There were also some cute anime beauties pasted on the four corners of the sun visor cover.

Except for me, no one dared to use Harvey as a driver and no one dared to sit in the passenger seat.

But, it was so easy to guess who did it.

A sudden, inexplicable fire surged within me, its intensity catching me off guard. 

Though I did not want to admit it, at that moment, I was utterly consumed. Even my scalp prickled and my thoughts spiraled into chaos.  

I had turned a blind eye when Harvey gave a Chanel dress to Stephanie, choosing to let it slide for the sake of peace. 

But then, she had dared to leave her mark in my private space, a blatant act of provocation.  

In five years of marriage, I had never felt anger as raw as that. Every nerve in my body screamed for retribution. 

I wanted to raise my hand and slap Harvey across the face, shove him out of the car and drive straight to Stephanie to deliver two hard slaps of her own.  

But, when I opened my mouth, ready to confront him, the sharp ring of his phone interrupted me.

Harvey did not notice my angry face at all and answered Stephanie's call slowly.

As I started to adjust my seat irritably and then I heard him say, “Okay, don't worry, I'll be there soon.”

My hand paused and I slowly looked up at him.

Harvey frowned slightly, “Stephanie is returning the dress at the counter, but she doesn't have the receipt. I have to go there.”

Then, he continued, “Claudine, I'll call the driver to pick you up. You go home first.”

I said in disbelief, “You're going to leave me behind just for this little thing?”

“Claudine, please don't make it difficult for me. Stephanie has a strong sense of self-esteem. You made her cry until her voice became hoarse. Now she wants to return the dress.”

“Is she being spoiled, or is she deliberately provoking me in front of you? Can’t she come and get it herself?” I asked sharply, my voice tight with barely suppressed anger.  

Harvey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if I were the one being unreasonable. 

“Claudine, is it really necessary to make things hard for a newcomer? When did you start bullying others? You weren’t like this before.”  

His words hit me harder than I expected, extinguishing my anger in an instant and replacing it with a wave of crushing disappointment.  

And then, as if caught in the absurdity of it all, I suddenly found it funny. How effortlessly he turned the blame onto me, shielding her while leaving me out in the cold.

“I am bullying others by taking advantage of my power? Harvey, you have never defended other women in front of me, including your mother. This is the first time.”

A hint of incomprehension appeared on Harvey's stern face.

“We already agreed when we got married that for the sake of the reputation of the Rodrigo and Collins families, you wouldn't flirt with other women and I wouldn't hang out in nightclubs. Are you going to break the rules for that woman?”

Harvey's eyes were deep and cold when he heard that. 

After thinking for a long time and finally called the family driver.

Finally, he leaned over to unbuckle my seat belt, his tone calm and measured. 

“Claudine, you’ve always been so dominant. But we’re husband and wife, not just strategic partners. Can’t you, for once, put work aside and be like other wives, rely on me, trust me and maybe even obey me a little?”

Then, as if delivering a judgment, he added, “After dealing with Stephanie’s matter, I’ll go back to the Collins Family manor for the night. We both need some time to calm down.”

Oh, how convenient, a retreat masked as resolution. So that was his way of showcasing his masculine charm to other women.  

It was laughable, really. 

It was the same man who once claimed to admire my sharp, decisive nature, praising my independence as if it were his greatest treasure.  

But then, he was tired of it. Bored, even.  

And instead of owning up to his own failings, he cloaked them in noble excuses and shifted the blame squarely onto me. As if I were the problem all along.

I got out of the car tactfully and watched the black Maybach drive out of my sight.

I gave him a chance, but he did not know how to cherish it.

I picked up my phone and called my best friend.  

“Claire, help me draft a divorce agreement,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil brewing inside me.  

I did not truly want to take that step. After all, the Collins and Rodrigo families had a bond that spanned generations, their elders being old friends. 

Harvey and I had been childhood sweethearts once, our lives intertwined from the start.  

But things changed when he went abroad to study. For nearly a decade, we drifted apart, losing all contact. 

The next time we met was at a banquet where the two families were preparing for a marriage.

He was polite and handled questions raised by his elders with ease.

Over the years, in addition to dealing with the affairs of the group, I had often hung out in nightclubs looking for male models to relieve stress.

I had assumed that after so many years apart, our reunion would be marked by awkwardness and unfamiliarity.  

To my surprise, when we were alone, I discovered that beneath Harvey’s calm demeanor lay a witty, humorous soul. 

It was as though the years melted away, instantly rekindling the warmth and connection of our youth.  

We admired each other deeply, both of us flourishing in the early stages of our careers. 

It was not long before admiration blossomed into something more, leading to our engagement and, eventually, our marriage.  

After tying the knot, our bond extended beyond the personal, each of us held shares in the other’s company, forging an unprecedented alliance between the Collins Group and the Rodrigo Group.  

But then, as I contemplated divorce, the reality of untangling such deeply intertwined assets loomed over me. The division of property would be anything but simple. 

After returning home, I washed up, drank a glass of hot milk and prepared to go to sleep.

The phone received a good night message from Harvey, plus a cute kiss expression.

Even in a cold war, he would do what he should do thoroughly.

The next morning when I went to work, I was almost knocked down by a yellow-haired young man downstairs of the company.

My Hermès Himalaya slammed to the ground and a piece of skin was scraped off.

The breakfast coffee in the young man's hand drew an arc and spilled onto the hem of my cashmere coat.

Seeing that, the two security guards at the door immediately trotted over. They also were scolding the young man for being blind.

The young man, clearly startled, hastily picked up my bag and handed it to me, his hands trembling with panic. 

He then fumbled to pull out a tissue, trying to wipe the stain off the hem of my clothes. 

