I didn’t take my eyes off Endrick.

“You gave your secretary the code to our front door—while I was taking my meds and getting ready for bed! You let her barge into our bedroom to grab your things! And after I called the police, you didn’t even ask if I was okay—you just wanted me to sign that Withdrawal of Complaint!”

“We’re over, Endrick! Completely over!”

I was furious.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t keep my expression under control. All the calm I’d tried to maintain crumbled in an instant.

I watched as his face shifted, the guilt flashing in his eyes. And then, just as quickly, he recovered and began justifying himself.

“I didn’t know you’d be home from your business trip! Chairman Bechtel set that whole thing up, how could I say no? I had to ask Brenna to grab the stuff for me—it wasn’t personal! Why are you making this such a big deal?!”

“Damn it, Olivine!” Disappointment filled his face as he looked at me. “When did you become this jealous, this petty? You latch onto baseless things and refuse to let go!”

“To be honest,” he said with a scoff, “no man would like someone like you!”

I truly thought I had no more tears left to cry.

From the moment I signed the written statement at the police station to sitting in the car with him afterward, I’d stayed composed—graceful, even. I upheld the manners and poise I was raised with. I’d even quietly revisited every memory we shared during that car ride.

And in the end?

I came to a conclusion.

I wanted to end things with dignity.

But Endrick’s cold accusations shattered me. His blame, his disappointment—it tore straight through me. And before I knew it, the tears came pouring down, uncontrollable, like a string of pearls breaking loose and scattering everywhere.

“Right,” I choked, “no man would like someone like me.”

But I held my chin up. “And that’s fine. I don’t need you to like me either.”

I wiped away my tears and turned to leave. But then, Brenna Compton grabbed my wrist.

She was crying too—crying even harder than me—while apologizing over and over.

“Olivine… I swear I didn’t mean it! Please don’t be mad at Endrick anymore. I-I’ll resign tomorrow. I’ll disappear really soon! He really loves you. Please, don’t make him suffer like this…”

I couldn’t stand women like Brenna—two-faced and exaggeratedly sweet. Watching her sob until she could barely breathe was so hilarious I actually stopped crying.

I yanked my hand free and snapped.

“Get lost!”

She fell to the ground from the force, looking up at me in shock.

“Olivine!”

Endrick rushed over to help her up, his heart obviously aching for her. When he saw her scraped palm, he turned and yelled at me.

“Are you insane?! Apologize to Brenna!”

“Keep dreaming.”

I glanced at Endrick then at Brenna, who couldn’t even hide the smug little glint in her eyes.

“If you won’t agree to a divorce,” I said coldly, “then we’ll settle this in court.”

With that, I turned on my heel and walked out. I didn’t look back, didn’t stop to listen to Brenna’s sobs or Endrick calling me crazy as he tried to comfort her.

I continued on my tracks and called a cab straight to my best friend’s place.

Nikki Acuff didn’t ask questions.

She just let me inside, walked to the fridge, and pulled out dozens of bottles of beer she’d been saving. After lining them all up on the table, she looked at me and asked just one thing.

“Is this enough?”

My throat tightened as I looked at her, my eyes suddenly brimming with tears.

Seeing me like that, she opened her arms to me.

“Hug?” she asked softly.

That broke me. I collapsed into her arms, sobbing like a toddler. I cried until my voice cracked, until my body shook, until I was curled up on the bathroom floor throwing up, until the entire world felt like it was spinning.

In the end, I told her what I wanted.

“I want a divorce!” I cried desperately. “I want a divorce!”

And then, I balled my hands into fists, cursing, “I want Endrick to rot in hell!”

So what is the end of love, really?

It’s when two people who once swore to fight the world together turn their knives on each other instead—desperate to see who can cut deeper.

It’s when you once longed to step into the grave of marriage and still dreamed that grave would bloom with flowers—until you finally realize that even roses, in the end, will wither.

I stayed at my best friend’s place for half a month.

In those two weeks, I watched Brenna update her Facebook Stories every single day, and in every post, there was a trace of Endrick.

[There’s a moon in the sky, and I have my star.]

The picture was a selfie of Brenna. In the corner, Endrick’s back could be seen as he stood by the floor-to-ceiling window on a phone call.

[Stars always shine, and I will follow the light.]

This time, the picture was of her hand wearing a star-shaped ring, refracting a halo of light under a lamp. Next to it was a distinct, slender hand—Endrick’s.

[My star is broadening my horizons!]

The photo showed the first-class cabin of a plane. Brenna beamed at the camera, and beside her was the profile of a sleeping man’s face.

I had seen post after post.

Nikki practically leapt up in outrage. She jabbed her finger at the screen and cursed loudly.

“Fuck that shameless bitch! Has Endrick gone completely blind? Can’t he tell that woman’s up to no good? Even a dog wouldn’t believe she’s innocent!”

She was fuming, utterly exasperated.

Oddly enough, compared to her, I looked calm.

It felt like I was finally crawling out of the withdrawal stage. So while my best friend exploded with fury, I merely offered a quiet, rational observation. “He knows exactly what he’s doing.”

“What do you mean, ‘he knows’?” she asked, dropping down beside me. “Then why the hell does he keep insisting she’s innocent?”

“To Endrick, as long as they haven’t slept together, it means he hasn’t cheated,” I explained. “In his eyes, that makes them innocent.”

That had always been his logic, so every time I got upset, he would say the same thing.

“There’s nothing between Brenna and me. You’re the one with the dirty mind—you see filth in everything!”

That would always leave me speechless.

But now, looking back at it all, I felt strangely at peace.

Then I reminded Nikki, “The movers should be here soon.”

I was divorcing Endrick. I had to go back and pack up my things.

