Divorce and Desire: Love with My Boss

After lunch, Noah told Shawn that he needed to go out and wouldn't be back for the next couple of days.

"I invited you to go out this morning, but you said it was too cold. Now who's the one asking you out?"

Noah was packing a couple of personal items, holding them in his hands. "This is someone I definitely need to meet. The password is 0315. I'll be off now."

A City was 10 hours away by high-speed train from Noah's hometown.

It was cold there. Every time Noah returned, he would wear a silver-gray long down coat. Once he arrived, he had to make sure he was fully equipped with a hat, mask, and gloves.

The 10-hour train ride was not difficult for Noah. Watching the scenery outside change continuously, he knew he was getting closer to home.

Compared to this place, A City was much smaller. Walking around, the northern city had already turned into a true winter wonderland.

Noah took a taxi and arrived at an old residential area. He looked at the yellowing walls and thought to himself that it hadn't changed much.

However, with the development of society, the joy and laughter here had become less and less, as everyone sought a better life.

His home was on the fifth floor, and the iron door creaked as it hadn't been replaced in years. The interior of the house was just as it had been when he left, unchanged.

"Mom, I'm home." But no one answered. Still, Noah said it out of habit.

He put his clothes in his room and carried the ingredients he bought at the market into the kitchen.

Noah hummed a tune, Yesterday Once More, his mother's favorite song, as he gazed out the window at the passing scenery. He couldn't help but think that the changes inside the house weren't as significant as those outside.

This road, Noah remembered, had been rather desolate the last time he came. The shops were only hanging signs, and it looked very quiet.

Now, every shop was busy, and the number of pedestrians and cars had increased.

"Ah, Noah, you're here to see your mom again."

Noah, holding a bag of apples, smiled. "Here's for you, wishing you a safe and peaceful new year."

"You always bring things for this old man every time you come—you're treating me like a stranger." The elderly man, with gray hair, was wearing a pink fluffy hat.

"That hat looks nice, did your granddaughter buy it for you?"

The old man chuckled and invited Noah inside. "You know me, I can never sit still. The winter here is so cold, and Emily's worried about this old man."

He pointed to a pink hot water bottle on the table. "See? This is also from Emily. Little girls love pink. Even though I'm an old man, using this makes me feel a little younger."

Although the years had left their marks on the old man, his spirits were particularly high, and his back was always straight.

"Emily likes you so much that she gave you her favorite color."

The old man poured Noah a cup of hot water from the kettle. "So, how come it's just you this time?"

"I broke up with him, and last time, I came alone too."

Noah looked out the window at the heavy snow falling from the sky, wondering if it always snowed every time he came back.

"Times have changed too quickly, and emotions are the same. It's not like before. When he didn't come with you last time, I knew something was wrong."

Noah nodded. "I'm going to visit my mom now."

The elderly man's place was still a bit far from where Noah's mom lived.

Looking at his mother's bright, smiling face, Noah smiled too and raised the thermal box in his hand. "Mom, I'm here to see you."

But the only response Noah received was the howling wind.

Noah crouched down and opened the lid, and instantly, a swirl of white steam rose up. "Mom, after all these years, don't you ever get tired of eating this?"

Even without a reply, Noah kept talking to himself. "Well, it's only once a year anyway. It's the recipe you taught me, and Jay enjoys it every year."

Noah took off his gloves and gently stroked the air. "You're still the same. Time hasn't left a mark on you."

But there was still no response, only the snow falling heavily from the sky in front of him.

Noah felt a wave of dizziness, rubbed his eyes, and slowly began to clear his vision.

In front of him stood only a large marble tombstone.

Aria's Tomb.

Aria was Noah's mother.

The mother Noah had always cherished and missed.

Noah insisted on choosing the best photo of his mother, the one where she was smiling the most. His mom loved beauty, and surely wouldn't want her tombstone to bear a picture of her looking withered and lifeless.

He never brought flowers; his mother, compared to flowers, preferred something more substantial, like gold chains and rings.

Time really flew by.

Unconsciously, the days since Aria's passing were getting closer and closer to the time they had spent together. It was as if the distance between them was narrowing, again and again, until they almost overlapped.

"Mom, I've been eating well, just like you told me, sleeping well. I've opened a café, and the business is doing alright."

"I broke up with Oliver. I know you won't blame me. If you knew, I'm sure you would've cried and said, 'How could I have misjudged him?'"

