I cried myself to sleep, and when I woke up, I found myself in a pitch-black room. It was only then that I realized it was midnight.

After I carefully put away the divorce papers, the door behind me opened.

Xavier entered.

“You… Why are you here?”

I flinched when I saw him. He cast me an indifferent look before gesturing for me to sit up.

“The doctor came by just now, but since you were sleeping, I told him not to disturb you.”

Then, he knelt before me and opened a first-aid kit to apply some ointment for me.

His movements were gentle, so gentle that I felt they did not resemble the gestures of a Don whose life was always at a blade’s tip.

Just like that, I felt myself caving and melting for him all over again.

Although we never had any intimate relationship in the last five years, he was very protective of me and looked after me.

If someone badmouthed me, then he would have their tongues cut off.

If I saw a piece of jewelry I liked, he would hand me his card without another word.

Back when I was traumatized and afraid of the dark for an entire month after surviving the kidnapping episode, he made sure all the lights in the manor were turned on all day and night.

It was those little acts of kindness that made me fell for him.

“Xavier, I heard Alice is going to remarry. Is that true?”

His movements stiffened upon hearing this. Then, he spoke in a lowered voice, “Who told you that?”

“I overheard some of the men talking about it.”

My voice trembled when I spoke, “I heard the suitor was an heir to a bank? I heard he's a good man…”

“Ha, a good man?” Xavier sneered and suddenly tightened his grip around me.

I gasped from the pain. He seemed to have fallen into a dark and brooding state, as if he was unable to pluck himself out of the pit of emotions.

“He doesn't deserve her. No man in this world is worthy of her.”

Then, he got up and looked at me from above. All his tenderness had vanished and was replaced by an air of authority.

“Grace, what have I been teaching you for the last five years? You should know better than to ask questions you shouldn’t be asking.”

Then, he approached the window and lit a cigar, “I know how to handle Alice’s affairs.”

I felt an urge to cry upon hearing this.

Forget it. I could no longer lie to myself.

“By that, do you mean you’re going to stop her from remarrying?”

I lost all my senses at once. All I wanted now was to get a definite answer from him, regardless of how reckless it may be.

“Xavier, you told me that you can’t handle being physical with a woman, but I saw you hugging her today! You were hugging her so tightly! You lied to me!”

The silence was oppressive.

He narrowed the look in his eyes and sneered.

“Yes, and what about it?” He exhaled a puff of smoke, “She's the only exception. I’ve wanted her since I was sixteen, but my brother swooped in and took her from me.”

My tears finally fell.

“What about me? What am I to you?”

Xavier came closer and fixed a look on me.

“You’re a good, obedient, and competent wife who does a good job at keeping the elders happy.

“I can give you all the wealth and status you need on the condition that you don’t ask for what doesn’t rightfully belong to you.

“You’ve been getting more unruly these days. I’m disappointed in you.”

He sighed and turned to leave.

I sat stiffly as I stared blankly at what was ahead of me for what seemed like an eternity before I snapped out of it. Then, I grabbed several bank statements and some title deeds from a hidden compartment in the safe.

Then, I took a deep breath before dialing a private number.

“Rosalia, please sell off all the insured jewelry pieces.”

The person on the other end hesitated before asking, “Donna, it was the Don who gave them…”

“Are you my assistant or Xavier’s?” I cut her off, “I want you to cash them out within two weeks and wire the money directly to my personal account. If he asks about them, just tell him I lost them.”

It was only a couple of gemstones anyway. He would toss me another check without even batting an eye.

Xavier thought I couldn’t survive without his money and his occasional gestures of affection given out of pity.

He underestimated me.

Not only was I getting a divorce, but I was also taking his money and leaving for good. I was going to live the life I wanted.

The next morning, I put on full-glam makeup to hide the exhaustion from my previous sleepless night.

Xavier was seated at the dining table, in the middle of flipping through the morning paper. The sun cast a radiant glow on him, accentuating his unbelievable good looks.

