---- Chapter 19 Time passed day by day, and two months slipped away in the blink of an eye. That day, the sun was still bright, and as usual, I walked hand in hand with Melanie on the street, enjoying this rare moment of leisure. Suddenly, a familiar yet strange figure appeared before my eyes. I looked closely, and it was Mike. He was wearing a slightly disheveled trench coat, his hair flying in the wind, his face showing signs of travel fatigue, appearing before Melanie and me, looking worn and haggard. "Shannon, Melanie, I'm so sorry..." His voice was hoarse, as if it had traveled across thousands of mountains and rivers to reach our ears. Only a few months had passed since we last met, but Mike seemed like he had shed a layer of skin. He looked much older and more weary, with no trace of his former energetic self. ---- His gaze was intense as he looked at me, full of regret and longing. The next moment, he unexpectedly dropped to his knees in front of everyone and apologized to me, desperately pleading for me to return to his side. "Shannon, I was really foolish. I shouldn't have been so self-righteous, always thinking I could control you, repeatedly testing you without restraint, and cruelly hurting you again and again." He tilted his head slightly, his eyes glistening with tears. "At first, I was just angry, angry that you were so ' careless,' and that made me resist and reject you. But I forgot, from the beginning, I truly had feelings for you." He paused, took a deep breath, as if gathering great courage, and continued, "Shannon, during this time, I was blinded by my stupidity and deliberately ignored you and Melanie. It wasn't until you left that I woke up from the dream and truly realized how deep and sincere your love for me was."" ---- At that point, his voice had become choked with emotion, trembling as he begged, "Can you... give me another chance?" If this had happened in the past, witnessing such a scene would have filled me with immense joy, as though I were in a dream. After all, for a long period, marrying Mike and spending a simple, warm life together with him and our child was my deepest wish. In those youthful years, I poured all my feelings and hopes into thick diaries of secret admiration, writing them down one by one. After we got married, those diaries, which held the memories of my youth, were accidentally seen by Mike. He merely sneered and pushed them aside, leaving them discarded on the floor. But I, like protecting a treasure, carefully picked them up time and again and kept them safe. Yet, before I gave up my identity and decisively went abroad with Melanie, I looked at those diaries. There ---- were no more feelings in my heart. With a flick of the lighter, I burned them all to ashes. Now, facing the man kneeling before me, pleading, I remained calm and said quietly, "Mike, I have already signed the divorce agreement. But talking about it now is meaningless, because my identity in the country has already been canceled. Legally speaking, we no longer have the title of husband and wife." I turned my head slightly, avoiding his intense gaze, "Your past entanglement with Jennifer is far from over. Since you are in love with her and her child, you are free to rekindle your relationship without hesitation." I took a deep breath, holding Melanie tightly, my gaze becoming even more determined. "I once truly liked you, but my feelings are not so cheap that they can be trampled upon. Without you, Melanie and I can still live a wonderful and free life."