"And by the way, don't think I'm alone. Just so you know, my former boss is chasing after me, but I haven't agreed to anything."

"Yesterday, when I was watching a horror movie, I ended up being the one comforting someone else. I never thought I'd be the one doing that. It's always been you who did that."

...

Noah softly spoke of the little things, until a small shard of ice fell onto the marble. "Mom, I miss you so much."

Noah had complicated feelings about winter. Love and hate intertwined.

Winter was the season Noah was born in, and his birth was destined to be one of abandonment.

Aria, at her age, could no longer have a child as old as Noah.

Noah was the product of a one-night stand. His parents' marriage certificate was hastily obtained because of his arrival.

At the time, they were only in their early twenties, and they had agreed that if either of them found someone they liked, they would divorce immediately. For convenience, they rented a house to live in after marriage.

It seemed they had agreed on everything: both of them found their "true love" at the same time. Neither wanted to be burdened by a child who would hinder their pursuit of happiness.

So, they planned to send little Noah to an orphanage.

At the time, Noah was five years old.

Children are sensitive to the emotions around them, and little Noah knew that his parents didn't like him.

The arguments they had were often about who would take care of him more.

But like any child, Noah craved attention, and his need for it became obsessive.

Little Noah often had bruises on his body, and it was during these times that his mother would scold him more harshly.

This strange form of attention became, in Noah's mind, a form of care.

One day, little Noah was playing with his toys in the living room. His parents thought he wouldn't understand long sentences, so they spoke freely in front of him.

That was when little Noah found out that, because he was an omega, his parents didn't like him.

He would grow up to have an unknown pheromone scent, a monthly heat cycle, and face many limitations when looking for a job…

Little Noah didn't understand all the details, but he knew one thing: if he didn't have a pheromone or a heat cycle, maybe his parents would like him more.

Now, Noah understands—no, they wouldn't.

They wouldn't like a burden.

And at the time, it wasn't so much dislike as simple indifference, a lack of care.

But now, Noah is just like what he had once hoped for as a child. No pheromones, no heat cycle.

Little Noah had always been particularly fond of the neighbor's older sister. From her eyes, little Noah could feel care and affection.

The neighbor's older sister could do many things. She made delicious dumplings, steamed soft buns, and little cakes that Noah had never had before.

There was a time when an animated show was all the rage. Little Noah watched it and saw the "cloud bread" in the show, and his mouth watered.

He ran to the neighbor's older sister, pouting and asking to eat the same cloud bread.

Though the neighbor's cloud bread didn't fly, when little Noah ate it, he felt as if he could float in happiness.

So, they didn't send little Noah to the orphanage. Instead, on a winter day, they simply left him at the doorstep of the neighbor's older sister.

"Aria, since you like him so much, you take care of him from now on."

Little Noah didn't just move into Aria's house; his household registration was also transferred to her name.

This was the beginning of little Noah's happiness, the start of his learning journey.

Little Noah didn't attend kindergarten or preschool; instead, Aria sent him straight to primary school.

Noah's growth was inseparable from Aria's teachings and guidance.

Until that winter during his senior year of high school.

Noah couldn't understand why bad things always happen to the most kind-hearted people, like Aria, who should have lived a long life.

Aria's illness came on suddenly and fiercely. When it flared up, it was violent and rapid, causing excruciating pain.

That was the second time Noah saw Aria cry.

The first time was when he came to her house and saw the tear stains at the corner of Aria's eyes that she hadn't wiped away.

Later, Aria reached a point where she would eat, but it would make her throw up. If she didn't eat, she'd still vomit.

She never went to the hospital but instead saved up the money over the years to leave Noah for his university tuition.

She knew that Noah has got nothing but her.

On the second day of the New Year, Noah was once again left behind.

Noah knew that Aria had done her best. She had held on, struggling through the New Year with all her might, even if it was only by sheer force of will.

He hated winter, the northern winds that seemed as sharp as knives, making everything feel painful.

But he also loved the snow. Aria had once said that snowflakes were gifts from heaven, because each snowflake was unique.

He hated his name.

His birthdate reminded him of what Noah meant because that day, he was just Noah.

He also hated Aria.

Why couldn't you live a long life?

With that thought, Noah couldn't hold back and buried his head in his arm, crying.

He wasn't sure how long he cried, but eventually, Noah stood up straight.

"Mom, I'm leaving."