Autumn stepped out of the restroom and returned to the private room.

They had nearly finished eating, and the group dispersed shortly after.

By the time she got home, Julian still hadn’t returned.

She took a shower and went straight to bed.

She slept through the night without dreams.

The next morning, Autumn went to the office as usual.

After completing her work summary for the previous month, she knocked on the CFO’s office door.

Frank glanced over the report and nodded in satisfaction.

After watching Autumn leave, Frank opened his drawer, took out the resignation letter she had submitted the day before, and headed toward the HR department.

As the elevator doors opened, he ran into Alex Song, the CEO’s assistant.

He greeted him with a smile. "Good morning, Mr. Song."

Alex nodded with a polite smile.

Once the elevator doors closed, Alex asked, "Which floor are you headed to, Mr. Miller?"

"Tenth."

Alex paused for a moment before asking casually, "Are you going to HR to pick up some documents too?"

Frank shook the resignation letter in his hand. "No, I’m submitting Autumn’s resignation."

Alex’s expression shifted slightly, as if he had misheard something.

"Who did you say is resigning?"

"Autumn Lewis," Frank replied, giving him a puzzled look.

Why did Alex react so strongly to her resignation?

Maybe he also recognized her talent and didn’t want her to leave.

With that thought, Frank sighed.

"I actually wanted to persuade her to stay, but she said she was resigning because of health issues. I couldn’t push it further. Health always comes first."

As Julian’s personal assistant, Alex naturally knew about Autumn’s relationship with him.

His gaze fell on the resignation letter in Frank’s hand, and sure enough, Autumn’s name was signed at the bottom.

A flicker of shock crossed Alex’s mind.

But the next moment, a mocking smile tugged at his lips.

Autumn had always been in good health.

There was no way she looked like someone who was sick.

Most likely, she was faking it again, trying to get Julian’s attention.

Tears, tantrums, and threats were typical tricks women used to fight for affection.

When the elevator doors opened, Frank stepped out first.

Alex picked up some documents and headed back to the executive floor on the seventeenth level.

After handing off a file to the secretary, he noticed another assistant holding a stack of documents, just about to deliver them to the CEO’s office.

Alex walked over and reached out his hand. "I’ll take those. You can get back to your work. I need to speak with Mr. Carter anyway, so I’ll drop them off for you."

The assistant handed him the documents with a polite smile. "Thanks, Mr. Song. Coffee’s on me next time."

She was more than happy to let Alex handle the delivery.

She still had a pile of work waiting.

After she left, Alex knocked on the CEO’s office door.

Julian’s deep voice came from inside. "Come in."

Alex stepped in with the documents and gave a thorough report on the day's agenda and tasks.

When he finished, he hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "There’s one more thing..."

Julian looked up at him. "What is it?"

Alex carefully considered his words. "It’s about Mrs. Carter..."

Julian assumed Autumn was making trouble again after last night and his face instantly darkened.

Before Alex could say more, Julian cut him off coldly. "Don’t report anything about her to me again. Whatever she wants to do, let her."

"Understood."

Alex pressed his lips together and swallowed the rest of what he had wanted to say.

Clearly, Julian was completely fed up with his wife.

Otherwise, why would he grow impatient the moment her name came up?

It was obvious Julian didn’t want to hear a single thing about Autumn anymore.

With that thought, Alex left the office, documents in hand.

At lunchtime, Autumn went to the company cafeteria.

Her presence drew surprised looks from her colleagues.

She had just sat down with her tray when a coworker she was friendly with took the seat across from her.

In a low voice, the colleague asked, "Miss Lewis, aren’t you going home to cook lunch for your husband today?"

The coworker knew she was married but had no idea her husband was the big boss of the company.

Autumn stirred the food on her plate. "I don’t have to do that anymore."

She used to head home during every lunch break to cook for Julian.

He rarely came home to eat, so she would deliver the meals to him herself.

Just watching him eat happily was enough to make her day.

She’d kept that routine for years.

Only later did she learn that the meals she made with such care usually ended up in the trash.

The coworker asked curiously, "Did you two have a fight?"

"No, he’s just keeping a mistress now."

Autumn took a bite of her chicken leg and replied with a mouthful.

The coworker immediately shut up and lowered her head, quietly digging into her food.

She couldn’t believe Autumn would stay this calm after finding out that her husband was cheating on her.

Anyone else would’ve stormed in with a knife by now.

At around three in the afternoon, Autumn received another message from her business partner, Ethan Sharp.

It was an offer, just like the last two, stating that the Medical AI Research Department was extending an invitation for the third time.

He asked if she was really going to turn it down again.

He also reminded her that third time was the limit.

If she missed this one, the opportunity might never come back.

Ethan was two years Autumn's senior in university.

A few years ago, when his company hit a bottleneck, their professor recommended Autumn to him.

She didn’t let the professor down.

With her team, she developed the earliest version of AI-based medical diagnostics in the lab.

After the project successfully went to market, Ethan promised to give her a twenty percent stake in the company as compensation.

Over the years, the company earned significant profits from that project, and Ethan kept his word.

