want to go to the city hall to get our divorce registered?" I looked up from my phone and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go. "The driver is already waiting outside. I made an appointment for nine this morning. Once you finish breakfast, we can leave. It won't take much of your time. It'll be over in twenty minutes. "I haven't told Mrs. Simone yet. She's unwell, and I'm afraid she won't be able to handle it. Let's wait until you find the right time to tell her." Cassidy sneered before speaking in a sarcastic voice. "You've changed the way you address her pretty quickly. You're calling her Mrs. Simone already? How ungrateful. "Jeremy, if it weren't for my mom threatening to take her own life back then, do you think I would have even looked at you? Let alone let you marry into the Simone family." My fingertips turned slightly pale. I didn't want to argue. I simply lowered my head in silence. My silence made Cassidy feel like she'd punched a pillow. Her inexplicable anger only grew stronger. She couldn't even care about breakfast anymore. She abruptly stood up. "Fine. Aren't you in a hurry to get divorced? Let's go!" The silence in the back seat lasted for a while. Cassidy suddenly turned to face me and said jokingly, "Too bad Henry's still asleep and couldn't come with us. Otherwise, after getting divorced from you, I could propose to him. He's been with me for so many years. It's about time I gave him a proper title." I could tell Cassidy was deliberately trying to provoke me, so I simply ignored the remark. Instead, I turned to look at her and asked her another question. "Since we're getting divorced anyway, tell me the truth. Why have you hated me all these years?" Chapter 4 The air felt tense. Cassidy swallowed as if she was suppressing her anger. After a long silence, she suddenly glared at me viciously. "Because you deserved it! "To be honest, when I first met you, I had a pretty good impression of you. If you hadn't been so determined to marry into my family back then, why would my mom have threatened to kill herself just to make me marry you? "I've had enough! I'm sick of being controlled and having everything arranged for me. I want my freedom. I told you that before. You said you didn't care, and you insisted on marrying into my family. So don't blame me for treating you this way. You brought it on yourself!" Cassidy screamed it all out in one breath. She then slumped heavily against the back seat while breathing hard. I listened quietly. I wasn't particularly surprised. I just found it absurd. Looking at Cassidy's furious expression, I sincerely apologized. "I'm sorry for all these years. I was the one who held you back. "We're getting divorced anyway. I won't cling to you anymore." Cassidy ignored me. Her frown intensified. She remained silent all the way until our divorce registration was completed and we returned to the villa. I had no desire to annoy her either. I went back to the guest room and stayed there alone. At dinner that evening, it was still Hannah, Cassidy, Henry, and me. Only this time, Cassidy and Henry weren't all over each other. When the warm light flashed across the table, I suddenly thought that the bracelet Henry was fidgeting with looked familiar. That was the bracelet my mother had left me! I shot to my feet in shock and reached for Henry's wrist. "Give it back! "This is the bracelet my mom left me! Who gave you permission to touch the jewelry in the master bedroom?" Henry cried out in pain when I suddenly grabbed his wrist. A smug look then appeared on his face. He immediately cried out in an aggrieved manner. "What do you mean, yours? Jeremy, what are you talking about? I just bought this a few days ago! I was planning to give it to Cassidy as a gift. "Cassidy, he's hurting me. Tell him to let go!" Cassidy stood up almost the instant I grabbed Henry. The moment she heard Henry's words, she forcefully knocked my hand away without hesitation. "Jeremy! What the hell are you doing? Let go! "I knew you wouldn't stay quiet for long! It's only a bracelet. Henry says he bought it, so he bought it! Stop making a scene here!" I stared at Cassidy and raised my voice. "I'm making a scene? Cassidy, open your eyes and look carefully! "This bracelet was among the belongings my mom left me when we got married. It's the exact same bracelet!" Cassidy impatiently glanced at the bracelet. It did look somewhat familiar. It probably was mine. She was just about to tell Henry to give it back when Hannah suddenly slammed her hand against the table and stood up. She barked at Henry, "You thief! I've seen that bracelet before. It's obviously Jeremy's. Give it back! You really are a thief. "Cassidy, I'm telling you. If you keep siding with this jerk, then you can forget about having me as your mother!" Cassidy's rebellious streak immediately flared up. She stepped in front of Henry protectively. "I said it's Henry's, so it's his. "It's just a stupid bracelet. At worst, I'll buy Jeremy an even better one at the auction tomorrow and give it to him. Stop making a mountain out of a molehill and bullying Henry!" That was absolute nonsense. It was the last thing my mother had left me. I could buy a thousand new bracelets, and none of them would be the one my mother had given me. I couldn't hold back any longer. I lunged at Henry and reached for the bracelet. Cassidy shielded him. Even Hannah joined in at some point and tried to pull us apart. Amidst the chaos, Cassidy swung her arm outward to stop me from lunging at Henry again. I felt a tremendous force against my shoulder. I hadn't expected her to use so much strength. I tripped and lost my balance before helplessly falling backward. Bang! There was a dull, heavy thud. My lower back slammed hard against the sharp corner of the solid mahogany dining table. At that instant, I felt an excruciating pain that spread from the point of impact to the rest of my body. I lost all my strength and even my voice. Cassidy took the opportunity to grab Henry and head for the door. "Stop right there, Cassidy! "Come back! Stop them!" Hannah screamed furiously while ordering the maids to block their way, but Cassidy still left with Henry. There was nothing Hannah could do. She was about to turn around and comfort me when she saw a figure lying beside the dining table. I was lying in a pool of blood. My face was awfully pale. "Jeremy!" Hannah nearly fainted from the horrifying sight. I was rushed to the emergency room. The surgical lights remained on for an entire day. Meanwhile, Cassidy naturally knew she was in the wrong. The next day, she took Henry to an auction. She intended to buy me an even better bracelet to replace the original. They were watching an attendant display the auction items in a private room when a commotion suddenly broke out behind them. It was Hannah. She no longer cared about dignity or appearances. She shoved aside the bodyguards guarding the door and barged inside. She was holding a document in her hand. Hannah stormed into the room and slapped Cassidy across the face. She roared, "Open it!" Cassidy took the slap squarely. Seeing the solemn expression on Hannah's face, she was momentarily bewildered. When she hesitated, Hannah shouted again. "I said open it!" Cassidy could only open the document. Her gaze landed on its contents. Her eyes suddenly went wide, and she let out an uncontrollable scream. "Ahh!" The tears Hannah had been holding back finally streamed down her face. She cried out in anguish, "Cassidy, look carefully. Jeremy is dead. You killed Jeremy with your own hands! "You killed him!"