Early the next morning, I rummaged through the dusty boxes in the warehouse, pulling out old codices and notebooks.

The familiar handwriting stirred something deep in me—a glimpse of the woman I used to be.

When I looked up, Mike stood in the doorway, cold and aloof, watching me like a stranger.

I forced a polite smile.

Shouldn’t he be at the hospital with Jinny and her son right now?

“I told you,” he said, his tone dripping with disdain, “a wife of the Rodger Family has no need to read books like that.”

He walked in, commanding the room with his usual arrogance.

“I’ve already hired a caregiver,” he continued. “From today on, Jinny and Liam will live here. You’d better learn how to assist.”

It was only then that I noticed Jinny and Liam standing behind him.

Jinny kept her head down, fingers clinging timidly to the hem of his coat.

“I’m not learning,” I said calmly.

“I have no interest in taking care of another woman’s child.”

Liam’s face twisted with anger.

“We don’t need you!” he shouted. “You’re the bad woman who bullied my mom!”

Jinny’s eyes turned red as she held him back.

“Liam,” she said gently, “from now on, Miss Meghan is your mother. You must respect her, always put her first. I’m just your Auntie Jinny now, okay?”

“Don’t be rude to Mom Meghan.”

Mike’s brow furrowed deeply. The veins on his forehead pulsed.

“Meghan,” he snapped, glaring at me. “Jinny is speaking to you. Is this how the Scott Family raised you? No manners, no decency?”

Jinny clutched his arm and shook her head quickly, trying to calm him.

“Miss Meghan is probably just upset,” she said softly. “She didn’t mean anything by it. Don’t be mad at her. I’m not here to steal Mike away. As soon as Liam recovers, we’ll leave.”

She bit her lip, eyes shimmering with tears.

“You’ve been with Mike for ten years—I know I’m the outsider here. I’ve always been aware of my place.”

I glanced at their tightly clasped hands.

“The Scott Family did teach me manners,” I said lightly. “They also taught me righteousness, dignity and shame. But they never taught me how to be a mistress.”

The moment the words left my lips, Jinny’s eyes welled up and her frail body trembled.

“Meghan!”

Mike exploded with fury, his voice thundering through the room. Even the maid standing nearby flinched.

“But Jinny gave me a son,” he shouted. “A rightful heir to the Rodger Family. What have you given me?”

His tone was mocking as he stepped closer.

“From now on, they’re living in this house. And you—don’t get to make decisions here.”

Every word was a slap across my face.

Around us, the servants exchanged glances—mocking, condescending.

They were quick to switch sides, already gathering around Jinny and her son like moths to flame.

I didn’t want to stay and watch the farce any longer.

The Rodger Family had more than one estate.

I only needed peace and distance for seven days.

But when I opened my eyes again, the sharp scent of disinfectant stung my nose.

I was in a hospital room.

Startled, I tried to sit up—only to find my wrists cuffed to the bed.

“What the...?”

I called out, “Anyone there?”

A nurse peeked into the room, her expression nervous.

“Ms. Meghan... this was your husband’s arrangement…”

“What?” I stared, my voice hoarse with disbelief.

"This is Mr. Rodger's arrangement," the nurse said gently. "He requested to draw 500ml of your blood."

My pupils dilated. I stared at her, stunned, unable to believe what I was hearing.

She hesitated for a moment, then added with a sigh, “It’s not easy for that child… Please, just let them go.”

I turned to the mirror beside the hospital bed.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

Once again, I had become someone else's villain—the cruel stepmother people whispered about behind closed doors.

“I want to see Mike!” I demanded, struggling to sit up, needing an explanation—no, a confrontation.

As if summoned by my anger, the door suddenly opened.

Mike walked in, holding Liam in his arms. The boy turned his face away from me, arms clinging tightly to his father’s neck.

“From today on,” Mike said, “Liam is the heir of the Rodger Family. If you want to remain Mrs. Rodger, you’ll treat him well.”

His voice was calm, almost bored.

“If you don’t want to—there are plenty of women who would kill for your place.”

In the past, I might have responded with logic, with fire.

But now, I simply extended my arm.

The nurse moved quickly. When the blood draw was over, a wave of darkness washed over me.

I hadn’t eaten a proper meal or slept more than a few hours in days. The relentless work, followed by Jinny’s dramatic return, had drained everything from me.

When I returned to the house, I passed by the study—Mike’s private domain. The door, always firmly shut, was left ajar.

I reached out, intending to close it quietly for him. But I froze.

Inside, I heard Jinny’s soft, flustered voice.

“Mike…. Why are all my things here?”

I leaned slightly closer, holding my breath.

“This is my old school uniform—how did you get this back?”

Mike’s low chuckle followed.

“That was the day you got mad over something silly and left it in the classroom. And these—these are our photos. Look, this one…”

His voice was warm. Fond. Intimate.

“In all these years, I never forgot you. Even in bed… it was your face I pictured before I could continue.”

“My body and heart,” he murmured, “have always been yours.”

I heard the soft sound of a kiss. Then another, deeper one—breathless, urgent.

Jinny whimpered as he pushed her back.

“Mike, please…”

That was all I could take.

I shut my eyes, turned away and left.

Even as I walked down the hall, their sounds lingered, echoing behind me.

So it turned out, he wasn’t cold or indifferent.

He simply wasn’t in love—with me.

Ten years of marriage and I was done.

On the dining table, Rachel had left behind the finalized divorce papers.

