The words hit Ezra like a thunderclap, jolting him awake.

His face drained of color. He quickly ended the call, turning around to find himself locking eyes with Shermaine, whose gaze was as cold as ice.

She had lost more weight in the past few days due to illness, her pale face expressionless, like the winter sun—bright but without warmth.

"Shermaine." Ezra's heart raced. He stepped forward, fumbling for words. He opened his mouth but had no idea what to say.

Shermaine smiled lightly, as though nothing had happened. "What's wrong, Ezra? I heard your voice and came to check on you. You look off. Did you argue with someone?"

Ezra visibly relaxed, quickly slipping into his usual act. He furrowed his brow, feigning irritation. "A few companies I'm working with have been acting up. I got angry and gave them a piece of my mind. Anyway, we shouldn't be standing here. Let's head back. Look how cold your hands are," Ezra remarked, swiftly taking her hand and tucking it into the warmth of his coat.

Through the thin fabric of his shirt, he tried to warm her hands with his body heat.

Shermaine lifted her gaze to Ezra's flawless profile and, for a brief moment, lost herself in thought. "Ezra, I want to go home."

Ezra's smile faltered for a moment before he quickly recovered.

"Maybe later." He scrambled for an excuse. "Didn't the doctor say you're still recovering? It'd be best to stay at the hospital for a few more days. Besides, our anniversary is coming up. Let me take some time to make the house look nice."

Ezra lowered his voice, his tone deep and sultry. "Shermaine, I want to surprise you."

The air between them felt heavy with tension, but Shermaine's heart remained as cold as ever.

She quietly withdrew her hand, giving a small nod. "Alright."

Ezra, trying to sound considerate and a little eager to please, added, "How about we go watch the sunset on Mount Ashmore for our anniversary? You've been wanting to go for months, and I finally have some free time."

Shermaine's expression grew even more distant. She forced a strained smile. "Forget it. I'm tied up with a group project. I can't get away."

Ezra hesitated, his dark eyes briefly clouded with a rare trace of hurt.

"Shermaine, don't you remember? Your project is almost finished. The final tasks can be handled by my department."

He paused, then asked, almost timidly, "Shermaine, did I do something to upset you?"

Shermaine didn't answer. She just looked at him coolly, a chill spreading inside her.

If he hadn't mentioned it, she might have forgotten.

As a mentor, Shermaine had been overseeing a project with several students. The school hadn't supported it at first, but Ezra had kept pouring money into it.

In fact, to ease some of Shermaine's stress, he'd even set up a project department to collaborate directly with her team, allowing him to fund it without question.

At the time, Shermaine had been touched by his gesture.

It wasn't until she started investigating Ezra and Melanie's relationship that she had a rude awakening.

The night that marked the beginning of their affair—the night of passion—was also the night Ezra had announced the creation of the project department.

So, Ezra didn't establish that department just to help her. It was more about making it easier for him to have an affair with Melanie.

All those sweet memories from the past, the ones that had once filled her heart with warmth, turned into slaps to her face, one after the other, as realization hit.

Now, seeing Ezra's eager, affectionate expression, Shermaine only found it laughable.

He was still pretending.

A quiet, bitter laugh escaped her throat before she nodded. "Alright, let's go together."

After all, she had her own "gift" to give Ezra on that day.

After their conversation, Shermaine quickly made an excuse to rest and left the room with swift steps.

Ezra watched her retreating figure, his mind replaying the strange look she had given him moments ago.

A wave of unease washed over him, but he quickly pushed the feeling aside.

Ezra was certain that Shermaine loved him deeply, that even that cold, aloof woman would get jealous.

A few years ago, if he had even exchanged a few words with one of his assistants, Shermaine would sulk for days, ignoring him completely.

If she had discovered what was going on between him and Melanie, she wouldn't be so cold. He was confident that, with her love for him, she would have reacted very differently.

His phone buzzed again. It was another message from Melanie, begging him to take her to his house.

Ezra's handsome face darkened, and just as he was about to lash out in anger, a new message from Melanie appeared on the screen.

The message contained a provocative picture—on a white bedspread, she wore a sexy outfit with black stockings, posing suggestively.

Melanie had a sweet, innocent face but a body that was intoxicating, like a poppy—addictive and dangerous.

Ezra didn't send the scolding message he had been preparing.

Instead, he swallowed hard before speaking in a low, husky voice as he recorded a reply, "Melanie, I'll agree, but just this once. After this, you need to understand your place. You shouldn't interrupt my life with Shermaine."

When Shermaine was discharged from the hospital, she realized with a shock that she only had a few days before she had to report to the research institute.

Back at home, Ezra had done exactly what he had promised—he had decorated the house ahead of time.

It was filled with all of her favorite things—plants, pink balloons, and cartoon characters.

Instead of the cold and aloof version of him that everyone knew, Ezra was acting like a child, constantly asking her, "Shermaine, do you like it? Is there anything you don't like? Just tell me and I'll fix it."

For the first time in a while, Shermaine smiled. Ezra, thrilled by her reaction, immediately moved in to kiss her.

Just as their lips were about to meet, Shermaine gently pushed him away.

"I need to freshen up first."

She quickly made her way to the bathroom, the smile fading from her face. Her eyes became empty, tired.

When she looked up, her gaze fell on something out of place on the countertop—a small bottle of cosmetics that wasn't hers.

The sample had clearly been used quite a bit, meaning its owner had been staying here for a few days.

