This little suburban villa was a home with a yard that Sean specifically chose after the law firm started turning a profit, just to satisfy my love of growing flowers, plants, and fruit.

Whenever work exhausted me, I would look at everything I had planted with my own hands. Watching them grow always made the fatigue disappear. When the fruit ripened, Sean and I would sit in the yard together, watching TV shows and eating freshly picked fruit. Those quiet, warm moments were rare.

Now, the strawberries that had just ripened were ripped out by the roots, thrown aside, and trampled into the dirt. The garden beds had also been flattened and replaced with a newly installed hanging swing. The tree I planted two years ago had been cut clean in half, chopped into pieces, and hauled away. Even the orchids I used for decoration were all gone, replaced with bright, showy peonies.

I rushed forward and demanded an explanation from the workers. That was when I found out it was all Sean’s order. Just to please Brittany and her parents, he had erased every trace of my past here and redecorated everything to her preferences. For that, Sean sure was ruthless.

Coming back to my senses, I didn’t stop the workers anymore. I walked straight into the house, only wanting to pack my things and leave as soon as possible. However, as I searched through the cabinets, something suddenly fell to the floor. I followed the sound and saw the wedding ring Sean and I had bought when we first got married.

Back then, he had just started the law firm. Just keeping it afloat had drained all his savings. He couldn’t even afford a wedding, let alone a ring. To save money, we simply registered our marriage and left it at that. Afterward, we even lived in the office. Every day was beans on toast or whatever food we could get from business dinners. By the time the holidays came around, I didn’t even have enough money to buy myself a new winter coat.

He felt endlessly guilty about it, so much so that he gave up his pride to approach a former rival with whom he had once been at loggerheads. Under the influence of alcohol, he knelt before the man, hoping the man would lend him a hand and provide some resources.

I could vividly remember the night he came back. He was drunk, his shirt was burned with cigarette holes, and there were still faint handprints on his face. However, he didn’t seem to care at all. He just smiled and handed me a diamond ring, saying it was his way of making it up to me before spending the entire night vomiting in the bathroom.

From that day on, I believed Sean loved me with all his heart, and I made up my mind to stand by him and fight alongside him. Alas, I never once had the chance to wear the ring, one he had traded his dignity and pride for. Our relationship had long since fallen apart and was no longer what it once was. I gave the ring one last look before throwing it into the trash and continuing packing.

Come to think of it, it was actually pretty funny. The bedroom was huge, and I spent ages tidying it up, but in the end I couldn’t even fill a suitcase. It was just like our marriage, which existed in name only but was empty inside.

I let out a self-deprecating laugh and dragged my suitcase toward the door. As I passed the corner, the heel of my shoe suddenly snapped. I lost my balance and slammed into the cabinet. In the next second, a dark wooden box fell to the floor, and my expression changed instantly.

That box was the one Sean treasured most. Inside were the belongings his late mother had left behind. All these years, he had never allowed anyone to touch it, nor had he ever opened it in front of anyone. He had even set a password lock on it.

Now, the box had cracked open from the fall, its contents spilling into view. However, with just one glance, I froze where I stood.

There was no precious family heirloom inside the box. Nothing related to his mother, either. Instead, it was filled with photos of Sean and a woman. Some were taken at an amusement park, some were from school, and others were in shopping malls. Every single photo had his handwriting on the back.

“April 10, 2012–After class placements, I met a girl. Her name is Heather. My heart is racing. Is this what falling in love feels like?”

“May 6, 2012–I finally got Heather’s contact. Ahhh… I’m so nervous. How should I even start talking to her?”

“July 16, 2012–It’s summer break at last. Today was my first date with Heather at the amusement park. She looked so beautiful…”

“December 10, 2012–Heather hasn’t been in school. Everyone says she died in an accident, that she was hit by a car. I don’t believe it!”

“December 16, 2012–Today was Heather’s funeral.”

“March 21, 2013–A judgment has been ruled for the case. The murderer hired a top lawyer and was ruled not guilty. He wouldn’t have to suffer a single day in prison…”

“April 5, 2013–Heather, wait for me. When I become a lawyer, I’ll reopen your case.”

After reading everything, I looked back at the woman in the photos.

Her face bore a slight resemblance to both Brittany and me. In that instant, everything became clear. Brittany and I were nothing more than substitutes for a woman named Heather.

Sean had been searching for her shadow in both of us. Even the reason he became a lawyer in the first place was because of her. No wonder he had hidden this box for so many years, never allowing anyone to touch it. However, why should my youth and my life be used to make up for his loss?

I snapped back to my senses, put the box back into the cabinet, and walked away without looking back. There was nothing left in this house worth remembering anymore.

Faye insisted on having one last meal together before I left, and since my flight was in the evening, I didn’t refuse. I took a cab to the restaurant, but the moment I got out of the car, I saw Sean inside a photo studio nearby. Standing beside him were Brittany and her parents. The four of them looked like a real family, smiling warmly as the photographer guided them through poses for a wedding family portrait.

How ironic. I had been married to Sean for seven years, yet we had never taken a single photo together. Even when my mother was on her deathbed, he had rejected her final wish to take one family photo before she passed.

I sneered, and as I turned to leave, our eyes met. His hand, resting on Brittany’s shoulder, jerked. Brittany had also noticed me, but instead of panic, she gave me a provocative smile.

Then, she walked out of the studio, putting on a look of helpless despair, and said with a pout, “Andrea, I know you hate me, but I just want to live. I just don’t want to be looked down on. There’s no need for you to follow me here or come tell my parents everything.”

The moment those words left her mouth, Sean’s expression darkened. He grabbed my arm and dragged me aside, his voice sharp with anger.

“Andrea, we’ve been married for seven years. How did I not realize you were so vicious? She’s just a weak woman trying to live a decent life. What did she do wrong? Do you really have to destroy her future like this?”

I looked at him, the way he twisted right from wrong, and felt nothing but numb. Then, I turned to Brittany and slapped her.

“I came here to meet a friend. I don’t care about your mess. But if you continue spreading lies, don’t blame me for exposing the truth.”

After that, I didn’t even spare her another glance as I turned to leave. However, Sean quickly caught Brittany, his eyes filled with concern.

Then he grabbed me again, his voice low and threatening. “Andrea, how dare you hit her? Get on your knees and apologize right now. Otherwise… I’ll fire you from the law firm and make sure you’re blacklisted from the legal industry. You’ll never find another job in this country.”

Hearing his threat, I sneered and took out my resignation letter, throwing it straight at his face.

“Sorry,” I said. “I’ve resigned. And as for blacklisting me, you can go ahead and try, Mr. Larson.”