On our wedding night, Jason came home drunk.

The moment he stepped through the door, he threw a signed divorce agreement at me and said coldly, “I can never love you. When you finally want to leave, just sign it and get out.”

I had kept that divorce agreement all these years. Now, it finally had a purpose.

With steady hands, I signed my name at the bottom. Once the paperwork was complete, I would leave immediately and never look back.

Just as I put the pen down, Jason walked into the room. I quickly hid the agreement.

He didn’t seem to notice. Without saying a word, he walked to the bed, picked up his pajamas and a pillow.

“Tonight I’m sleeping with Timmy. You should take a good look at yourself.”

I only nodded in silence.

As he turned to leave, his gaze landed on my shoulder, catching sight of the seven stitches there. For the first time, he realized the car accident I had mentioned was real.

For a brief second, a flicker of guilt crossed his face. He reached out and brushed his fingers over the blood-stained bandage on my shoulder.

I slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me. Your hands are dirty.”

His face instantly darkened with anger. “Scarlet Blaine, don’t push your luck!”

I just ignored him and lay down on the bed. Jason stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Days of exhaustion had worn me down and that night, I slept deeper than I had in a long time.

When I woke up, something sharp scraped across my cheek—a piece of paper. I winced at the sting.

“Jason, what the hell are you doing?” I snapped.

He stood before me, his face twisted in fury. “Look at what you’ve done!”

“Because of that slap, our son is now depressed. This is the doctor’s report!”

I bent down and picked it up. The words “mild depression” hit me like a punch to the chest. How could this be? Had I really scared Timothy that badly last night? That couldn’t be true.

Yuna stood behind Jason, holding my son in her arms. He buried his face into her shoulder, refusing to even glance my way.

Her shoulders trembled as she sobbed. “It’s all my fault… If only I’d come out earlier to protect Timmy, none of this would have happened…”

Jason immediately pulled both of them into his arms, comforting them. “Don’t blame yourself. You’ve done more than enough.”

“The one who should apologize is the person who caused all this.”

Then his eyes turned cold as he looked at me, saying, “From today on, you’re not allowed to go near our son.”

“The doctor said he needs a calm and loving environment.”

“You’ll also give up the master bedroom. Starting tonight, Yuna and I will stay there with Timmy. It'll be easier to care for him that way and it'll help him feel safe.”

At his words, a faint, almost invisible smile tugged at Yuna’s lips. I understood immediately. This was all her doing, from beginning to end.

“You really went to great lengths to stage this performance,” I sneered. “Don’t bother kicking me out. I’ll leave myself.”

Without another word, I packed my things and walked out of the house. The moment I stepped outside, I sent a message to my commander, requesting to return to active duty.

I had been an elite international operative since I was eighteen. Every mission I took ended in success. My comrades used to joke and call me “the Queen of Death.”

If it weren’t for the Gardner Family’s financial support and my promise to repay them by marrying Jason Gardner, I would’ve been leading my own unit by now.

But my debt to the Gardner Family was finally repaid. All I wanted now was to take back my life, the one that truly belonged to me.

The moment I hit submit, my application was instantly approved.

A message appeared on the screen: [Welcome back, Crimson Hawk.]

Not long after, my squad’s private communicator buzzed and a familiar voice came through. “Crimson Hawk, are you really coming back?”

It was Silver Wolf, one of my old comrades.

“You were always the most talented among us. Quitting back then just to get married was such a waste. When the commander saw your return request, he actually jumped out of his chair. Everyone’s thrilled you’re coming back.”

Hearing that, a faint warmth stirred inside me. “Yes, but when you come pick me up in a few days, I’ll need a small favor.”

Silver Wolf sounded confused but agreed right away. “What about your husband and kid?”

I smiled slightly as I answered, “I’m leaving them, of course.”

Right at that moment, my husband and son had just walked to the doorway and heard every word.

My son hesitated, asking, “Daddy... will Mommy really leave us?”

Jason sneered. “She’s just bluffing. She wouldn’t have the heart.”

Realizing them standing behind me, I quickly hung up the phone.

“Scarlet Blaine, if you kneel and beg for forgiveness now, I might be generous enough to let you stay in the storage room.”

I didn’t even look at him. I just grabbed my suitcase and walked out and the front door slammed shut behind me with a sharp clang.

No sooner had I stepped outside than a black Rolls-Royce pulled up quietly beside me. The window rolled down, revealing Gideon’s worried face.

“Scarlet, dear, get in. I’ll drive you home.”

I shook my head politely. “I’ll be leaving soon anyway, Father. I don’t want to trouble you.”

He hurried out of the car and blocked my path, his tone soft and pleading. “For the sake of this old man’s face… can you give my son one more chance?”

I looked past him. Seven years of disappointment had already drained everything from my heart. When I didn’t answer, tears filled his eyes.

“My seventieth birthday is in three days. Please, stay and celebrate with me one last time.”

He had always treated me like his own daughter and stood up for me many times. Thinking of this, my resolve gradually faltered. In the end, I quietly nodded.

The night of the banquet, the hotel ballroom sparkled with lights and high society faces. Jason Gardner stood among the guests, Yuna by his side, their arms linked, with Timothy holding her hand.

“Oh, Mr. Gardner. Mrs. Gardner looks stunning tonight. And your son—he’s such a bright boy. What a perfect family.”

