"Didn't you say you wanted to break up? I agreed. What's the problem now?" I asked.

Benjamin was stumped, his face red with anger.

Chelsea and Sadie, who had been in the living room, heard the noise and pushed the door open. The former put on an innocent, pitiful act.

"Giselle, I didn't expect you'd go as far as breaking up with Benny just to force us out. I'll take Sadie and leave right now so we don't bother you anymore."

She picked Sadie up and stormed out the door. After a moment of hesitation, Benjamin followed after them.

Before leaving, he threw a harsh parting line over his shoulder. "Fine, we'll break up! And go ahead and leave if you want! Let's see how long this tantrum lasts!"

Of course, he thought I was just throwing a fit.

I still remembered the last time he made me take the blame for Chelsea. We had argued so badly that I had stormed out of the house. He searched for me for a long time before finally finding me.

At that time, he held me and cried. "Giselle, I only asked you to take the blame because I was worried something would happen to Chelsea, and no one would take care of the child.

"I didn't consider your feelings, and that's my fault. But I really couldn't just stand by and do nothing, could I? Can you please forgive me?"

Seeing how sincerely he apologized back then, I eventually forgave him. He probably assumed this time would be the same. As long as he coaxed me a little, I would go back to him.

But he was wrong. This time, I was really leaving him for good.

After Benjamin left, I started packing my things. I took down all 999 couple photos we had once taken together from the wall and burned them in one go.

Then, I went to the backyard and stood there in a daze, looking at the grapevine and the swing hanging beneath it.

I liked eating grapes, so Benjamin had planted a grapevine for me in the yard. He also built a swing so we could sit there in the summer and spend time together.

Now, everything had changed.

I picked up an ax and cut down both the grapevine and the swing. With it, I cut off everything that once represented our six years together.

After that, I brought my property deed to a real estate agency to sell the house. I had paid for it in full, and it was under my name, so the process was quick.

The agent handled everything efficiently and listed the house online.

Leaving the agency, I stopped by the company to submit my resignation. The HR manager, Annie Clark, told me I needed Benjamin's approval before it could be processed and asked me to call him to confirm.

I tried calling him over ten times, but he didn't pick up once. In the end, Annie had no choice but to call him directly instead. This time, he answered immediately.

"Hello, Mr. West. Ms. Johnson would like to—"

"The company seal is in the drawer. Tell her to do whatever she wants with it. I'm busy. Don't call me unless it's something important."

Before Annie could even respond, Benjamin had already hung up. Well, with his approval, she had no reason to block my resignation anymore. So, she quickly processed it for me.

The next second, I received a private, provoking message from Chelsea. In the photo, Benjamin, who had always been afraid of heights, was at an amusement park, riding a roller coaster with her and Sadie.

She wrote, "Only smart people know when to back down."

No wonder Benjamin claimed to be busy. That was why he didn't even bother asking and just agreed so quickly. He was busy accompanying his new family.

I sneered and replied, "I can't help if someone loves picking up trash. In that case, I'll leave it to them."

After finishing my work handover, I left the company. As soon as I stepped out of the building, the real estate agent sent me a message.

"Hello, Ms. Johnson. Good news—we've found a buyer. We can proceed with the signing tomorrow."

"Alright. Thank you for your work."

After that, I took a cab home.

All the while, Chelsea kept sending me updates of Benjamin spending time with them. "Benny is riding the Ferris wheel with Sadie and me. Everyone says we look like a real family."

"Benny even bought the amusement park and registered it under our names. You're not going to be mad, right, Giselle?"

I ignored Chelsea.

That night, Benjamin didn't come home. I was unbothered and slept soundly.

The next day, after signing the sales contract with the buyer, I packed my luggage and headed straight for the bus station.

On the way there, I unexpectedly ran into Benjamin and Chelsea just as they were leaving kindergarten after registering Sadie for school.

He was holding Sadie in his arms, while Chelsea clung happily to him. They looked exactly like a family of three. Even passersby couldn't help commenting.

"What a happy family!"

"The parents are so loving and well-matched! That kid is so lucky!"

Benjamin smiled without saying anything, clearly enjoying himself. Then, he saw me.

He froze for a moment, quickly put Sadie down, and pulled his arm out from Chelsea's grip. A trace of guilt flashed across his face. "What are you doing here, Giselle? It's working hours. Are you skipping work?"

I almost laughed. I had already resigned a full day ago, yet he didn't even know.

"I've already resigned."

He didn't believe me. His brows furrowed tightly. "What, yesterday's breakup wasn't enough? Now, you're pretending to resign, too? Stop it, Giselle. This is getting out of hand."

Chelsea's eyes rolled slightly as she chimed in with a fake tone. "Benny, she must've realized she was wrong and followed us here to apologize."

Benjamin visibly relaxed. A faint smile returned to his lips.

"If you want me to forgive you, fine. But you'll have to apologize to Chelsea first. And since Chelsea has trouble sleeping, you'll give them the master bedroom. You take the study instead.

"Also, you'll be responsible for all their meals every day as compensation. Not a single condition can be missing."

What a joke. He was treating me like a live-in maid.

I had originally planned to tell him about selling the house later, but since we had run into each other, I might as well say it now. "Don't think I can agree to any of those conditions because I just sold the house."

Benjamin's eyes widened. "You sold the house? Why didn't you tell me something this important?"

"It's my house. I'll sell it if I want to," I said coldly. "I don't need your permission."

Meanwhile, Chelsea kept fanning the flames. "Wow, Giselle. I didn't think you'd sell the house just to kick both Sadie and me out. If you hate me so much, I'll file for a divorce with Benny right this moment.

"I'll move out of the house and won't bother you anymore!"

Benjamin looked at her with concern. "But you just returned the house and used the refunded rent to pay for Sadie's tuition. Where'd you go if you move out?"

She wiped away her non-existent tears. "What can I do when Giselle doesn't want us around? I'll just sleep under a bridge with Sadie, then. It might be cold, but at least we won't have to bother anyone."

Sadie spat in my direction. "You bad woman who bullies Mommy! Daddy, teach her a lesson!"

Benjamin's expression turned cold as well. "I don't care what kind of tantrum you're throwing, Giselle, but there has to be a limit! If you keep this up, don't even think about getting married to me for the rest of your life!"

At his 101st threat, I actually laughed out loud. "Benjamin, have you forgotten? We already broke up. Why are we still talking about getting married?"