At 7:00 pm, Abigail brought me to Cloudtop Restaurant right on time.

We were indeed given the best table. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows lay the dazzling night view of the city.

I gallantly pulled out a chair for her.

Abigail blushed and smiled sweetly. "Nat, let's eat something first. There's a big surprise for you later."

I cut a small piece of steak and put it in my mouth. But before I could even swallow, her phone rang. It was Dominic's special ringtone, urgent and piercing.

Abigail's expression shifted slightly, and she immediately picked up.

Dominic's tearful voice came through the phone. "Abigail, my grandma suddenly took a turn for the worse and was rushed into the emergency room. I'm freaking out by myself. Can you come keep me company?"

Abigail tightened her hand around the phone and instinctively glanced at me.

I set down my knife and fork and looked at her quietly.

Her eyes flickered with hesitation, but in the end, she said into the phone, "Don't be afraid. I'll be right there."

After hanging up, she stood up and said apologetically and anxiously, "Nat, Dominic needs—"

Before she could finish, I interrupted her, "Go. It's a matter of life and death. Don't keep him waiting."

Abigail was stunned for a moment. She'd already braced herself for me to throw a tantrum and question her. She even furrowed her brow as she got ready to lecture me.

Never did it once cross her mind that I'd be this calm or that I'd even urge her to leave quickly.

She froze for a few seconds, suppressing the faint discomfort and unease in her chest.

"I knew you were the kindest," she said, leaning down to plant a firm kiss on my cheek. "Go ahead and eat. Wait for the surprise tonight. I prepared it especially for you. After you're done, I'll have my assistant, Jacob Bucley, take you home."

With that, she grabbed her coat and walked away without looking back.

I pulled out a wet wipe and expressionlessly cleaned the spot where she'd just kissed me, feeling as if I'd been soiled.

I didn't waste this perfect vantage point or the table full of exquisite food. I relished every single bite and topped it off with dessert.

At exactly 8:00 pm, brilliant fireworks suddenly began to bloom in the night sky outside the window.

That was the surprise Abigail had prepared for me.

The fireworks exploded, illuminating half the night sky. But when the sparks cleared, the words they formed read, "Dominic, I'm going to spoil you forever."

Those massive characters shimmered with golden light in the night sky. It was a true display of extravagance.

Jacob, standing nearby, broke out in a cold sweat and stole glances at me, terrified that I might flip the table and lose it at any second.

But I just rested my chin on my hands and quietly watched the fireworks outside the window.

How beautiful.

I remembered how Abigail once learned to make fireworks herself to celebrate my birthday, all so she could see that same fleeting spark of wonder in my eyes. Her hands were even stained black by the gunpowder.

Unfortunately, that person had long since died in the passage of time.

Memories came flooding back like a tidal wave, yet I realized that aside from a trace of wistfulness for the past, my heart remained utterly still. There was not even the slightest ripple of heartache or anger.

All I felt was relief that I'd been given a second life and finally saw Abigail for who she really was.

Just then, my phone vibrated with a text from Abigail.

"Nat, Dominic is devastated over his grandmother, Mrs. Gorman Senior's, situation. He's in a fragile state, so I had no choice but to change the firework display to cheer him up at the last minute.

"Don't overthink it, and whatever you do, don't cause him any trouble. This was entirely my idea."

I just snorted dismissively and didn't even bother replying.

"You just lost your second chance, Abigail," I muttered to myself.

Then, I took out my phone and tapped lightly.

"Transferring liquid assets and liquidating private wealth funds."

At this very moment, Abigail—who was at the hospital holding the innocent and fragile Dominic—had no idea that she'd just paid another 80 million dollars in appearance fee just to cheer him up.

Another week went by, and Abigail was hardly ever home. When she did come back, I was already asleep.

On the rare occasions we did cross paths, I'd greet her with gentle concern, never once mentioning Dominic.

Recently, Dominic posted on Instagram for a whole week. All the photos were of Abigail spending time with him.

I liked every single post and left a comment under each one, wishing them well.

Her friends were all shocked. They privately messaged Abigail one after another, commenting that the old, strong-willed version of me who wouldn't tolerate any nonsense was completely gone.

At the same time, they congratulated her on finally whipping me into shape and enjoying the bliss of having two partners.

However, Abigail felt deeply uneasy reading all those flattering comments. After all, I had become too tame, so much so that I no longer resembled the passionate, clear-cut version of me who loved and hated with such clarity.

But then she reconsidered that maybe this was the power of love. I was so desperately in love with her that I was willing to put up with her for her sake and be understanding of her situation.

With that thought in mind, she began to feel at ease again.

Early the next morning, Abigail woke me up for the first time ever.

"Nat, get up and freshen up. Dominic needs your help with something."

I raised an eyebrow but said nothing. After I got up and changed, I headed out the door with her.

When we arrived, I immediately spotted Dominic in a white bespoke suit.

I knew that suit all too well. It was the one Abigail had specially commissioned a Norladian master tailor to make for me for our wedding three years ago.

There was only one of its kind in the entire world, yet now, it was draped over another man.

When Dominic saw me, he gave Abigail a shy glance before walking up to me.

"Nathaniel, Abigail told me you're very understanding, so you'll definitely support us in putting on this act. Don't worry, you have my word that this is just an act and nothing more will happen."

As he spoke, he looked at Abigail with a touch of sorrow in his eyes. "Her heart still belongs to you, after all."

Hearing this, Abigail clenched her fists, her expression one of suppressed anguish.

I was utterly speechless. They were using me as part of their act again.

Just as I was about to lose my composure, Dominic spoke again. "Since this is your suit, I feel I should ask for your permission. So, do you agree to let me have it?"

The implication was clear. He wasn't just after the suit, but the position of the rightful spouse as well.

