But now, Zack said I had tricked him into marrying me. He was even indifferent to my injuries for the sake of Kimberly.

After all these years, I had repaid the kindness, and it was time I let go of him.

I should let him go and allow him to pursue the one he truly wanted. I should let go and end this unequal marriage that had been wrong from the very beginning.

My trembling fingers slid across the screen with difficulty and opened that long-buried email.

It was an offer from the Granite Broadcasting (GBC) International News Department that was extended to me indefinitely.

The date on it was exactly the day three years ago when Zack and I got married.

The glow of the screen shone through the gaps in the bandages, and I suddenly remembered what he had solemnly said to me that day.

"Don't go to the battlefield. It's too dangerous."

Back then, I thought that was the only warmth he had ever shown me, but now I realized it had all been just my wishful thinking.

My burns sent searing pain through me, yet I smiled in relief.

My fingers tapped on the keyboard, and inside the reply box, I wrote, "I accept."

…

Over the next two weeks in the hospital, Zack never once appeared.

My phone was piled up with the messages he had sent.

"There's a kidnapping case to handle today. Get some proper rest."

"I have to go out of town for negotiations tomorrow. Take care of yourself."

But when I turned to Kimberly's social media page, I saw something else.

"Thank you to my personal driver today for picking me up and dropping me off at work."

The picture showed Zack's flawless profile, smiling gently into the camera.

"Mr. Larson said he's taking me to that famous restaurant tomorrow. I'm so happy!"

Every post felt like a knife to me, cutting open my wounds that had yet to heal.

Outside, a nurse knocked on the door and came in to change my bandages. She asked in concern, "Ms. Jones, was that your husband who came with you that day? Why haven't I seen him these days?"

I painfully forced out a smile at the nurse.

"He'll be my ex-husband soon. Whether he comes or not doesn't matter."

The nurse smiled awkwardly at me, then secretly glanced at my bandaged leg and suddenly said, "Actually, I saw your ex-husband in the obstetrics department yesterday. He was accompanying Ms. Harmon for her check-up."

She looked at me with an indignant gaze. "If you ask me, that Ms. Harmon doesn't even have half your grace. Your ex-husband really has no taste!"

Halfway through, she seemed to realize she had misspoken and hurriedly picked up the tray.

I comforted her, "It's okay. I've long gotten used to it."

The nurse tucked in my blanket before leaving and softly said, "Ms. Jones, get some good rest."

As she turned away, I heard her barely audible sigh.

…

After half a month of rest, I handled my own discharge procedures.

My right leg was still wrapped in bandages, and every step sent stabbing pain through me. But compared to the pain in my heart, this was nothing at all.

When I pushed open the long-unseen door to my home, a heavy stench of alcohol hit me.

Wine bottles were scattered all over the living room floor.

Ambiguous sounds came from the master bedroom, and a woman's coy laughter sharply pierced through my eardrums.

I slowly leaned against the wall and moved over. Soon, I saw Kimberly in my silk nightgown, sitting on Zack's lap and feeding him grapes.

Zack's face was flushed. He was clearly drunk.

The housekeeper, Rita Poole, rushed out of the kitchen in a panic. There was still flour on her apron.

"Mrs. Larson, w-why are you back so soon?" She rubbed her hands nervously. "Mr. Larson and Ms. Harmon only drank too much. Nothing happened, I-I can testify…"

I gently patted Rita's trembling hand. "It's fine."

As those words left my mouth, I realized how terrifyingly calm my voice was.

Kimberly provocatively wrapped her arms around Zack's neck, deliberately tugging the strap of the nightgown lower.

Meanwhile, Zack's gaze was unfocused, and his cheeks were unnaturally flushed. He was obviously very drunk.

I walked silently into the bedroom and pulled out the suitcase I had packed long ago from the bottom of the wardrobe.

The wheels made faint noises as they rolled over the scattered clothes on the floor.