Every quarter, he sent her dividends directly into her account.

That technically made her one of the company’s shareholders.

Three years ago, Julian told her he wanted her to learn financial management, so one day she could take charge of the family’s finances.

She believed him.

She gave up her field of expertise and worked diligently in his company, managing the books down to the smallest detail.

Every cost estimate she handled was calculated to the lowest possible margin to ensure healthy cash flow.

But what did she get in return?

With that thought, she replied to Ethan, “I’ll accept the invitation this time.”

As soon as he saw her response, Ethan called. "You’ve made up your mind? You’re coming back?"

Autumn glanced at the documents in her hand.

"Yeah. I’ve made up my mind. But I’ll need a month to finish my resignation."

There was a pause on the other end before Ethan spoke again.

"I’m really glad you’re coming back. Honestly, I didn’t expect it. Autumn, the company truly needs you. Come back."

Thinking about how she had been away from the field for three years, Autumn started to feel unsure.

"AI has developed so fast over these years. I’ve been out of the loop for so long. I don’t know if I can still keep up."

Ethan dismissed the concern. "That algorithm you created? No one’s been able to surpass it even now. Stop being so modest.

"By the way, there’s a CADD conference next week. They’re hoping you’ll attend. Interested?"

Autumn nodded. "Yeah, I’ll go."

Since she had already decided to return to her field after resigning, there was no reason to turn down such a good opportunity.

"Got it."

After hanging up, Autumn quickly shifted back into work mode.

Thankfully, she hadn’t completely let go of her professional knowledge over the past three years.

She had just been too focused on Julian, prioritizing family over everything else, and had gradually let other things slip away.

After work, Autumn went home and sat in front of her computer, catching up on recent developments in the industry and brushing up on technical material.

Julian still wasn’t back by dinnertime.

Autumn ate a few bites without much interest before setting her utensils down.

Seeing how little she ate, Zoe couldn’t help but ask, "Ma’am, your appetite hasn’t been great lately. Are you feeling unwell?"

Autumn walked over to the sofa, crouched down, and tore the page marked “2” from the calendar, tossing it into the trash.

"No, it’s probably just the heat. I don’t really feel like eating."

Even Zoe, someone outside the family, had noticed.

But Julian, her husband, acted like he was blind to everything.

Zoe didn’t say anything more.

She figured Autumn had no appetite because her husband hadn’t come home in days.

After taking a shower and stepping out of the bathroom, Autumn saw Julian coming upstairs with his briefcase.

She paused for a moment, surprised he had come home at all.

Since the affair, he rarely returned.

Was he back because something had happened?

But after just a few seconds, Autumn acted as if she hadn’t seen him and picked up the hairdryer to dry her hair.

Julian merely glanced at her before heading into the study on the second floor.

Though she had grown used to this, a flicker of disappointment still passed through her heart, but it faded quickly.

After drying her hair, Autumn opened her laptop and continued reading up on materials related to CADD.

She had given up so much for Julian over the past three years.

Now that she’d come to her senses, catching up would take even more effort than before.

In the study, Julian was going through emails.

After a while, he began to feel parched.

His hand reached out to the side out of habit but found nothing there.

His brows furrowed slightly.

Autumn hadn’t brought him water.

She used to do that without being asked, always coming to him the moment he got home, asking what he wanted to drink and preparing it for him.

She’d remind him not to stay up too late, to cut back on coffee, and to get more rest.

Of course, he’d never really paid attention.

Was she still throwing a tantrum?

Fine!

He picked up the cup on his desk, got up to pour himself some water, then took a few sips before returning to work.

Just then, the phone on his desk vibrated.

Julian unlocked it and saw a message from Luna, along with a short video clip.

In the video, the woman wore a silky, revealing nightgown.

Her eyes were hazy as she held a glass of red wine, tilting it until the liquid spilled down onto her collarbone, the rich burgundy trailing slowly across her pale skin.

It was alluring and dazzling.

A direct hit to every nerve.

Luna texted, “Room 1008, at the hotel next to your home. Master, are you done with work? Hungry? Want a quick bite?”

Julian’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.

The shadowy calm in his eyes gave way to a rising heat.

He tugged at his collar and typed a short reply with one hand.

“On my way.”

Autumn had been reading for a while when a familiar wave of stomach discomfort crept in.

She grabbed her cup and headed downstairs to get some water.

At the top of the stairs, she ran into Julian, who was putting on his jacket.

He glanced at her and said, "Something came up at the office. I have to head back in."

Noticing the way she was holding her stomach, her face tight with pain, he asked offhandedly, "What’s wrong with you now?"

Autumn forced a slight smile. "Nothing, just my usual stomach problem acting up again."

Julian frowned, barely perceptibly, then replied, "I’ve got urgent work. I don’t have time to play along with you right now."

Every time he left, Autumn would conveniently complain about stomach pain, as if trying to make him stay.

She’d done it so many times, he no longer believed a word of it.

Autumn froze for a second.

What did he mean by that?

Did he think she was faking it?

She let out a bitter laugh.

Her stomach hurt, but now her heart ached even more.