Before I could respond, Abigail cut in matter-of-factly. "Of course, Nat won't mind. It's not like the suit is doing anything but gathering dust at home, and he has no use for it anymore."

She then turned to me with certainty. "Nat, by lending the suit to Dominic to fulfill his grandmother's wish, you'd be doing a good deed. You should be happy about it too, right?"

I let out a silent scoff, then stepped forward to straighten Dominic's collar. As my hand glided over his shoulder, I noticed that the muscles there were noticeably tense.

"Of course, I don't mind. I heard the wedding is set for next week? I'll be there on time, and I'll make sure to give you both a generous wedding gift. After all, it's not every day I get to watch my own wife marry someone else.

"So, I'd like to go witness it for myself."

Dominic froze, clearly not expecting me to be so composed.

"But Dominic, this suit seems a bit tight around the waist. Looks like you've been working out lately."

Dominic's face stiffened. Instinctively, he hunched his shoulders, his eyes betraying a flicker of panic.

I casually hooked my finger under the suit's cuff, where my initials "NT" were embroidered.

Since the heart of the person who gave him this suit was no longer in it, the suit itself was now useless. With a sharp tug, I tore off the piece of expensive fabric bearing my initials, along with the cufflink.

Dominic let out a yelp and stumbled back, clutching his sleeve.

"My suit! Nathaniel, what do you think you're doing?" he asked with reddened eyes. "Even if you don't want to lend me the suit, there was no need to tear it in public just to embarrass me."

Abigail also flew into a rage. She stormed over, shoving me hard to the side as she moved to shield Dominic.

"Nathaniel, have you lost your mind? You'd even pick on someone younger than you? You've already worn this suit, and it was just sitting there wasted. What's the big deal if Dominic uses it? How can you be so vicious?"

Her brows were tightly furrowed, her expression one of pure impatience. "As punishment, I'm putting the project under negotiation with your family company on hold. I won't be coming home for a while either. Use the time to reflect on your actions."

With that, she wrapped her arm around the whimpering Dominic and turned to leave.

I stood there, holding the torn piece of fabric in my hand, completely unfazed by her threats.

She could call off the deal for all I cared. After all, she no longer had the funds to back that project anyway.

I pulled out my phone and, with a few quick taps, transferred all the assets under her name.

Just like that, Abigail's net worth was wiped clean.

The wedding was set at The Peninsula, the city's most luxurious hotel.

Although it was publicly announced as a performance to fulfill Mrs. Gorman Senior's last wish, the scale of the event was even grander than my wedding to Abigail back in the day.

Almost all the prominent figures in the industry showed up. Whether they came out of curiosity or in hopes of seeing a spectacle, the place was packed.

I sat at the main table in an all-black suit. Dressed like this, I looked less like a wedding guest and more like someone attending a funeral.

The people around me regarded me with expressions full of amusement and whispered commentary.

"Hey, look, Nathaniel actually showed up."

"What a pathetic excuse for a husband. His wife's about to marry someone else, and he's just sitting there?"

"I heard it's supposedly a performance for Dominic's grandmother."

"A performance? You believe that? Look at that diamond ring and the scale of this event. It's even more lavish than theirs back then."

"Shh, keep your voice down."

I gently swirled the wine glass in my hand, ignoring the murmurs around me.

The wedding march began to play.

The doors opened, and Abigail walked slowly down the red carpet, arm-in-arm with Dominic. She looked stunning in her perfectly tailored white wedding gown.

Dominic, dressed in that mended million-dollar suit, had a blissful smile on his face.

As Abigail passed by me, she paused slightly and glanced at me with a somewhat complicated expression.

I raised my glass to her, a cold smirk tugging at my lips.

During the vows, the officiant asked Abigail, "Do you, Abigail Jefferson, take Dominic Gorman to be your lawfully wedded husband. To love him, to honor him, to cherish him, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

The entire venue fell silent.

Abigail gazed affectionately at Dominic and replied in a clear, resonant voice, "I do."

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

The officiant then turned to Dominic. "Do you, Dominic Gorman, take Abigail Jefferson to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Dominic was so moved that tears filled his eyes and his voice trembled as he replied, "I do. And also…"

He paused and shyly lowered his head, one hand gently resting on Abigail's waist as he gazed tenderly at her lower abdomen.

"I have another piece of good news to share with everyone. Abigail's already pregnant with our baby. Today is truly a double celebration."

As soon as the words were spoken, the entire venue erupted in commotion.

"Oh my god, Abigail's really pregnant!"

"This isn't a performance at all. Rather, it's a power move!"

"Nathaniel must be utterly humiliated now."

All eyes instantly turned on me. They were waiting for me to charge up there like a madman and cause a scene.

Even Abigail looked somewhat flustered on stage. Clearly, Dominic hadn't discussed it with her before making this announcement publicly. She instinctively looked over at me.

I stood up and straightened my collar before calmly walking onto the stage. There, I took the microphone from the officiant and beamed at them.

"Congratulations, Ms. Jefferson, Mr. Gorman. Since it's a double celebration, as the original spouse, let me offer you a little gift to liven things up."

"Nathaniel, don't do anything rash," the pale-faced Abigail warned quietly. "Let's talk about this when we get home."

"Home? Which home?" I sneered at her mockingly. "You don't even own any of your properties anymore."

Abigail froze. "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering her, I simply raised my hand and snapped my fingers.

The massive LED screen behind me suddenly flickered, and their sweet wedding photos disappeared. In its place were pages upon pages of dense financial statements, bank transaction records, and scanned copies of asset transfer agreements.

The entire venue fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone was gawking at the screen, where bold red letters stood out starkly in the center.

"Abigail Jefferson's current total assets—zero dollars. Current liabilities—two billion dollars."