The Return of My First Love novel Chapter 4

For the first time in a long while, I slept soundly. 

The plane touched down at 7 AM in Sydney. 

Jason was already waiting at the arrival gate. 

Even after all these years, he looked the same—tall, sharp features, ridiculously handsome. 

If anything, the years had only made him more attractive, adding a quiet confidence that made him even harder to ignore. 

He stood out in the crowd. 

I spotted him instantly. 

Sneaking up behind him, I tapped his shoulder. 

He turned, and the moment his eyes met mine, his whole face lit up. 

Then, without warning, he pulled me into a tight embrace. 

We stood there for a long time, neither of us willing to let go. 

When he finally pulled back, Jason's smile faded, his eyes scanning my face. 

His nose turned red. 

Then, voice thick with emotion, he whispered, "Emily… You've lost weight." 

He gently pinched my cheek, eyes full of concern. 

"Come on, let's go. I called a bunch of our college friends."

"They're all waiting at my place." 

I powered my phone back on to let my parents know I was safe. 

The family chat had over ninety-nine unread messages. 

Lucas's texts were flooding in so fast my screen lagged. 

I didn't bother reading them. 

Nothing they said mattered anymore. 

I'd made up my mind. 

I swiped left on the group chat and deleted it. 

Then I opened Lucas's messages—not because I cared, but because I needed to see if he'd signed the divorce papers. 

I scrolled up to his first text: 

Emily, you think I'll just let you go?

Dream on. 

He'd shredded the divorce papers into tiny pieces and even sent me a picture—shreds of paper scattered across the floor. 

The rest of the chat was filled with voice messages. 

"Emily, we agreed to this marriage for our parents' sake."

"We've been playing our roles for five years. You think you can just quit now?" 

"Emily, this is low—even for you."

"You leave, and I have to deal with this mess alone?" 

"You can't avoid me forever. I'll be at your parents' house every day."

"You have to come home eventually." 

His voice got more and more unhinged. 

I didn't even bother listening to the rest.

I exited the chat. 

Then his name popped up on my screen. 

Lucas was calling. 

I hesitated for one second.

Then hit decline. 

But he kept calling. Over and over. Like a madman.

I had no other choice. I yanked out the SIM card from my phone, tossed it into a random trash can, and walked away without looking back.