The divorce papers had been printed for a while now, but Lionel had been home these past few days. Iris didn't want to stir up trouble, so she hadn't gone to pick them up.

After finally getting the papers, she drove back home.

The system announced in its cold voice, [Iris, you have seven days remaining before leaving this world. The exit channel is now 50% open. Please make sure to settle all matters within the remaining seven days.]

After the announcement, the system vanished.

Iris kept driving, her expression blank.

Then she saw Pamela ahead, walking off the curb toward a steakhouse.

Iris froze for two seconds and pulled the car over.

At lunch, during Lionel's phone call, she had vaguely caught a few words. Just enough to hear "celebrate" and "girlfriend".

On impulse, she followed Pamela to the private dining room where they were eating.

The moment Pamela walked in, the room erupted in teasing cheers.

"Hey, the famous singer's girlfriend is here!"

Pamela nodded politely at everyone. "Hi."

"Come on, sit. Order whatever you want. Otherwise, Lionel's gonna say we didn't treat you well."

Everyone laughed. Lionel cleared his throat and pulled Pamela to sit beside him.

"No need. Pamela can't eat this stuff right now."

Pamela blushed shyly.

The room went quiet for a few seconds until someone spoke.

"Can't eat this stuff… Wait, is she pregnant?"

Pamela lowered her head and leaned closer to Lionel.

That confirmed everyone's suspicion.

After another brief silence, someone said, "Then we really have to keep this quiet. Can't let Iris find out."

Lionel stiffened, and his face went pale.

Pamela glanced at him uneasily.

Outside the room, Iris narrowed her eyes. A chill crept up from her feet, twisting into anger. Something inside her snapped.

She had met all of Lionel's friends before. To protect her identity, she rarely interacted with them.

But every one of them knew she existed. They all knew her story with Lionel.

And now, it seemed they all knew about Pamela, too.

Iris took a deep breath, put on a polite smile, and pushed the door open.

"Hi, everyone! I was passing by and thought I'd join you for a bite."

Ten full seconds of silence followed.

The moment she walked in, Lionel and his friends all froze, their faces going stiff and ugly.

Iris curved her lips slightly and looked around the room.

"What's wrong? Am I not welcome?"

Only then did they snap out of it. "Of course you are. Come sit right…"

But Pamela was sitting next to Lionel, and there was no empty seat. The man offering smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

Lionel's gaze stayed locked on Iris as he stood up without realizing it.

Iris didn't care. She calmly sat across from him. "No need to fuss. This spot's fine."

Lionel frowned slightly.

Halfway through the meal, Iris looked at Pamela. "You must be Pamela! You're even prettier in person than in the music video. You actually remind me a bit of myself when I was younger."

Lionel stiffened. "She's not as pretty as you were back then."

Iris raised an eyebrow.

Pamela's face went pale, sadness flashing in her eyes.

No one else dared to speak.

In the blink of an eye, Pamela adjusted her expression and put on a gentle smile again, as if she hadn't been affected at all by Lionel's words.

"Why aren't you eating?" Iris asked her. "You've been sitting here forever and haven't touched your utensils."

Pamela smiled and placed a hand over her stomach. "I'm pregnant. I can't eat greasy food."

After speaking, she turned to look at Lionel, her expression hesitant, as if she wanted to say more.

The atmosphere grew even stranger. No one made a sound.

Lionel ignored Pamela's look. His brows were drawn tight as he stared at Iris, clearly anxious. He wanted to speak, but she cut in first.

"I see. You're right. You should be careful with what you eat."

Her tone was calm, as if she hadn't noticed anything unusual.

Suddenly, she set her utensils down and stood up.

"Enjoy your dinner. I've got things to take care of at home, so I'm heading out."

Iris curled her lips into a smile and walked out of the private room, ignoring everyone's tension. After all, she had only come in to make them uncomfortable.

Mission accomplished. Every single one of them ate stiffly, like they were chewing cardboard.

Lionel couldn't sit still anymore. He ditched everyone and chased after Iris.

"Honey, listen to me…" he began.

Iris turned back with feigned surprise. "Hm? What's wrong? Isn't this a celebration dinner? You're not staying with your friends?"

Lionel stared at her, testing the waters. "You're not angry?"

She kept walking and smiled. "What would I be angry about?"

Lionel hurried to keep up. "Uh… Pamela sitting next to me was totally an accident. I only love you. I'd never betray you."

Iris sounded indifferent. "I know. There were other guys sitting next to her, too. I trust you."

She said those words slowly, her smile unreadable.

For a split second, Lionel felt like he didn't really know her anymore. Even so, he couldn't put his finger on why.

After a long pause, he asked carefully, "Really?"

"Really."

Hearing that, Lionel relaxed. Yet, an unexplainable irritation crept up inside him.

"Then wait for me. I'll say goodbye to them and go home with you."

Before she could refuse, he turned and went back into the room. Iris used the moment to hide the divorce papers in the car.

After that, Lionel stayed glued to her at home for two days straight.

Iris found it annoying. Thankfully, on the third day, the label for Lionel's other album called him in for a collaboration, and he went to the recording studio.

Two hours later, Lionel called her.

"Honey, there's a contract on the table in the media room. I forgot to grab it. Can you bring it over?"

Iris agreed. She drove over, handed it to him, and watched them sign it.

