Ralph hugged Rosalie with a face full of smug satisfaction. This elicited another round of sighs from her friends nearby.

Rosalie suddenly said with earnest seriousness, "The person I've always loved is Ralph. If it weren't for the overwhelming public pressure back then when Vernon nearly died saving me, I would never have denigrated myself by being with him for so many years."

I walked out of the hospital in a daze and was suddenly stopped by a familiar voice.

"Vernon, is that you?"

It was one of Rosalie's friends, Harriet Kramer. A flash of astonishment crossed her face as she looked at me.

"When did you get out of prison? What are you doing here at the hospital?"

Though her voice was very soft, it still drew disdainful looks from passersby. However, at this moment, I couldn't care less about any of that.

Just then, my phone rang. Rosalie was calling.

"Vernon, are you out of prison?" she asked in a calm voice.

"Yeah, I'm out," I replied quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me in advance so I could come pick you up? Harriet just said she ran into you at the hospital entrance. What are you doing at the hospital?"

A hint of panic crept into her tone on the other end of the line.

I couldn't help but sneer inwardly. However, instead of exposing her, I simply replied flatly, "I wasn't feeling well."

Even through the phone, I could sense her relief on the other end.

"Then, go home and wait for me first. I'll come back once I'm done."

I felt as if I'd been plunged into an icy abyss.

Once, she would've been beside herself with worry even if I just coughed. Now, she didn't care at all.

I stood at the entrance of the villa. The housekeeper, Gretchen Fuller, was about to shoo me away. She only stopped when she recognized who I was.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Trevino, I didn't recognize you just now. I thought you were a beggar coming to ask for food."

I shook my head bitterly. My appearance had indeed changed a lot over the past three years.

However, just as I was about to enter, Gretchen blocked my way.

"I need to make a call to Mrs. Trevino."

I was baffled. Since when did I need someone else's permission to enter a house I paid for myself?

I ignored her and walked straight in.

She suddenly raised her voice and loudly rebuked me, "I'm just doing my job! Can you please show some respect for my profession?"

I was the one who'd hired Gretchen back then. She found herself unemployed when she became middle-aged, so she was deeply grateful to me.

However, now, like Rosalie, she had a change of heart too.

I swallowed the lump of bitterness in my throat and came to a halt.

It was then that Rosalie and Ralph returned together. Ralph's eyes gleamed with provocation the instant he laid eyes on me.

"You shouldn't blame Gretchen. After all, you just got out of prison."

The fury I'd been holding back erupted all at once. I grabbed him by the collar and roared, "If you hadn't been chasing thrills back then and insisted she bid past her limit at the auction, would she ever have resorted to embezzling company funds?

"And now you've stolen her from me too. What gives you the right?"

Seeing this, Rosalie slapped me hard across the face.

"Vernon, what madness is this? Back then, I was the one who insisted on bidding past my limit for Ralph. It had nothing to do with him!"

A searing pain spread across my face as I stood there, stunned.

Back then, she'd cried pitifully before me, saying she didn't want to go to prison. She also promised that she would cut off all contact with Ralph from then on.

I couldn't bear to see her go to prison, so I took all the blame for her. After throwing away three years of my prime, this was all I got in return.

I looked at Rosalie. My eyes were filled with unwillingness to accept it at all.

"Rosalie, don't you have anything to explain to me? Back then, you said you'd cut off all contact with Ralph, but now you even have a child with him."

Rosalie's face paled for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Since you already know, there's no point hiding it from you anymore. Ralph and I are indeed together."

As she spoke, she intimately linked her arm with Ralph's. She seemed utterly indifferent to the fact that I was standing right in front of them.

I felt as if my heart were being torn apart.

"Rosalie, do you have even a shred of a conscience?" I roared.

Rosalie glanced at her watch and said impatiently, "None of this matters now. I need to feed our baby, Harper Osborne, now."

Just then, someone brought Harper back.

The sight of the three of them looking like a happy family made my heart go cold.

As if suddenly remembering something, Rosalie turned back to ask me with concern, "You're not feeling well, right? You look so pale. I'll have Gretchen make you some chicken soup later to build up your immunity."

Her sudden concern made everything feel so surreal, as if everything that had just happened was a cruel prank she'd played on me. However, her next words instantly shattered all my unrealistic illusions.

"Ralph and I have thought it over. Since you served three years in prison on my behalf, you can keep living in this house. As long as you do a bit of housework here and there, we won't kick you out."

Ralph chimed in from the side with feigned sincerity, "We're only looking out for you. Given your criminal record, you won't be able to find a job. So, tell me, how would you support yourself?"

