I Served Him Divorce Papers on Our Wedding Anniversary

"Attorney, I need to divorce Alexander Sterling and resign from his company. Please prepare both agreements for me."

The attorney's expression tightened, his voice measured.

"Liliana, your marriage was hard-won. I strongly advise both parties to reconsider before signing anything."

For three years, Liliana had served as Alexander Sterling's secretary—and for those same three years, she had been his secret wife.

One month ago, she was taken. That night, the kidnappers dialed her husband's number over and over, demanding a significant ransom.

He never answered. Not once. In the end, they threw her into the freezing ocean. She almost drowned. A local fisherman spotted her just in time and pulled her out.

That very same night, Alexander was in a luxury hotel suite… with Clara, her younger sister.

In that moment, every cherished memory—years of devotion, three years of marriage—crumbled to dust.

The fantasy finally dissolved. This time, she was leaving for good.

"My decision is final," Liliana stated, her nod firm. "And Alexander won't oppose it."

She had always known, deep down. Not for a single day had her husband loved her.

But she had loved him since they were young. When he proposed three years ago, she had said yes through tears of joy.

Soon, it would be their third wedding anniversary.

She had already prepared her final gift to him: a divorce. Her own freedom.

That evening, Liliana returned to the Sterling villa to find Alexander in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

He was notoriously fastidious, especially about the chaos of cooking.

She recalled their first year of marriage—he had walked into the kitchen during dinner prep, his nose wrinkling in distaste. "This isn't a kitchen; it's a disaster zone."

But when Clara mentioned she adored his cooking, he signed up for private culinary lessons just for her.

Now, he brought the plates to the table. "I thought you said work was light today. Why are you so late?"

Even wearing an apron, Alexander's tall, broad-shouldered frame commanded attention.

Liliana schooled her features into neutrality. "The company onboarded a new group of trainees. I was finalizing their orientation materials."

Alexander didn't probe further. To him, she was perpetually buried in work.

"Fine. Dinner is ready. Sit."

She took her seat. He placed a serving of bitter melon on her plate. "I remember you like this. I made it specially for you."

A sharp, familiar pang twisted in Liliana's chest.

Clara was the one who loved bitter melon. Liliana was allergic to it.

Three years together, and he still didn't know.

If he had paid even a sliver of attention, he would never have made such a mistake.

Alexander noticed her stillness. "Liliana? Aren't you going to eat?"

She gently pushed the plate aside and retrieved two documents from her bag.

"Dinner can wait. I need you to sign these agreements first."

Alexander disliked mixing business with meals. "What contracts are so urgent?"

As he reached for the papers, his phone vibrated on the table.

He moved to shield the screen, but not before his wife saw the caller ID.

Clara.

He stood abruptly, heading for the balcony to take the call.

His sudden movement jostled the table. A dish clattered to the floor, shattering.

A glass shard flew up, slicing Liliana's fingertip. Blood welled and dripped silently onto the tiles.

Alexander didn't notice. The call lasted fifteen minutes. When he returned, he grabbed his coat from the chair back.

"I have an engagement tonight. I won't be staying for dinner."

Liliana stopped him. "You haven't signed the agreements."

He frowned, irritation flashing in his eyes. Deeming her unreasonable, he snatched the documents, flipped to the last page, and scrawled his signature on both.

"There. Satisfied? May I go now?"

She looked at his name on the two documents and nodded numbly. "Yes. Go."

As if another second in the villa was intolerable, Alexander turned and left without another word.

Watching him go, Liliana let out a hollow laugh.

If he cared even a little, he would have noticed the agreements were for divorce and resignation.

And that her hand was still bleeding.

But Alexander had always loved Clara—her younger sister, and the "real" daughter in the eyes of their parents.

Twenty-five years ago, their housekeeper and Liliana's mother, Victoria, gave birth in the same hospital.

A catastrophic mistake switched the infants.

Liliana, the true heiress, was raised by the housekeeper. Clara grew up as the cherished daughter of the family.

The truth only surfaced five years later, when the housekeeper passed away.

The family accepted Liliana, but they refused to let Clara go.

Victoria had pleaded, "Liliana, hearts are made of flesh. We've raised Clara all these years. Her mother is gone. We're all she has."

They argued that revealing Clara's true origins would subject her to public scorn.

So, to the world, Clara remained the heiress. Only the family and the Sterlings knew Liliana's true identity.

Alexander and Clara had been childhood sweethearts. Just before their engagement, Clara met a sophisticated French aristocrat and insisted on pursuing her "true love" in Paris.