Richard stood behind her, leaning in slightly, his smile bright as ever.

“In a foreign land, I’m just glad to have you by my side,” he said softly.

I closed the social media app and booked the earliest flight home.

While boarding the plane, I received a message from an unfamiliar number, it was a video.

In it, a man and a woman were tangled in bed, kissing passionately.

Their faces were a bit blurred, but I recognized the man instantly.

I pressed my lips together and turned off the phone.

When the plane landed, I switched it back on and was met with dozens of missed calls and messages, all from Richard.

I was about to power it down again when his call came through.

“Amanda!” His voice came through sharp, laced with anger. “Where are you? Why did you suddenly fly back to New York?”

“Suddenly?” I replied calmly. “I thought I made myself very clear.”

“All because I went to take care of Lauren last night, you just left me behind like that?”

His voice rose, sharp and accusatory.

“Do you have any idea how worried I was, being alone at the hotel?”

I let out a cold laugh.

“Really? You looked like you were enjoying yourself just fine with Lauren. You two even had time to post about it online. Were you really that worried about me?”

There was a beat of silence, then his voice came again, this time quieter, almost guilty.

“She… posted on Instastory?”

“The photos were well-composed,” I said flatly. “Nice angles. Good lighting. Very romantic.”

“Amanda, must you always be this sarcastic?”

“She hurt herself last night. I just went to help her clean the wound. As her boss and her friend, I couldn’t just ignore it.”

My patience snapped.

“Richard, stop treating me like I’m stupid.”

“You’re being completely unreasonable!” he snapped. “Lauren and I are innocent. You’re just being petty, always assuming the worst!”

“Innocent or not, you know the truth.” My voice was like ice. “Wait for the divorce papers.”

“Amanda!”

Now his voice cracked, laced with panic.

“Are you seriously ending our marriage over something so nonsense?”

“It’s nonsense to you,” I said evenly.

“But to me, this is a woman’s bottom line.”

I could hear his breathing grow heavier, like he was about to say something else.

But I didn’t give him the chance, I hung up.

The next day, Richard started posting all over social media, clearly trying to provoke me.

Photos of him and Lauren dining at trendy restaurants.

Close-ups of luxury gifts.

Captions dripping with ambiguity:

[Thanks to someone for the surprise. No matter how exhausting work is, it’s all worth it.]

I scrolled past without flinching, then sent him the finalized divorce agreement, complete with the property division terms.

Not long after, he called again.

“Amanda, what the hell is this?”

“You really think I can’t live without you?”

“You’ll regret this!”

I didn’t bother replying.

I ended the call and blocked his number.

Seven days later, during a thunderous downpour, I was at my best friend’s place for a small get-together when an unknown number called again, this time via video.

I answered and froze.

Lauren was wearing my silk nightgown, lounging with a glass of red wine, gazing up at the massive wedding photo of me and Richard hanging on the wall.

A mocking smile played on her lips.

On the bed behind her were the underwear I had bought for Richard. The sheets were in complete disarray.

Rage surged through me.

We weren’t even officially divorced yet and she’d already moved into my home, playing the part of lady of the house?

Unforgivable.

Half an hour later, drenched from head to toe, I pushed open the front door.

Inside, the lights were low.

Flickering candlelight danced across the walls, casting shadows of two figures.

Lauren was still holding her wine glass, clinking it against Richard’s.

When she saw me, she stood up, feigning surprise.

“Madam, you’re back?”

“I’m so sorry, my clothes got soaked in the rain and Mr. Coleman was worried I’d catch a cold. He kindly lent me your nightgown.”

I glanced at Richard.

He was sitting at the dining table, still as handsome as ever, but his eyes were cold as ice.

It felt like I had walked into someone else’s dinner like I was the intruder.

“Why didn’t you say you were coming back?”

His tone was distant, not a trace of concern.

I clenched my fists, forcing down the rage bubbling inside me.

“This is my home. Do I need to file a report before I walk into my own house?”

Lauren jumped in quickly, her voice laced with carefully crafted guilt.

“Madam, please don’t misunderstand. I only came to deliver documents to Mr. Coleman. I didn’t expect the sudden downpour...”

I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Do you need to wear my nightgown to deliver documents? Do you need a candlelit dinner for that?”

“Get out.”

Lauren stepped back, pretending to be frightened, her eyes even turning slightly red.

“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault... I’ll go change right away...”

As she spoke, her fingers slowly undid the buttons of the nightgown, her eyes flicking subtly in Richard’s direction.

Sure enough, Richard suddenly stood up and stepped in front of her.

“Amanda, that’s enough.”

“Lauren is a guest. What right do you have to treat her like this?”

“Guest?” I scoffed coldly.

“Fine. If she’s not leaving, I will.”

I stormed into the bedroom and started stuffing clothes into a backpack.

Richard looked like he wanted to stop me, but the moment Lauren tugged on his sleeve, he sat back down.

As I passed the study, I opened the door to grab my mother’s portrait.

But what I found stopped me cold.

The frame was shattered.

Glass shards scattered across the floor.

And a large, filthy footprint was stamped right across my mother’s photo.

My blood ran ice cold.

“Who did this?”

My voice came out low and tight, trembling with fury.

Lauren followed me in, pretending to be shocked as she leaned close.

“Madam, I’m so sorry. I accidentally knocked it over while getting out of the shower. I’ll buy you a new one.”

“Accidentally?”

I turned slowly to face her, my eyes locked onto that perfectly pitiful face.

“Did you accidentally bump into it… or did you deliberately step on it?”

Her expression faltered for a split second.

But then, just as quickly, she slipped back into her innocent mask.

“I really didn’t mean to. Please don’t be angry…”

Richard appeared behind us, frowning.

“Amanda, Lauren already apologized. What more do you want?”

“It’s just a photo of your mother. We’ll reprint and reframe it tomorrow.”

“She said she didn’t mean it. Why are you being so harsh?”

Those words were the final straw.

The fuse was lit.

I grabbed Lauren by the collar and slammed her against the wall.

“Who do you think you are, touching my mother’s portrait?!”

Fear flashed in her eyes.

But she quickly squeezed out a few tears.

“Madam, I really didn’t mean to!”

Richard rushed over and pulled at my arm.

“Amanda! Are you insane?! Let her go!”

I ignored him.

I grabbed Lauren by the hair and slammed her head against the wall.

A dull thud echoed through the room.

Her forehead instantly swelled, blood trickling down the side of her face.

“Amanda! Stop it!”

Richard was screaming now, trying desperately to pull me off her.

Lauren finally dropped the act. Her face twisted in hatred.

But her voice stayed soft, calm, like she was still performing.

“Madam, if you do this… Mr. Coleman will be heartbroken...”

“Heartbroken?” I slammed her into the wall again.

“What does his heartbreak have to do with me?”

Richard shoved me away and threw his arms around her, his voice furious.

“Amanda, you’re completely out of control! We’re done!”

“We’re getting divorced tomorrow!”

I slapped him hard across the face.

“Richard, this isn’t something divorce can fix!”

“You can trample on my feelings, but you don’t get to insult my mother!”

“If I don’t kill the both of you today, I’ll write my name backward!”