After all, my mother’s keepsakes were still in that place.

“It’s good that you’ve made up your mind,” Nikki said, following me back to the apartment. She waited with me outside the door.

I scrolled through Brenna’s Facebook Stories. I knew Endrick was away on a business trip these past few days, so I assumed we wouldn’t run into each other.

But as soon as I opened the door, the rich scent of food drifted out from the kitchen. I walked in and immediately saw her.

Brenna sat cross-legged at the dining table, digging into a plate of prawns.

When she saw me, her expression froze. She looked like a child caught doing something wrong. She jumped up and greeted me hesitantly.

“O-Olivine.”

I stared at her, wearing my pajamas and slippers. Then my gaze shifted to Endrick, who had just stepped out of the kitchen with a dish in hand. His smile faltered as soon as he saw me.

He awkwardly asked, “Have you eaten?”

I ignored him and headed straight for the bedroom.

But the moment I walked in, I froze.

My figurines—previously lined up neatly on the bedside table—were all in disarray. The bed was a mess. The closet had clearly been rummaged through, and even the safe tucked in the back had been left open.

My heart clenched. I rushed over instinctively and looked inside the safe.

“Olivine…” Brenna’s voice drifted weakly from behind me.

Her words were barely audible.

“The luggage went missing while Endrick and I were out… He asked me to come here and grab some clothes to wear.”

“I-I accidentally opened the safe…”

Suddenly, a loud buzzing filled my head.

I turned around, only to see the broken fragments of diamond in Brenna’s hand.

My breath stopped at the sight.

“I swear I didn’t mean to… Olivine, please—”

She suddenly lunged forward, dropping to her knees in front of me with a loud thud. Clutching my arm, she sobbed hysterically as she pleaded.

“Please forgive me! I didn’t know it was your mother’s keepsake! I swear I didn’t know! I really didn’t!”

Brenna grabbed my hand, her eyes red and wild with desperation.

“Hit me!” she insisted. “Please! Just hit me! Hit me—make it hurt. Maybe it’ll make me feel better.”

Her voice trembled as she began to lower herself to the floor, clearly intent on slamming her head down. Just as her forehead was about to strike, a hand slipped between us.

Endrick cupped her forehead gently with one hand, stopping her just in time. Then, with the same eerie calm, he helped his trembling, sobbing secretary back to her feet.

He turned to me with a composed, unreadable expression.

“The dead can’t come back to life. Keepsakes are just things. There’s no need to punish the living over something that’s already gone. And Brenna already admits she made a mistake.”

His tone was detached, almost indifferent, like this was just something trivial.

And somehow, I was left standing there, made to feel like the petty one.

He moved in front of her protectively, shielding her with his body as if I were the one going too far.

“Just stop making things harder for her,” he said, voice low but firm. “She’s already burdened enough.”

I couldn’t even respond. Not a single word left my mouth.

Apparently, as long as Brenna played the pitiful victim, everything was my fault.

From the time she stole my earrings, to the painting she took without asking.

From when she shattered our wedding photo, to when she stormed into my home like she was the wife.

And now, to this—breaking the last thing my mother had left me.

Through it all, Endrick only ever asked me to forgive her. He still wanted me to be the bigger person.

My mind buzzed like static. My throat closed, and my fingers began to tremble with fury I could no longer contain.

I turned my eyes toward Brenna, still sniffling, still weeping in Endrick’s arms.

And then—I stepped forward without hesitation.

I seized her by the hair and slammed her head straight into the wall.

Her scream tore through the air.

Before she could recover, I kicked her in the knee with every ounce of strength I had.

This time, she crumpled to the floor, landing on her knees.

“Apologizing isn’t done like that,” I said coldly, my voice like steel.

I drove my foot down hard onto her knee and yanked her head back by the hair before slamming her face into the floor.

A loud crack echoed.

Then—her scream, raw and high-pitched, ripped through the room. Blood began to pool beneath her forehead, staining the floor red.

I stood over her and said, loud and clear, “That—that’s how you apologize and admit you’re wrong.”

My vision burned red with rage. I grabbed another fistful of her hair, ready to smash her head down again, but Endrick lunged forward and caught my wrist.

“Let go!” he barked.

“In your dreams!” I snapped, teeth bared.

He gripped my arm with both hands and began to forcefully pry my fingers off her scalp. I felt the skin tear under my nails, pain shooting up through my nerves like fire—but he didn’t even blink.

“Don’t take it too far, Olivine!” he warned through gritted teeth.

Too far?

I stared at him and laughed from sheer rage.

“Do you know what separates a human from an animal, Endrick?” I said, voice low and shaking with rage. “Humans can reason. We know right from wrong. We’re supposed to have morals. We’re not supposed to act on emotion and blindly protect whoever we like!”

My voice rose. “You’ve made your choice to protect Brenna?” I shouted. “Fine!”

I didn’t care about the pain anymore. I didn’t care that blood was now dripping freely from my fingertips.

I forced my hand free and clawed it down Brenna’s face.

The nail snapped off. And with it—the carefully curated, picture-perfect face that had filled her Facebook feed day after day—was ruined.

Finally, Brenna broke down completely.

And me? I started laughing.

“You know what this is?” I said, pointing down at her, voice thick with rage. “This is karma.”

“Let me remind you of something, Endrick—” I looked straight at his stunned face then at Brenna shrieking and covering her face in horror. “I’ve never pretended to be a saint. You should’ve known that from the start!”

“Endrick!” I shouted, pointing at him. “You’ve really pissed me off this time!”

“I’m telling you right now—” I pursed my lips, my teeth grinding before I completely snapped, “if I don’t destroy you, I’m not a Mortwyn!”