"You can hate me all you want, but I've always treated your mom like my own," Brianna blabbered. "Please, no matter how upset you are, don't joke about her health like that!"

Noel came rushing in, immediately pulling her into his arms while glaring at me with frustration. "Cornelia, Rian cares so much about your mom. Why do you always make things difficult for her?"

"Care?!" I let out a bitter laugh, my hands shaking as I unlocked my phone. "This is what you call care?"

I shoved the phone at him, playing the security cam footage I'd found. Though the camera hadn't captured the scene, her words came through loud and clear.

"You useless old hag! Why don't you just die?! Your daughter is shameless just like you!"

The video continued, her voice sharp and unforgiving. "Eat! Go ahead! If you don't, I'll beat you to death!"

In the background, Mom's faint sobs begged for mercy.

But Brianna just mocked my mom even more and threatened her. "Don't you dare tell anyone unless you want Noel to hate your daughter even more? You see, your son-in-law loves me. Do you think he'll believe an old cripple like you over me?"

Each word cut deeper than the last, and my body shook with rage and despair.

If I hadn't stumbled upon this evidence, I might never have known what my mom endured in the past few months.

But Noel? He didn't even flinch as the footage ended. His expression darkened as he sighed, his disappointment directed squarely at me.

"Rian warned me this might happen. The moment we left for our trip, she said your jealousy would make you accuse her of hurting your mom. I didn't believe her then, but now? Cornelia, do you have no shame? Faking a video like this? Have you no conscience?"

Behind him, Brianna clung to him, peeking out to smirk at me. Her lips moved as she mouthed each word: Pathetic old hag.

My vision blurred with rage. Before I knew it, I'd slapped her across the face. "Say that again! I dare you!"

"Cornelia!" Noel immediately stepped in, shielding Brianna from me. His icy glare pierced through me. "Haven't you learned your lesson?! Do you want me to throw you and your mom out?! Apologize to Rian! Now!"

"I'm done with your threats!" My voice cracked, but I refused to back down. "Noel, I want a divorce!"

His expression froze, and the air in the room got thick with tension. For a moment, he looked like he couldn't believe my words. "What… did you just say?"

"I said I want a divorce," I repeated, my tone steady. "From now on, whoever you're with has nothing to do with me."

His face darkened. He stared at me, his disbelief quickly replaced by anger. "You're ending our marriage over something so trivial?!"

Trivial? Wow, Mom's suffering was really nothing but "trivial" to him.

I stared at the man I had shared my life with for three years, and suddenly, I felt like a fool.

Before I could respond, Cong Yuan started sobbing, clutching her cheek dramatically. "Nellie, it's all my fault! Please don't divorce Noel because of me—I don't need an apology. Just... just don't leave him, Nellie, please!"

"Rian, stop blaming yourself," Noel said, softening as he turned to comfort her. Then his gaze snapped back to me, hard and unforgiving. "What, you think you can scare me with divorce? Fine. Let's see how you and your mom survive without me!"

I didn't say another word. I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door.

Behind me, a glass shattered at my feet as Noel's voice thundered after me. "If you walk out that door, don't think you can come crawling back! I won't forgive you!"

Brianna chimed in, her tone soft and pleading. "Nellie, think of Auntie. You and her wouldn't have survived these past two years without Noel. Don't be so stubborn—apologize, and we'll forget this ever happened."

Blood trickled down my leg where a shard of glass had cut me, but I barely felt it. I just kept walking straight out of that door.

Behind me, Noel's cold laugh echoed. "You really have the nerve, huh? Go ahead. Leave. But don't bother coming back once you walk out of that door. Even if you kneel and apologize, I won't give you another chance!"

I didn't look back.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, something fell from above and shattered in front of me. It was our wedding photo, thrown down carelessly like trash.

This was Noel's way of showing his anger.

Without a blank face, I stepped over the broken photo and kept walking.

When I got home, I saw my mom's portrait in the living room. At that moment, all the strength left my body. I collapsed on the floor and cried uncontrollably.

I hated myself for not seeing my husband's true intentions and for dragging my mom into her tragic death. It was not a bit worth the three years of marriage I wasted on Noel. The joy of marrying him? It felt like the cruelest joke in the end!

Soon after, I got a call from the home care service asking if I needed a new nurse.

"No," I replied coldly. "My mom is dead."

After hanging up, I contacted a lawyer to begin the divorce process. But before I could do anything, Noel stormed into my place.

"Cornelia!" He yelled. "You attacked Rian earlier and now she's lost her job? How could you be so cruel?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said flatly, trying to shut the door.

Before I could, two men pushed past me and barged in.

"What are you doing here, Noel?!" I cried out in shock. "This is my place! You can't just do whatever you want!"

He sneered and grabbed me. "You said your mom's dead, right? Let's see if that's true. Search the place, boys! I'm going to make sure everyone knows how shameless you and your mom are!"

"Stop!" I struggled against him, crying out, "Mom's dead! She's already gone!"

He hesitated for a moment but then shoved me to the floor.

"You bitch! You dare hit me?!" he roared, his face full of rage.

The impact threw me into a cabinet, and I lay there, hurting, watching them tear apart my apartment. They knocked things over, even smashing Mom's portrait to the floor.

But they didn't find anything. I was the only one home.

When Noel found out, he was surprised. He walked up to me, his gaze cold as he looked down at me.

"Cornelia," he said, "If anything happens to Rian, you and your mom will pay for it!"

"Where is she?!" he demanded, his voice filled with anger. "Where are you hiding your mom?!"

I stared at my mom's portrait, now broken on the floor beneath his foot. Right then, something snapped inside me.

I rushed at him, biting his leg with all my strength. "You son of a bitch! I'll kill you!"

His men pulled me away and held me down, pinning me to the ground like I was some wild animal. I couldn't move or fight back, feeling completely humiliated.

Noel staggered back, holding his leg. He looked down, and finally, he noticed the shattered black-and/white photo beneath his foot.

For a moment, he was confused. "What's this?" he asked.

"That's my mom's portrait!" I screamed, my voice hoarse. "She's dead! She died the day after you left for your trip!"