I waited outside for five hours.

When the last light in the building finally went out, Jasmine walked out. The moment she saw me, her face softened and she hurried over.

She grabbed my hand, her voice full of concern. "Why didn’t you come inside? How long have you been out here?"

"Not long," I said with a small smile. "I just got here. I know you’ve been busy, so I made you some food. The secretary told me you were in a meeting, so I waited outside."

She frowned and shook her head. "You shouldn’t have done that. You’re not in the best shape, you’ll make me worry."

Then, without waiting for a reply, she leaned in, wrapped her arms around me and kissed the corner of my lips.

The gesture was soft and familiar, but it didn’t feel the same. The warmth I used to feel from her was gone.

How far could someone go for someone they love?

She led me to the car, keeping her tone light as she spoke. "Oh, by the way, Joel is going to be released from prison soon. You two were close once, weren’t you? He’s paid for what happened and it’s all in the past now. Besides, the company has some new projects tied to—"

"It’s fine," I said, cutting her off. I forced a smile. "It’s over. I won’t be looking for him. Don’t worry about it."

She let out a small sigh of relief and gave me one of her soft smiles. "You’re amazing, you know that? I’m so lucky to have you."

I turned my head to look out the car window, letting her words hang in the air. Silent tears slid down my face, but I didn’t let her see them.

When we got home, she went to shower. The moment I heard the water running, I opened her laptop.

Her password was Joel’s birthday.

The wallpaper was a photo of the ocean at Milesea—the place where Joel had been living for the past three years.

I logged into her social account and my chest tightened. The header was a photo of her and Joel together, smiling like nothing else mattered.

Her follow list had one name. Just one.

I clicked it and my stomach dropped.

It was Joel’s account. Every post was of him, living his best life abroad.

The watch he was wearing? A new Greer Group release.

The suit? The latest from their endorsed line.

The place he was staying in? A Greer Group hotel. This hotel was built three years ago and it was the only project the Greer Family had overseas.

My hands shook as I clicked into her remittance records. There was only one name: Joel Sanford.

Three hundred thousand dollars. Every month. For three years.

I scrolled through the transactions, each one cutting deeper than the last. My chest felt tight, like the air had been sucked out of the room.

She hadn’t just lied to me, she had built his life, funded it, kept him happy and safe while I lived in the dark. I was the fool in her carefully crafted story.

Now I knew the truth. Three years of marriage and what did I have? Nothing.

The only photos of us were the wedding pictures hanging on the wall. I had begged her to take more, to keep memories of us together, but she always waved me off.

"We see each other every day," she would say with a laugh. "Why would we need more photos?"

But now it all made sense. It wasn’t about not needing photos. It was that I wasn’t needed.

I let out a dry, bitter laugh. There was no point looking through anything else. I already knew enough.

I grabbed my phone and booked a flight. Three days from now. Then, I started canceling all my documents.

Three days. That was all I needed to walk away from three years of lies.

I set a countdown on my phone and made it my wallpaper. A reminder of what was coming.

When Jasmine came out of the shower, I was already in bed, lying on my side. She thought I was asleep and didn’t say a word.

But I didn’t sleep. Not for a second.

When the first light crept through the curtains, I got up to wash my face.

My phone buzzed. Her voice came through the line, sharp and questioning. "Nash, what documents did you cancel?"

I held the phone away for a second, steadying myself before answering. "Nothing serious. My ID expired, so I set up an appointment to renew it. That’s all. Aren’t you supposed to be discussing the project today? Go on, get to work."

She hesitated, then let out a relieved sigh. Wrapping her arms around me, she rested her head against my chest.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Having a husband as understanding as you is the biggest blessing of my life."

I smiled faintly, looking down at her, but I didn’t say a word.

"As a reward, I’ll give you a big gift today, okay?" she said.

"Alright, I’ll wait for you at home," I replied.

Jasmine really was going all out to keep me from causing any more trouble for Joel. It was time to end this whole three-year mess.

The moment she left, I went to cancel the marriage. Filled out the paperwork and then headed straight to the lawyer’s office.

When I asked about the letter of understanding, the lawyer just told me that the family’s letter of understanding was legally solid. It had been put in place and couldn’t be undone.

I didn’t press further. I just told him to print out two divorce agreements for me.

With the documents in hand, I went over to Jasmine’s company.

As soon as I walked in, I overheard some employees chatting. "That’s Ms. Greer’s husband, right? I heard he just got back from abroad. With his style and presence, no wonder she’s all about him. Even I can’t resist!"

"It’s gotta be him. That watch on his wrist is a limited edition Patek Philippe. Only ten in the world. I saw Ms. Greer picking one out in her office, so I’m guessing she bought it for him. So sweet."

"The hotel abroad, that was built for him, wasn’t it? I heard they’ve been childhood sweethearts. Even the dramas wouldn’t be this dramatic!"

I was standing outside her office on the top floor when I overheard a familiar voice. "How’ve you been these past three years?"

Then I heard a guy answer, "Yeah, it’s been good. I wake up every day to the sea view and the air’s just full of freedom. I haven’t even properly thanked you yet. If it wasn’t for you, I would've—"

"Don’t bring it up. It’s all in the past. I’m helping you for my own reasons," Jasmine said.

Joel laughed softly. "You’re still the same after all these years. If Nash knew you were helping me out like this, he’d probably lose it.

"This watch is way too much. I can’t take it. You should give it to Nash instead. If I take it, he’ll probably sue me again."