I approached him and gravely set a stack of documents next to him.

“What’s this?” He gave me a look.

“Some project grants that need your signature. There are also several authorization letters for the family fund.” I avoided his gaze before continuing, “This last one here is a request for some extra expenses on my end.”

“You’re still throwing a tantrum.” He frowned, “When are you going to see reason?”

“I’m not throwing a tantrum. I’ve thought it through, and I’ve decided I want the new custom ring as compensation. It’s the one in the last document.”

Upon hearing this, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

I sneered at his reaction. It seemed to me that he still believed I would still be under his control as long as I continued to obsess over such frivolous things.

“Buy whatever you want,” he said as he signed the documents swiftly.

When the tip of the pen glided across the dotted line on the divorce papers, I held my breath.

After he signed his name next to mine, I took the signed papers and left satisfied.

Then, I drove straight to Saint Mary Hospital to visit Annie, who took a stab at the abdomen to protect me. I had to make sure she was in good condition.

Upon finding out that the surgery was successful and that she was recovering, I heaved a sigh of relief.

When I walked down the hospital corridor, I heard two nurses whispering excitedly between themselves.

“Did you see that patient’s husband? He’s so handsome!”

“Yes! When she came in yesterday and found out she was pregnant, her husband anxiously arranged for her to get the best services!”

I did a double-take and felt a nauseating, ominous feeling wash over me. I couldn’t help myself and snuck a peek.

Through the crack in the door, I spotted Alice.

She was looking down at her phone. I could already make out the maternal affection in her expression.

“Hey Mom, the doctor said I’m six weeks pregnant. The baby is very healthy.”

The person on the other end of the line was both surprised and curious.

“No, I can't marry him anymore,” Alice said while patting her stomach.

The voice on the other end grew louder. Alice paused for a moment before chirping jubilantly, “Who else could it be but Xavier?”

I slumped weakly against the wall and felt my stomach turning.

Xavier kept insisting that he was “allergic to women,” yet he slept with his sister-in-law.

He told me I was “the only woman in his life,” but this whole time, there was someone else in his heart.

I couldn't bear to listen anymore and walked out of the hospital, all drained.

When I reached the entrance of the hospital, I bumped into Xavier of all people.

“What are you doing here?” He reached out to stop me, but suddenly pulled his hand back before I nearly bumped into him.

“I came to see Annie.” I said with a forced smile, “She nearly died protecting me. As Donna, I have a responsibility to visit her.”

Xavier frowned, “I’ll have someone make the arrangements to have her transferred to a private facility on the outskirts of the city in half an hour.”

“Transfer?!” I snapped as I turned toward him.

I glared at him and said, “She just had surgery, and the wound is barely healed! Why are you transferring her now, of all times?”

The answer came to me before I even finished uttering the question.

Because this was the hospital where Alice was conducting her prenatal checkups.

“I’m doing this for her safety.”

Xavier lied without flinching, “Be good and listen to me. Will you head back home to sort out the credentials of that overseas shipment we received?”

I rebutted, “Is it truly for her safety, or are you just worried I’d find out Alice is hospitalized here too?”

Though my tone was calm, I understood that from this point on, the veneer of peace between us was going to be torn down for good.

Xavier’s gray eyes widened in an instant, followed by him taking a deep breath.

I knew him well enough to know he was furious. In the past, the sight of it would make me tremble with fear.

However, now that I had decided I no longer loved him, I could hardly be bothered.

“What did you say?”

“Six. Weeks.” I stared directly into his menacing eyes and spoke word-for-word.

“Xavier, I know you’ve been sleeping with your widowed sister-in-law. Both of you are shameless.”

“Shut up!”

He lunged forward and put his hand tightly around my neck as if he wanted to crush my throat right then and there.

What a sick joke! Our first intimate contact only happened because he was so furious that he wanted to kill me.

