It felt as if someone were gripping my chest tightly, the pain so intense I could barely breathe.

Just endure a few more days. Once the procedures are done, I will leave.

I converted most of my dowry jewelry and properties into cash and stored it away properly.

Fabian ignored me the entire day and only appeared in the evening.

He told me that my father had been reassigned to an overseas branch and would be leaving in three days. My mother would accompany him.

Fabian stood at the doorway, backlit, his handsome face half hidden in shadow.

“Yvette, if you had not married me, you would already be a fallen heiress by now.”

“I have said it before. What I have with Thalia is only a formality, a way to make up for past regrets.”

“Your position as Mrs Fabian will not be shaken.”

I remained silent.

Had I not fallen for Fabian at first sight back then, had my family formed a marriage alliance with another Jiangcheng elite family instead, I would not have ended up in such a situation, forced to endure these humiliations.

Seeing that I did not speak, Fabian pulled a diamond ring from his pocket and threw it heavily onto the dressing table.

“You lied to me and secretly sold it.”

He bit down hard on the word lied, his anger unmistakable.

I replied calmly, “If I no longer want it and sold it, what is the problem?”

Fabian frowned deeply. “The secretary said you have been selling off a lot of your dowry lately.”

He stared at me, his gaze sharp and oppressive.

“You do not wear jewelry and you do not attend social events. What do you need so much money for?”

I met Fabian’s gaze steadily. “My father has been transferred. The overseas journey is long, and many things require arrangements.”

That was not entirely untrue.

Fabian threw the items I had sold onto the dressing table one by one. Jewelry clashed against each other, producing crisp sounds.

His expression darkened. “Everything I gave you, you sold it all.”

“Yvette, are you trying to spite me?”

I lowered my head and organized the necklaces, placing them into the jewelry box one by one.

With a soft click, the lid closed.

I could take them abroad and sell them later. Fabian would not be able to control things that far away.

I said softly, “No.”

I was not acting out of spite.

The things Fabian gave me had long since lost their meaning.

Fabian sneered. “Thalia is the one I was meant to spend my life with. You are not qualified to be jealous of her.”

I replied numbly, “I know. Then let us divorce.”

Fabian’s true love was Thalia. They were the ones meant for each other.

He had said this far too many times already. I was tired of hearing it.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

I continued what I was doing, folding the evening gowns one by one.

Once I went abroad, these luxurious clothes would no longer be of any use.

Seeing how unusually quiet I was today, Fabian’s tone softened slightly. “Leave these things to the servants.”

I gave a perfunctory tug at my lips and answered casually, “Alright.”

There were only two days left until Fabian and Thalia’s wedding.

The villa was filled with festive decorations. Even the area outside my secluded room had not been spared.

I could see them the moment I pushed the window open.

On the red banners were words written in Fabian’s own hand.

To hold your hand and grow old together.

To gain one true heart and never part until white hair.

Three years ago, when Fabian and I got married, there had been nothing like this.

I stood quietly by the window.

Thalia appeared at the far end of the corridor.

She looked especially happy today, her brows curved with delight, her steps light as she walked toward me.

The hem of her white wedding dress floated like clouds.

Thalia stopped at my door, her tone gentle and innocent.

“Miss Jiang, what kind of necklace do you think I should choose for the wedding day?”

Thalia was wearing the wedding dress she had just tried on. Her hair had not yet been styled, making her look like an innocent young girl.

I said calmly, “This is not your first wedding. Shouldn’t you have experience already? Why come to ask me?”

Thalia froze at once. Her face drained of all color.

Her lips moved, but not a single word came out.

Fabian appeared at the corner of the corridor at some point, his gaze cold as ice.

“Yvette, you are a woman too. Why must you use her past to provoke her?”

“It was Thalia who wanted to improve your relationship. That is why she came to ask you.”

Thalia had clearly come to show off, yet Fabian could not see it.

In Fabian’s eyes, there was only ever Thalia.

I stood at the doorway, looking down at her.

“Wear whatever necklace you like.”

“I have answered you. You can leave now.”

Thalia’s eyes reddened. She took two steps back and leaned weakly into Fabian’s arms, looking helpless and fragile.

Fabian frowned, his tone low and hard, like a warning.

“Yvette, I can make sure your family company never has a chance to recover.”

I looked at Fabian’s face, bitterness flooding my heart.

The corners of my lips stiffened. I suddenly laughed until tears came out.

Fabian, you already signed the divorce agreement.

Fabian let out a cold laugh. “If the wedding were not so close, I would go get the divorce certificate with you right now.”

Cruel words had always come easily to him. He never held back.

I leaned against the doorframe and watched them leave in silence.

Thalia held Fabian’s arm obediently, happiness impossible to hide on her face.

