"Are you sure you want to change your name, Ms. Anderson? You'll have to change your degree certificate, documentation, and passport once you do."

Noelle Anderson nods. "I'm sure."

The employee tries to talk her out of it. "It's quite troublesome for adults to change their names, and your current name sounds nice. Are you sure you don't want to think about it?"

"No, I'm done thinking." She signs the form. "Sorry for the trouble and thanks."

"Alright, then. The name you're changing to is… Aria Byrd, right?"

"Yeah."

Aria Byrd—it means a flight to freedom.

"Are you sure you want to change your name, Ms. Anderson? Once you proceed with this, you'll have to replace your certificates, identification, and passport," a staff member said.

Noelle Anderson nodded. "I'm sure."

The staff tried to talk her out of it. "It's pretty troublesome for an adult to change their name, and your current name sounds nice. Are you sure you don't want to give this a second thought?"

"I'm sure." She signed the papers. "Thanks, and sorry for the trouble."

"It's no trouble. The name you're changing to is… Aria Byrd, right?"

"Yes." It was supposed to represent a flight to freedom, which was what she wanted for herself. She wanted to leave this place without leaving any traces.

Noelle asked, "Can I get my passport changed now?"

"Yes, you can. This is a slip to show that your name has been changed. You just need to head to the counter downstairs to get your passport replaced."

Noelle had her passport changed as quickly as possible. She didn't change anything else, though—her degree certificate, identification, and others.

She was going to leave in a week with her new passport, so she would leave her old identity behind. She didn't need it anymore.

As she left the building with her new passport, she saw Halston City's landmark building. A huge screen on the building's façade was playing a video of an exclusive interview with Prestige Corporation's CEO, Shawn Pitt.

The interviewer noticed one of Shawn's subconscious gestures. She smiled and said, "I notice that you keep rubbing your ring, Mr. Pitt. It looks like… a plain silver band. Is there any special story behind it?"

Shawn smiled gently and held up his hand, showing her the ring. "It's my wedding ring."

"Wait, really? Excuse my rudeness, but I thought someone of your net worth would wear a diamond wedding band. I imagine the diamond would be quite large, too."

"I made my and my wife's wedding rings myself," Shawn said. "I molded and polished them, even carving our initials on them."

"Wow, there really are letters engraved here. I see S.P. and…"

"N.A. My wife's name is Noelle Anderson."

"Now I'm really jealous. Your wife must've saved the universe in a past life to have a husband like you, Mr. Pitt."

"I'm the one who saved the universe to have her as my wife," Shawn said gently.

The passersby who had stopped to watch the interview began to talk about it, sounding envious. However, the star of the show—Noelle—merely smiled mockingly.

Once upon a time, she and Shawn had been deeply in love. They had spent 15 years together, from dating to marriage. To their teachers and classmates, they had always been a perfect couple.

But that had changed two months ago. Noelle had received a photo from a woman she didn't know.

The woman appeared to be in her early 20s, dressed in a revealing nightgown and pantyhose. Her neck was covered in hickeys— a clear sign of a recent, passionate encounter.

In the photo, she made a peace sign in the mirror, and she had a silver ring on her index finger. It was a little too large for her and seemed like it was meant for a man. Engraved on it was a row of letters—S.P. and N.A.

Not long after, Noelle spotted the woman at Shawn's office. Her name was Jessica Slater, and she was 21 years old. She was Shawn's new personal assistant.

Noelle had to admit, her mind had gone blank at that moment. She wanted to charge into Shawn's office to ask him whether a personal assistant's job scope covered sleeping with him.

However, she'd decided against it. The photo Jessica had sent her said everything she needed to know.

Noelle left amid the envious exclamations from the crowd and headed to a jewelry store. Her heart hurt as she slipped her wedding band off her ring finger.

"Is there any jewelry you would like to alter, miss?" a staff member asked politely.

"Melt this ring for me, please."

"There are initials engraved here—this ring must hold significant meaning, right? Are you absolutely sure you want to melt it?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Can you do it now, please?"

Half an hour later, Noelle headed home with an exquisite-looking jewelry box.

It was past 10:00 pm when Shawn returned, holding a bouquet of fresh flowers. "I'm sorry, Elle. Work has been really hectic lately, and I haven't had much time for you. I brought you your favorite freesias. Do you like them?"

As he stepped closer, she could smell a hint of a woman's perfume on him. She turned her head slightly and noticed a faint bite mark on his Adam's apple. Her eyes drifted to his collar, where a bright red lipstick stain stood out starkly against the fabric.

Noelle sneered. Had he been busy with work or getting it on with Jessica?

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Shawn asked.

She pushed him away. "I'm tired."

