New York City.
Greenwich Village, City Clerk's Office.
It was an ordinary Wednesday, usually the quietest day of the week, but today, the entrance of the City Clerk's Office was packed. There were reporters with long lenses, and excited, screaming fans.
News had suddenly broken this morning that pop diva Amelia Quinn was finally divorcing her freeloading husband!
"Amelia finally leaving that useless man, thank goodness!"
"Our Amelia won't be sucked dry by that man anymore!"
"I heard Frank Castle even knelt down to Amelia to stop the divorce, how low!"
"Amelia and Liam Reed are a match made in heaven!"
Inside the City Clerk's Office, a man and a woman, who had just received their divorce papers, looked out at the teeming crowd. The man was surprised, but the woman was furious, her beautiful hazel eyes coldly glaring at the man:
"Frank, I just wanted to part ways amicably. What's the meaning of bringing all these reporters? My assets and my studio are all things I worked hard for on my own; you won't get a single cent!"
Frank Castle stood tall and elegant, his handsome face calm. "The only people who knew about us coming to the City Clerk's Office today were you, me, and Liam Reed."
"Frank! After all this, you're still slandering Liam!"
Amelia's voice immediately grew louder, and her gaze towards Frank became even more disdainful. "I truly regret ever falling for a man like you!"
Frank looked at his once gentle and affectionate wife, now cold and wary, as if waking from a long dream. How had he and Amelia reached this point?
Frank and Amelia met in college. Frank was a year older, a well-known prodigy on campus, with countless admirers. He was finally won over by the fiery younger student, Amelia Quinn.
They married after graduation. At that time, Frank was already a moderately famous songwriter. Amelia, however, faced constant setbacks, releasing several songs that went nowhere.
Later, Amelia, relying on her aunt's connections, entered a popular reality singing competition, shot to stardom overnight, and debuted in a group. Her career then soared. After going solo, her first personal album sold over a million copies, and she won the Best New Artist award that year, cementing her status as a pop diva.
Meanwhile, Frank suddenly hit a creative block. For two and a half years, he produced no new work, and gradually faded from the music scene. The reversal of their strengths made Amelia, who once idolized Frank, suddenly realize that she had left him far behind.
Amelia began to feel dissatisfied with Frank. This man was not only unsuccessful but also frequently lectured her, telling her to be more low-key to avoid public backlash. What was the big deal about being late for a few gigs or snapping at some staff and fans? These minor things were used as excuses to put her down. He just couldn't stand her rising too fast and overshadowing him, could he?
In Amelia's eyes, her once talented husband had become a burden. Their differences grew, and their arguments became more frequent.
It was then that Liam Reed appeared.
Last year, Amelia founded her own studio. Her business partner was Liam Reed, who had debuted at the same time as her. Both had shot to fame after their debut and were known by fans as the "Golden Boy and Girl" of pop, with countless shipping fans. After co-founding the studio, Amelia and Liam grew closer.
One was a brilliantly talented partner, the other an increasingly mediocre husband. With this comparison, Amelia became even more disappointed in Frank.
Finally, a week ago, Amelia proposed divorce. To prevent Frank from claiming assets, at Liam's suggestion, Amelia demanded Frank sign a divorce agreement to leave with nothing, offering him a compensation of one million dollars afterward. From then on, they would have nothing to do with each other.
Frank didn't sign, saying only one thing: "We fell in love not because of money, and our divorce today has nothing to do with money. I won't cling to you."
Liam reminded Amelia that Frank not signing the compensation agreement likely meant he was unwilling, advising Amelia to be careful. Sure enough, today, right after they completed the divorce procedures, reporters swarmed in. Amelia became even more certain that Frank intended to use public opinion to pressure her.
"Frank, I thought you were just incompetent, but I never imagined you'd be so insidious!"
"I'll say it again: everything I worked hard to earn, you won't get a single cent!"
Amelia finished speaking with a cold voice, put on her sunglasses, and strode out of the City Clerk's Office, unwilling to spend another second with Frank. The reporters waiting outside immediately swarmed around her, and Amelia's fans shouted:
"Leave the lowlife, Amelia is the best!"
"Amelia is finally free! Congratulations!"
Just then, a handsome man rushed over, shielding Amelia and guiding her into a sedan.
"It's Liam Reed!"
"So handsome! He and Amelia are perfect together!"
"Stepping up for Amelia in her toughest moment, now that's a man!"
Amidst countless camera clicks and cheers, Liam wrapped an arm around Amelia and got into the car. Amelia instinctively gently pushed Liam away, her voice gentle: "Don't you have an appearance today?"
Liam looked at Amelia tenderly. "I was worried Frank might pull something, so I came to check. Turns out my guess was right."
Amelia turned to look out the car window. Frank was surrounded by reporters, the tall man calm and composed. His nonchalant, elegant, and handsome demeanor once captivated her so much. Amelia's eyes flickered for a moment, then were replaced by coldness.
"I didn't expect him to turn out like this. Thank you for earlier."
"As long as you're okay." Liam's eyes were filled with concern, and his lightly made-up face showed worry: "I'm just worried Frank will resort to any means to get a share of the assets and take our studio."
Amelia was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "He's just unwilling, he won't do anything drastic." After all, they had been together for many years, and Amelia didn't want things to get too ugly, as long as Frank stopped clinging to her.
