Mentioning my mom stopped me in my tracks. If anyone wanted me to stay with Corbin Murray more than anyone else, it was certainly her.

Corbin and I started building our lives together when we were seventeen. In those tough days, we would share a single meal, and Corbin always made sure I got the roast beef. In the bitter cold of winter, he worked as a bicycle messenger, saving every penny. He wouldn’t spend a cent on himself but once managed to buy me a ring.

"Even though it's just a simple band now, one day I'll give you a bigger, brighter diamond," he promised.

We lived in a tiny basement apartment, barely a few hundred square feet. With no heat in winter, we kept warm by holding each other close. When summer came, it got so hot that Corbin took me to sleep in the park.

My mom saw all this, and it broke her heart. She sold everything she had to help Corbin start his business. When he earned his first fortune, he bought a luxurious condo downtown, with perfect climate control all year round. In front of my mom, he vowed to always take care of me.

My mom was moved to tears, managing to say only, "You two must look after each other."

I was hopeful then, thinking the future was full of promise. But in just a few short years, everything changed beyond recognition.

Corbin cheated. My mom was diagnosed with cancer. Her treatment costs tens of thousands each year. If it weren’t for Corbin covering the expenses, I might have lost her long ago.

But now...

"No need to trouble yourself. Thanks." I concluded the meeting politely, opened the door, and left.

As I stepped out of Corbin Murray's office building, I heard Arianna Anderson call my name.

"Zainab."

She quickly closed the distance between us, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear with a graceful motion.

"Thank you for stepping aside and letting us be together, for giving Corbin up," she said.

Her smile was bright and triumphant, as if she were a victor showcasing her prize.

"You're welcome," I replied with a faint smile, wishing she wouldn't end up in my shoes someday.

A little piece of wisdom from someone who’d been there before.

Arianna's smile wavered for a moment but then returned to its radiant form.

"How could I end up like you? You've already seen how Corbin feels about me, haven't you?" she asserted confidently.

She was referencing something from the past.

Back then, Corbin had brought Arianna to one of his friends’ parties. During the gathering, one of Corbin’s friends inadvertently mentioned my history with Corbin.

He blurted out, "Once Corbin came back late from a business trip, and Zainab was waiting for him outside, asleep on a garden bench, when a homeless guy bothered her."

Arianna, nestled in Corbin’s arms at the time, frowned in distaste and uttered, “Isn't that just pathetic?”

I couldn't tell if she was referring to my sleeping in the garden or the incident with the homeless man.

Regardless, the room erupted in mocking laughter.

That night, I was standing right outside the door.

I had intended to catch them in the act.

Unexpectedly, those words struck me like a cold blast, leaving me feeling both icy and fiercely burning, torn apart by my emotions.

But what truly stunned me was Corbin’s reaction.

He sat on the couch, holding Arianna, and amidst the careless jokes and laughter, he remained silent, his expression nonchalant.

As if they were mocking a stranger.

And not someone he had once cared for and protected.

And during the final game of the evening, Corbin happily took a drink from Arianna’s lips.

At her playful urging, he repeated the words, "Zainab, dirty."

This was undoubtedly one of Arianna Anderson's little provocations against me. Her satisfaction was obvious, with a smug smile playing on her lips. I watched her, not forgetting to remind her, "Did you forget how I dealt with things that day? If your memory's fuzzy, I don't mind jogging it a little."

Arianna's face fell instantly. I could tell she remembered. That evening, in a fit of rage, I had stormed into the private room, yanked Arianna away from Corbin Murray, and before anyone could react, slapped her twice, pressing her down on the table covered with drinks.

"Is this funny to you? You have a good laugh at this, huh? Do you even know what happened to that wanderer afterwards?" Fueled by fury, I smashed a glass. The crashing sound mingled with Arianna's screams. I held the jagged edge close to her face, letting her quiver under my grip.

"Just like today, I ruined him."

"Sister-in-law!"

"Zainab!"

The room fell silent; no one dared to breathe. Finally, Corbin shouted for me to stop. He stepped in, firmly pulling me away, while Arianna, pale and frightened, took refuge behind him, acting all innocent and delicate.

"Corbin, save me!"

Anger simmered in Corbin's eyes as he raised his hand, but he hesitated when he saw the fierce defiance in my eyes.

"Zainab..."

"You don't have the guts to hit me, do you, Corbin?"

But I wasn't afraid. In that split second of his hesitation, I swung and slapped him across the face with all the strength I could muster. My hand shook uncontrollably afterward.

That was the beginning of the end for me and Corbin Murray. After that night, Corbin asked for a divorce and moved out of our shared home to live with Arianna.