Sierra felt her heart shatter. Lips pressed together, she asked John, "Do you really have to be this ruthless and corner me?"

"I just want you to understand this. Without me, your life is going to be a mess." John walked over and looked down at her. "Of course, if you're that desperate to sell something to get by, you can always ask Pamela for permission."

Pamela pointed to herself. "Me?"

"You're the lady of the house now. What happens to these things is up to you," John said, but his gaze stayed on Sierra, making it clear.

If she refused to play along, someone else would take her place.

Sierra's hands clutched into tight fists as she was engulfed in a wave of humiliation.

"If Sierra just wants something to remember us by, that's fine," Pamela added, fanning the flames. "But if it's just to sell for cash, it's like cheapening all the love she got. If it were me, I could never do that, no matter how broke I was."

John looked at Sierra. "Did you hear that?"

Her only answer was to throw the jewelry to the floor.

Crash!

Without another glance, she stormed out.

"Why is Sierra so upset? Did I say something wrong?" Pamela bit her lip, looking all torn up. "Should I apologize?"

"No need," John said.

Pamela hesitated. "But…"

"Go see if there's anything you don't like here. If there is, I'll have it taken away. From now on, everything in here is yours." John gently ruffled her hair.

"Thank you, John." Pamela hugged him.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sierra saw everything.

Even though she knew that the two would make some close contacts, seeing John spoiling Pamela like that still hurt.

He had once told Sierra she was the one he loved most. Now, none of that meant anything.

-

"You're still not finished packing? Planning on staying?" John came up to her, looking down.

Sierra shut her suitcase. "I just wanted to see for myself how a decent person turns into trash."

"Did you get your answer?" John asked.

"I did," Sierra said.

"Then please leave. You're not welcome here," John answered.

For a moment, Sierra almost said, "Aren't you afraid I'll just stay here and never leave, and let Pamela be your hidden mistress forever?"

But then, she remembered that this was exactly what he wanted.

"You don't need to pack Tommy's things. Once you find a place, I'll have them sent over," John said, just as infuriating as ever. "I just hope you don't end up selling his things for your mom's medical bills."

"Not everyone stoops as low as you," Sierra shot back.

John stepped closer, trapping her between his arms. "We'll see. I'm looking forward to watching you try to make it on your own."

Sierra glared at him. She was about to push him away when Pamela appeared.

The moment she saw them standing so close, the smile on Pamela's face vanished. But worried John might notice her jealousy, she quickly forced herself to act casually. "John?"

"What is it?" John turned to her.

"I like everything there. Can I have it all?" Pamela asked, shooting a look at Sierra.

John straightened his back, his firm posture showing how unfazed he was. "If you like it, take it. You don't need my permission."

"But those are all gifts for Sierra. Won't it be wrong for me to take them?" Pamela said, trying to sound conflicted.

"If you really thought it was wrong, you wouldn't have asked in the first place. Since you did, you can stop playing pretend," Sierra snapped, unable to hide her anger. "You're already someone's mistress, why bother worrying about right and wrong?"

Pamela's eyes turned red. "John…"

John's expression instantly turned cold.

He stepped up to Sierra, so close they could feel each other's breath. "Has no one ever told you that the one who isn't loved is the mistress?"

Sierra looked up at him, as if hearing something that shattered all her beliefs.

"Aren't you moving out? What are you still doing here?" John met Sierra's gaze head-on.

"I don't need you to tell me that," Sierra replied, grabbing her suitcase. "I can't stay one more second in a place full of garbage like this."

With that, she walked out without a moment's hesitation.

Seeing how decisive she was, John's eyes darkened. "Wait."

Sierra stopped.

Before she could speak, John glanced at her suitcase and ordered the bodyguard at the door, "Take Ms. Bell's suitcase out and check. See if there's anything inside that doesn't belong to her."

"What do you mean by that?" Sierra instinctively held onto her suitcase.

"Since you just tried to steal jewelry, it's hard for me to believe you haven't hidden anything else," John said, his words sharp and heartless as he knew how to corner someone completely. "The search is for everyone's peace of mind."

"That's really what you think of me?" Sierra's eyes were full of disappointment and anger.

For just a moment, John hesitated.

But as he remembered how determined she had been to leave, his expression turned cold again. "Yes."

Sierra's chest throbbed with pain.

She could accept John not loving her, even the distance he put between them, and his aloofness.

But she couldn't accept him humiliating her in front of Pamela. This wasn't just questioning her character… It was a slap in the face.

"I do not consent to this invasion of my privacy," Sierra said, gripping her suitcase handle tighter than ever. "If you insist, call the police and let them do it, or just cut my hands off from the suitcase."

