If it hadn't been for the intimate photos Francine sent her, Eugene might have been deceived by him yet again.

Her phone buzzed incessantly with messages from Francine, the sound uncomfortably sharp in the silent car. It was aggravating.

Tommy, noticing her agitation, asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

She asked, "Tommy, what would you do if someone tried to drive a wedge between us?"

Before Eugene even finished her sentence, Tommy frowned. "Who's bothering my wife? Tell me and I'll handle them right now!"

"What if it's Francine?" At the mention of that name, Eugene saw him stiffen for a moment, his entire demeanor faltering. "How do you know about her? Are you spying on me?"

"I'm not ..." Before Eugene could explain, Tommy suddenly erupted, "Eugene, what's happened to you? Francine is just a friend! So what if I care about her? Why are you blowing this out of proportion?"

"I thought you were different from those paranoid housewives who nag and fret over nothing. But now, it seems you've become just like them! With you acting like this, what personal space do I even have anymore?" His angry outburst made it seem like Eugene was unjustly accusing him.

But all she had done was ask a question. And yet he was already defensive.

Staring at the raging Tommy, Eugene was at a loss for words. How could she respond?

The man who once professed to love her deeply now stood before her, angrily dismissing her as if she meant nothing. The realization stung, leaving her feeling utterly pitiful.

In the heavy silence that followed, tears began streaming down her face. One by one, they fell onto the leather car seat.

Tommy, seeing her break down, fumbled awkwardly, "I …I'm sorry. I was too worked up just now. Eugene, please don't cry …" He spoke softly, coaxing her in the same soothing tone he'd used during past quarrels.

But this time, Eugene couldn't stop herself. Images of the photos and messages Francine had sent played over and over in her mind.

Why? Why couldn't over ten years of love outweigh someone who had only reappeared for a few days? She tried to understand, but she just couldn't.

She cried, "Tommy, you've changed. You don't love me anymore. I … I want to leave … sob …" Her tearful accusation softened Tommy's heart.

He pulled her into his arms and patted her shoulder, trying to console her, "How could I not love you, Eugene? Don't say such nonsense. I love you the most."

Just then, Tommy's phone buzzed. The name flashing on the screen froze him in mid-action.

Eugene didn't even need to look up to know who it was. Watching the hesitance flicker across his face, she wiped away her tears, "Answer it."

Inside, she made a quiet vow, this would be the last time she allowed herself to be hurt by him.

Tommy glanced at his phone and made a feeble excuse, "It's just a work call. Eugene, stay in the car and wait for me." With that, he opened the car door and stepped out.

Through the window, Eugene could see the faint smile tugging at his lips as he answered the call.

Five minutes later, he climbed back into the car, "Eugene, something came up at the office. I need to head back. I'll take Casey with me. We might be back late, so don't wait for us to have dinner."

Eugene found it somewhat amusing. In the past, whenever Tommy lied, his face would flush red. Now, he could do it without so much as blinking. Perhaps deceiving her had simply become second nature to him.

Casually, she asked, "Can't it wait? Isn't today a company holiday? Why would you ..."

"Eugene." Tommy's expression suddenly turned cold. "I don't like it when you act this way."

After speaking, he let out a heavy sigh and gently took Eugene's hand in his, "Be good. Go back home, okay?"

Eugene wanted to refuse. She desperately wanted to confront this woman named Francine, to see what spell she had cast over this man and his son.

But the thought of doing so suddenly felt pointless. It was already over. Dwelling on such meaningless matters would only add to her frustration.

Just as she began to withdraw her hand, Tommy grabbed her wrist tightly, "Eugene, where's our wedding ring?"

Eugene flinched slightly, suddenly remembering that she had already sold it. She responded flatly, "I left it at home."

Tommy frowned, as if he wanted to asked her further. But his phone rang again, the insistent vibration signaling Francine's urgency. This time, he let it slide, brushing off his curiosity.

Before leaving, he reminded her to wear her wedding ring and drove her home, only to rush off again in his car. Watching his taillights disappear, Eugene's gaze dimmed.

That night, Tommy and Casey didn't come home. Eugene didn't care where they went or what they did.

Instead, she spent the evening quietly sorting through the belongings in the house, separating out her own things.

She contacted a real estate agent she had previously reached out to and purchased an apartment in a small town far away from where they currently lived.

Slowly, she began moving her things out. Fearful that Tommy might notice, she deliberately left some items behind.

Despite everything, a decade of shared life had left a complicated tangle of emotions between them. She knew Tommy's possessiveness all too well. If he discovered her plan to leave, he might just have a change of heart and try to stop her.

The very thought sent shivers down her spine. But it wasn't Tommy's actions that broke her heart the most. What truly left her disillusioned was the behavior of her only child, her son.

