I ignored John, who was struck dumb on the spot. Then, I turned to the car and headed home.

Unexpectedly, I saw Lana on the sofa the moment I stepped into the house. She was wearing my pajamas and drinking coffee.

When she saw me, Lana acted surprised and let go of the cup. I heard a loud crack. She had smashed the clay cup I made with John into pieces.

She pretentiously covered her lips. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

While talking, she raised her leg and ruined all the intimate photos I had with John on the table.

Then, she walked toward me while stepping on those photos indifferently. She even clicked her tongue.

“Are you furious, Grace? But you can’t do anything. John loves me deeply. And I just destroyed these unworthy things. Even if…”

I took some photos, which dialed down her haughtiness.

I looked down at the evidence in my phone and met her shocked, distorted expression. Then, I said sternly, “You deliberately destroyed my belongings. The original price is eight thousand dollars. Would you like to compensate me or watch me file a report? Pick one.”

Coincidentally, John heard that when he hurried home from the hospital.

Lana immediately turned teary. She threw herself into John’s arms and cried. “I wanted to wipe away the dust on it. But I was clumsy and accidentally destroyed your photos.”

Hearing that, relief washed over John. “It doesn’t matter even if it’s destroyed. We can take another photo. I’m sure Grace won’t take such a small thing to heart.”

While talking, he confidently flashed me a smile.

I calmly called 911. My reaction seemed to give John the illusion that I was being jealous. He deepened his smile and walked forward to open a drawer next to him.

Every piece of jewelry inside that drawer was perfectly kept and meticulously labelled with the experiences that John and I had shared.

He grew more confident at the sight of them. “Grace, stop. I know you’re just making a scene.”

He was still smiling lovingly when I violently grabbed all the things in the drawer and put them in his arms.

“I’ll let you have these back. But in return, I want 30% shares of Star Project, that core project of your company. I want them as compensation for my time during this five-year marriage.”

John was struck dumb. Even Lana, who was standing nearby, felt that I had gone crazy. In their impression, I was always a love-struck fool who wanted John instead of the money.

But I had turned into a cold, calculative monster.

John put away his smile and finally looked at me in a different light. He gritted his teeth and stressed his words. “Are you asking for the shares of my company? You must have gone crazy!”

I smiled and showed some emotion for the first time. But I said rationally, “Okay, Mr. Miller. I’ll see you in court.”

Hence, they left in a huff. I was left in the vacant room alone.

I stood in front of the drawer, lost in thought. It was full of envelopes of various sizes.

I casually picked up a card that had turned yellow. Its edges were torn. It was clear that the card had been around for a while.

[The second of July. John told me that the blue gemstone suits me the best. He promised to buy me The Blue Star, but I think this 15-dollar necklace is very pretty.]

[Thirteenth of September. John told me that the shop selling my favorite cake is closed. What a pity! I won’t get to eat it again.]

[Eighteenth of September. That silly John went behind my back and learned to bake cakes for me. How stupid! His hands got burned. I’ll stop eating my favorite cakes!]

There seemed to be no end to the cards. The drawer was full of them.

I closed the drawer and turned off the light in the room.

I brought my lawyer and went to John’s company the next day. As expected, he refused to see me.

I waved before someone got me a lawn chair. I put on my sunglasses and played the recording of me asking for the shares from the previous day. I even put it on a loop.

Initially, I had established the company with John. I simply wanted the shares I was entitled to.

When the superiors of the company heard the recording, they looked at each other in dismay.

John finally exited the building when I had played the recording for the eighth time. He pinched my wrist tightly and forcefully pulled me into his office.

He pinned me against the wall with one hand and asked me something, his eyes turning bloodshot.

“What do you want, Grace?!”

I took off my sunglasses and frowned.

“First, shares. Second, a divorce. Mr. Miller, I’ve got to say you can’t understand people.”

Hearing that, John lowered his head and chuckled. Then, he looked at me with mockery. “Grace, can’t you use another method to try and win me back?”

When Lana had a high fever the other day, I had threatened John to come home by using divorce.

When Lana sprained her ankle, I made a scene and refused to let go, though he had just driven Lana home.

All of these incidents ultimately led to my apology.

“Haven’t you heard of The Boy who Cried Wolf?”

I tilted my head to stop him from getting close to my face. “Don’t you want to pick? Fine. Tonight’s your birthday party. I’ll give you a big gift that you’ve been dreaming of.”

John did not stop me from leaving. Instead, he confidently pocketed his hands and leaned against the bookshelf. Then, he picked up the phone beside him, which was still on a call.

“You heard that? Grace still cares about me. She remembers my birthday and got me a gift. She was just angry at me. Don’t ever tell me something bizarre again, as if she’d forcefully removed her feelings for me. How could she stop loving me?”

The man on the other end sounded helpless. After a long pause, he said, “Don’t overdo it, John.”

No, I was not making a scene. I cracked a smile as I left. I hoped that he would not be so calm when he saw the gift.

John’s birthday party was big and grandiose. It was attended by a lot of nobility and celebrities.