The crystal chandeliers in the corridor cast soft light on their profiles.

They truly looked like a perfect match.

I took a deep breath, steadied myself, then said to the servant beside me, “Prepare the car. I am going to the civil affairs office tomorrow.”

Back in my room, I took the divorce agreement out of the drawer, signed my name, and pressed my fingerprint.

The movements were swift, without the slightest hesitation.

With both signatures complete, the procedures were finished quickly.

Now that the Yvette family had fallen, it was only reasonable for Fabian to want to sever ties with me.

The staff at the civil affairs office did not ask a single unnecessary question.

I also transferred my household registration back to my parents’ family.

By the time I finished everything and returned to the villa, it was nearly noon.

Tomorrow was the wedding. The entire villa was bustling with activity.

No one had the energy to pay me any attention anymore.

I returned to my room and organized the things I would take with me.

Two suitcases were packed quickly. I had someone send them out of the villa first, then sent a message to my parents.

The flight was early tomorrow morning.

The room was cleaned spotless, as if no one had ever lived there.

That evening, Fabian’s assistant delivered a set of formal attire.

With his head lowered, the assistant said, “This was sent by President Shen. He personally selected the fabric two months ago.”

“He said Madam could wear it to the wedding tomorrow.”

The custom silk shimmered softly under the warm yellow light.

The servant took the outfit, but the assistant remained standing at the doorway.

“President Shen asked me to pass on a message,” he added. “What he said yesterday was spoken in anger. He hopes you will not take it to heart.”

The words Fabian spoke were like water already poured out.

And my wounds were still aching faintly.

I was silent for a moment, then simply nodded to show that I had heard him.

The assistant raised his head cautiously and asked in a low voice, “Madam, is there anything you would like me to pass on to President Shen?”

The night wind was cold, stinging my eyes.

I spoke slowly. “No. You should head back and report.”

He responded softly and left quickly.

That night, I barely slept at all.

On the day of the wedding, I woke up very early.

As dawn broke, I changed into a simple, understated dress, put on my sunglasses, and went out.

The butler still recognized me and casually asked, “Miss Jiang, where are you going? The wedding will start in about an hour.”

Thalia was about to become Mrs Shen.

As for Fabian and me, our marriage had already come to an end, the dust fully settled.

To draw a clear distinction, Fabian now deliberately addressed me by my full name.

I smiled faintly. “To the airport. I am picking up my parents. No need to tell Fabian.”

The butler nodded. “Understood.”

I got into the car, which headed toward the airport.

All the guests attending the wedding were heading to the Shen family villa, moving in the opposite direction from me.

I lowered the sun visor and stared blankly at the tip of my shoes.

Three years ago, I married Fabian and lived through a period of mutual courtesy and restraint.

Back then, I had been far too naive.

I believed Thalia had already married someone else. Since Fabian chose me, I thought the marriage could remain stable.

I believed that sincerity would always be met with sincerity.

Until a year ago, when Thalia suddenly reconnected with Fabian.

After marrying me, Fabian led the Shen Group through continuous growth, its market value multiplying several times over.

I loved Fabian, and my father spared no effort in supporting him.

With his career thriving and his future bright, Fabian was even more high spirited than when he first succeeded in business.

Yet Fabian’s white moonlight had not lived well.

After marriage, Thalia’s husband kept a lover on the side. She lived every day in pain and torment.

At only twenty five, Thalia was already mentally exhausted, growing thinner by the day.

In the end, she could no longer bear it and confided in her childhood sweetheart.

Message after message filled with affection, call after call choked with tears, slowly drew two hearts that had once been apart back together.

Fate was cruelly ironic. Thalia had always been meant to be Fabian’s wife.

They should have gone from school uniforms to wedding gowns together.

Because of his guilt toward Thalia, Fabian redirected his resentment onto me.

From that moment on, he secretly supported Thalia while gradually distancing himself from me.

Any realization that came now was already too late.

An hour later, I boarded the flight overseas.

My parents knew that I had divorced Fabian.

They only sighed, regretting that they had misjudged him back then and let me endure so much pain.

I pressed my lips together, not daring to say a word.

It was my own foolishness.

One mistake after another.

After more than ten hours in the air, we finally arrived at my parents’ residence abroad.

I had worried that I might not adapt to the new environment.

Yet aside from falling ill for a few days due to jet lag, I adjusted quickly.

My mother filled the yard with flowers and plants and even planted several fruit trees.

The climate here was mild, everything growing freely and unrestrained.

My father’s position had been marginalized, and most of his previous savings were frozen.

But here, I felt lighter and more at ease.

I could eat fruits rarely seen back home and see landscapes I had never encountered before.

With sunshine and sea breeze filling each day, my heart gradually opened.

I began to love this life.