"Rene…"

Zack's slurred call came from behind me, carrying a tenderness I hadn't heard in a long time.

My steps faltered, and a fluster rose in my heart. I turned and saw Kimberly's back stiffen instantly.

"Zack!" She quickly leaned close to his ear, her sweet voice tinged with panic. "Were you calling for me? I'm right here!"

Zack was still dazed and muttering, "Kimberly… Kimberly…"

I pulled at the corner of my lips in self-mockery as my fingers unconsciously tightened around the luggage handle.

Even at this point, I was still fantasizing that he would call my name.

Kimberly raised her brows at me smugly. "Did you hear that? When Zack gets drunk, the only name he calls is mine."

She deliberately dragged out her tone as she mocked me. "Some people should stop being so delusional."

I lowered my head and looked at my bandaged right leg. I suddenly remembered that on the day of the explosion, the first person Zack rushed to was Kimberly.

Just like now, when he was drunk and muddled, the name he subconsciously called was still hers.

"Right," I said softly.

Then, not knowing whether I was answering Kimberly or warning myself, I said, "I should have understood long ago."

I turned and left, walking out without a trace of hesitation. My phone screen lit up at the perfect time—GBC had sent the final confirmation email.

"Ms. Serenity Jones, tomorrow at 8:00 am, the private jet will be waiting."

My fingertip hovered over the screen before I finally typed, "Please prepare a new identity for me. Let the name Serenity Jones disappear along with my past."

"Understood."

The moment I saw the reply, it felt as if something inside my heart clicked shut forever.

I picked up my phone, ready to book a ride to the airport, when a towel soaked in chemicals suddenly covered my mouth and nose.

Before my consciousness faded, I heard someone say, "That's her—Zack's wife."

…

When I woke up again, the stench of rust made my nostrils sting.

Under the swaying incandescent light above, a masked man was adjusting some live-streaming equipment.

"Awake?" He kicked at the chair I was tied to. "Your husband sure was hard to meet."

I recognized the voice—it was the younger brother of the gangster from the explosion case. He was also the fugitive wanted on the news.

"You caught the wrong person," I rasped out with an unusually calm voice. "Zack and I are already divorced. Legally, we have nothing to do with each other."

Ethan Calloway laughed coldly. "You said you got divorced? Am I just supposed to believe you?"

"Look at this." I motioned for him to see my bandaged right leg. "This was the injury I suffered while he stood by to protect another woman. Are you sure you want to use me to threaten him?"

Ethan eyed me with suspicion as the tip of the knife grazed along my neck.

I continued, "How about we make a bet? If Zack doesn't show up within ten minutes, it proves I mean nothing to him. According to Article 234 of the Criminal Law, you'll get an extra charge for kidnapping an unrelated person. You still have time to let me go now."

While Ethan hesitated, the factory's iron door was suddenly forced open, and glaring police lights flooded in.

I heard Zack shouting through a loudspeaker, "Let her go!"

Ethan suddenly gripped my chin, forcing me to look at the live-streaming camera.

"You said you were divorced, but he still showed up. Looks like you're quite important to him. How about this? If he refuses to let my brother come in and exchange for you, I will let the whole nation see how the negotiation expert's woman is stripped down!"

The moment the camera went live, the live comments were already flooding in like crazy.

"Isn't this the reporter who deserved to be blown up?"

"With burns like that, who does she think she can seduce?"

"Strip! We're waiting to see that!"

Ethan sneered as he flicked open my first button with the tip of the knife.

"Zack! I'll give you 30 seconds to decide. Do you want your career, or your wife's dignity?"

Through the blinding police lights, I saw Zack's figure frozen outside the police cordon. His white shirt was soaked with sweat, and his tie hung crooked around his neck.

In all these years, it was the first time I had seen him so disheveled.

Ethan sneered as he cut open my second button, and the livestream comments instantly went into a frenzy.

