Alcohol was absolutely off-limits for Aiden.

I went through so much trouble and put in so much effort just to help him heal his stomach. And now, just to make his true love smile, he was downing drink after drink like it was nothing.

I suddenly couldn't hold it in anymore.

So, this was what happened when someone was pushed to the edge of fury. There was no such thing as staying calm, thinking rationally, or weighing the consequences.

My mind roared with anger, and I charged forward.

I snatched the glass from Aiden's hand and smashed it onto the floor.

"You bastard!" I screamed.

Aiden stared at me in shock.

"Ah!" Skyla gasped, startled. She took two steps back, tripped, and fell.

Her hand knocked over a nearby serving cart, sending the steaming hot soup splashing everywhere. Scalding oil splattered across her face and forehead.

She let out a piercing scream.

Aiden jolted and shouted in panic, "Skyla!"

Everyone rushed toward her.

Suddenly, a powerful shove slammed into my shoulder, making me lose my balance. I stumbled backward and crashed onto the floor. My forehead struck the edge of a table.

One of Aiden's young subordinates glared at me viciously. "Where did this madwoman come from? Do you think you can run after hurting someone?"

I clutched my head, feeling a warm liquid trickle down, blurring my vision. Through the blood, I saw Aiden rushing toward me, his face etched with panic.

But I didn't care. I lost it.

I screamed at the top of my lungs, "I saw it! I saw everything in that damn folder! You two are disgusting! It's absolutely revolting!"

…

For the past three months, every time I thought about what happened next, it always felt like a dream.

It was a nightmare—a horrific, twisted nightmare.

The shock, the head injury, the screaming—I must have worked myself up too much because I blacked out.

When I woke up in the hospital, Aiden was sitting next to me. His head was bowed low, and his expression was blank.

Weakly, I opened my mouth. "Get out. I don't want to see you. You make me sick."

Aiden's body stiffened. He raised his unshaven face, his voice hoarse as he said, "Lily, don't get so worked up. It's not what you think."

I reached for the thermos on the table and hurled it at him.

He didn't dodge. It hit his jaw with a dull thud before falling to the floor. Aiden closed his eyes for a moment, then bent down to pick it up and place it back on the table.

With a deep sigh, he said, "You can hit me, curse me, and do whatever you want. At this point, I'm not going to defend myself. I just want to say one thing. Skyla and I never crossed the line."

I stared at him, my teeth clenched so hard my jaw ached. "So what? Am I supposed to applaud you two for your noble morals? Thank you for not going all the way?"

Aiden looked at me, his expression full of sorrow. "Do you have to say it like that?"

Under the blanket, my trembling hand pressed tightly against the mattress. "You think my words are disgusting? Are they as disgusting as what you two did? Just thinking about the things you wrote to each other makes me want to vomit!

"Don't act like a tragic pair of star-crossed lovers! What a load of crap! Your so-called "platonic love" is just cheating in disguise!"

In the past, whenever I watched TV shows or read novels where the female lead caught her husband cheating and flew into a hysterical rage, screaming and crying as if they had completely lost it, I always felt indifferent.

I thought those women were too emotional and undignified.

I used to think, "He's just a man. If he's done you dirty, just ditch him."

But now that I experienced it, I realized there was no controlling it. I was drowning in rage and betrayal. My chest felt like it was going to explode.

I wanted to throw every vile, hateful word I could think of at them.

I wanted nothing more than to destroy him.

I wanted to drag him and that woman to hell with me.

In an instant, I went from being the optimistic, cheerful, and warmhearted Lily to a sharp-tongued, violent lunatic.

Aiden looked at me like I was insane. His expression only fueled my rage.

I grabbed a pillow and hurled it at his face. "Get out!"

Aiden slowly smoothed down his disheveled hair and stood up.

His voice was calmer this time. "You're too upset to have a rational conversation. I'll leave for now. As for Derrick pushing you, he already apologized to me. You can't really blame him. He doesn't know you. You suddenly rushed in and startled Skyla so badly that she got hurt. He was just standing up for her.

"Skyla's forehead was burned, and it left a scar. But she's not planning to hold you responsible, so you don't have to worry. In any case, this whole situation isn't as ugly as you think.

"Just take some time to calm down. If you still can't get past this, then no matter how you choose to punish me, I won't complain."

He bent down, picked up the pillow, placed it back on the bed, and turned to leave the hospital room.

…

I lay in the hospital for three days, my mind clouded in a haze. I drifted in and out of sleep, jolting awake each time.

Every time I opened my eyes, I needed a few seconds to figure out whether I was in a nightmare or reality.

My mom came to visit me. She told me that Aiden called her, explained everything in detail, and asked her to come take care of me.

She stroked my face and sighed. "He sincerely admitted his mistake. He swore that nothing actually happened between him and that woman.

"Lily, remember how you used to be obsessed with celebrities? You wrote whole notebooks full of love letters to them. Just think of it like that."