Liam handed his phone to Amelia. "Amelia, you should look at this first."
Amelia looked down at the phone, and her face instantly darkened.
News of her divorce from Frank had already hit the trending topics. Most of her fans supported her, saying that Amelia had finally broken free from her incompetent husband. But there were also many who called her vain and opportunistic, abandoning her "struggling husband" after becoming famous. Others spread rumors that she had cheated during their marriage and gotten involved with Liam Reed, which led her to ditch her husband.
"Amelia's money and studio are marital assets; Frank can sue for a share!"
This most-liked comment completely touched a nerve with Amelia. Her pretty face slightly twisted with anger: "Everything I own, I worked for alone! What right does Frank have to take any of it?!"
At this moment, she had forgotten that when she was at her lowest, it was Frank who wrote songs for her and accompanied her in vocal practice. After Amelia used her aunt's connections to enter that reality singing competition that made her famous, it was also Frank who stayed up all night helping her arrange her performance pieces. Even after Amelia became a huge star, Frank was always the one supporting and encouraging her from behind the scenes.
However, such silent dedication is always the easiest to forget.
Liam sighed. "Amelia, I've already checked. These are all internet trolls hired by Frank. He's creating negative public opinion against you, trying to force you to split your assets with him."
"After all, he can't do anything, and he won't be able to live a luxurious life without you."
"Frank, you're despicable!" Amelia's cheeks flushed with anger, her fists clenched. She didn't doubt Liam's words in the slightest, and any last trace of guilt she felt towards Frank completely vanished.
"Amelia, you're a public figure after all. Divorce will still affect your image. I have a way to make this divorce work in your favor."
"What way?" Amelia immediately asked. A female celebrity's divorce is always a black mark, and she couldn't let anything affect her career.
A strange glint flashed in Liam's handsome eyes, then turned into a gentle smile: "Amelia, since Frank hired trolls to spread rumors about you cheating, we'll fight fire with fire. We'll make him out to be the cheating scumbag."
"That way, you'll become the victim, public opinion will sympathize with you, and we can use this momentum to boost your popularity even further!"
"This..." Amelia hesitated slightly. She knew Frank; despite his countless flaws, he was loyal to their marriage.
Liam continued, "Amelia, haven't you always wanted to surpass your aunt? If we can seize this opportunity and manage it well, perhaps this divorce will be the beginning of your ascent to the throne of Pop Queen!"
"Aunt..." Amelia's eyes flickered, and she bit her lip.
Amelia's aunt was an anomaly, a legend. Born causing her mother's death, she was cold-shouldered by her father and resented by her older siblings from a young age. Yet, she was the most outstanding one in the entire family. The top student in New York, she could have gone to an Ivy League, but chose the New York School of Music instead.
Her father, whose relationship with her had finally eased, was once again disappointed, and her older brother and sister thought she was crazy. In her four years at the New York School of Music, her aunt never returned home. After graduation, she dove headfirst into the entertainment industry, infuriating Amelia's grandfather to the point of almost disowning her.
However, her aunt rose to fame, ascending to the throne of Pop Queen with her outstanding beauty and vocal talent. Amelia's decision to become a singer was largely influenced by her aunt. Even when she participated in the reality singing competition that made her famous, it was her aunt who helped pull strings.
But this also became one of her black marks. For this, competitors often mocked her as a "connections artist." Amelia swore to surpass her aunt and become a Pop Queen; only then could she erase this humiliation.
At this moment, Liam mentioning her aunt finally solidified Amelia's resolve.
"Let's do it your way!"
A resolute glint flashed in Amelia's eyes. Frank, since you're so ruthless, don't blame me for being unjust!
Soon, a bombshell piece of news rocketed to the top of the trending list.
#AmeliaQuinnDivorceTruth:FrankCastleCheated#
This was news broken by a paparazzi, and it came with photos: Frank Castle embracing a woman and entering a hotel. The woman's face and upper body were obscured by Frank's coat, making her unidentifiable. But Frank's face was clearly captured. This paparazzi was well-known in the industry, and his scoops were usually verified.
Immediately, public opinion across the internet overwhelmingly sided with Amelia.
"OMG, Frank was the one who cheated?!"
"I knew it, Amelia is beautiful and kind, how could she cheat!"
"I apologize to Amelia, you're the victim, leaving the scumbag is the right thing to do!"
"Scumbag Frank Castle, get out of the entertainment industry!"
"He hasn't written a song in ages, does he even need to get out? Haha!"
New York City, Riverside Lofts.
Frank was packing his belongings in a loft apartment; this was his and Amelia's former residence. Amelia's assistant followed closely beside him, monitoring him with a look of disdain, to prevent Frank from taking anything that didn't belong to him.
Frank saw the overwhelming wave of online insults, but his expression remained calm. He pulled his suitcase and walked out of the loft. Looking back at the familiar fixtures and decor, Frank said softly:
"Amelia, you still don't understand me."
At this moment, a line of ethereal text appeared before Frank's eyes:
"Earth Memory Read Progress: 99.98%...99.99%...100%, Earth Memory Read Complete. Read Time: Two and a half years."
"Commencing Earth Memory Infusion. Prepare for Impact!"