Don't Come For Me Anymore

After his eighteenth failed attempt to divorce me, Jesse Pellam suddenly stopped bringing it up. Before that, every single attempt had ended in complete humiliation and chaos. I had harmed myself, threatened to jump from a building, and plastered the company lobby with intimate photos of him and his female assistant, Gianna Seyfert. At a press conference, I had even publicly stripped Gianna, leaving her with PTSD. Jesse had every reason to despise me; however, he never mentioned divorcing me again. He came home on time every day and gave me full access to his phone. He checked in with me every hour to update me on his whereabouts. Even during his business trips, we stayed connected through video calls around the clock. But I still could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. Every day, I pressed him for an answer, asking why he no longer wanted a divorce. “Haven’t I done enough?” he asked. Yes, he was better than ever, almost too good to be true. It was not until he caught me following him again that he finally admitted the truth. With exhaustion evident in his eyes, he said, “I received a phone call from my future self, ten years from now. He told me that if I divorced you, I would regret it.” Chapter 1 I was stunned. “You actually believed him?” “He said that you would burn Gianna alive.” Jesse Pellam looked up at me, but his eyes held nothing except endless despair. “You’re too unpredictable. I don’t dare take the risk, and I can’t afford to, so this is how things will be for the rest of our lives.” The last sentence left me standing there like a fool, frozen in place. There was no mention of divorce, but every single word made his hatred clear. The emptiness in his eyes felt like a blade driven straight through my heart. He was not regretting anything, nor had he finally seen the truth. He was afraid and had simply given in. I suddenly realized that I did not want to keep living in this self-destructive mess anymore. … When Jesse saw me still standing there in a daze, he did not try to reassure me like he used to. He simply put on his jacket, masking the loss of composure he had shown moments earlier. Then he carefully went over his schedule with me. “At 2 p.m., I’ll arrive at the office. I have a meeting at 3 p.m., and it’ll last two hours.” After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned back. “By the way, I won’t be able to answer calls or video calls during that time. If you don’t believe me, you can wait outside.” Every word he spoke was careful and distant. Before I could react, he had already closed the car door. I watched his car disappear into the distance, as if I were watching the distance between us grow wider with every passing second. My tears finally fell. The day I caught Jesse with Gianna Seyfert, I completely lost it. Every day after that, I scrubbed him down with disinfectant and scanned him from head to toe with a UV light. If I found even a single strand of hair, I would hysterically drag everyone in the company in for DNA testing. Jesse tried desperately to explain that someone had drugged them and set them up. He even showed me the security footage and the blood test results, but I still could not accept that he had betrayed me. Then, for the first time, he placed the divorce agreement in front of me. “Quinn, I’m willing to give you eighty percent of our assets. Let’s get a divorce. I’m exhausted. I can’t keep on living this way.” That night, I climbed on top of the roof for the first time. Jesse pulled me back from the edge like a man possessed and broke down, screaming in desperation, “I was wrong! I really was wrong! Take it out on me. Do whatever you want to me. Just don’t hurt yourself! I can’t live without you…” Why was the man who had once sworn he could not live without me the same man who later begged me, time and time again, to let him be with Gianna? It started raining again. Even though I was holding an umbrella, I forgot to open it. I realized Jesse had spoiled me too much. For the past ten years, I had grown used to him picking me up and dropping me off wherever I needed to go. I had grown used to him holding an umbrella over me whenever we went shopping and wiping my mouth whenever we ate. Even when we went shopping downtown, he somehow always managed to clear a path through the crowd and pull the car right up outside the store I wanted to visit. Then, suddenly, all of it disappeared. It felt as if someone had hollowed out my entire heart, leaving nothing but a space for the cold wind to rush through. I could not even tell whether the wetness on my face came from the rain or my tears. When I returned home, I came down with a fever. In my feverish haze, I felt Jesse staying by my side the entire time. He kept wiping me down with a cool, damp washcloth to help bring down my fever and checking my temperature every fifteen minutes. His assistant called to urge him to attend his meeting, but he lashed out and told them to leave him alone. Whenever I fell sick, he was always this anxious. His hand holding mine was warm, yet the rest of him still trembled uncontrollably. The phone rang again, but he refused to pick up. The ringing was so loud that it finally pulled me awake. But when I opened my eyes, I realized there was no one beside me. It was my own phone ringing. Jesse had never been there. I forced down the metallic taste rising in my throat and answered the call. “Mrs. Pellam, Mr. Pellam didn’t come to the office today.” I froze. The private investigator continued his report. “Mr. Pellam was back at the office only briefly before heading to Evergreen Wellness Residence. He’s been there for more than two hours now, and he still hasn’t come out.” My stomach churned as waves of nausea rolled through me. Evergreen Wellness Residence was the private care facility where Gianna had been staying. Jesse’s parting words still echoed in my ears. “If you don’t believe me, you can wait outside.” How had he been so certain that I would not go? He always said the same thing whenever he checked in with me. I had doubted him every other time and gone to see for myself. The one time I believed him, I turned out to be wrong. I glanced at the time. It