I shook my head. "It's not the same."

"But getting yourself worked up like this isn't worth it. If you won't think of yourself, at least think of Chloe."

Then, my mother-in-law, Martha Mattison, and sister-in-law, Amelia Spencer, dropped by. They sat on either side of my hospital bed.

Martha smiled and said, "Of course, Aiden was in the wrong for this. But you know, he's always been the type women are drawn to. And now that he's successful, it's only natural that some opportunistic women will target him.

"In a way, it's good that this happened. It gave you a wake-up call before things got out of hand."

Amelia sipped her iced black coffee and said, "Lily, I'm not just saying this to defend my brother, but Aiden is a sentimental person. He's got a solid character.

"Honestly, he might've been set up. Besides, this doesn't even count as cheating. At worst, it's just harmless flirting. No—honestly, it's not even that. He's way too proper to say anything inappropriate!"

Before leaving, Martha gave me a serious look. "Aiden was willing to tell the family about this himself. That means, at his core, he has nothing to hide. I understand if you need to vent about it for a bit, but it's best to let it end here.

"Aiden is about to be nominated for the vice president position at the research institute. If outsiders hear about this conflict between you two, it could damage his reputation."

…

I honestly didn't know what to do.

Should I get a divorce?

This was a decade-long relationship and the home I carefully built over the years. There was also Chloe's upbringing and the perfect family image we had in front of others to consider.

Mom, Martha, and Amelia all came to talk to me, but none of them mentioned divorce. They only told me not to let it affect my health or the family's harmony.

It was as if, in their minds, this wasn't even close to being a reason for divorce.

However, I was filled with this unbearable suffocation.

Aiden came to see me every day, bringing freshly made soup. When I ignored him, he simply set the insulated food container down gently and left in silence.

Chloe called me a few times, asking when I was coming home and complaining that Aiden's cooking was terrible.

I really didn't know what to do.

The day before I was discharged, I decided to go down to the hospital garden for some fresh air on a whim.

That was when I ran into Skyla and Aiden.

Skyla was in her hospital gown, and Aiden was holding two insulated food containers. They were talking in hushed voices.

They stood facing each other. The breeze blew behind Skyla, making her long hair dance across Aiden's face. Aiden remained still, letting her hair lightly graze him.

It was an unspoken, ambiguous intimacy.

For a long moment, he simply stood there. Then, lowering his gaze, he handed one of the containers to Skyla.

The wind carried Skyla's soft whisper. "Aidie."

A sudden roar echoed in my mind, and I rushed forward.

As Aiden's pupils dilated upon seeing me, I grabbed Skyla's hair and yanked her hard to the ground.

I screamed at her, my voice sharp and furious. "How dare you! How dare you still show your face, you homewrecker?"

Skyla cried out in pain, clutching at her hair. "Ah!"

A few young employees from the research institute rushed over in a panic.

Seeing the scene unfold, they tried to stop me while anxiously explaining, "Mrs. Spencer! You've got it all wrong! We came to visit Skyla, and Mr. Spencer just happened to be here too!"

I raised my hand, ready to slap Skyla across the face. But my wrist was caught in a firm grip.

Aiden's voice was cold. "That's enough."

The young employees awkwardly tried to pry my fingers loose, struggling to free Skyla's hair, but I instinctively clenched tighter.

A crowd gathered, watching the spectacle unfold. People pointed at us and whispered.

Skyla's shoulders trembled as she stifled her sobs, embarrassment and distress written all over her face.

Aiden glanced at her, his expression softening with concern. Then, he turned back to me, his gaze cold and sharp.

His voice rang out loud and clear. "I swear on our daughter, Chloe, that Skyla and I never had any kind of intimate relationship. There was no kissing—not even a hug!

"Lily, you keep refusing to let this go. First, you got her burned, and now you're publicly humiliating her. If you keep acting like this, then let's just get a divorce!"

I froze, staring at him in shock. "What did you say? Divorce? What right do you have to mention divorce?"

The crowd erupted into murmurs. "If he's swearing on his own daughter's life, he's probably telling the truth. Damn, I thought she was exposing a homewrecker, but it turns out she's just a jealous wife going crazy."

"And she even ruined that poor girl's face! Look at how vicious she is, yanking her by the hair. No wonder her husband wants a divorce!"

"That guy actually seems decent. It looks like he's been pushed to his limit."

In a daze, I loosened my grip on Skyla's hair.

The young employees quickly shielded her and hurriedly pulled her away from me.

Through the crowd, Skyla slowly lifted her head and met my gaze in silence. Her eyes were mocking and filled with contempt. There was even a hint of pity.

Suddenly, I felt calm.

From the moment I found that folder, I was consumed by fury. This was the first time I truly felt calm.

I turned to Aiden. Looking straight at him, I spoke slowly, "No, I don't agree to the divorce."