Jason stiffened. That was the seventy-eighth person to mistake their relationship today. When he glanced toward me, sitting alone in the corner, a rare flicker of guilt crossed his face.

He quickly corrected them. “Yuna is just my… sister. My wife is over there.”

The guest was immediately flustered and he hurried to apologize to me. I waved it off casually, as if it didn’t matter.

They weren’t really wrong anyway. Soon enough, Yuna would be the wife of Jason Gardner.

Soon after the guests drifted away, Jason walked over to me. “I’ve already shown you enough respect tonight. I won’t mention what happened before, so don’t embarrass yourself. Get off that high horse.”

His tone dripped with arrogance, as if I should be grateful for his so-called generosity.

As soon as he finished speaking, the birthday gifts began to be presented.

Ignoring him, I stepped toward the center of the ballroom, keeping a deliberate distance between us. Jason’s face darkened for a second, but he quickly covered it.

When it was Yuna’s turn, she offered an elegant sandalwood bracelet that must have cost a fortune. Gideon simply gave her a faint nod, nothing like the warm reaction she had clearly hoped for. Her smile faltered and she stomped away in frustration.

Then, every gaze in the room shifted toward me. I picked up a simple bowl of clear broth with plain noodles and carried it to the head table.

“Father, I made this myself. May it bring you warmth and long life.”

The bowl looked humble, with only one poached egg floating on top.

Yuna let out a mocking laugh. “Scarlet, my dear sister-in-law, what a cheap gift.”

Jason’s expression instantly soured, his voice turning sharp. “Take that away. You’re embarrassing the entire Gardner Family.”

A wave of murmurs swept through the crowd, low and mocking.

Gideon ignored the whispers around him. He just quietly picked up the bowl and began to eat. “This is wonderful. Scarlet truly knows me best. She remembers this is my favorite.”

“For all these years, she’s been the one organizing my birthday banquets, managing everything inside and out with such care.”

“Having her as my daughter-in-law is the greatest gift I could ask for.”

At his words, the guests quickly changed their tune. One after another, they praised me, saying I was not only beautiful but also graceful, capable and the perfect daughter-in-law of the Gardner Family.

Yuna’s face twisted with jealousy. Her nails dug so deep into her palm that her skin nearly broke.

Then, out of nowhere, the giant screen on the main stage flickered. A series of indecent photos suddenly filled the screen.

In them, Yuna was completely naked, posing in all kinds of shameful positions. The men’s faces were blurred, but hers was shown clearly for everyone to see.

“Didn’t expect this from the Gardner Family’s adopted daughter. It turns out she’s got quite a wild side.”

“Look at that skin, so fair… think she’d let me have a taste too?”

“I thought the Gardner Family had such strict morals. Guess that was just for show.”

The hall burst into vulgar laughter. Jason and Yuna’s faces went completely white.

Yuna let out a sharp scream, her voice trembling with panic. “Turn it off! Shut it down right now!”

“This isn’t me! Someone’s framing me!”

Unfortunately, no matter how hard they tried, the screen wouldn’t respond. The photos kept looping again and again, filling the room with humiliation.

Jason’s face turned so dark it was almost frightening. Finally, unable to take it any longer, he smashed the power source himself.

Yuna burst into tears, her whole body shaking as she pointed at me with a trembling hand.

“I know you hate me. You’ve always hated me because Jason loves me, because Timmy likes me more. But you can’t ruin me like this, not on Father’s seventieth birthday!”

“This day means everything to him. Do you have no shame at all? Don’t you care about the Gardner Family’s reputation?”

I met her glare calmly, my voice steady. “It wasn’t me.”

Yes, I hated Yuna, but out of respect for Gideon, I would never do something so vile, something that would humiliate the entire family.

Then, suddenly, Timothy ran forward, tears streaking down his small face. “I saw it! Mommy gave the hotel man a USB drive!”

The room fell silent for a beat, then every pair of eyes turned on me, sharp and full of accusation.

Jason’s face twisted with fury. He grabbed my collar and roared, “You witch! What else do you have to say? Even your own son exposed you!”

A hollow pain spread through my chest. I never imagined the deepest cut would come from my own child.

Still, I repeated quietly, “I said, I didn’t do it.”

However, no one believed me. Even Gideon’s expression wavered, his eyes full of sorrow and doubt, but he said nothing.

Jason’s eyes were bloodshot when he raised his hand. “Vicious woman!”

I moved aside and my hand struck his face before he could touch me. “Did you really think I’d just stand there and let you hit me again? Keep dreaming.”

Taking out my phone, I called the emergency number. “Since we both insist we’re right, let the police find out the truth.”

At the word police, Yuna’s face went pale. She quickly grabbed Jason’s sleeve, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Jason, if this becomes public, how can I ever face anyone again?”

Jason gently patted her hand, comforting her. “Nothing to be afraid of. Once the police investigate, the truth will clear your name. No one will dare speak against you then.”

Yuna lowered her head obediently, but sweat glistened on her palms.

When the officers arrived and saw her, their faces instantly darkened in annoyance. “God! You again?”

“Last time we caught you at that nightclub, hiring male escorts for an orgy. You’d barely been released and your record is still fresh, but now this?”

“So, what is it this time?”