It wasn't until my mom called that I realized I'd forgotten to call them recently.

"Your dad and I only want you to be happy. So, whatever decision you make, we will support you," after chatting about some random things, my mother suddenly said this.

"Mom, I feel so miserable. Living is just too hard ..." As soon as I said this, I broke down.

"Don't cry, don't cry, dear. This will pass. It's not that big of a deal," I could hear the worry in my mom's voice. I never expected that, even in their twilight years, I would still cause them so much concern.

"Okay, Mom. Don't worry, I won't do anything foolish. You should rest," I said, ending the call quickly to avoid worrying them further. Hugging myself, I felt both despair and hatred.

Though I had managed to get into the apartment, Sandra's behavior made it clear that everything here was hers and she could take it all whenever she pleased. I wasn't just heartbroken anymore, I was filled with vengeance. I wouldn't let them get away with this!

The next day, instead of going to work, I staked out at their apartment complex early in the morning. I found a perfect spot and waited until seven o'clock. Sure enough, they came out together. I snapped a photo of them. If you are unkind to me, don't blame me for being unjust.

Since Connor had been my classmate in college, it wasn't hard to find the email of his boss through mutual connections. Once at the office, I sent the photos and screenshots of the gift orders to his boss.

In the email, I not only accused Connor of immoral behavior and betrayal but also of deceitfully obtaining my property and conspiring with his mistress to evict me. I naively thought this would ruin Sandra's internship and tarnish Connor's reputation. However, two days after sending the email, there was no response. It was like the email had vanished into thin air.

On the third day, I saw a post from Connor on social media. "Once you're legal, we'll be legal." The picture showed two hands forming a heart, each wearing matching rings from a luxury brand.

My heart felt like it was being stabbed repeatedly. I remembered wanting those rings when we registered our marriage, but Connor said they were overpriced and insisted on buying plain gold bands instead. Now, it seemed the brand's price no longer mattered to him. How ironic.

Then, I received a message from him. [Nadine, you're disgusting. I told you, Sandra and I got together after our divorce. You have no right to accuse us. And you have no evidence. Those emails you sent were a waste of effort.] His words were like pouring oil on a fire.

[You shameless jerk! Fine, I don't want to argue about you and Sandra anymore. When are you going to give me my share of the house?] I replied back.

[Which house?] He asked nonchalantly.

When I saw that message, my mind went blank. I realized something was very wrong. [Which house? The one I'm living in. I told you, no money, no moving out.]

[We clearly stated in the divorce agreement that the house belongs to me. We processed the transfer based on that agreement and now the house is under my wife's name,] he replied.

Then he added, [For the sake of our past, I'll give you a month to find a place. Otherwise, I'll have to personally escort you out.]

His words hit me like a bolt of lightning. No wonder they had been stalling, promising to give me the money later. They had planned to transfer the property all along! I was trembling with anger when a voice brought me back to reality.

"Nadine." I looked up to see my boss, Jacob Elody.

"Where's the PPT I asked you to prepare?" Jacob, although only in his early thirties, had reached a position many could only dream of. His rapid rise was due not only to his exceptional abilities but also to his notorious workaholism.

When he barked at me, I knew I was done for. I'd completely forgotten about the work. "The client meeting is at two this afternoon. Do you know what time it is now?" he asked.

I glanced at my watch, it was eleven. If I skipped lunch and worked straight through, I could probably get a draft done. "I'll have it to you before two," I said quickly.

"One o'clock," he demanded, giving me a stern look before walking away.

Starving and exhausted, I managed to get the PPT done and sent it to Jacob by one o'clock. The meeting was a disaster, but luckily, Jacob single-handedly managed to secure the deal. However, his face was anything but pleased. Instead of yelling at me, he led me to a nearby restaurant.

"What's going on with you today? You seem distracted," he asked, catching me off guard.

My emotions welled up and I started crying again, much to his surprise. He hastily handed me a napkin. "Stop crying, please."

People at nearby tables glanced over, curious. I had worked with him for five years, from when he was just a team leader to his current department head position. I knew him well enough to know he was the type of boss who pushed everyone to their limits, regardless of gender.

After a while, I managed to calm down. "Can you tell me now?"

