Just as I placed my hand on the door handle, I heard a knock from outside. I opened the door to see Clara Wilson standing there with a bright smile.

She said, "Maisie, these are fresh eggs from my family's farm back home. I thought you could use some extra nourishment."

I could tell Clara did not come just to drop off some eggs. She clearly had something on her mind, so I invited her in."Come on in, Clara. Have a seat."

Clara stepped inside and immediately caught sight of Damian at the dining table. She frowned and shook her head.

She told him, "Damian, I'm telling you, a married man shouldn't worry about another woman. Taking care of your own wife should be your top priority."

Damian kept his head down, silently shoving food into his mouth. Nonetheless, when he sneaked a guilty glance my way, I caught it.

I brought Clara a cup of tea, but she waved her hand. "I just came to say a few words. I have to send my kid to school soon."

I thanked her with a smile and walked her out. However, the moment I stepped outside, I noticed Waverly hovering nervously near the entrance.

"Damian, Waverly's out here waiting for you!" I called out, loud enough for him to hear from the living room.

I heard the clatter of utensils hitting the floor. Meanwhile, Waverly's face went pale, and she quickly whispered, "Maisie, please don't misunderstand. Damian and I are innocent. Nothing is going on, really…"

Hearing the word 'innocent' come from her mouth almost made me laugh.

I gave her a cold, sharp glare and spat, "Waverly, save that innocent act for Damian—he might fall for it, but I won't."

I continued, "You've been living off our money for years. I'm giving you three days to pay it all back. If you don't, I'll make sure the whole town hears about it through the broadcast station."

Waverly's expression turned stormy. "That money was just Damian being nice. He was just helping me out with groceries and the kid's stuff. What's the big deal?"

I retorted, "Has Damian actually told you how much he actually spent on you? Before we got married, he could spend whatever he wanted on you. That was his business. After our marriage, our income became shared property. Every month, he spent at least four hundred dollars on you and your kid. Over five years, that's around twenty-five thousand dollars."

I continued, "Either you pay me back, or I'll go straight to the police."

That number hit her like a punch to the gut.

Her eyes filled with panic, and she turned toward Damian, who was still sitting inside. "Damian, say something! Please!"

Damian did not even look up. His voice was weak and reluctant as he mumbled, "Waverly... Just pay her back. I-It's a lot of money."

Waverly was stupefied by his response. Suddenly, she collapsed onto her knees in front of me, sobbing.

"Maisie, I beg you, please... I'm raising a kid alone. I don't have that kind of money. Please have a little compassion..."

I was not in the mood to entertain her theatrics. Without another word, I turned and walked out the door.

After that, I headed straight to Damian and Waverly's workplace and found their manager, Simon Grande. I sat across from him and got straight to the point.

"Mr. Grande, I don't need you to mediate or take sides. I just want the money back—that's all. Whatever else happens, I don't care anymore."

Simon sighed and slid a cup of tea across the desk toward me. "Maisie, I've seen how much you've sacrificed for Damian over the years. He's the one who's in the wrong here, no question. I'll make sure you get your money back, but divorce... that's a big decision. Are you sure about this?"

I replied, "I've already applied for a study abroad program, Mr. Grande. I'll be leaving next week, and I don't know how long I'll be gone. Divorcing him and letting him marry Waverly is better for everyone involved."

He stared at me in surprise. I could tell he had not expected that from me, the woman everyone had pegged as the dutiful wife.

Nonetheless, Simon was sharp. After a moment, he gave me a nod.

"Studying abroad is a good choice, Maisie. This training will open new doors for you. Stay safe while you're out there.

"As for Damian... Well, he was on track to get the 'Employee of the Year' award, but I didn't realize he was this clueless about his priorities."

Just then, the office door burst open. Damian rushed in, his face flushed with anger. "Mr. Grande, don't listen to her! She's making things up. We're not getting divorced!"

Damian turned to me and added, "Maisie, you can't just decide something this big without talking to me! You're leaving the country? I don't agree to that!"

Before I could respond, Waverly stumbled in right after him, crying loudly.

She threw herself onto the floor and wailed, "Mr. Grande, please help me! Where am I supposed to get that kind of money? How will my child and I survive?"

