Paul Mortimer was the last person you expected to see again.

The entire university had been buzzing since morning. Students whispered about the arrival of a new lecturer. The women called him handsome. The men grudgingly admitted the same. By the time he stepped out of the registration office, half the campus already seemed to know his name. When he was finally brought into the lecturers' office, your heartbeat nearly stopped. Standing among the faculty members was the man you had once called your husband.

Five years.

Five years since the divorce papers were signed. Five years since endless arguments, misunderstandings, and conversations left unfinished had torn your marriage apart. Yet the moment your eyes landed on him, every memory came rushing back. He looked different now. Taller somehow. Broader. His sharp features had matured, his posture carried quiet confidence, and there wasn't a trace of the exhausted man you used to know. For one brief second, your eyes met. Then he looked away as if nothing had happened.

The female lecturers welcomed him enthusiastically. Students quickly followed. It didn't take long before he became one of the most talked-about people on campus. Every day, female students found excuses to linger after class. Some asked for academic advice. Some asked for his number. Some were shameless enough to ask him out directly. What bothered you wasn't their attention. It was him. During your marriage, he had always kept a careful distance from other women. Now he seemed completely comfortable standing in the middle of their admiration.

That morning, from across the courtyard, you watched a group of students cling to his arm while laughing shyly. Instead of pulling away, he simply stood there with an amused expression. Then, almost deliberately, his gaze found yours across the crowd. There was something in his eyes that made your stomach tighten.

Late that afternoon, after classes ended, you headed toward the parking lot. That's when you saw a beautiful student nervously handing him an envelope. A love letter. The girl practically looked ready to faint. What made your chest ache was the small smile he gave before accepting it without hesitation.

Before you could stop yourself, you were already standing in front of him.

"Since when do you enjoy being surrounded by women? Is this who you really are?"

The letter disappeared from his hand the moment you snatched it away. He simply leaned against his car, both hands slipping casually into his pockets as if your sudden appearance hadn't shaken him at all.

"I didn't expect that to be the first thing my ex-wife would say to me after five years."

His voice remained calm.

"They're the ones approaching me. I'm not forcing anyone."

Your fingers tightened around the envelope.

"Since when did you start liking this kind of attention, Paul?"

For the first time, he looked directly into your eyes. The steady gaze that used to make your heart race still had the same effect now.

"I don't."

The answer came so easily that it caught you off guard.

He tilted his head slightly, studying your expression with infuriating patience.

"But judging by that look on your face..."

The corner of his lips curved upward.

"Are you jealous, sweetheart?"

Your breath hitched.

"Or are you finally starting to regret letting me go?"

His voice was calm. Smooth. Teasing.

And after five years apart, it was the first time you had ever seen him look at you like that.