After the label reps left, Lionel glanced at his phone, the tips of his ears turning red. A moment later, he walked over and wrapped an arm around Iris's waist.

"Thanks, honey. But I need to re-record a track, so I can't go home with you."

He looked regretful. Iris quietly stepped back.

"It's fine. I can go back myself."

"Then I'll order your favorite croissants and a slice of cheesecake to be sent home."

As he spoke, he leaned in to kiss her forehead. Iris pretended not to notice and bent down to brush dust off her pant leg.

The moment she stepped out of the studio, she saw Pamela getting out of a car.

Pamela saw her as well, but didn't greet her.

Instead, she loosened her grip on the front of her trench coat and walked straight into the studio without looking sideways.

Iris raised an eyebrow. She caught a glimpse of pale skin beneath the coat, a black lace strap on her shoulder, and long white legs flashing as the hem swayed in the wind.

Under the trench coat, she was wearing nothing but lingerie.

A minute later, Iris turned back toward the studio.

Inside the control room, Pamela slipped off her coat the moment she entered.

Lionel gulped.

"Why did you come dressed like this?"

Pamela wrapped her arms around him.

"Didn't you send Iris away because you saw the photos I sent you? You ignored me for two days. You didn't even reply to my texts. I was scared that if I didn't tempt you, you'd forget about me. I didn't mean to mention the pregnancy in front of her that day. I just cared too much about you, and it slipped out. Please don't be angry, okay?"

Standing outside the door, Iris listened as Lionel's heavy breathing quickly filled the room, along with the creak of the desk scraping against the floor.

Pamela's trembling voice came out broken. "Lionel, slow down… I'm still pregnant…"

Lionel let out a deep breath, forcing restraint into his voice. "Okay… I'll slow down…"

Iris pressed stop on the recording without changing her expression and walked away calmly.

When Lionel got home, it was already eight.

He had brought Iris takeout, a spicy beef stew.

Iris glanced at it. "I already ate dinner. I'm not hungry."

Lionel paused.

"Then just leave it. You can eat it later." He sat down beside her and took her hand. "Honey, I've got to go to Hiddersville tomorrow. I'll probably be gone about five days…"

Iris smiled and answered without hesitation, "Okay. I'll wait for you to come back."

Lionel froze, a faint frown forming. "You're not going to ask what it's for?"

"What's there to ask? It's not like I don't trust you."

He studied her for a long time, guilt flickering in his eyes. He pulled her into his arms. "Don't worry. Once I'm back from this, I'll spend more time with you."

The corner of Iris's lips lifted into a faint, mocking curve.

There was no need. She would be gone in three days.

When she first decided to leave, she had felt reluctant and sad. After all, she had lived here for six years and built so many memories.

But now, her chest felt light, as if she was about to shed her skin and start over.

She was even grateful that the exit process took 15 days. It had given her time to wake up completely, so she wouldn't have to struggle through any kind of emotional withdrawal once she returned to her original world.

The next morning, after Lionel finished packing, he left. Before going, he reminded Iris not to wander around, to stay safe, and to wait for him at home.

After he was gone, Iris dealt with everything she had sorted out earlier. She dealt with the things that needed to be thrown away, burned, and donated.

When it was all done, the home they had lived in for three years suddenly felt empty, the traces of the past fading until they were barely there.

Iris was satisfied.

She even found herself looking forward to Lionel's reaction when he came back to see this place, even though she wouldn't be there to witness it.

On the day she was meant to leave this world, Iris woke up early.

The system reminded her, [Attention, Iris. The exit location is Whalers' Bay. The channel will open at 12 p.m. Do not be late.]

Hearing that it was Whalers' Bay surprised her for a moment.

But remembering that she had first arrived in this world there, her heart settled instead.

It was a fitting end.

She took the divorce agreement out of the car and placed it on the most visible spot in the living room, on the coffee table. Then, she drove toward Whalers' Bay.

Halfway there, her phone vibrated. The screen lit up with a new friend request.

Iris had a feeling and accepted it.

Sure enough, the next second, the other side sent a photo.

Lionel was shirtless, asleep on a hotel bed. Pamela was curled in his arms, smiling brightly at the camera.

[You probably heard what Lionel and I were doing outside the recording studio that day, right? I'm pregnant with his baby. He's mine. Did he tell you he was going to Hiddersville for work? He's actually traveling with me. You can see it yourself. He loves me, and you're the one who's going to be abandoned.]

Pamela followed that with several more photos of the two of them sightseeing together.

Iris smiled as she looked at the screen, like she was watching a clown perform.

[Cool. I guess congratulations are in order.]

Before Pamela could reply, Iris blocked her and saved a screen recording of the entire conversation.

When Iris arrived at Whalers' Bay, it was 11:53 a.m.

Holding up her phone, she took a photo of herself with the Whalers' Bay shoreline behind her.

In the picture, she was flashing a peace sign, her smile calm and relieved.

She sent the photo, along with the screen recording of the messages and the audio recording from the recording studio, straight to Lionel.

Alongside them, a final line.

[Goodbye, Lionel. This time, for good.]

Then, she blocked every single way he had to contact her.

She sat down on the beach, glanced at the endlessly surging waves of Whalers' Bay, and gently closed her eyes.

As the system's countdown echoed in her head from ten down to one, she suddenly felt herself sink into a hazy, formless void.