The boy she had carried in her womb for ten months was the sole result of her and Tommy's union. Back when she was pregnant, Tommy was in the middle of building his career.

Accompanying him to endless business events, she unexpectedly began feeling sick and found out she was already two months along.

The doctor warned her that due to her weak constitution and frequent drinking during early pregnancy, there was a risk of preterm labor.

Tommy, concerned, had even suggested they terminate the pregnancy. But Eugene insisted on keeping the child.

The doctor's predictions were correct, Casey was born prematurely, frail and frequently ill. To take better care of him, Eugene gave up her career and became a full-time mother. She spent every day researching ways to strengthen his body, treating him as the center of her world and protecting him as he grew up.

But all it took was one meeting with Francine for Casey to change completely. The boy who had once clung to her began rejecting her entirely. He scorned her rules, spoke to her with contempt and insulted her at every turn.

Time and again, Eugene convinced herself to be patient. This was her child, after all and she believed a mother's love should be unconditional. But no matter how much tolerance and leniency she offered, the father and son duo only became more unkind, more unreasonable.

The more she thought about it, the more disappointed she became. Her life was an utter failure. A cheating husband and a son who no longer loved her, what reason was there to stay in such a household?

Finally, Eugene contacted her lawyer to draft a divorce agreement, granting custody of Casey to Tommy. She instructed the lawyer to deliver the documents as soon as she completed her hypnosis treatment.

With all these arrangements made, Eugene finally enjoyed her first peaceful sleep in a long time.

For the next few days, Tommy remained occupied, keeping Casey with him constantly.

It's heard that Francine has started her own business and Tommy was helping her find connections. Eugene couldn't help but admire Tommy, thinking he was truly a good person.

However, this whole matter with the three of them has nothing to do with her anymore.

As her first hypnotherapy session approached, the therapist told her to spend more time with the person she wanted to forget, visiting places they used to go together and experiencing what they had experienced before. This would help with the hypnosis.

Eugene called Tommy several times. It was only after some time that he finally picked up, perhaps because he realized he had indeed been neglecting Eugene lately.

Tommy promised to spend the weekend with her, but then he was suddenly called to a reunion by a college friend.

Eugene thought about it for a moment and decided that this was as the doctor had said. The location was at a luxury hotel in the city center.

Tommy held her hand with one and held Casey's hand with the other as they walked into the private room. Inside, the atmosphere was lively and upon hearing the noise, everyone turned to look.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bolton has arrived," several familiar friends stood up to greet them.

Tommy was the successful representative of his college, so everyone wanted to take the opportunity to get closer to him.

It was at that moment Eugene noticed a sharp gaze on her. Turning her head, she saw it was Francine. She was wearing a white dress today. She looked intelligent and generous. Next to her sat one of Tommy's college roommates.

Seeing Eugene's curiosity, a person beside her whispered an introduction, "That is his friend, isn't she beautiful? Honestly, you two look somewhat alike."

Not just alike. Eugene had seen Francine's photo on Tommy's phone before.

The woman had the same phoenix eyes as hers and especially the mole at the corner of her eye was identical.

No wonder Tommy had relentlessly pursued her for two years back then. It turned out to be because of this face.

Eugene didn't speak, her eyes scanning the pair who sat close together. How could Francine be with Tommy's college roommate?

Suddenly, Tommy, who was standing beside Francine, spoke coldly, "How come you're here?"

"If you can come, can't I come?" Francine rolled her eyes, then sweetly leaned toward the man beside her and asked him to feed her.

Eugene could clearly feel Tommy's growing anger. In the next moment, he stepped forward and dragged Francine out of the room without explanation.

The private room fell into eerie silence and all eyes turned to Eugene. Some looked on in amusement, while others sympathized.

Eugene's face darkened slightly as she bit her lip, "I'm going out to see." Leaving the private room, she just happened to see Tommy standing dejectedly at the door.

When he saw Eugene, he looked like he had found a savior, "Eugene, hurry and check how Francine is in the restroom!" He didn't even realize how inappropriate this request was.

Eugene gave him a look, then silently walked into the restroom. Inside, Francine wasn't crying as Tommy had feared. Instead, she was leisurely touching up her lipstick.

Seeing Eugene enter, Francine sneered, "So, Mrs. Bolton has fallen to become a tool for others?"

Eugene didn't reply. She didn't know what had just happened between the two of them. But to her, she just didn't want to make a scene and let others enjoy the spectacle.

It was just Francine feeling jealous and trying to seduce Tommy's roommate. Then Tommy, in turn, got jealous and took her away, right? Francine's trick was just to make Tommy stay away from Eugene.

Eugene remained expressionless, "Are you done playing? If you are, get out. He's waiting for you."