I picked up a pen and signed my name without a second thought.

The space for Mike’s signature remained blank.

I waited. Not out of hesitation—but out of formality.

Once they had finished their performance in the study, I knocked.

“Come in.”

Perhaps he was in too good a mood to say no.

He let me enter the study.

Even with the windows open, the air inside was thick with a cloying scent.

Before I could speak, Mike glanced up lazily.

“Meghan, you’re a smart woman. As long as you obey, the position of Mrs. Rodger will always be yours.”

“Jinny and Liam are only staying temporarily. If you don’t want to see them, I’ll buy them a place outside.”

There was reassurance in his tone—gentle, even kind.

As if he truly believed I should be grateful.

I stared at him, the man I had once called husband.

The man I had endured humiliation after humiliation for.

I was the only one who had ever compromised in this marriage.

“…That’s disgusting,” I whispered.

He blinked.

“I used to think Mike was a decent man,” I said, my voice steady. “But I didn’t realize you were the type to keep a mistress tucked away in a golden cage.”

Mike erupted in fury, hurling the pen in his hand directly at me.

“Meghan, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Have I been giving you too much face lately?”

Even in anger, his insults were polished—like a gentleman cloaked in arrogance.

I gave him a faint smile and held out the divorce agreement, now accompanied by my resignation papers.

“I want to resign—”

Before I could finish, he grabbed the pen again and signed without a second’s hesitation.

“Do you really think the Rodger Family can’t survive without you, just because I gave you a few years of face?”

The pages fluttered through the air as he tossed them at me. I crouched down and gathered them quietly, one by one, then turned and walked away.

The day of my departure came quickly. I was in my room, packing.

There wasn’t much to take—so little that I didn’t even need a full suitcase.

This place was never really my home.

That night, after dinner, a few of Mike’s bodyguards suddenly appeared and forcibly escorted me back to the hospital.

Liam lay unconscious in his room, still in a coma.

The room was large, yet it felt suffocating with only Jinny and me inside.

Sensing something off in the air, I instinctively stepped back, wanting to leave.

“Where are you going, Miss Meghan?” Jinny’s voice slithered out, cold and sharp like a serpent’s hiss.

“There’s no one else here. Why don’t we have a little chat?”

My brow furrowed. I turned and realized—the door was locked.

“What do you want?”

She said “chat” with a smile, but the slap that followed was anything but friendly.

A blinding flash burst across my vision as I hit the floor.

Pain exploded on my cheek and tears welled up involuntarily from the sting.

Jinny sneered down at me. “Can’t take a little pain?”

“I was only gone a few years and you swooped in to steal mine. You deserved that slap.”

“Who do you think you are? A daughter of the Scott Family?” Her voice dripped with mockery. “You’re nothing but a dog beneath my feet.”

She slammed her heel onto my hand and ground it down.

“Ah—!”

Agony tore through my fingers as I curled into myself, shaking.

She could insult me, but not my family.

I bit down hard, forcing myself up and charged at her.

But Jinny only smiled wider. The moment I got close, she moved.

With a sudden twist, she yanked the respirator from Liam’s face, then flung herself over him, shrieking in horror.

“Liam—!”

The door burst open.

Mike rushed in, his expression frozen in shock.

Jinny collapsed into his arms, sobbing like she was drowning.

“Miss Meghan, I know you hate me… You can do whatever you want to me… but why—why did you have to pull out Liam’s ventilator? Why would you want him to die?!”

Mike’s face turned ashen. His eyes—bloodshot. He turned to me, fury igniting in his gaze.

I backed away instinctively. “Mike, it’s not what it looks like—”

“Lies!”

He cut me off sharply. “Someone restrains her! Hold her down and prepare for a blood transfusion. She can atone for her sins with pain.”

“No—!” I screamed, trying to resist, but several guards pinned me to the floor.

Mike was unmoved. He instructed the doctor coldly, “No anesthesia. She doesn’t deserve it.”

They strapped me to the bed, locking down my arms and legs.

The nurse avoided my eyes as she inserted the needle and began the exchange.

Blood drained slowly from my body. The pain clawed through my veins, curling me into a trembling arc on the bed.

“It hurts… it hurts…”

I couldn’t stop the sounds escaping my lips.

Mike watched me suffer, expressionless—like I was a misbehaving pet.

“Let her feel it. Maybe next time she’ll learn.”

He had always been like this.

Above it all. In control of everything—the house, the servants, even my body.

I clenched my teeth and refused to scream again. I passed out from the pain.

When I woke, I called Rachel immediately and arranged to be transferred to a different hospital.

Several days passed in quiet recovery.

Then came the day I finally left.

Back at the Mike estate, a grand celebration was underway.

They were celebrating Liam’s recovery.

Celebrating his official acceptance into the Rodger Family.

Celebrating their bright, public future.

Mike stood proudly in the center of the event, scanning the crowd with a faint frown.

“Where’s my wife? Has she reflected on her mistake yet?”

“If she’s come to her senses, bring her to the banquet. After all, Liam will still need to call her ‘Mom.’”

His assistant looked at his phone, face pale with hesitation.

“Mr. Rodger” he began carefully, “Madam… she’s gone.”

Mike’s brow furrowed deeper. “Gone? What do you mean, gone?”

The assistant swallowed, then stepped forward and whispered, “She left the signed divorce agreement on your desk…”

“And a message.”

Mike narrowed his eyes.

“She wrote: [From now on, karma is broken. We will never see each other again.]”