was already 6 p.m. He was usually home by 5:30 p.m. Since he was not coming back, I would go to him. Every other time I had gone looking for him, he had handed me the divorce agreement. This time, I had already signed it myself. Chapter 2 I had not even reached Gianna’s room when dozens of bodyguards surrounded me. The moment they saw me, they went on high alert. “Mrs. Pellam, Mr. Pellam gave strict orders that you are not to go anywhere near Miss Seyfert.” Even through the wall of bodyguards, I spotted a puppy-filter photo of Jesse and Gianna on the door. A pink heart framed the picture, and beneath it, in playful cartoon lettering, were the words: Jessiana Castle. I forced a cold smile onto my face. “How childish.” I used to beg Jesse to take photos like this with me too. Every time, he would tell me that, as the CEO of a publicly traded company, he could not possibly do something so childish. It turned out it was not that he could not do it. He just did not want to do it with me. I pressed a hand to my still-aching chest and took a deep breath. “Move. You all know what I’m capable of when I lose control.” With that, I pulled out the utility knife I carried with me. I had only intended to scare them, but before I could do anything, a bodyguard lunged at me and tackled me to the floor. The others immediately pinned me down, leaving me unable to move. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Pellam. Mr. Pellam instructed us that if you show signs of having an episode, we are to restrain you immediately.” Another bodyguard immediately pulled out his radio. “Mr. Pellam, Mrs. Pellam is here. She brought a knife—” Before he could finish, Jesse’s voice suddenly rose through the radio. “Restrain her now! What if she hurts Gia?” The moment I heard that, I stopped struggling. “We have her under control. Should we send her back to the estate or keep her confined for now?” The radio went silent for two seconds. After a long pause, Jesse let out a quiet sigh. “Forget it. Bring her inside.” The bodyguards took the knife away, but the blade still caught my wrist in the struggle. By the time they forced me into the room, blood was dripping from my wrist. I bit down hard on my lower lip, forcing myself not to cry. But the moment I stepped inside, I froze. The setting sun streamed through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow over the rocking chair on the balcony. A cup of hot coffee and an open book rested on the small table beside it. In the corner, a vintage record player played the jazz music Jesse loved. This was no hospital room. It was a home—one I had designed myself. Before we got married, I had drawn the design plans myself, carefully shaping every detail around our shared tastes. However, Jesse said that he did not want me to exhaust myself, so he hired a design team and had the estate remodeled in a completely different style. The home I had dreamed of stood right in front of me. Yet it had become a home for him and another woman. “You’re here.” Jesse’s voice came from behind me. I turned around, still dazed. The shock in my eyes had not yet faded when he said, “Gia always said that she loved this design, so I gave it to her. You don’t mind, do you?” I stared at him in disbelief. “What do you think?” He simply nodded. “Go ahead and tear it down, Quinn. Whatever makes you happy.” His gaze briefly drifted to my still-bleeding wrist, and all I saw in his eyes was disgust. “I’ve gotten used to it. Gia has too.” He then shifted his gaze to the window, his expression so calm it was as if he were saying, “Look, Quinn. The sunset is beautiful today.” I followed his gaze. A rainbow had appeared in the sky after the storm, but the storm inside me felt like it would never end. “Jess, come play ‘It Takes Two’ with me…” The moment Gianna saw me, she stopped mid-sentence. The game controller slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. She suddenly clutched her head and erupted into hysterical screams. “No! Don’t take off my clothes! Don’t kill my baby! I’m a terrible person! I’m a homewrecker! I was wrong! Please… I’ll never do it again…” Jesse crossed the room in just a few strides and pulled her tightly into his arms. His eyes reddened with anguish. “It’s okay. You’re safe. I’m here. No one will ever hurt you again.” He looked straight at me as he said those words, his eyes filled with undisguised hatred. A laugh escaped me. I laughed until tears streamed down my face. For a split second, I wanted to run over, grab Gianna, and throw us both off the balcony. But the last sliver of my sanity told me she was not worth it. My nails dug into my palms as I fought to suppress the urge to take her down with me. I only let out a cold laugh. “Gianna, drop the act.” Chapter 3 Gianna trembled, lowering her head even further. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I let out a cold laugh. “Someone with PTSD doesn’t behave like this.” Jesse shot to his feet and stepped in front of her, completely shielding her from me. “Enough! If you have a problem, come at me. Don’t act like you know everything. I won’t let you slander her again.” But I understood better than anyone. I had lived with this illness for over a decade, ever since the day I witnessed Mom’s death with my own eyes. Whenever I remembered the sight of blood spreading beneath her body, I could not stop myself from vomiting, crying, or hurting myself. I had never told anyone that Mom had ended her life by jumping from a building because Dad had fallen in love with another woman. I once vowed I would never step into the prison of marriage. Yet Jesse had staked the future of the entire Pellam Group and the rest of his life on one promise: that he would never betray me. Despite thinking I would never follow in Mom’s footsteps, I still found myself walking the same path she had taken in the end—trapped in a cycle of hysterical accusations and devastating destruction. However, I did not want to live this way anymore. I reached into my bag, intending to take out the divorce agreement I had already signed. Jesse’s expression changed instantly. “What are you doing? Get her!” Before I could even pull out the papers, a group of bodyguards rushed forward