I swiftly seized Zachary's wrist, holding it firm. "You'd better return my money to me, Zachary!"

Zachary, in a fit of pique, took out 200 dollars from his pocket and hurled it at my face. "This is all I have! Take it or leave it!"

Juliana, standing to the side, chimed in with a feigned, reproachful tone, "How could you report Zachary to the police over something so trivial, Ms. Warner?"

"You'd better shut that mouth of yours!" I then turned to the police officers, saying, "I've lost over 24 thousand dollars! I also intend to press charges against my husband, Zachary Smith, for having an affair with Juliana Ziegler!"

That accusation of an illicit affair instantly wiped the color from both Zachary's and Juliana's faces. That specific charge, while perhaps not carrying any serious penalty in those days, was guaranteed to destroy their careers, reputations, and entire future.

Zachary was utterly terrified. He hurriedly retrieved a stack of money from his wallet and thrust it at me, yelling, "You can take all of it! Why would you even make such a massive spectacle over a petty amount of money?"

Juliana, equally terrified, abruptly backed away and put noticeable space between herself and Zachary.

I took the stack of money and deliberately counted it, bill by bill, under the police officers' watchful eyes.

It tallied up to eight thousand dollars. I couldn't believe that Zachary actually carried that much cash around.

In the end, the police officer looked directly at me and inquired with practiced formality, "Do you still wish to press charges against Mr. Smith?"

I slipped the money into my coat and offered a simple shake of my head. Seeing that, Zachary and Juliana breathed a sigh of relief.

However, I suddenly managed a smile that held no warmth, stating flatly, "I do want to get a divorce, though."

Zachary's expression immediately hardened as he snarled, "That's exactly what I wanted, Serenity!"

…

I managed to finalize the divorce with Zachary in record time.

Yet, the moment I returned home to pack my meager belongings, the door was slammed open, with the security guards from the factory storming in with grim expressions.

They then took hold of me and stated, "You have been accused of stealing scrap metal from the factory, so you'll have to come with us now, Serenity Warner."

I was so shocked that the mug slipped from my hand and hit the floor with a shrill clang.

Zachary emerged leisurely from behind the security guards and leaned in close to my ear, whispering, "I wouldn't have divorced you if you had behaved yourself, Serenity. You insisted on making such a fuss, though, so I couldn't possibly keep you around where you would be an inconvenience and an offense to me."

I immediately felt a terrifying chill. I had never known that Zachary, my former husband of six years, harbored such deep-seated cruelty. He saw me only as a risk to his stability, and for that reason alone, he had decided to send me to prison and utterly ruin my future.

I fixed my gaze on him, my demeanor unnervingly calm. "You can still pull back before it's too late, so do you still intend to push things to a point of no return, Zachary?"

Zachary took a step back, then gave a curt, formal gesture to the security guards. "I'm merely acting according to policy, so I have nothing to feel remorseful about, Serenity."

Juliana followed closely, her face a mask of sanctimonious pity. "Mr. Smith was generous enough to offer refuge to you, a relative from the countryside, Ms. Warner. How could you repay his benevolence in such a manner? How disheartening!"

In the meantime, the onlookers—both neighbors and colleagues from the factory—gathered to watch the scene, openly pointing fingers and gossiping.

"I know, right? Mr. Smith is so kind! How did he end up taking in such a total ingrate like Serenity?"

"How could she steal the factory's property? That's an offense against all of us!"

I had a few colleagues, usually on good terms with me, who tried to intervene on my behalf. They, however, fell silent and lowered their heads in resignation after spotting Zachary's glare.

I watched as the police officers closed in and suddenly burst out laughing. I shouted over the noise of the crowd that was calling me a thief, yelling, "I want to report Star Forge Factory's manager, Zachary Smith, for embezzlement, espionage, and committing adultery!"