I returned home late at night, shocked to see Edgar waiting for me on the porch.

I had expected this, but part of me thought he’d continue his nonsense and spend the night with Grace when he didn’t find me at home.

“Why are you so late?” he asked, his expression anything but friendly.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I walked inside, removed my coat, and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Though honestly, I couldn’t care less if my husband starved tonight. Let’s be real, couldn’t he just order food with my money?

Edgar followed me, sighing audibly a few times as though trying to figure out how to get me to stop being mad at him. Good—at least he knew he’d screwed up. Not that it mattered much. Just seeing his face was enough to ruin my mood again.

“Sharon, are you still upset with me?” he asked.

I turned to face him, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. Seriously? Did he really need to ask?

“Sharon, please don’t act like a child. You know Grace is my cousin. She’s an orphan, and I’m all she has.”

“Oh, I know, Edgar.”

Edgar smiled, clearly thinking I’d let it go. He walked over and hugged me from behind while I busied myself with dinner. I let him have his little moment, pretending I’d forgotten about everything that happened earlier.

“Grace is hosting a welcome-back party tomorrow at her house,” Edgar said casually. “She invited you too, so you need to apologize to her.”

“Why should I apologize?”

Edgar let go of me and moved to stand beside me as I set the table.

“Do you not realize how rude and disrespectful you were to her at the office? You verbally attacked her.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize she’d feel that way,” I said flatly.

Edgar snorted. “Whatever. Just make sure you attend and apologize to her. And one more thing—don’t cause any trouble at the party. I know how your mind works, Sharon.”

I hummed in response, letting him leave for the bedroom to freshen up. Meanwhile, I ate dinner alone, a storm of emotions brewing inside me. He didn’t care about my physical or emotional state after his abuse and harsh words earlier. Of course, why would he? The man had made it clear—he wanted my money, not my feelings.

---

The next day, we arrived at Grace’s house around noon.

The place was packed, despite Edgar once telling me Grace didn’t have any family. Well, maybe she had a lot of friends. Sure, that made sense.

Edgar wrapped an arm around my waist, playing the perfect husband in front of the crowd. He even kissed the top of my head when Grace came over to greet us.

“Welcome, Sharon!” she said cheerfully.

I forced a smile. She acted like nothing had happened, like she wasn’t sneaking around with my husband just yesterday.

Grace suddenly grabbed my arm, forcing me to engage with her.

“Sharon, I hope you’re not still upset about yesterday,” she said sweetly.

Upset? Was she really asking that after shamelessly flaunting her affair with Edgar? Disgusting.

“Come on in! I’d love to introduce you to some of my friends. You don’t mind, right?”

Edgar glanced at me, silently urging me to go along with Grace’s little show. I sighed, gently prying her hand off my arm before walking inside like I owned the place.

Looking around the lavishly decorated house, I couldn’t help but wonder—was this house bought with my money too?

Inside, the atmosphere was even livelier, filled with Grace’s friends and Edgar’s acquaintances. I felt like a stranger in the middle of it all. And oddly enough, Edgar hadn’t invited his family—people who, if Grace were really his cousin, would also be her family.

Grace led me to a group of her friends.

“Hey, everyone! Can I have your attention for a moment? I want to introduce you to someone amazing—my cousin-in-law, Sharon Wright. She’s a famous designer!”

“I’ve never seen her in the news or on social media. Is she really famous?” one woman in a maroon dress said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Behind her, two other women whispered to each other, smirking. Something about this whole situation felt off.

“Why do you think I care about your opinion?” I said, my voice calm but sharp. “I don’t need your validation to be successful.”

I walked away, unwilling to waste my time on their petty comments. But Grace wasn’t done with me yet. She followed me as I searched for the bathroom.

“Sharon, wait!” she called, grabbing my arm again. I sighed, pulling away from her grip.

“Don’t listen to them,” she said. “You’re right—they don’t matter.”

“Oh, really?” I said, folding my arms. “You brought me into their nonsense in the first place, Grace.”

“I didn’t mean to,” she said, her voice soft and apologetic. “I’m sorry... I guess you’re still angry with me.”

“Good. At least you’re aware, Grace.”

“You shouldn’t say things like that, Sharon,” she replied, her tone suddenly sharper. Her innocent facade cracked for a moment.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I can’t help how I feel,” she said. “You know, Edgar treats me so carefully. How could I not fall for him?”

“Are you confessing your sins to me, Grace?”

“We both know who the real problem is here, Sharon Wright.”