“You'd better scram and go home, Grace!”

I forced a sarcastic laugh. The lack of oxygen was causing my vision to blur.

“Xavier Whitmore, I want a divorce.”

The veins on his forehead seemed about to burst. His eyes were filled with stark disbelief and rage.

He suddenly released his grip and turned to issue orders to his men.

“Take the Donna home and have her locked in the bedroom on the top floor. No one is to let her out unless I say so.”

“You can’t illegally hold me!” I cried out while two of his men stoically lifted me off my feet.

He looked down at me from above and stated with a cynical smile, “I’m just disciplining my wife.”

With that, I was forced into the car. Meanwhile, he straightened his suit and strutted into the hospital.

Once taken back to the manor, I was locked in the top-floor bedroom.

The windows were nailed shut while guards were assigned to stand outside the door twenty-four seven.

I was furious and smashed everything inside the room. About three hours later, I heard a round of commotion downstairs.

“Hurry up and change the bedding in the bedroom to silk! Miss Alice has never been a good sleeper…

“Also, move all of the Donna’s belongings from the master bedroom to the room on the top floor.”

Then, I heard a familiar and steady round of footsteps followed by a man's voice.

“Take it easy, Alice. You can rest here. This is your home now.”

“Xavier… I'm allergic to pollen…”

“Alright, uproot all the flowers Grace had planted in the garden!”

I slumped to the floor while tears streamed down my face.

They weren't common flowers. They were champagne roses that I had planted, weeded, fertilized, and nurtured for countless days all by myself.

A few years ago, when we were newly married, he whispered in my ear after getting slightly tipsy from the wine after a dinner party, “Grace, the color of your eyes reminds me of champagne roses.”

That was all it took for me to transform the once barren backyard into the flower garden that it was today.

Not just the flowers, I had also meticulously decorated every nook and cranny of the manor over the last five years.

Because this was his home.

I did all that only for him to bring his true love and a bastard child back home. He was so eager to remove all traces of my existence.

He even intended to imprison me here so no one would find out about his affair.

Suddenly, the door was thrown open with a loud thump.

Several housemaids entered with their heads bowed and were timidly avoiding eye contact with me. They piled my belongings haphazardly in a corner of the room.

“Donna…”

Jakob Roth, the old butler, sighed before reluctantly stating, “Don Whitmore gave orders that the master bedroom belongs to Miss Alice. As for your belongings… We’ll leave them here for now.”

“I understand. You may be excused,” I spoke softly.

After they cautiously retreated, I heard Alice's faint voice coming from outside the door.

“Grace, may I come in?”

Even though I did not respond, she opened the door anyway.

She was dressed in a beige cotton dress and eyed me timidly. Her complexion was pale.

“Grace, I’m sorry…” As soon as she started, her eyes began to turn red as if she had been the one suffering a great injustice.

“I was going to surrender to my fate of being a widow for life. I’ve always refused Xavier and never wanted to take anything from you.

“I don’t think I can handle being the Donna of the family, it’s so much pressure. All I wanted was to give birth to the baby in peace, but… I’m sure you know how Xavier can be, he insisted on giving the child a home…”

I stood amidst the clutter and observed her icily before asking stiffly, “If I may ask, Miss Alice, how do you envision the role I play in your family?”

Alice bit her lower lip and blinked daintily before stating, “I was thinking maybe you could be the baby’s godmother…”

I burst out laughing. I found the entire thing comically absurd.

“You want me, the actual wife, to become the godmother of a bastard child?”

She turned deathly pale at this comment. Then, she began to sway and leaned against the doorframe for support.

“I… I didn't mean that. I just wanted to express how much I care about you, Grace…”

After I flipped her off, she wisely took the hint and left.

Then, I heard the sound of the engine of an excavator roaring downstairs.

All the treasured flowers and various plants I had tended to with my bare hands had been uprooted brutally.