and pinned me to the floor once more. Jesse walked over and kicked my bag away. The force of it left my palm numb. “As long as I’m alive, you’ll never hurt her again.” I stared into his eyes, where fear and anger were intertwined, and my mind drifted back to the night when he quietly got out of bed after I fell asleep. Thinking he was sneaking away to see Gianna again, I followed him in secret. Instead, I heard him asking someone over the phone whether the Quinn Galloway from ten years in the future would still lose control, and whether, as long as he remained alive, he could protect Gianna. I did not understand what he meant then, but I finally did. That was the phone call he had claimed came from ten years in the future. He was truly terrified of me. No matter what I did, he would always assume that I was trying to hurt Gianna. My face was still pressed against the cold marble floor. The chill seeping into me felt no different from the emptiness in my heart. I let out a bitter chuckle. “Inside the bag are the divorce papers. I’ve already signed them.” Still half-doubting me, Jesse rummaged through my bag. But the moment he saw the papers, he tore them into shreds. “I already told you. I will never divorce you!” I looked at him calmly. “Is this all because of that phone call?” Gianna tugged at his sleeve. “What phone call?” “It’s nothing,” he replied. “But you promised you would give me a home.” Jesse clenched his fists, and his face flushed red. “Stop asking so many questions. I’m doing this for your own good. Do you understand?” Gianna’s eyes turned glassy. He wiped away her tears, his eyes brimming with tenderness. “I can give you anything except a title.” Those words were meant for me as well, because aside from the title of his wife, there was nothing he would give me. Suddenly, I found it all meaningless. “Go ahead and sign it. I’m not going to burn her alive. That phone call was fake. I had someone make it using a voice changer.” Chapter 4 “Are you serious?” Jesse stiffened, disbelief written all over his face. “Of course.” I looked away as though it meant nothing and spoke slowly. “I only made up that lie because I was afraid you would divorce me.” He paused, still seeming unconvinced. “But he knew everything about me. Every single thing from my childhood until now.” I let out a scoff. “Exactly. I know you too well. I know what kind of threat would work best against you.” Jesse said nothing. He simply frowned deeply and stared at me, his thoughts impossible to read. I pressed my forehead against the floor, making sure he could not see how hard I was struggling to hold myself together. After all, this was the first lie I had ever told him since the day we met. Maybe there really had been a phone call from ten years in the future, and maybe he truly would come to regret everything one day. But I could not go on like this anymore. I sniffed, lifted my head, and put on a mocking expression. “Have you made up your mind? Are you signing or not? You won’t get another chance after this.” Jesse’s hand struck my face so hard that my entire cheek instantly burned. “I’ve tolerated your outbursts, your temper, and everything else, but this has crossed the line. Quinn Galloway, you’re truly insane!” He gestured for his assistant to come over. “Print out the divorce agreement. I’m signing it now.” I thought I was already numb to pain, yet the hollow space in my chest still throbbed with a cold ache. The assistant soon returned with the newly printed agreement. After signing his name, Jesse hurled it at my face. “You will receive half of my assets. Not a single cent will be withheld from you. But remember this: I never want to see you again.” Only then did the bodyguards finally release me. I struggled to my feet, picked up the agreement, and walked away. It started raining again on the way home. The downpour drenched me in an instant, yet I realized I had never been more clear-headed. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. “Quinn Galloway, I’m you from ten years in the future. You must divorce Jesse Pellam! But whatever you do, don’t do anything foolish. Don’t hurt yourself, and don’t set anything on fire. Otherwise, Jesse will make you suffer for the rest of your life!” I was silent for two seconds before I answered, “It’s already done. We’re divorced, and I won’t do anything foolish again.” The future version of me on the other end of the line seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “I can finally stop worrying. Take care of yourself. Live your own life.” After the call ended, I nodded firmly. Two phone calls from ten years in the future had foretold two completely different endings for Jesse and me, but I no longer cared which one was true. I had already had enough of living in constant fear. When I returned to the estate, I began packing my belongings. A few old clothes and a handful of personal documents were all I had accumulated over the years. The only thing that still caught my eye was the portrait of the two of us on the nightstand. Jesse always said he did not like having his picture taken, and in the ten years we were married, we never even took a wedding photo. Yet the room I had just left was filled with pictures of him and Gianna in every corner, from surfing to watching the snow beneath a setting sun. It was as though every corner of the world held memories of the two of them. As for Jesse and me, we were like the fictional couple in that portrait—together every day, yet forever beyond each other’s reach. I smashed the frame and tore the portrait in half, taking with me the part of our life and memories that belonged to me. I had just arrived at the airport when my phone rang again. One glance at the screen told me it was Jesse calling. I hung up immediately. He kept calling, and I kept declining, until he had no choice but to send me a stream of WhatsApp messages. [I never told you how I got the scar on the sole of my foot!] [Was that phone call real?] [You actually lied to me! You’ve never lied to me before!] [Quinn, where are you?] I turned off my phone and fastened my seat belt. An hour earlier, I had called Dad. His private jet was taking me toward another city, one without rain.