Their dramatic entrance drew a crowd of curious coworkers, who gathered outside the office to watch.

I crossed my arms and spoke clearly, so everyone could hear me. "If you two don't mind embarrassing yourselves, go right ahead, but this divorce is happening. As for that money, I want every last cent of it back."

Waverly's sobs grew louder.

"Twenty-five thousand dollars... I'll never be able to repay that! How am I supposed to live after this? I might as well just die!"

Suddenly, she lunged toward the window.

The moment Damian saw Waverly lunge toward the window, he rushed forward and grabbed her, holding her tightly as she sobbed uncontrollably. He whispered reassurances to her while she clung to him like a lifeline.

Simon slammed his hand on the desk, his face twisted with irritation. "You two have no shame at all! This is a workplace! Look around—everyone here is watching! Do you realize how ridiculous you both look right now?"

He turned toward me with a softer expression and said, "Maisie, go home and get some rest. I promise I'll handle this situation."

I gave him a nod, turned around, and left without a second thought.

As I walked away, I heard footsteps behind me. Damian was trying to catch up, his hand reaching for my arm.

However, before he could touch me, Waverly latched onto him, crying as she begged him not to leave her behind.

I did not stop or say anything. Instead, I walked straight home, grabbed my documents, and went to buy my plane ticket.

When I returned, I spotted Damian marching furiously down the street, with Waverly trailing nervously behind him.

I did not care what had happened after I left the office, nor did I want to know. I stuffed the ticket into my coat pocket, pretended not to see them, and made my way home.

Perhaps ten minutes later, I heard a commotion outside my door. I opened it to find Damian and Waverly standing there, along with a pile of random items scattered in the hallway.

Waverly's face was full of resentment, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Damian cleared his throat and spoke first. "Maisie, I got everything back. Can we... Can we forget about the divorce now?"

Before I could respond, Waverly burst out, voice sharp and shrill. "Maisie, you got your stuff back! I didn't take anything from you! Are you happy now?"

She turned to Damian, wiping away fake tears. "Fine! Don't worry about me or my kid anymore! We'll just starve, I guess!"

I crouched down and sifted through the pile they had brought back. There were broken appliances, worn-out clothes, and even a carton of eggs Damian had just bought for her two days ago.

I clapped my hands and laughed.

"Waverly, seriously? Damian spent five years helping you raise your kid. He paid for your food, your clothes, everything.

"Your late husband left you a pretty generous settlement, didn't he? I'm guessing you've been saving it all while living off my household.

"Starving? Yeah, I think you're exaggerating just a little."

The hallway was packed with curious neighbors, all craning their necks to watch the scene unfold. They had been waiting for the drama ever since I confronted Damian and Waverly at their workplace.

Damian's face turned beet red as he glanced around at the gawking crowd. "Waverly, enough! I helped you when you needed it, but stop making a spectacle of yourself. I might not care, but I'm embarrassed for you!"

Clara squeezed through the crowd and tried to calm the situation. "Maisie, dear, let it go. The more you fight, the harder it'll be for everyone. At the end of the day, you still have a marriage to protect."

I appreciated Clara's good intentions. People from her generation grew up believing that we should not air our dirty linen in public, but I did not care about appearances anymore.

I was done playing the dutiful wife, especially since I did nothing wrong. Soon, I would have nothing to do with Damian and Waverly, that shameless couple, anymore.

I squeezed her hand. "Clara, I've made up my mind. I'm divorcing him, no matter what. In five days, I'm leaving the country to study abroad. I've already bought my ticket."

I gestured toward the pile of junk in the hallway and added, "Look, if you see anything your grandson could use, go ahead and take it. I'll just sell the rest to a scrap collector."

Clara hesitated, glancing from me to Damian and back again. "Oh, I don't know... It feels a bit awkward."

I picked up a toy car from the pile and handed it to her. "Here, your grandson will love this. These clothes are unworn too. I'm pretty sure they'll fit him."

I held up the carton of eggs. "Take these eggs home and make him some breakfast."

Clara smiled gratefully and whispered, "Maisie, are you really leaving? I mean, won't that just give those two exactly what they want?"