She should’ve known better than to say anything.

Here she was, nearly doubled over in pain, and Julian still thought she was putting on a show.

This was the man she had loved for all these years.

She wanted to ask—if she really had stomach cancer and was dying, would he feel even the slightest bit of pain for her?

But she already knew the answer.

Judging by the way he treated her now, Autumn was certain that even if she died right in front of him, he’d probably assume she was faking it.

He’d step around her body without blinking, then take Luna out on a date.

Autumn shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away.

It didn’t matter anymore.

The divorce was already in its cooling-off period.

One more month, and she’d finally be free.

Everything was moving in the right direction.

After Julian left, Autumn popped a pill into her mouth and downed a full glass of warm water.

The pain slowly began to ease.

Back in her room, she shut the laptop and climbed into bed.

The next morning was Saturday.

Autumn was jolted awake by her phone ringing.

Glancing at the screen, she saw it was a call from her grandmother, Ginny Gale.

On the other end came Ginny’s slightly weathered voice.

"Autumn, are you coming home today?"

Still half-asleep, Autumn was momentarily dazed.

Oh, right.

She remembered now.

She usually went home twice a month on her days off.

The timing was never fixed, and she only went when she was free, so her grandmother would call every time to check whether she was coming.

But aside from Ginny, the rest of the Lewis family clearly didn’t want her around.

She was well aware of that.

Autumn let out a yawn. "Grandma, I happen to be free today. I’ll come by in a bit."

Hearing that, Ginny’s voice instantly brightened. "Great! I’ll have Irene make all your favorite dishes."

After hanging up, Autumn glanced at the time.

It was only 7:10 a.m.

Thinking it was still early, Autumn ran a hand through her messy hair, then flopped back into bed and dozed off for a bit longer before finally tossing off the covers and getting up.

By the time she washed up and headed downstairs, Zoe had already prepared breakfast.

Seeing Autumn come down, she greeted her with a smile. "Good morning, ma’am. Breakfast is ready."

Autumn nodded faintly. "Morning."

Seeing that only one portion was laid out, she immediately knew Julian hadn’t come home again last night.

Zoe placed the warm milk in front of her and offered an explanation on his behalf.

"Mr. Carter came home very late last night, so he stayed in the guest room.

"This morning, he left early again. He said there was a lot of paperwork at the office. He didn’t even have time for breakfast."

Autumn replied with a simple, "Okay."

She knew Zoe was trying to speak on Julian’s behalf, probably worried the two of them might argue again.

It was better to keep the peace.

But the issues between her and Julian had snowballed, growing bigger and messier until there was no way to untangle them anymore.

After finishing breakfast, Autumn told Zoe she was heading out, grabbed her car keys, and left the house.

At the Lewis residence, when Autumn arrived, Ginny was nowhere to be seen, and the rest of the family wasn’t home either.

Irene Lowe came over to help carry her things, handed her a pair of new slippers, then poured her a glass of water.

"Miss Autumn, you’re back!" she said cheerfully.

"Madam and the others went out shopping. Here, have some water."

Autumn thanked her and took the glass, sipping it slowly.

Just then, a soft, delicate voice drifted down from upstairs. "Is that you, Autumn?"

A slim figure descended the stairs, dressed in a pure white dress.

She looked angelic and harmless, the very picture of innocence.

The moment Luna saw Autumn downstairs, she beamed and hurried over.

Spinning once like a little fairy, she asked sweetly, "Does this dress look good on me, Autumn?"

Autumn gave a faint tug at the corner of her lips.

"It’s pretty."

Truthfully, Autumn couldn’t help but admire her half-sister’s nerve.

Luna was openly stealing her husband yet still acted like nothing was happening, as if the woman sneaking around with Julian wasn’t her.

That sickly-sweet act of innocence made Autumn feel sick.

Luna turned with a bright smile. "Irene, can you bring us some fruit? It’s so hot outside, I’m sure Autumn’s thirsty."

"Of course..."

Irene glanced between them, then turned and headed back to the kitchen.

Luna pointed at the scissors on the coffee table.

"If you think the dress looks nice, then I won’t return it. Autumn, could you help me cut off the tag?"

The scissors were the heavy tailoring kind, bulky but sharp.

Autumn bent down, picked them up, and glanced over Luna’s dress.

"Where’s the tag?" she asked casually.

"I think it’s near the neck. Can you check for me?"

As soon as she looked down, Autumn spotted dark marks across Luna’s porcelain-white neck.

Those were hickeys, and around that same neck hung a necklace.

Her chest tightened.

So that was where Julian had gone last night—not for work, but to be with her sister.

That necklace was a custom piece Autumn had adored.

She had spent half a month working with the designer to create it.

It was something personal and symbolic.

A heart crafted out of true love.

It had meant something to her.

Now, it hung from Luna’s neck like a trophy.

To say Luna hadn’t done this on purpose would’ve been the biggest joke of all—even Luna wouldn’t believe that lie.

Autumn gave a faint smile.

In that moment, she didn’t just want to cut off the tag.

She wanted to slice right through Luna’s delicate little neck.