"I'll carry you to the bedroom so you can rest, then." He leaned down to lift her into his arms.

She pushed him away again. "You must be tired, too. You should shower and get some rest."

He reached out to hold her hand. That was when he noticed something. "Where's your wedding ring, Elle?"

"I took it off," Noelle said.

"But I made that ring myself. It's supposed to represent our love. Why would you take it off?" Shawn asked.

She said indifferently, "I've gained weight, so it doesn't fit anymore."

Only then did Shawn's expression soften. He smiled and said, "Then, I'll take it to the jeweler tomorrow to have it resized."

"We'll see."

"Oh, right. What's that on the table?" he asked, pointing at the jewelry box, looking surprised. "Is it a present for me?"

Noelle nodded. "Yeah."

Inside the box was a small piece of silver—it was the wedding ring she'd had melted.

Shawn's face lit up. "What's the occasion? Why did you suddenly get me a gift?"

His words made Noelle's heart freeze over. "It's… our wedding anniversary."

Shawn's expression immediately fell. Then, he said almost sycophantically, "I'm sorry, Elle. I've been so busy with work that it slipped my mind. How about we go out for dinner? I'll make a reservation now…"

"No, it's fine. I've already eaten."

"Then, should I take you out for a spin so we can enjoy the night scenery? Let's take a walk by the river."

"I'm tired. I want to go to bed."

Shawn wrapped his arms around her from behind, his tone almost pleading. "Come on, Elle. It's been ages since we've taken a walk together. I feel like you've been quite cold to me recently. If this keeps up, I'm going to start thinking that your feelings for me have changed."

Was she the one whose feelings had changed? He was the one who'd fallen for someone else first. His heart was the one that had left her.

Well, it didn't matter. She would take back her heart, mind, and soul for good.

Noelle and Shawn left the house. As he drove, he kept telling her about recent events. She sat in the front passenger seat, staring out the window without listening to him.

Her mind was elsewhere—on the pair of pantyhose she'd found wedged between the seat and console when buckling her seatbelt earlier. Someone had clearly worn them before.

She'd stuffed them back where she'd found them and acted like nothing had happened. Since she'd already decided to leave, she didn't want to waste her time and breath arguing with Shawn.

Useless lies were the only things she would get out of him, anyway. If she couldn't get the truth, she wouldn't bother asking for it.

When they arrived at the riverside, Shawn got out of the car and opened the door for her. "We're here, Elle."

Noelle didn't want to be there, but this river was a spot they'd frequented at the beginning of their relationship. This was where things had started and where she wanted them to end.

"Hey, isn't that Mr. Pitt? The one we saw on TV today. He's the one who made his wedding ring!"

"I remember him! He's the best man in the world!"

"Look at how he has one hand on the door frame so his wife doesn't bump her head on it. He's so considerate!"

Just then, Shawn's phone rang. He said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Elle. Give me a minute, okay? It's about work. I'll be back after answering this."

"Go ahead."

"Wait for me here, okay? Don't go anywhere."

The onlookers gasped at that.

"Mr. Pitt treats his wife like she's still a young woman. Is he afraid of her going missing?"

"God, he's such a doting husband!"

Noelle's face remained stoic throughout the whole thing. She stood by the river and watched as the lights reflected off its surface.

Shawn hadn't managed to keep the smile off his face when he saw the caller ID. It had been tender, sweet, and even a little teasing. How could the call have been about work?

She couldn't be bothered to call him out on it, though.

It was a little chilly by the river, so she got back inside the car to wait for Shawn. The multimedia panel was logged into Shawn's social media, and it was synced to his phone. It showed his WhatsApp, and one conversation was ongoing.

He was talking to someone whose nickname was "Insatiable Jess".

Shawn: "Do you miss me already?"

Insatiable Jess: "I feel a little empty without you by my side tonight."

Shawn: "Didn't I already do you seven times today? Isn't that enough to sate you?"

Insatiable Jess: "Not even close. I still want you."

Shawn: "Got it. I'll satisfy you in the office tomorrow."

Insatiable Jess: "Heh. I'll wear black pantyhose tomorrow, then."

The rest of the conversation was filled with dirty talk and lewd words. Noelle felt her blood run cold as she read their messages and turned off the screen. She trembled but didn't know whether it was due to the cold or her anger. She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms.

Shawn returned about 15 minutes later. When he got into the car, he heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank God you're okay. I didn't see you after hanging up and got the fright of my life."

Noelle didn't want to see anymore of his act. She looked down at her hands. "I was cold, so I got back into the car."

"Oh, okay. You can do whatever you want, wherever you want."

Her head suddenly shot up. After reading Shawn and Jessica's texts, she suddenly had a different understanding of those words.

