She clicked into the post to find a message from Ophelia: “No matter how far I wander, my heart always returns to you.” The image showed Adrienne’s silhouette, standing over a simmering pot of soup.

The comments were a mix of delighted fans celebrating their favorite couple’s reunion and people slamming Lizzie, claiming she’d driven Ophelia away so she could marry Adrienne. Some even suggested that her abandonment was karmic justice. To them, she was the one who had separated their beloved Ophelia from Adrienne and now that he had seemingly left her, it was no more than what she deserved.

As Lizzie scrolled through in silence, Mara’s voice came through on the line. “You want to tell me what’s going on? Did you and Adrienne split up?”

After a brief pause, Lizzie replied, “Not yet.”

“Then what the hell is he doing with that woman?” Mara burst out with frustration.

Lizzie gave a small, weary laugh. “Calm down. I was about to ask you to dinner when you called.”

“You at home? I’ll come pick you up.”

Smiling, Lizzie agreed. “Sounds good. I wasn’t in the mood to drive anyway.”

Mara arrived quickly. Lizzie took a quick shower, changed her clothes, applied some light makeup and was ready just as he arrived. They went to a cozy restaurant they’d frequented over the years.

Once they were seated and had placed their orders, Lizzie looked at Mara and said, “Help me find a good lawyer. I’m ready to end things with Adrienne.”

Mara’s concern was apparent, but Lizzie brushed it off with a small smile. “I’ve got a tumor in my brain and I’ll need surgery. I’ve already applied for my visa and will head to London as soon as it’s approved.”

At her words, Mara’s eyes filled with tears. “Since when? What did the doctors say? Have you told your parents yet?” She fired off questions, her voice laced with worry.

“The same day when Ophelia had her accident. The doctors wanted Adrienne there to sign, but he was rushing off to find her. The surgery’s risky, so I need family by my side. I’ll head home to have it done.”

Tears started streaming down Mara’s face. “Forget about him. No one is worth going through this alone. I’ll going with you.”

Lizzie gently wiped her tears, offering a comforting smile. “I’m okay, really. Don’t worry about me.”

When Lizzie returned home after dinner, Adrienne was sitting in the living room.

“Where were you?” he asked.

“Out for dinner with Mara,” Lizzie replied, setting down her coat, bag and shoes before taking a seat across from him.

“Adrienne, we’ve talked for years about making a wish trip together. Think you could go this year?” Lizzie asked, referencing the trip to Lhasa.

She’d once heard that couples facing tough times needed to go on such a journey to pray with sincerity and resolve the hurdles in their relationship. Adrienne had always dismissed it as nonsense, never taking her seriously. Now, with Lizzie bringing it up again, Adrienne sighed. “How many times did I tell you that kind of things aren’t real? Besides, with Ophelia in this state, there’s no way I can go. Not until after the New Year.”

His response didn’t surprise her, but he’d never even offered to go “after the New Year” before. In the past, she’d probably be thrilled, planning the tickets and itinerary. But now, she only responded with a quiet “Alright” and nothing more.

Adrienne was growing increasingly uneasy with Lizzie’s silence; she seemed like a stranger these days. His gaze swept over the room, feeling as though something was missing. “Did you take down our wedding photo?”

“Yeah, just giving the frame a clean. It looks a bit dusty.”

Adrienne was scrolling through her phone, both of them sitting in silence. Lizzie stood up, heading upstairs to freshen up.

After showering and drying her hair, she came out to find Adrienne sitting at the edge of the bed, holding her phone.

“Mara called. She said she got the lawyer. She’ll send you the details soon.”

Lizzie's expression faltered slightly. She wasn’t sure if Mara had said anything else. She gave a soft hum in response and noticed Adrienne was staring at her, as though trying to read her every thought.

“What do you need the lawyer for?”

Lizzie sighed, instinctively lowering her gaze. She calmly applied some essential oil to her hair.

“Helping out a friend.”

“You could've use Hodge. Why bothering Mara to get you one?”

Adrienne’s voice was cold. Lizzie responded, “I’m not really close to him. Besides I didn’t want to involve anyone from the company.”

The excuse felt surprisingly convincing and Lizzie almost surprised herself with how smoothly the words came out.

By the time Lizzie returned downstairs, Adrienne had already showered. She lay down and he followed soon after, but the moment they settled into bed, Lizzie didn’t even bother with her phone. She turned her back to him and lay still, silent.

Things felt different now. It wasn’t the same between them. Ever since he returned from Eastport, Lizzie had seemed distant. There was an awkwardness between them that hadn’t been there before. He turned to face her, reaching for her waist, pulling her gently toward him.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked softly.

Lizzie stiffened slightly and Adrienne felt it. His mind raced as he realized they hadn’t been intimate in a long time. He moved closer, but Lizzie turned toward him and gently pushed him away.

“I’m tired. Let’s just sleep," she said, her voice quiet.

Adrienne lay back down, but a question lingered. “Are you mad about Ophelia?”

Lizzie pulled the corner of her lips into a tight smile. “Why should she be mad? Was she supposed to get angry at a tool being used?