After I walked into the hall, I saw Lana walking among the crowd in a red, slim-fit gown while holding a glass of red wine with her right hand. She acted like the hostess.

At the sight of me, the crowd wore a complicated expression. They kept looking at Lana and me.

I walked toward John under their gaze and handed him a meticulously wrapped box.

John was initially lost in thought. When he noticed me, he looked up and met my gaze. First, he was nervous. When he saw the gift, he visibly grew eager.

Lane snorted, which was loud enough for the surrounding people to hear her.

“People come bearing invaluable gifts to celebrate John’s birthday. Grace, you use John’s card even when you buy a bag worth a little more than ten thousand dollars. Well, it’s great that you’re so thoughtful. But why waste the money?”

Lana’s underlying meaning was clear. She claimed that I could only rely on men and that I could not afford anything on my own. In the end, I was just depending on John’s money.

When the onlookers heard that, they took Lana’s side and looked at me contemptuously.

I calmly watched John unwrap the gift. When he pulled off the last ribbon, the object was finally revealed.

The noisy hall fell silent.

I indifferently smiled and clapped.

“Happy birthday, John. Sign it. It’s the best gift you’ve got today!”

Of course, it was not a gift, but a neatly folded divorce agreement.

The crowd quickly fell into an uproar.

John’s initial glee while unwrapping the gift had vanished. His expression turned frighteningly hideous.

Everyone else had laughed at me for being an ingrate. In the next second, John tore the agreement into pieces and flung the pieces into the air. The pieces fell like snowflakes.

The anger that John had been suppressing exploded into a roar. “Dream on, Grace! You’re always mine, even if you’re dead!”

For a moment, I was struck dumb on the spot. I had never seen such a side of him. After scanning the entire database, I still failed to find such recordings of him.

He looked weak and furious. He seemed like he could burst into flames at any minute.

He seemed to take notice of the silent hall and realized that he had lost control. After taking some time to calm down, he met my poker face, which infuriated him again.

Ignoring all the guests, he pulled me into the bedroom. His weakness was exposed when we were alone together.

“Didn’t we swear to never break up with each other? You love me so much. Why did you stop loving me?”

He buried his head near my neck as I felt his hot breath and tears. It was itchy, which frustrated me for no reason.

Based on my data analysis, his despair was real. It was a surprise to me.

“We? It’s long over between us. You cheated on me openly and brought Lana home. I made it clear to you many times, but you never believed me.”

While talking, I disgustedly wiped my neck clean with a tissue. My action filled him with despair.

He took a few steps back. “We’ve been a couple for five years! How could you act so cruelly and forget about everything?!”

I remained indifferent. “Yes, Mr. Miller. I was once a love-struck fool. But it was in the past.”

Then, I paused and pointed at my head. “It’s gone now. I need to thank you for that. If not, I wouldn’t have realized that I needed to remove the part of me that loves you. It’s a bug in my system.”

My words sent him spiraling into a mental breakdown.

He was stupefied for a moment before he abruptly looked up. His pleading gaze was quickly replaced by a furious and malicious look after the humiliation.

“Stop acting, Grace Stone! You can’t ever stop loving me. Do you think I can’t bear to lose you?! No, I’ll only lead a better life without you! Are you hoping for a divorce? No way!”

He smashed a red invitation card against my arms. “My engagement party with Lana is in three days. You will be there on time.”

He stressed his words as his gaze remained fixed on me. He was trying to capture a moment of pain and regret in me.

But when I got the card, I wondered how he would be punished for his bigamy.

For the next three days, I remained busy in my drawing studio. When I heard the loud fireworks outside, I recalled that it was the day of their engagement.

I put on a long red gown and sashayed into the hall.

The couple on stage made a perfect pair. Lana wore a luxurious gown and stood close to John. They were receiving guests’ blessings.

However, I looked past everything and noticed The Blue Star around her slender neck.

It made me recall my words on the yellowing card. I found the irony almost amusing.

John seemed to notice something as he raised his head. He hugged Lana firmly and raised his voice. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to celebrate my happiness with Lana. Today is the day we’ll all be free of past mistakes and tribulations.”

The reporters instantly surrounded me and moved their microphones toward me. They wanted to ask me about my thoughts.

I looked at John and said loudly, “Of course I’m here. This engagement party would be boring if I’m absent.”

While talking, I walked toward the stage and picked up a microphone.

Everyone looked at me. I politely smiled at the guests and reporters.

The people on the stage made faces at each other. They wondered if I was there to snatch away the groom. They eagerly waited for the night’s entertainment.

However, John saw my smile while standing nearby and noticed something. He frantically ran backstage. He did not even notice that he had pushed Lana to the floor.

“You’re slow, John.”

Then, a bloody video was displayed on the screen. Several guests, including Lana, turned panic-stricken. They could not stop trembling. Someone with a weak stomach even vomited on the spot.

I smiled brightly at John, who was clenching his fists and barely able to restrain himself.

“Dear Mr. Miller, do you like the wedding gift I got you?”