Joel was always like this; taking all the advantages, playing the victim and then acting like the bigger person, as if forgiving me was some great act of generosity.

Three years ago, at the wedding, I exposed him in front of everyone, calling him out as a murderer and shattering his image.

He and Loren Spencer—his fiancée back then—turned on me instantly. The guests didn’t hesitate to follow their lead. I was torn apart, humiliated, left to be the punchline of their gossip.

Jasmine had been the only one to reach out, my only lifeline in that chaos.

But now, she was the one dragging me down.

I was still standing there when her secretary suddenly rushed by, bursting into the office with a contract in hand. Jasmine’s eyes widened when she saw me.

"Nash? What are you doing here? Don’t get the wrong idea, Joel just stopped by to catch up. That’s it," she said quickly, her voice a little too eager.

Joel stood up then, flashing his usual self-assured smile. "Nash, long time no see."

He looked like he had just walked out of a magazine ad, wearing a brand-new suit from the Greer Family line.

His face was glowing, his body fit—there wasn’t a single trace of the struggles he supposedly faced in prison.

I gave him a tight smile and said, "No worries, I was just passing through. Since you’re busy, I’ll head out."

Jasmine must’ve thought I was upset because she hurried after me, trying to explain. "Hey, come on, don’t act like this. I was just asking him how things were for him in prison. It’s been three years. Can’t we just let it go already? You said yourself it’s in the past."

I looked at her, my smile faint but steady. She had thrown our marriage away to save Joel and now that he was doing perfectly fine, who was she even trying to convince?

"Relax," I said calmly. "What’s done is done. I’m not upset. Like I said, I’m a man of my word."

"Go ahead, I'll wait for you at home," I said, keeping my tone steady.

She exhaled, visibly relieved and called her secretary to walk me out.

Just before I left, she added, "Oh, by the way, the Spencer Family is hosting a dinner tomorrow night to celebrate Joel's return.”

Since he was the CEO now, they had to keep up appearances. They were telling everyone he had been studying abroad, not a word about prison.

I nodded, giving her the answer she wanted. "Got it. I won’t cause any trouble at the dinner."

That seemed to settle her. With a quick nod, she sent me on my way.

When I got home, I stared at the wedding photos on the wall. After a moment, I pulled them down, one by one.

With scissors in hand, I sliced through every image until there was nothing left but shredded memories. The pieces went straight into the trash.

That night, Jasmine didn’t come back. But Joel did—on social media.

He posted a photo, the first in months. A candlelit dinner for two.

The photo was carefully cropped: no faces, just two wine glasses and a slender wrist. Her wrist. No wedding ring, but I didn’t need one to know it was Jasmine.

I liked the post, why not give him what he wanted? Then I turned off my phone and started packing my bags.

The next morning, Jasmine’s secretary dropped off me formal clothes for the dinner. Curious, I opened the box. It was a last-season design, hardly something impressive.

By the evening, I arrived at the party just in time to catch Loren finishing her speech. She was all smiles as she announced that Joel was taking over every joint project between the Greer Family and the Spencer group.

The crowd erupted in applause, buzzing with admiration. Everyone was talking about Joel’s “success,” marveling at his incredible luck. Two rich, beautiful women standing by him—one cleaning up his mess, the other handing him the keys to the kingdom.

Then I walked in and the energy in the room shifted. Conversations faded, replaced by curious stares and sly smirks. It was the kind of silence that said they were expecting a show.

Jasmine was too busy working the room to notice me.

Joel, on the other hand, noticed immediately. With that polished smile of his, he stepped in like a gracious host, guiding me upstairs to the terrace.

As soon as we were alone, his act disappeared. The charm vanished and the real Joel, the one I knew all too well, finally surfaced.

Joel's smirk was pure venom. "Nash, after all these years, you're still pathetic. You really thought Jasmine married you for love?

“Please. If you hadn’t sued me, she wouldn’t have even looked at you. I've been 'abroad' for the past three years, living comfortably—all thanks to your wife. Face it, Nash. You’re a joke."

The words hit harder than they should have, but I didn’t let them sink in. Instead, I let my fist do the talking.

The punch landed square on his face. He staggered back, still smirking, but before he could catch himself, he lost his balance and tumbled down the stairs.

A loud gasp rippled through the hall.

Jasmine rushed over, dropping to her knees beside him.

Panic filled her eyes as she turned to me, her voice sharp with anger. "Nash, what the hell is wrong with you? Are you out of your mind? Joel has always treated you well! Why would you push him? Didn’t you say you’d let the past go? Why are you making a scene now?"

I met her glare with a steady, unreadable expression. "Making a scene? Jasmine, don't you think you owe me an explanation for what happened back then?"

Her face tightened and for a split second, I saw hesitation—guilt, maybe. "What’s there to explain? Joel has apologized for the past three years. What else do you want?"

I scoffed. "One thing at a time. Whatever happened before, that doesn’t change what he said tonight. And it sure as hell doesn’t mean I owe him an apology."

Before Jasmine could respond, Joel reached for her hand, his voice trembling just enough to make it convincing.

"Don't... don't blame Nash," he murmured, his breath shaky.

"This is all my fault. I wronged him back then. Tonight was supposed to be my way of making it right." He sighed, shaking his head. "If he still hates me this much… maybe we shouldn’t see each other again. I don’t want to put you in the middle of this, Jasmine."

My hands curled into fists, nails biting into my palms until I felt the sting of broken skin.

As I watched them walk away, her arm wrapped around him, I finally saw it for what it was.

It was over.