After that birthday, something in Alban shifted. He still spent most of his time with Davina, yet he began coming home almost every day. Even when they exchanged only a few words, he made a point of standing where Eliza could see him, as though to assert his presence.

One afternoon, after Alban left, Eliza glanced through the documents he had brought home.

An auction catalog lay among them. She flipped through it without much interest, then stopped short. A crystal sphere appeared among the featured lots.

Her breath caught.

Kyran had once planned to make that crystal sphere for her. He had set gems inside it and engraved their initials on them. He had intended it as a gift and had never mentioned it to anyone.

She had no idea how it had found its way to an auction house. Because he had made it for her, he had kept it private. No one else knew where it came from.

As she stared at the photograph in the catalog, her vision blurred. She knew she had to have it.

….

Eliza changed her clothes and hurried to the auction house.

When she arrived, she saw that Alban and Davina were already there.

Surprise crossed Alban's face when he noticed her. Before anyone spoke, the auction began.

After they took their seats, Davina leaned against Alban's shoulder with easy familiarity, as if she were his rightful wife.

Concerned she might be cold, Alban removed his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Don't catch a cold."

She allowed him to fuss over her and replied sweetly, "Al, you promised me. Today, whatever I want, you'll bid on it for me."

His voice remained low and steady. "When have I ever broken a promise to you?"

Davina smiled, satisfied.

Eliza ignored their closeness. She kept her eyes fixed on the stage and waited for the item that mattered to her.

At last, the crystal sphere appeared.

The starting bid was 200,000 dollars.

Eliza raised her paddle without hesitation. "400,000."

Her intent was clear.

The starting price was reasonable. Her bid already stretched the limit. Few bidders would go higher.

She had not expected Davina to want it as well.

"Al, I like that crystal ball too," Davina said lightly.

Alban lifted his paddle at once. "600,000."

Eliza's heart lurched. She knew she could not compete with him financially, yet she raised her paddle again.

"800,000."

Neither side retreated. The price climbed without pause.

1,000,000… 1,400,000… 1,800,000…

When it reached 2,000,000, Eliza knew she had reached her limit. She did not have the funds to continue. If the bidding went any higher, she would lose.

Yet the crystal sphere meant too much to surrender without trying. For the first time, she softened her voice and looked at Alban with restrained pleading.

"Can you let me have this one?" she asked quietly. "I really like it."

She had never asked him for anything like this.

Hesitation flickered in Alban's eyes.

Then Davina spoke.

"But I really like it too," she said gently. "If I don't get it, I'll be upset."

The warmth in his gaze disappeared.

Alban's expression hardened. He raised his paddle again and signaled a full override. No matter how high the bidding rose, he would exceed it until the item was his.

At that moment, Eliza understood that she had already lost.

When the auction ended, Davina bounced over to Alban, the crystal sphere cradled in her hands.

"It's not even that special," she said lightly. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have bothered bidding."

As she spoke, she tilted her wrist as though by accident. The sphere slipped from her fingers, struck the floor, and shattered.

Fragments scattered across the marble.

Eliza dropped to her knees. She gathered the pieces one by one, her hands trembling as she tried to fit them back together.

But once something broke, it remained broken. No matter how carefully she worked, the cracks would never disappear.

Her heart seemed to fracture with the crystal.

For years, no matter how Alban had hurt her, she had endured it without admitting the pain. Now grief poured in, crushing and bottomless, as though she were falling into an endless void.

Why? Why would he refuse her even this? She had never tried to compete with Davina. If Davina wanted Alban, she could have him. Eliza had never attempted to take him away.

Alban noticed her devastation and walked over. "It's just a trinket. There are plenty like it. If you want one, I'll buy you another."

Eliza looked up at him, her eyes rimmed red. She no longer had the strength to pretend.

"This crystal sphere was one of a kind." She gathered the shards into her arms and turned away.

…

Over the next few days, she deliberately severed every point of contact with him. When he came home, she feigned sleep. When he went out, she locked herself in her room until she heard the door close.

They lived under the same roof yet went days without seeing each other.

One night, Alban drank too much at a gala. As usual, his friends called Eliza to pick him up.

"We're at Dusk Bar," someone shouted over the noise. "Hurry."

Her voice remained steady. "I can't make it. From now on, call Davina for things like this."