I raised an eyebrow and let out a dry laugh. She was pathetic, really—beautiful, but tragically stupid.

“I don’t care about your feelings or your affair. Just leave me alone, Grace. Unless you want to end up like Edgar.”

Grace’s smirk returned. “There it is. That arrogance of yours. Don’t you see? That’s why Edgar strayed from you.”

“Why would I care? He never loved me to begin with.”

“You’re so naive, Sharon.”

“And you’re absolutely disgusting, Grace Simon.”

“Shut your mouth!” Grace snapped, attempting to slap me. But I caught her wrist mid-air and yanked it away, shoving her back with enough force to make her stumble.

Grace cried out, falling to the floor dramatically just as Edgar appeared in the hallway.

Edgar approached us with a flushed face, gave me a quick glance and then helped Grace up. His piercing gaze made me a little afraid to face him.

"I warned you not to misbehave, Sharon." His words were very pressing, his cold tone making me almost freeze where I stood.

"I... I didn't do it."

"Stop acting like a child. Being born into a rich family makes you act like one."

My hands clenched into fists, as Edgar blithely brought my family's offensive origins into our conversation.

"I said, I didn't do it!" I shouted emotionally, tired of being blamed by those who were supposed to be the main characters in this game.

Grace seemed to be squeezing the hem of Edgar's coat, while Edgar gave me a glare. Compared to me, he should probably be the one feeling the most emotion.

"Go home. Don't expect me to come back if you still have the same attitude. I shouldn't have brought you here in the first place."

"I didn't think you could do this, Edgar. After what I've sacrificed for you?"

I looked at him with teary eyes, trying to hold back the tears even though it was quite difficult. I was probably a foolish girl, expecting my husband to look back at me after he openly declared his feelings for me.

"That's beyond our discussion, Sharon. Go home, we'll talk at home after I make sure Grace isn't hurt."

I shook my head, stepping quickly away from Edgar who was still faithfully holding Grace. There was no denying that my heart was broken as it was slapped back by reality.

Edgar had never looked at me. What a fool I was to have made such a sacrifice out of love.

Four years had passed since I knew Edgar. At that time, I became a bone marrow donor for him.

Edgar was one of the leukemia patients and the doctor's verdict was that he wouldn't survive for six months.

I still remember the first day we met at the hospital. Edgar was lying weak, his skin pale, and no one was with him.

At that moment, I, who had just visited my friend at the same hospital, felt moved to help. After undergoing a series of tests, the doctor declared that my spinal cord was a match for Edgar.

The surgery went well, and Edgar began to recover. I felt happy to see him back to health. We became closer and closer, until suddenly Edgar proposed to me and married me within a short time.

I had to undergo a long and painful recovery process. I almost lost my dream of helping Edgar. Even the surgery and treatment costs were fully covered by my family.

And now I realize that my sacrifices were all in vain.

Edgar had his life back, and I had everything. Even with just one bouquet of cheap roses, I foolishly accepted him.

"From this moment on, I will take care of you. I won't let anyone hurt or touch you, even if it's your own father."

My tears began to fall, my hand stroking my bulging belly, but Edgar didn't notice because he was too busy with Grace.

After calming down for a few hours at Rockefeller Center I returned to the penthouse. Instead of calming down, I was met with more noise.

"Edgar, stop it! You're making me ticklish!"

I stopped my steps when I heard laughter coming from the direction of the kitchen. There was no need to guess because I knew very well who it was. Only, why is that woman here? In my house. Did Edgar bring her?

"Edgar, please stop that." Grace laughed again, with Edgar I could see teasing her. I don't know what they've been doing, but I can clearly see that my kitchen is a mess.

"Oh! Sharon!" Grace looked surprised to see me home, whether she was really surprised or just acting. Grace put on a guilty face.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make a mess in your house."

I ignored her, turning to stare at my husband who was pretending to busy himself with the tools there.

"Are you trying to get your wife and cousin to get along, husband?" I asked him.

Edgar just snorted.

"When you're done with your activities, please leave my house. I want to rest.”

"You kicked us out?" Edgar gave me a wide-eyed look.

"Actually, it's just her," I pointed at Grace. "But if you want to keep her company out there, go ahead. I'm not forbidding it."

Edgar seemed to growl, but I didn't care. These feet step into my room, locking it from the inside so neither Edgar nor Grace can access it. Because I'm not in the mood to face them, after all.

I reach into my clutch for my cell phone, calling my best friend who is a lawyer.

