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.”

As soon as Mara ended the chat with Belinda, she left the meeting room and dialed Lizzie’s number.

When she picked up, Lizzie’s voice sounded light, almost playful. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, just get back to work. We’ll grab dinner when you’re done.”

Mara couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her voice. “Lizzie, let’s ring in the New Year together this year,” she said, her tone sincere, yet full of a quiet anticipation.

Without skipping a beat, Lizzie’s reply was warm, unhesitating. “Alright, but you better not be working overtime.”

Mara chuckled. “I won’t. I’ll just bring my work home with me.”

Lizzie snorted, a soft, affectionate sound that made his chest tighten with something he couldn’t quite name. “Alright, get back to your desk then. I’m fine, really,” Lizzie added, as if to reassure her once again.

Back at the office, things were beginning to unravel for Ophelia. The video of Lizzie being attacked by fans had gone viral and now she was the top trending topic. Elaine Coleman, Ophelia’s manager, had come to meet with her to discuss the fallout and Adrienne, who’d been quietly sitting by, looked far from calm.

Elaine, trying to stay composed, addressed the situation first. “I’m so sorry, Ophelia...and Lizzie, for what happened. This isn’t your fault.”

Adrienne’s eyes were glued to his phone, the image of Lizzie—covered in spilled drinks, surrounded by chaos—on his screen. His face went pale as he pressed his lips together, his expression hardening.

“When did this happen?” he asked, his voice tight.

Elaine hesitated, glancing at him nervously before answering, “About an hour ago. Those girls are still at the police station right now.”

Adrienne didn’t waste another second. He immediately dialed Lizzie’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. His jaw clenched and without saying a word, he stood up, grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the office, heading straight for his car.

Ophelia, who’d been sitting silently, watched him leave with a mixture of concern and something darker. She turned to Elaine, her voice low and cautious. “Elaine, this is too risky.”

Elaine sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping under the weight of the situation. “This is the quickest way to get Mr. Lennox to choose between you two. You know, even though he’s with you, he hasn’t divorced Lizzie yet. If this gets out, what do you think will happen? How are you going to clean up this mess?”

Adrienne’s mind was racing as he drove toward the police station. The images of Lizzie, bruised and exhausted, wouldn’t leave his head. She’d come back from Lhasa without a word to him. She hadn’t asked him to pick her up, hadn’t called him, hadn’t said anything. And now, she was avoiding him entirely. Something had shifted and it was eating him up inside.

Before he could even make it to the station, he spotted her walking down the sidewalk, dragging a suitcase behind her. Adrienne’s heart skipped a beat as he quickly turned his car around, pulling up next to her.

“Lizzie,” he called out, his voice soft yet urgent.

Lizzie stopped in her tracks, her gaze flicking over to him. But it was like she didn’t even recognize him anymore. Her eyes were distant, unfocused—empty.

Adrienne felt his heart sink. This wasn’t the woman he knew. Without thinking, he threw the car into park, jumped out and rushed to her side. He grabbed the suitcase from her hand and placed it in the trunk of the car.

“Why didn’t you call me when you got back? I would’ve come to pick you up.” His voice was tight with worry.

But Lizzie didn’t answer. She opened the back door of the car and climbed in without so much as a glance at him, as if he hadn’t even spoken.

Adrienne stood frozen for a moment, then hurried around to the driver’s side. He started the car, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. She stared out the window, her face expressionless, her lips pale and drawn. She looked... empty. Tired. Like she’d been drained of everything.

Something was off. She’d lost weight. Her jawline was sharper than he remembered.

“Lizzie, are you hungry? Let’s grab something to eat,” he suggested, his voice gentle.

But Lizzie didn’t respond. Her voice was flat, barely audible. “Not hungry.” Then she closed her eyes. 

Adrienne took a deep breath before asking, “Are you hurt?”

Lizzie slowly opened her eyes, looking sharp into the rearview mirror. He must have had seen the video. That’s why he was here, rushing to to her and acting all concern. 

She was wondering if it was for her sake. Impossible. Surely, it was because the fans’ actions would reflect poorly on Ophelia, that he wanted her to drop the charges.

“If you’re here to speak on Ophelia’s behalf, save it. Those girls are going too far, they should be held accountable for what they’ve done,” Her voice was calm and unemotional and Adrienne felt a sense of strangeness.

“I’m not here to defend Ophelia,” Adrienne said after a short pause.

She replied with hum, as if she had nothing more to say to him.

They had barely arrived home, suitcases still untouched, when Ophelia appeared. Her hair was cut short, her cheek bandaged from what looked like a burn and she wore a patient’s gown, looking fragile and weak as she entered.

Elaine helped her inside with some difficulty and Adrienne rushed over—ignoring Lizzie’s presence to assist.

“Why did you come here dressed like this?”

Ophelia clasped Adrienne’s hand tightly, her voice faint. Ophelia clasped Adrienne’s hand tightly, her voice faint. “I want to apologize to your wife. I feel responsible for what they did. I should’ve managed my fans better. I can’t believe they were capable of this kind of violence.”

Ophelia turned to Lizzie with watery eyes. “Mrs. Lennox, I’m really sorry. I want to apologize on their behalf.”

Before Lizzie could respond, Adrienne interjected. “This isn’t your fault. There’s no need for you to apologize. Lizzie won’t hold this against you.”

Ophelia shook her head slightly. “Whether Mrs. Lennox forgives them or not is up to her. But I still have to apologize.”

Lizzie’s gaze shifted coldly from Ophelia to Adrienne, finally settling on their interlocked hands. Adrienne, noticing Lizzie’s stare, felt a rush of discomfort. His hand felt hot and he was torn between letting it go and holding it on.

“Miss Bullock, you are you and your fans are your fans. I don’t need an apology from you, but I won’t drop the charges. They acted recklessly and they will face the consequences.”

“Mrs. Lennox, they’re just kids. Kids make mistakes. Please, cut them some slack.”

“Why are you so insistent on letting them off the hook? Are you their parent?” Lizzie narrowed her eyes, taking a deep breath before speaking firmly. “Or… is it because you sent them?”

Her words left Ophelia pale and trembling and Elaine quickly jumped to Ophelia’s defense.

“Mrs. Lennox, you’re right. Miss Bullock is Miss Bullock and her fans are her fans. But we really just want to apologize. Please don’t throw baseless accusations at my client.”

Adrienne frowned, stepping to Ophelia’s side. “Lizzie, Ophelia would never do that.”

Without another word, Lizzie turned and headed upstairs, ignoring them entirely. Adrienne personally escorted Ophelia back next door.

Feeling hunger creeping into her stomach, Lizzie asked the housekeeper to prepare a bowl of beef stew. Though she was hungry, her appetite felt muted. After finishing her meal, Adrienne was still nowhere to be found.

Lizzie made her way to Adrienne’s study to retrieve the house deeds. As she moved past his bookshelf, she accidentally knocked over a small bear figurine. It hit the floor, the head popping off and scattering a pile of heart-shaped notes.

Curiosity got the best of her and she picked one up, reading it.

“Day 101 since the breakup and my wedding partner isn’t Ophelia. It could be anyone and it wouldn’t make a difference.”

She opened another note.

“At Mark’s wedding, I caught the bouquet and turned to see Lizzie’s bright eyes. On impulse, I confessed, knowing she’d say yes. Even when she later pretended to be indifferent, I could tell she loved me. I played along, indulging her pride.”