I sobbed, "It's nothing, just some family issues …"

Jacob, showing rare generosity, ordered a lot of food. Maybe playing the pity card with a boss did work sometimes. "Are your parents sick?" he asked.

I shook my head. He paused for a moment before asking, "Your husband cheated on you?"

I fell silent, which was answer enough.

"Oh, I thought it was something serious. Eat up, there's plenty more if you need it. My treat today." He shook his head and smiling.

Seeing him acting as if it had nothing to do with me, I was so angry, but he is a big shot and I can't afford to offend him. "Mr. Elody, as an outstanding person like you, you can't understand the troubles of an ordinary person like me."

"Is that so? What kind of struggles do you ordinary people face? I got divorced before I joined this company because my ex-wife cheated on me. I couldn't stay there, so I moved here." When Jacob said this, I was drinking a drink and I almost choked to death.

I didn't expect this cold man was married! I was shocked.

"Don't get too excited," he laughed.

I felt like I'd just learned a massive piece of gossip. I wanted to ask if the other guy was somehow better than him, but held back. This composed, decisive leader had quietly endured his ordeal and walked away.

"My ex-husband tricked me into signing over our joint property to him and now he's married his mistress and transferred the property to her," I confessed. Since Mr. Elody was honest with me, I decided to told him the truth.

"No wonder you're my subordinate, your situation is similar to mine," he said, genuinely surprising me.

"Did you get your property back?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I have more than one property. I considered it fulfilling a duty and gave it to her." Of course, he wasn't like ordinary people.

"That property was bought with my hard-earned money and my parents' money was also involved. I can't just let them have it," I said.

Jacob frowned. "Your ex-husband is quite the scumbag. What's your plan?"

"Hire a lawyer and sue him. I'm not letting them get away with this." I sighed.

Jacob asked, "How did you transfer the property to him?"

I explained the whole situation. He finally said, "There are two options, the legal route, I can recommend a good lawyer who specializes in these cases or public opinion. I can help you find a popular blogger to publicize your story, making it impossible for him to escape unscathed."

"Mr. Elody, would you really help me?" I was taken aback.

"After all these years working together, this small favor is nothing." He smiled. "And there's a third option, use both approaches simultaneously."

I thought the third option sounded promising.

Mr. Elody was known for his decisive actions. Early the next morning, he sent me the lawyer's contact information and scheduled a meeting for after work. Then, he recommended a feminist relationship blogger with millions of followers. "She's a classmate of mine. Her team will discuss the details of the exposure with you."

I suddenly felt like my life was on an upswing. Looking at Jacob with admiration, I felt his image in my mind grow even more impressive. That evening, we met the lawyer, a very capable-looking woman. "This is Winona James, another classmate of mine."

"Miss James, nice to meet you. Mr. Elody's classmates are all outstanding." I praised her. We met at the rooftop bar of a landmark building in the city center, offering a panoramic view of the city's nightscape.

"I've heard about you from Jacob. He always praises you, saying you're young, hardworking and very promising," Winona said with a smile.

I didn't expect Mr. Elody to praise me. Over the past five years, our department went through many personnel changes and Jacob's rise to his position wasn't easy. I witnessed his struggles and betrayals in the workplace, so as someone who has been loyal to him from the beginning, he always took me to meet clients. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to alcohol, so every time we went out, he had to drink for me.

"It's a pity I'm not a man, otherwise, I'd go all out for Mr. Elody." I joked.

"Haha, Jacob doesn't need you to go all out for him," Winona laughed even more. "You're quite an interesting assistant."

"Alright, let's get down to business," Jacob interrupted.

"Alright, alright," Winona nodded. "Miss Diaz, I've heard about your situation from Jacob, but I still have a few questions to confirm with you."

"Sure, go ahead." I recounted in detail how I was deceived and how I discovered Connor's affair.

"We'll follow the legal process first, gather evidence proving their illegal cohabitation during your marriage and then prove that he committed fraud when signing the divorce agreement. Also, we need to find the records of your parents' money transfers. Of course, just these might not be enough to win." Winona paused. "However, Jacob has already thought it through. If we leverage public opinion and create a significant social impact, it will be extremely beneficial to us."

I asked hesitantly, "What about the fees …"

Winona glanced at Jacob. "With Mr. Elody here, don't worry about that."