I stared fixedly at their hypocritical faces. My nails were digging deep into my palms. However, even that sting was nothing compared to a sliver of the dull, crushing pain inside me.

I'd once believed that serving that prison sentence would buy me a lifetime with Rosalie. Only now did I realize I was nothing more than a complete and utter joke.

The raging fury in my chest made my vision swim, and I nearly fainted.

Rosalie noticed something was wrong with me and had someone help me into the villa.

It was only upon entering the villa that I realized the warm home I once knew had long since changed. It was beyond recognition. There wasn't a single trace of my life left inside.

On the living room wall, where framed wedding photos of Rosalie and me had once hung, were now photos of Rosalie and Ralph.

Just as I was about to sit down, Gretchen rushed over at top speed and placed a cleaning rag on the couch cushion.

"This couch is made from top-grain leather. It'd be a shame if it got ruined."

As I watched Gretchen's cautious behavior, I suddenly found it incredibly ironic.

Once, every piece of furniture in this villa had been carefully selected by Rosalie and me. Back then, she always said this place had to be filled with the memories of our love.

Now, even sitting on the couch was considered a form of damage.

Suppressing the piercing pain in my heart, I stood up and laughed coldly, sweeping my gaze across this home that no longer belonged to me.

"You know what? It's fine. I won't be staying here."

My voice was so calm that it even surprised me.

Rosalie frowned. A flicker of displeasure flashed in her eyes.

"Vernon, don't be so ungrateful. Everyone knows you've been to prison, so where else can you even go? At least if you stay here, you won't go hungry."

With a smug smile, Ralph echoed from the side, "Yeah, Rosalie is just being kind. Don't be so stubborn."

As I watched Rosalie and Ralph play off each other like that, the last bit of love I'd been clinging to dissipated completely.

"Rosalie, I went to prison for you because I once believed you were worth it. But now I understand that I've wasted my love on the wrong person. From now on, there's nothing more between us."

I spoke each word deliberately. Every single word was wrenched from the deepest depths of my heart.

With that, I turned to leave.

However, Rosalie blocked my path. "Even if you won't stay here, at least eat something before you go. We don't want the neighbors seeing you like this and thinking we mistreated you somehow."

I looked at my own haggard reflection in the mirror. A tumult of emotions churned inside me.

Just then, Ralph came over carrying a bowl of food that looked on the verge of molding.

"I heard people in prison will eat anything. Gretchen hasn't finished cooking yet anyway, so why don't you eat this bowl of food first to tide you over?"

I let out a cold laugh. "Ralph, you really think you're the man of this house now? Don't forget that everything here is mine."

Even though my voice wasn't loud, it instantly silenced the entire living room.

Ralph's smirk froze in place. It hadn't occurred to him that I'd rebuke him like that.

Rosalie's expression turned grim as well. She hurried over and stood in front of Ralph.

"Vernon, what's with the attitude? Ralph was kind enough to bring you food, and you—"

I cut her off, pointing at the bowl of moldy food. "Kind enough? So this is how you repay someone who went to prison for you?"

Rosalie's eyes flickered for a moment, but she quickly regained her cold indifference.

"Given how you look now, you should be grateful that we're even willing to take you in. Yet, you're still being picky?"

Confronted with this utterly indifferent version of Rosalie, I was struck by a terrible thought that sent chills down my spine.

In the end, I voiced the question that had been gnawing at my heart.

"Three years ago, did the two of you conspire together to send me to prison?"

Rosalie panicked for a moment and handed Harper over to Gretchen.

Ralph, however, laughed.

"Vernon, you really think too highly of yourself. If we had conspired, it wouldn't have been just three years. Why don't you take a good look in the mirror?

"The only reason Rosalie married you back then was because she felt indebted to you. I mean, come on—as if an ex-con like you could ever be worthy of Rosalie."

Rosalie gently tugged at Ralph's sleeve, signaling for him to stop. However, her gaze clearly held tacit approval.

I clenched my fists tightly, and my nails dug deep into my palms.

At this moment, Rosalie slowly spoke up. "We should let bygones be bygones. Dwelling on it endlessly is going too far. I hate this kind of petty-mindedness of yours the most!"

I let out a derisive snort. Was she really going to brush off three years of my life as if they meant nothing?

"That's enough. I'll give you some money to eat outside."

As she spoke, she took 100 dollars out of her bag and casually tossed it on the ground. Then, the two of them looked at me with contempt, waiting to see me shamelessly crouch down to pick the money up off the floor.

Ralph sneered from the side. "Don't pretend you're above taking money at a time like this. 100 dollars is enough to feed you for days."

I was in no mood to pay him any more attention. Instead, I simply cast a cold look at Rosalie and said, "Let's get divorced."