I heard Zack's footsteps suddenly stop through the loudspeaker, and right after came Kimberly's sickly sweet voice.

"Zack." She tugged on his sleeve and shook it. "You know I only need one more case to become official. Let me handle this one, okay?"

Through the dust-covered glass window, I saw Zack swallow hard.

A staff member stumbled over, speaking in a voice low that was unable to conceal his panic. "Mr. Larson, there's a problem! The surveillance vehicle was stopped a mile away. They're armed and blocking the road, demanding that you negotiate!"

Zack looked at me anxiously, then glanced down at his watch. Then, he actually handed over the loudspeaker to Kimberly.

"You handle the initial talks first. I'll go deal with the other thing. I'll be back in 20 minutes!"

How ridiculous. I had still foolishly imagined that Zack and I had at least a shred of affection left.

That even if we were divorced, even if he had fallen for someone else—at the very least, he wouldn't want to watch me die.

Kimberly took the loudspeaker and suddenly showed us a victorious smile. "Listen up, you idiot! The woman you caught was just a poor beggar! If Zack hadn't kindly funded her schooling back then, she would still be farming in the countryside!"

My nails dug deep into my palm, and blood seeped through the bandages.

The number of viewers in the livestream was skyrocketing, and the comments were pouring in.

"How exciting!"

"Is this a negotiation or an instigation?"

The tip of Ethan's knife suddenly paused, and the camera shook violently.

Kimberly's voice was filled with malicious joy as she said, "After spending so much of Zack's money, you dying here is perfect! You useless bum, you even kidnapped the wrong person. You were the one who injured her in that explosion last time, right? You're truly so stupid!"

The comments instantly erupted into chaos.

"Oh my God! Has she lost it?"

"She's trying to use someone else to kill that lady!"

"Does Mr. Larson not care about this?"

Ethan trembled with rage. He yanked my hair and shouted, "Is what she said true?"

The pain made me gasp sharply, but I replied calmly, "I already told you I mean nothing to Zack. But if you let me go now, I won't tell the cops the truth. Everything will be treated as if it never happened."

Meanwhile, Kimberly kept fanning the flames, taunting, "Trash will always be trash! Zack already didn't want this old hag. Who are you threatening with her? Come out if you've got the guts and watch me shoot you in the head!"

"Shut the hell up!" Ethan roared at Kimberly before furiously kicking over the camera. "Zack, this unwanted woman of yours has a damn beautiful face. Today, I'll slash it up and have the whole nation see what she looks like disfigured!"

He stepped closer and closer, and the blade's tip shook before my eyes. The smile on his face looked twisted and crazed.

I stared hard at the knife in his hand and muttered in a daze, "Did you know? If I still held even the tiniest place in Zack's heart, then he should have been the one standing there negotiating."

The blade pressed against my chin, and the icy sensation made me shiver.

I continued, "He wouldn't have handed this life-threatening negotiation over to that mistress of his who wishes me dead."

I suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing sharply in the empty factory.

Ethan's knife froze in midair, and he stared at me suspiciously.

"There's no need to trouble yourself with this. Give the knife to me. I'll do it myself."

I finished speaking calmly, and my gaze swept over the tiny blue light flashing on my watch. That was the signal from the GBC's special tracker.

Ethan froze, and the comments went wild.

"What the hell kind of move is that?"

"This woman has to be crazy!"

"Where's Mr. Larson?"

The next second, just as the knife fell into my hand, a deafening explosion erupted. The entire abandoned factory shook violently, and flames roared up into the sky.

The last thing I saw was the flashing blue light on my watch suddenly turning into a bright red.

…

Outside the factory, Zack stumbled backward due to the shockwave. He stared in disbelief at the blazing building.

The walkie-talkie in his hand slipped from his grasp with a sharp clack.

"Mr. Larson." A communications officer ran over with a pale face. "There was an explosion inside! The preliminary judgment is that Ethan planted the explosives in advance. The hostage and Ethan were both killed."