I met her eyes and nodded. "I am, Clara. I've wasted enough time on Damian already. He never appreciated what I gave him, but with my education and my career, my country will appreciate me more than he ever did."

Clara could tell I was determined, eventually supporting my decision. As she turned to leave and passed Damian, she shook her head and muttered under her breath.

"You had a good woman and threw her away. What a damn shame."

Damian stood there, rooted to the floor, not daring to lift his head under the weight of the neighbors' judgmental stares.

When Waverly saw Damian's reaction, she put on her usual pitiful expression and rushed back into her apartment. Moments later, she returned holding a thick envelope.

She shoved it toward me and said, "This is twenty thousand dollars. It's everything I have. Take it all. As for the remaining five thousand dollars... Well, you decide if my life is worth that much."

Damian's face went pale. He immediately softened, his voice trembling as he said, "Waverly, what are you doing? You don't have to hand it over all at once… Take your time. We'll figure it out."

I shot him a glance and snatched the envelope from Waverly's hand. Right there in front of her, I counted the bills out loud.

"One, two, three... Exactly two hundred bills. Well, Waverly, you can consider the remaining five thousand dollars Damian's gift to you—money he's been saving for your future wedding."

Damian's head jerked toward me, eyes wide with panic. "Maisie, don't spout nonsense like that. The entire neighborhood just heard you! They all know you're my wife!"

I let out a cold laugh. "Everyone knows you spend every other day at Waverly's place. Your heart's with her, Damian, not me."

Waverly's eyes lit up for a moment, though she quickly lowered her head to hide her satisfaction.

Damian's voice grew louder and firmer, "Maisie, I'll never divorce you. Never."

Waverly's hopeful expression instantly collapsed.

I did not respond. Instead, I turned around, walked into the apartment, and shut the door behind me.

Damian followed me, practically stepping on my heels like he was afraid I would disappear if he gave me a second's head start.

I sat down at the table, opened the envelope, and set aside 10,000 dollars. My first instinct was to leave it for Damian since, technically, he was the one who had earned it in the first place.

Suddenly, I heard Waverly shriek from the hallway. Damian's entire posture shifted. His eyes darted toward the door, and he bolted like a man responding to a fire alarm.

Halfway out the door, he suddenly hesitated and looked back at me, uncertain. His body was practically vibrating with indecision.

I gave him a dismissive wave. "Go ahead. She's your neighbor, after all. Helping each other out is just good manners."

Damian exhaled in relief and ran out the door.

Minutes later, Clara knocked softly and let herself in. "Maisie, I just saw Waverly twist her ankle. Damian carried her off to the hospital. I can't tell if she's really hurt or just putting on another show."

She shook her head and sighed. "You're still here, and they're already acting like this. I can't even imagine how shameless they'll be once you leave the country."

I smiled and shrugged. "Clara, I've made up my mind, and I'm leaving. Let them do whatever they want—it won't matter to me anymore."

I pulled out the wad of cash I set aside earlier. "Oh, by the way, here's ten thousand dollars. Give it to Damian for me. I finished all my paperwork, and I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

Clara's eyes widened in surprise. "Tomorrow? Isn't that too soon? I thought you still had a few more days."

I zipped up my suitcase and kept my tone casual. "I'm worried Damian might try to stop me if I wait until the official departure date. Leaving early makes it easier."

Seeing my determination, Clara simply shook her head and sighed. She did not say much after that.

The next morning, just as dawn painted the sky in pale gold, I rolled my suitcase out of the apartment. The only thing I left behind for Damian was a signed divorce agreement.

Sitting on the plane, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. In my past life, I had devoted myself entirely to my family. I did not even get the chance to step outside my home state, let alone leave the country.

However, what did all that sacrifice get me?

Even after my death, I ended up as a spiteful soul who lingered, watching Damian and Waverly parade around like a blissfully married couple. The anger burned inside me, but I could do nothing but stand there and watch their happiness unfold.

I watched them live their lives, carefree and affectionate, until I was finally reborn.

Nonetheless, I had everything figured out. There was nothing more important than investing in myself and contributing to my country.