She could do whatever she wanted, wherever she wanted…

Could it be they'd done the deed in the front passenger seat?

The idea disgusted her and a wave of nausea crashed over her. She pushed the door open and puked.

Shawn panicked, and he ran to Noelle's side of the car. "What's wrong, Elle?" he asked frantically.

She kept puking, the nausea refusing to subside for the longest time.

She couldn't understand. Why had Shawn cheated when he loved her so? Wasn't he afraid of her finding out? Or did he think he was perfectly capable of keeping this from her forever because he'd done such a good job of hiding it?

Eventually, the cool night breeze helped to clear her mind.

"Are you okay, Elle?" Shawn asked. "I'll take you to the hospital now if you're feeling ill."

"No, it's okay. It's probably something I ate for dinner."

"Come to my office tomorrow, then. We can have dinner together."

Noelle sneered inwardly. Did he want her to go to his office and watch him and Jessica get it on?

Suddenly, she wanted to be nasty. "Sure. I'll go to work with you tomorrow and stay by your side as you work. Then, we can have dinner together before going home."

Shawn didn't expect her to agree at all. His expression turned a little stiff. "I've been quite busy lately, though. I might not be able to be by your side the whole day."

"That's okay. You can do what you need. I'll wait for you in your office."

"…Alright, then."

When they got home, Shawn offered to draw Noelle a bath. He went to the bathroom but shut the door, which wasn't like him.

Meanwhile, Noelle went downstairs and got back inside the car. After starting it, she saw Shawn's conversation with Jessica on the screen again.

Shawn: "Change of plans. We can't do it in the office tomorrow."

Insatiable Jess: "What? I'm so disappointed."

Shawn: "Don't be, babe. I'll take you to the rooftop. It'll be more exciting there."

Insatiable Jess: "You're the best, babe."

Shawn came out of the bathroom just as Noelle returned to the bedroom. "Your bath is ready, Elle. Go ahead and take a soak."

"No, it's okay. I just want to go to bed."

"Alright, then. You should rest if you're tired," he said. "Can I open the gift you left on the table now?"

Noelle shook her head. "Open it in a week."

"Why do I have to wait for a week? I want to see what you've prepared for me right now."

"Because…" Because she would leave him forever in a week. "Because… it'll only be meaningful if you open it in a week."

Shawn kissed her forehead. "Okay, then. I'll do as you say."

…

The following morning, Shawn's phone started ringing when it was just past 6:00 am. He rejected the call and turned over to hold Noelle. "Ignore it. Let's sleep for a while longer."

But his phone started ringing again. He frowned. "It's not time for work yet, but they're already urging me to head to the office. One of these days, I'll fire these useless people."

He rejected the call again.

When it rang a third time, Shawn huffily got out of bed. "You go back to sleep, Elle. I'll ask them what exactly is so urgent that they keep calling."

She murmured in acknowledgment and turned away from him.

He left the bedroom with his phone and soon appeared outside the house. A delivery guy stood outside and handed him something. He took it but was empty-handed when he returned to the bedroom.

Noelle asked, "Is there a problem at work?"

"No, it's nothing. You don't need to worry about anything, Elle. I'll go make you breakfast."

Noelle didn't know whether it was out of guilt or genuine concern that the food yesterday had affected her, but Shawn prepared a feast for breakfast. There was milk, eggs, bread, jam, and her favorite oatmeal.

"You can't eat whatever you want from now on. Also, I think I'll hire someone to come over to cook for you daily," Shawn said.

"That's not necessary."

"Be good, Elle, or I'll worry about you when I'm working."

"Can I ask you something, Shawn?"

"Of course."

Noelle set her cutlery down and asked, "Do you think it's true that couples will get an itch to be with someone else after being married for a number of years?"

Shawn's expression turned contemptuous. "That's just an excuse men make to explain why they've fallen for someone else. I'm not like them—you're the only one I'll love in this lifetime."

"Really? You'll love only me?"

"Yeah."

"What will happen if you do fall for someone else, then?"

"Then, I'll get struck by lightning and die a horrible death."

Noelle smiled mockingly. "Aren't you afraid it'll really happen?"

"I'm telling the truth. Why should I be afraid?"

She picked up her cutlery again and started spreading jam on her bread.

"You have to trust me, Elle," Shawn said earnestly.

All she said was, "Eat your breakfast."

"Do you not believe me?"

"Your staff are waiting for you at the company. You don't want to be late."

This made Shawn relax. He sat across from her and said, "Let them wait. They're useless, anyway. I'll fire them sooner or later."

"Can you bear to fire her?" Noelle asked. She'd used "her", not "them".

She didn't know whether he noticed. All he said was, "I can bear to lose everything but you."