“No.” She paused, adding, “Why would I be mad?”

The words hit Adrienne harder than he expected. Of course, she had every right to be upset—he had been spending so much time with Ophelia, even having her stay next door. Lizzie should be angry.

But she wasn’t.

Adrienne felt a knot tighten in his chest, his confusion growing. He didn’t understand Lizzie anymore.

“She’s an actress. This kind of scandal could destroy her career. There’s nothing between us. Don't believe what those people are saying.”

Lizzie recalled the post Ophelia had made and Adrienne’s words confirmed he’d seen it. But the fact that he didn’t stop her, making it like he was allowing it. When the media went crazy over the rumor that Lizzie had stolen Adrienne from Ophelia, Adrienne didn’t say a word. Now, what did the post mean?

“What did they say?” Lizzie asked, her tone flat. “I’ve been too busy, I hadn’t had time to check on the news.” 

Adrienne let out a small sigh of relief.

“Well…it’s nothing. Just go to sleep.”

Lizzie closed her eyes, but Adrienne lay awake, restless. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. After a while, he slipped out of bed and headed downstairs. Passing the study, he pushed the door open, only to stop short when he saw the box in the corner had been sealed shut.

He froze when he saw the books Lizzie had organized were in a cardboard box in the corner, tightly sealed with tape. Then he noticed the photo frame from their wedding, lying at the bottom, but the photo was missing. He stood there stunned, processing everything that had been saw, before finally reaching for his phone. Ignoring the fact that it was midnight, Adrienne immediately called his assistant.

“Do you have Lizzie’s medical report?”

Colton Riggs' voice came through the phone, groggy: “Yes, sir, I have it.”

“Send me a copy,” Adrienne replied.

Once the call ended, Adrianne’s phone buzzed with a new message. It was Lizzie’s physical exam report. Everything seemed normal—aside from some mild anemia and a vitamin D deficiency. Adrianne knew Lizzie didn’t spend much time in the sun, so that wasn’t a big surprise. He felt a wave of relief that there was nothing seriously wrong with her health.

The next morning, Lizzie woke up to find Adrianne still at the house. Adrianne had always been a workaholic, even with Ophelia around, so seeing him here now, especially in the morning, was hard to believe.

When she came down the stairs, Adrianne quickly ended the call he was on and stood up from the couch.

“I’ve booked us a flight to Lhasa this afternoon. Pack your things. We’re leaving for the airport soon.”

Lizzie raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the sudden announcement.

Seeing her reaction, Adrianne added, “I just realized our wedding anniversary is coming up, so I thought we could take a short trip there to celebrate. We’ll be back before the New Year.”

Lizzie didn’t want to ruin the mood by asking about Ophelia—about what would happen to her if they leave her. Over the years, Lizzie had always been the one to plan everything—birthdays, anniversaries, even casual dates on weekdays. Whenever Adrianne had time, he’d spend it with her, but when he didn’t, Lizzie was left to figure things out on her own.

So hearing this sudden plan was like being hit by a thunderbolt—it was so out of the blue that it left her confused.

Was this guilt talking? Was this related to what happened last night? Lizzie couldn’t help but wonder. She took a deep breath and decided to go along with it, taking as the farewell trip.

After breakfast, Lizzie went back to the room to pack. The weather was cold, so she packed warm clothes and a few things she might need in case of altitude sickness. She packed quickly and before long, the driver was there to take them to the airport. Lizzie checked in, handed over her boarding pass and they moved through security without any problems. With time to kill before boarding, she decided to grab a coffee.

When she came back, however, Adrianne was nowhere to be found in the waiting area. At first, Lizzie thought maybe he had stepped away to use the restroom, so she waited calmly. But as boarding time drew nearer and Adrianne still hadn’t returned, Lizzie decided to call him.

When the phone picked up, Adrianne sounded out of breath. “Lizzie, I can’t make it. Just go without me. I’ll pick you up in two days.”

Lizzie froze, her hand shaking around her coffee cup. 

“Why?” her voice barely above whisper.

“It’s Ophelia... she… she tried to kill herself.”

Lizzie’s mouth went open and she couldn’t find the words. She hung up the phone and boarded the plane to Lhasa alone.

While she was there, Lizzie visited the prayer wheel and made a wish—but it wasn’t the wish she had always hoped for, the one where she and Adrianne would grow old together. Instead, she found herself wishing for her own safety and health.

She didn’t contact Adrianne again while in Lhasa and he didn’t reach out to her either. He had promised to pick her up, but days passed with no word.

By Christmas night, their fifth wedding anniversary had come and gone and still, no calls, no texts—nothing. The trip had ended and their anniversary had passed. Lizzie wasn’t surprised. She didn’t hold much hope in the first place, but after five years together, her heart felt like it had been stabbed with a thousand needles—the pain was sharp and overwhelming, making her hard to breathe.

After returning from Lhasa, Lizzie went to see a lawyer Mara had recommended.

Since Lizzie wanted the divorce to happen as soon as possible, the lawyer suggested she talk to Adrianne first, have him sign the divorce agreement and then they could proceed with the paperwork. The division of property could be handled later.