She ended the call without hesitation.

The group stared at the phone in disbelief, then turned to Alban.

"What's going on?" someone asked. "She used to show up the second we called."

"Did the devoted wife finally grow a backbone?"

Alban's thoughts tangled. He remembered her red eyes, the way she had walked away clutching those broken shards. His chest tightened restlessly, as though something clawed at his heart.

He brushed off his friends, slid into the car, and told the driver to take him home.

…

When Alban arrived, Eliza sat in the living room. Surprise flickered across her face. She had not expected him so soon.

He pulled several crystal spheres from his bag and tossed them onto the table in front of her.

"That's enough," he said, impatience edging his voice. "I told you there are plenty like it. How long are you going to keep this up?"

Eliza did not glance at them but said nothing. She stood and turned to leave.

Her phone, which she had left on the table, buzzed.

Alban leaned over and saw the screen.

It was a flight confirmation.

His hand shot out and gripped her wrist. His voice turned cold. "You bought a plane ticket? Where are you going?"

She freed her wrist and answered evenly. "I'm tired of staying home. I want to travel and clear my head."

He hesitated. Something felt wrong. Before he could press her, his own phone rang.

It was Davina.

The moment he answered, her weak, tearful voice came through. "Al, I twisted my ankle. It hurts so much…"

His focus shifted at once, and all concern for Eliza disappeared. He rushed out and told the driver to head straight to the Buckley residence.

Just like that, Eliza's imminent departure slipped from his mind.

On the day she left, Eliza called the lawyer. "Today is the last day of the cooling-off period. Is there anything else I need to do?"

"No. As of today, your marriage has been legally dissolved," the lawyer answered with measured care. "Ms. Lockett, congratulations. You have your freedom back."

This time, Eliza's smile was genuine. She lowered her hand to her abdomen and let it rest there.

'Yes. From today on, it will be just me and the child. We can start over,' she thought.

She would find a place with beautiful scenery and spend her days remembering Kyran while raising their baby.

After she hung up, she packed a small suitcase. Most important, she gathered every item she had collected over the years from Alban, everything that had once belonged to Kyran, and placed them carefully inside.

As she reached the door, she nearly collided with Alban, who had just returned home.

He paused when he saw the luggage in her hand. "Where are you going?"

"On vacation," she replied, as she had before.

He thought of the plane ticket he had seen a few days ago. "Where to? I happen to be free lately. I can go with you."

The offer caught her off guard. He rarely suggested traveling with her.

Alban seemed to realize he had sounded too eager. His expression cooled at once. "Think of it as compensation for last time. After this, don't dwell on it."

She was still considering how to refuse when his phone rang.

Davina's soft voice carried clearly through the speaker. "Al, I need to talk to you. Can we meet?"

On any other day, he would have agreed at once and gone to her. Today, he hesitated.

"Another time," he said.

Silence followed.

Davina was stunned. He had never refused her before.

After a brief pause, she added, "What I need to tell you is very important."

Alban frowned. A moment later, he relented. "All right. I'll come over now."

Relief slipped from Eliza in a quiet breath. She lowered her eyes, afraid her expression might betray her.

He misread her reaction and cleared his throat. "I know you've liked me for a long time. But I can't abandon Vina for you. She'll always come first. Let's forget this trip. I'll go with you next time."

She knew he had misunderstood again, but she was too tired to correct him. It was the last day. She would let him believe whatever he wished.

Her silence convinced him she was upset, so he offered to drive her to the airport.

…

The car sped along the elevated highway.

Eliza watched the city slide past the window and said her final goodbye in silence. She would never return.

At the airport entrance, she stepped out, cradling the box in her arms as if it were something fragile.

Alban gave a faint smile. "You really like me that much? You're even taking my things on a trip. That's not very convenient."

Before she could answer, his phone rang again. Davina urged him to hurry.

He ended the call and said, "Call me when you're back. I'll pick you up."

Then he got into the car and drove away without looking back.

Eliza watched the car disappear into traffic and allowed herself a free, unguarded smile. She would not return. They would never see each other again.

She took out her phone, inserted the new SIM card she had prepared, snapped the old one in half, and dropped it into a trash can.

Holding the box close, she walked straight into the airport and did not look back.