When it became clear the stain would no't come off, his anxiety deepened and he knelt in front of me, bowing his head and begging for forgiveness.

It was winter and he was dressed only in a thin coat and sunglasses, but even so, they could not mask the bruises beneath his eyes.

I frowned, trying to push aside my own discomfort.

After that, I looked at the stained hem of my coat but felt no anger. My focus shifted to the bag, wiping it carefully with concern.  

It happened to be seen by Harvey, who was used to going to work at the same time as me.

The Collins Group and the Rodrigo Group were separated by only one street.

So I could see he stood opposite, watching quietly on the scene. His face was cold and serious.

For the first time, I saw disgust in his eyes. Perhaps in his eyes, my condescending attitude was also a form of bullying.

I ignored his misunderstanding, took two steps back, reached out to stop the security guard who was coming, grabbed the young man's arm and pulled him up from the ground.

“I don't know what difficulties you've encountered, but you should be cautious. Not everyone will show you the same patience that I have.”

The young man kept apologizing and thanking me while picking up the garbage on the ground.

In the end, he ran away in a panic.

At the corner of the office building, he turned around suddenly, with an ambiguous smile on his lips.

I then returned to my office, sat at my desk and examined the damaged bag.

In fact, the abrasion area was not large and it could not even be seen if you did not look carefully.

But once the flaw appeared, it was destined to no longer be perfect.

Because it was precious enough, even such a minor flaw would be extremely difficult to repair.

Even though, in fact, what was more difficult to repair was the relationship between Harvey and me.

The way he looked at me in the morning was still like a thorn in my heart. What was more, I always had our lunch prepared by Collins and he came over to eat with me.

So, I just expect nothing about that day.

Later in the afternoon, when it was finally one o'clock, I believed he would not come.

But just as I opened the lunch box I ordered before, he came. Stephanie followed behind him.

Her eyes were red and swollen and she kept her head down, looking respectful and weak.

I put down my spoon and just watched them quietly.

As Harvey sat down next to me, he sighed.

“Because of what happened last night, Stephanie was targeted and excluded everywhere in the company.”

After hearing his complaint, I picked up the spoon and scooped myself some soup without even raising my eyelids.

“What's wrong? She's the CEO's secretary, can't she handle such a small matter?”

Harvey directly argued, “I just want you to take care of your people and stop making things difficult for a little girl like her.”

Due to an implicit business rule, we each had our own people in the other's company.

What Harvey meant was that my people were deliberately targeting Stephanie to stand up for me.

Last night’s annual meeting, which was a joint event between the two groups with nearly all employees in attendance, would inevitably lead to Stephanie being criticized for her actions.

I stirred the spoon and took a sip of the soup, before answering, “First, I did not instruct anyone to target or exclude your secretary. You should know that is not my method or style.

“Secondly, if anyone is to blame for what happened to her today, it's her own lack of sense of propriety and boundaries.

“Harvey, you still don't understand human nature well enough. Your tolerance and indulgence towards her will sooner or later create more enemies for her. It's you who will harm her, not me.”

Stephanie, who had been silent all this time, suddenly took two steps forward and spoke anxiously, “Please don’t be mad at Mr. Collins, Mrs. Collins. 

“I was indeed inconsiderate about what happened yesterday. It was the first time I received such an expensive gift and I was so happy that I offended you. I apologize.”

I was stunned for a moment and laughed, “Harvey, your secretary is really interesting. She is indeed brave to protect his Boss more than anyone else.”

I did not accept Stephanie's insincere apology, nor did I step forward to stop my people from targeting her.

As a result, Stephanie's grievances and tears hurt Harvey's nerves.

He lost control of his emotions for the first time, got angry at me and smashed the soup bowl at my feet.

He also asked me to apologize to Stephanie.

But I did nothing wrong, why should I apologize?

In the end, Harvey and I parted on bad terms.

That afternoon, Harvey took Stephanie on a business trip and left that place of trouble.

While I just enjoyed my time hanging out with my best friend in the evening. She complained that I was living too smartly.

That was why a silly beauty like Stephanie caught Harvey's eye.

However, my current attitude was shaped by the weight of past memories. 

My mother passed away when I was young and my father never remarried. 

From an early age, I was groomed to be the successor in my family, carrying the responsibility of securing our future. 

Because of that, I learned early on that softness and vulnerability were obstacles to my progress. 

For thirty years, I adhered firmly to the principle. 

At first, I thought Harvey would understand, but instead, it drained him and eventually, he stopped loving me. 

But that was fine. I never truly loved him either. I had no desire for what was never meant to be mine.

“I went to Collins Group today to take a look at this secretary. At first glance, she looks like your figure, especially her eyes and dimples. They look a lot like you.

“I really don't understand what's going on in Harvey's mind. He doesn't care about the real you, but instead tries to please a fake one. Does he love you or not?” Claire asked in confusion.

I indeed felt a sense of familiarity as if there was a mountain mist between us when I first met Stephanie.

So, I sneered, “Who knows? Maybe the fake one is more gentle, considerate and understanding.”

Since I had a bad headache after that, Claire decided to take me home.

She was afraid that I would feel uncomfortable, so she drove very slowly throughout the journey.

“The divorce agreement has been drafted. When are you going to tell Harvey about it?” she asked in the middle of the journey.

I directly answered without thinking, “Maybe in the middle of the month. He will definitely come back to have dinner with his grandfather.”

In the middle of every month, we would return to the Collins Family’s old house without fail to have a simple meal with the elderly, so it was the perfect time to discuss it.

Divorce with Harvey was no small matter. So, I had to take advantage of the time to reserve all possible escape routes for myself.