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.

Lizzie hesitated, the weight of her decision pressing down on her. Was now really the right time to bring up the divorce? The idea of facing the entire Lennox Family felt overwhelming—especially her in-laws. Mr. and Mrs. Lennox had always been kind to her, almost like second parents. She couldn’t help but wonder how they would react if they tried to persuade her to stay. She wasn’t sure how she would handle that kind of confrontation. She felt emotionally drained, every fiber of her being stretched thin from everything that had happened. The idea of hearing them out, of having to explain herself, was more than she could bear.

Finally, her voice broke through the silence. “What if I give you full authority? You talk to Adrienne to get his sign about the the divorce and I’ll come back to complete the paperwork. Does that work for you?”

Belinda, the attorney, didn’t answer immediately. She simply studied Lizzie for a long moment, her gaze calm and focused. Then, she nodded.

“Yes, we can do that. But I’ll need you to sign a power of attorney form and the contract,” she said, her voice as steady as her gaze.

Lizzie signed the papers, her hand shaking slightly, but she didn’t let it show. Once it was done, Belinda led her out of the office. They barely made it past the front door when the mob descended.

Milk tea, coffee and bottles came flying out of nowhere, splashing onto Lizzie’s head and shoulders. She froze in shock, her heart racing. She stood there, stunned, unable to process the sudden assault.

“You shameless homewrecker!” one of the girls screamed, her face twisted in anger.

“Rot in hell!” another shouted.

“Stay away from our idol’s man, you awful witch!” someone else yelled, her voice thick with hatred.

The insults rained down from every direction, sharp and unforgiving. Then, without warning, one of the women shoved Lizzie. She stumbled back, losing her balance and fell to the ground, the impact jarring her body and sending a shock of pain through her side.

“Hey! Stop it! What the are you doing?” Belinda’s voice cut through the chaos. She had turned back just in time to see Lizzie fall and without a second thought, she rushed toward the scene, pushing her way through the crowd of angry women.

“Security! Call the police!” Belinda shouted as she reached Lizzie’s side. One of the guards quickly pulled out his phone to call for help, while another rushed to assist.

Lizzie sat there, drenched in spilled drinks, her hair matted and tangled, her face pale and defeated. She felt humiliated, small, the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders. Belinda helped her up, her voice sharp with authority as she confronted the women.

“What is wrong with you people? Do you realize that public assault is a crime?” she demanded, her tone cold and commanding.

The leader of the group sneered, her expression full of righteous anger. “A crime? We’re just giving her what she deserves for everything she’s done to our idol.”

“Your idol?” Belinda scoffed. “There are hundreds of idols in this country, girls! Is it Ophelia Bullock?”

“Who else?!” the girl retorted, her arms crossed defiantly.

Belinda raised an eyebrow, a knowing look crossing her face. “Did Ophelia send you?”

The girl stood even taller, her posture full of self-righteous indignation. “She’s too kind-hearted to stand up for herself. That’s why she’s miserable. This bitch has been tormenting her for years, but we won’t let her get away with it anymore.”

“Our Ophelia has suffered enough because of this witch!” another girl chimed in, her voice full of venom.

Belinda smirked, unimpressed. “Well, let’s see if Ophelia shows up to bail you out at the police station.”

At that moment, the police arrived and the crowd began to scatter, their rage fading in the face of authority. Belinda quickly took Lizzie back to the office, helping her clean up as best as she could. Lizzie’s body felt like it was made of lead, every movement exhausting. They made their way to the station and on the way, Belinda checked her phone. The video of Lizzie being attacked had already gone viral, flooding her social media feeds with hate-filled comments.

Lizzie’s eyes narrowed as she scrolled through the posts, her heart hardening with each hateful word she read.

“Ms. Sawyer,” Lizzie’s voice was icy, the resolve in her words as sharp as a blade. “I’m authorizing you to handle this as well. I want to file a defamation suit against everyone with more than five hundred shares or likes on those posts. And as for the ones who attacked me today? No settlements. I’m pressing charges against each and every one of them.”

Belinda nodded without hesitation. “Don’t worry, Miss Bradford. I’ll take care of everything.”

At the police station, Lizzie was barely holding herself together. The exhaustion was overwhelming and she could feel every ounce of energy being drained from her. After giving her statement, she slumped back in the chair, completely drained.

“Are you okay, Miss Bradford?” Belinda asked, her voice gentle, yet laced with concern. “Do you want me to drive you home?”

Lizzie shook her head, her voice distant. “Thanks, Ms. Sawyer, but I’ll walk. I just... need some time to clear my head.”

Belinda gave a quick nod. “I understand. Just take care of yourself.”

After watching Lizzie leave, Belinda sent a quick text to Mara:

“Lizzie Bradford is at my place. She doesn’t look well. I offered her a ride, but she wouldn’t take it. Do something about it.”

Mara, who had been in a meeting, read the message and replied almost immediately:

“Got it. I’ll check on her in a minute.”