"I want to file for divorce. As soon as possible I will send the complete file to you, Bella.”

"Okay." Bella sounded like she agreed, making me feel a little relieved.

I stood by the window, staring blankly outside. I felt shattered, still unable to process my husband’s betrayal. I had donated my bone marrow to save his life, only to be betrayed in the end.

“How could you do this to me?”

Memories of taking care of Edgar during his recovery still haunted me. I remembered his promises to always be grateful and to treasure my sacrifices.

But reality was cruel. Edgar broke his promises, betrayed my trust, and chose Grace over me.

I sighed heavily and made up my mind, it was time to leave. I couldn’t let myself drown in sadness anymore.

Hearing the door open, I quickly wiped the tears off my cheeks and pretended to sip on a mug of hot chocolate while gazing at the falling snow.

“Grace is home,” Edgar said casually. I hummed in response, uninterested.

“Don’t you feel guilty about the way you treat her?” he asked, disbelief coloring his tone.

“Why should I?” I replied flatly.

“You really have no heart, Sharon.”

I rolled my eyes, feeling a wave of exhaustion. Oh, the irony. I wanted to yell that those words should’ve been aimed at him, but I was too tired to argue. It finally hit me, our relationship had always been a mistake.

“You expect me to apologize to her? To treat her kindly in my own house? Is that it?” I asked sarcastically.

“Yes! You know, Grace often cries because of the things you say. And she speaks so highly of you to everyone.”

Pathetic. And what was that? Speaks highly of me? Yeah, right. She’s just fishing for attention.

I turned to face him, watching his annoyed expression.

“Fine, I’ll apologize. How about we throw your birthday party here in the penthouse? Wouldn’t that be great?”

“Perfect. But you’ll handle everything yourself. Don’t even think about making Grace help you.”

“No problem. I can manage just fine,” I said, forcing a smile.

I watched Edgar walk to the bathroom. Once I finished my hot chocolate, I went straight to bed.

The next day, I contacted my family lawyer, Isabella Thompson. Three days later, I received the finalized divorce papers. I didn’t want to wait any longer to endure Edgar’s cruelty or his immoral behavior. My lawyer would deliver the papers to Edgar as a final birthday gift from me.

My hand trembled as I signed the documents. I won’t lie; this marriage, built on one-sided love, had finally come to an end. It was time to move on, to free myself from the toxic hold Edgar had over me. The single tear rolling down my cheek would be the last one I shed for him.

I packed my belongings into suitcases and left the penthouse, which was being decorated for his party. I moved quickly to the private garage on the same floor and got into my car. Everything had to be done before Edgar returned from work that afternoon.

Later that evening, Edgar invited Grace and his friends over, turning the space we once shared into a lively, crowded party. Watching them through the CCTV connected to my laptop, I observed their fake smiles and laughter from a hotel room two blocks away.

I listened closely through my earpods, the sound from the penthouse perfectly transmitted through the bug I had planted earlier.

Edgar was engrossed with his friends, unaware that I hadn’t prepared anything I promised. Hours passed before he finally noticed my absence.

“Where’s your wife, Edgar?” one of his friends asked.

“Yeah, wasn’t she supposed to prepare something for us? Is she still asleep?”

Edgar didn’t answer. His silence revealed that he, too, found my absence strange.

Grace, sitting nearby, hesitated before speaking. “Edgar, do you think Sharon’s still mad at me?”

Edgar’s head snapped toward her, his eyes sharp. “She shouldn’t act like this.”

“But she’s not here. Maybe… maybe she really doesn’t want me around. I think I should leave,” Grace said softly.

“No,” Edgar replied, shaking his head and rising from his seat. He looked ready to check every corner of the penthouse to find me.

But before he could, the doorbell rang, loud and clear.

A small smile formed on my lips as I watched the CCTV feed of my lawyer, Bella, standing in the hallway. Edgar opened the door with a confused expression.

“Excuse me, may I speak to Mr. Edgar Harrison?” Bella asked, her voice amplified through the mic I had attached to her brooch.

“That’s me. Who are you?” Edgar asked, frowning.

“I’m Isabella Thompson, the Wright family lawyer. I’m here to deliver your divorce papers on behalf of Ms. Sharon Wright.”

Edgar froze, his shock evident as he snatched the envelope Bella handed him. He ripped it open hastily, scanning the documents to confirm her words.

“This can’t be real! Sharon wouldn’t leave me!” he exclaimed, his voice a mix of denial and anger.