That wasn't all. As Shermaine stood there, her senses sharpened. A sickly sweet perfume lingered in the air, and she realized with a jolt that it wasn't her scent—she didn't wear perfume.

Shermaine stood there for what felt like forever, tears falling without warning.

She had never imagined that her life would be in such shambles.

Shermaine wasn't naive—she knew this was all Melanie's doing. It was a deliberate provocation, a declaration of possession.

Shermaine quickly regained her composure and opened the bathroom door. Then she grabbed two bottles of red wine and went to find Ezra.

Pretending like nothing was wrong, she smiled sweetly at him.

"Ezra, how about we have a drink tonight?"

Ezra didn't answer immediately, likely still deciding whether to meet with Melanie later.

But Shermaine's unexpected gentleness softened his heart, and he agreed.

A few glasses of wine later, Ezra, normally able to hold his liquor, had flushed cheeks. He clung to Shermaine, repeating over and over how much he loved her.

Shermaine, calm and collected, pulled out the divorce papers from her bag. In a gentle tone, she coaxed him.

"Ezra, I love you too. Come on. Be a good boy and sign the papers."

Ezra, like a puppet with no will of its own, complied.

Once he had signed the divorce agreement, Shermaine stood up slowly, showing no mercy. With a gentle push, she sent the dazed Ezra tumbling to the floor.

Shermaine smiled as tears blurred her vision.

She retrieved the prepared gift box and began placing one item after another inside.

One, two, three, four, five...

Each piece was neatly arranged before the box was packaged nicely.

She gazed down at the unconscious Ezra on the floor, her eyes devoid of warmth.

With a light voice, she spoke, "Ezra, don't blame me. I'm just returning the favor. You could drug me—why couldn't I do the same?"

The next morning, Ezra woke up feeling an odd weakness throughout his body. However, as he lay there, everything seemed fine. Shermaine simply told him it was because he'd had too much to drink the night before.

On the table beside him was a beautifully wrapped box. Ezra's curiosity piqued, but Shermaine, looking a little embarrassed, explained, "That's your anniversary gift. Don't open it yet. Wait until tonight when you get back."

Ezra felt a warmth in his heart as he pulled her into his arms, a rare trace of guilt flashing in his eyes. He spoke softly, "Shermaine, after this week, I'll take you abroad for a month. We'll get away and clear our minds."

Shermaine gave a brief nod before quickly pulling herself from his embrace. "Hurry up. We're going to be late."

At the foot of the mountain, as they were getting out of the car, a high-pitched, sweet voice called out, "Ms. Stout, Mr. Yarbrough, what a coincidence! You two are here too!"

They turned to see Melanie, surrounded by a group of students from the project Shermaine was leading, resting at the base of the mountain. Shermaine's expression immediately turned cold, but she didn't move, instead watching Ezra's face closely. As expected, the usually composed Ezra was clearly uncomfortable. His lips were pressed tight, his eyes flickering with unease.

Ezra immediately grasped Shermaine's hand. "Shermaine, let's go up the mountain first."

But Melanie was quicker. She dashed over and blocked their path, flashing a seemingly innocent smile, but her gaze never left Ezra. "Ms. Stout, since we've run into each other, how about we all hike together? It's like team-building, right? It's better to enjoy it with others than alone, don't you think?"

Despite her words, Melanie was inching closer to Ezra.

Everyone else was dressed in warm hiking gear, but Melanie was different. Her jacket was purposely unzipped to reveal the curve of her sports bra, and her thin yoga pants clung to her long, toned legs—her body undeniably attractive in a way that would catch any man's eye.

Ezra hesitated for a moment, his eyes momentarily shifting.

Shermaine watched her, thinking back to when she had first met Melanie three years ago. At the time, Melanie had been struggling with financial issues, unable to afford the cost of continuing her master's program. One of the professors had offered to sponsor her. But Shermaine soon learned that this professor was far from innocent—he was a predator, exploiting many of his students.

Most of those victimized by him had to keep silent, fearing his power. Those who spoke out faced harsh consequences: They might not graduate or, worse, suffer a ruined reputation.

Shermaine had felt sorry for Melanie, unwilling to let the young Melanie be ruined by a despicable man. She had taken a risk of angering the professor to help her, funding her education and even bringing her into her project team. She had thought it was a genuine act of kindness. But now, it seemed she'd only raised a snake in the grass.

Shermaine didn't blame Melanie—she knew well that Ezra's nature meant their marriage would have problems even without Melanie's interference. She only blamed herself for not seeing it sooner.

Noticing the coldness in Shermaine's gaze, Melanie recoiled slightly. She then edged behind Ezra, speaking in an exaggerated, pitiful tone, "Ms. Stout, why are you glaring at me? Is it really such a big deal for us to hike together? Do you really dislike me that much?"

Ezra, clearly irritated, moved aside, pulling Shermaine closer to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his face dark as he scolded, "What's up with your tone? Don't you have any manners?"

Around them, some students chimed in teasingly.

"Ms. Stout and Mr. Yarbrough are so perfect together. It's too much to handle!"

"I envy Ms. Stout for having such a great husband!"

"Did you see how Mr. Yarbrough immediately stepped away when Melanie got close? He has such a strong sense of boundaries."

Shermaine listened to the chatter, almost letting out a bitter laugh. If she hadn't witnessed the passionate, tangled scene between Melanie and Ezra with her own eyes, she might have been fooled by their charade today.