She stared at him, defiant as ever.

John came over and, meeting her stubborn gaze, pried her fingers off the suitcase one by one. She used all her strength to hold on, but John easily broke her grip.

He then handed the suitcase to the bodyguard, handling it like any other business matter.

"Check it thoroughly. Don't miss a single spot."

The bodyguard answered without hesitation. "Yes, sir."

"John Henderson!" Sierra's eyes turned red as she snatched the suitcase back. She had never been so humiliated in her life.

John's face was cold, completely devoid of the warmth he used to show her.

"Will you only be satisfied when you've completely trampled on my dignity?" For the first time, all of Sierra's pride crumbled. All she had left was how humiliated she felt. "You know full well I'd never take anything from you!"

Of course, John knew. He understood Sierra's character better than anyone. He knew she would never take what didn't belong to her.

But he wanted her to see what happened when she made the wrong choices.

"Maybe just let it go," Pamela spoke up, seeing that John was starting to waver. She stepped in, giving him a way out. "You and Sierra were married, after all. Even if she did take something, it would be understandable."

"Can you just not talk for a second?" Sierra snapped, her dislike for Pamela showing as always.

John thought Sierra was being stupid. With such a temper, she would never survive on her own. Why couldn't she just stay by his side?

"Just go. I'll let it slip this time, for Pamela's sake," he said at last, though his words only made Sierra feel more stifled.

Sierra grabbed her suitcase. Just as she was about to fire back at the two of them, Alfred hurried up. "Sir, Ms. Bell. Mr. Tommy is back."

Everyone froze.

Before they could react, Tommy walked in, looking sweet and well-behaved in his overalls, right behind the butler.

Tommy glanced around the room, and his gaze finally landed on the suitcase in Sierra's hand. In his soft but earnest voice, he asked, "Mommy, why do you have a suitcase?"

Sierra opened her mouth, but couldn't come up with a reasonable answer.

"It's for me," John cut in, crouching down so he was eye-level with Tommy. "Daddy has to go on a business trip for a few days. While I'm gone, you have to be a good boy and listen to Mommy, alright?"

Tommy nodded. "Okay."

John ruffled his hair. "Good boy."

Tommy looked over at Pamela. "Who's her?"

"She's Daddy's secretary," John lied without a hint of hesitation. "She's coming with me on the trip."

Sierra's hand unconsciously tightened on the suitcase handle, but she didn't let any emotion show on her face.

John stood up and walked over, naturally taking the suitcase from her hands. Then, just like always, he pressed a kiss to her lips, his tone gentle and soft. "I'm leaving now. If you miss me, just call, okay?"

Sierra forced herself not to react, answering stiffly, "Sure."

"Good." John pulled a loose strand of hair behind Sierra's ear, his fingertips coming down, and lingered a little too long at her earlobe as he rubbed it between his thumb and finger. "Wait for me to come back."

"You should go, or you'll miss your flight," Sierra said, doing her best to get him out the door. Being near him for even a second longer made her sick. She just wanted him to leave as soon as possible.

John noticed her rejection. Just before leaving, he deliberately leaned down and kissed her again, not giving her a chance to refuse. By the time she looked up at him, eyes full of anger, he was already gone, carrying her suitcase with Pamela close behind.

"Mommy," Tommy spoke up once they were gone.

Sierra pushed down her emotions and gave him her best smile. "What is it?"

Tommy opened his mouth, hesitated, and then changed what he was about to say. "It's lunchtime. Let's go eat."

"Alright," Sierra agreed.

During lunch, Sierra's mind was still haunted by what had happened. John had lied to Tommy's face without flinching. Was he really not worried she would tell Tommy the truth about his cheating? And those two kisses… He already had someone else. Why did he still act that way?

Suddenly, she remembered her suitcase. John had taken it with him, and it held all her important documents, including her ID and passport.

She picked up her phone and texted him, "When will you give my suitcase back?"

John saw the message, but didn't reply. Nearly an hour later, he got another message.

He thought it was Sierra urging him, but it was not from her. It was a message from Tommy.

"Dad, that lady today wasn't really your secretary, was she?"

John froze.

He hadn't expected Tommy to ask that. He almost replied, but then remembered he had told Tommy he was on a business trip. At this time, Tommy would think his dad was still on the plane and hadn't received his message yet.

Tommy waited in his room. If his dad replied, it meant he wasn't traveling and had lied to him.

But John was his dad, after all. He wasn't about to make such a rookie mistake.

As for Sierra, after waiting for hours and getting no reply, she finally called him.

He answered, but before she could say anything, Pamela's voice rang out through the phone, "John, I just finished my shower."