From that day on, Melanie never went home again, opting to stay in a hotel for over ten days.

During that time, Raymond deliberately kept updating his social media with all things Tracy as a form of punishment to Melanie.

He gave Tracy the jeweled brooch Melanie had once wanted as Tracy's early birthday present.

He moved Tracy into the villa and used the sheets and bedding that Melanie had personally picked out.

He promised Tracy a wedding at the same church where he had married Melanie.

Friends and acquaintances in their circle offered their blessings, saying they were a perfect match.

They also said that Raymond had finally realized he should have dumped Melanie a long time ago, calling her a hag.

Someone even commented, "Forget about the ceremony. Just divorce Melanie and marry Tracy already. You might as well go all the way!"

That comment was the most liked.

Raymond didn't respond, and it was already deleted the next day.

Melanie couldn't care less about such petty things, focusing entirely on her deal with Vincent Corbett.

The day before the divorce was finalized, Melanie returned to the villa.

Unsurprisingly, everything inside had been changed to suit Tracy's taste. Melanie's photos and clothes had all been shredded.

Fortunately, the documents and divorce agreement hidden in the wardrobe weren't discovered.

With the documents in hand, Melanie was about to leave when Tracy blocked the door, her belly protruding.

"Melanie, I seriously didn't expect you to be able to put up with so much. I've made you the laughingstock of high society, and yet here you are, still clinging to the Johnsons.

"I guess it's understandable, though. Now that both of your parents are gone, it's only natural that you'd hang onto the Johnson family for dear life. After all, who else in Bell City would want you besides Raymond?"

Suddenly, Tracy had an amusing thought, and she looked at Melanie, grinning innocently.

"Do you know why Raymond likes me so much? Because I told him that on the day of your car accident, you ran away to save yourself and left him behind, and that I was the one who got him out of the car.

"When I took Raymond to the hospital, you were still stuck in the passenger seat, bleeding heavily, so I literally watched your miscarriage happen.

"And I was the one who paid off the doctor and had him tell Raymond that taking a vegetative patient off life support wouldn't be a problem. I made you watch helplessly as your mother died.

"After all I've done, there's just no way you can beat me, is there, Melanie?"

Melanie's handbag fell to the ground with a thud. Unable to take it anymore, she slapped Tracy across the face.

The next second, a sharp pain shot through the back of her neck. Someone had knocked her out.

She woke to find herself and Tracy trapped in a wrecked car, just like three years ago. Only now, Raymond was the one who would decide their fate.

After the rescue team assessed the situation, one of them said, their expression solemn, "Mr. Johnson, both Mrs. Johnson and Ms. Lambert are trapped in the wreck. Time is of the essence. We can only save one first. Who do you want us to save?"

Without a second thought, Raymond said, "Save Mela—"

"Raymond, save Melanie. She's been with you for seven years. All I did was save your life once. Choose her. The baby and I will be fine," Tracy muttered weakly while clutching her stomach before Raymond could finish speaking.

Raymond hesitated as the words caught in his throat. "Save Tracy."

The first responder frowned. "Are you sure? Ms. Lambert is only stuck between the airbags, but your wife's whole leg is trapped. Her injuries are far more serious. If we don't act fast, she could end up losing the leg—"

"I said, save Tracy," Raymond cut him off coldly. "Melanie is my wife. Even if she loses a leg, the Johnson family can take care of her for life. Tracy is different. She saved my life before. I have to put her first."

The first responder didn't argue further and started prying the car open.

Melanie watched as they carefully lifted Tracy out. On her side of the car, a piece of metal had pierced her thigh when the front end crumpled, sending a sharp pain shooting through her body.

In her daze, she seemed to be reliving a moment from seven years ago.

She had tripped, and Raymond was half-kneeling in front of her, gently blowing on the wound to ease the pain. "Melanie, are you trying to kill me with worry?"

Now that she was trapped in a car and bleeding profusely, the last thing she saw was Raymond striding away with Tracy in his arms, their figures growing smaller until they were gone from her sight.

When Melanie came to for the second time, she was lying in the ICU.

The doctor examined her wounds, looking relieved. "That piece of metal missed your femoral artery by a hair. You're really lucky. If you'd been brought here a minute later, forget your leg, you might not have made it."

Melanie managed a weak smile, but her mind was still replaying what she'd heard when she was in a semi-conscious state a while ago.

"The patient's lost a lot of blood. Why hasn't there been blood from the blood bank yet?"

"Don't even get me started. Mr. Johnson's girlfriend complained of stomach pain, so he ordered the entire blood bank locked. All the blood had to be reserved for his girlfriend, just in case."

"That's insane! If we can't get blood from the hospital's blood bank, what happens to this patient?"

"She's on her own."

So Raymond really did want her dead.

Perhaps she was in so much pain that even her heart had gone numb, because Melanie couldn't shed a single tear at this moment.

At least their divorce would be finalized in just a few hours.

That evening, Raymond came to see her. Upon seeing her bandaged thigh, he froze for a long moment before speaking. "Trace saved me… I have to look out for her."

Melanie said nothing, merely studying the man in front of her, the one she had sacrificed seven years for.

She wanted to ask him if he remembered how much he had once loved her and if he remembered that she had lost a child for him during that car accident.

But more importantly, she wanted to ask if he had ever considered what would happen if she actually died.

Although she had a lot on her mind, she merely said, "I understand."

She knew that he didn't love her, had never cared for that child, and wouldn't even bat an eye if she died. And she was very much aware that after that day, they would no longer have anything to do with each other.

Taking a deep breath, Melanie slowly said, "Raymond, we're divor—"

The sound of a phone ringing interrupted her. Soon, Tracy's coquettish voice could be heard. "Raymond, your mom hired a photographer to take our family portrait. You're the only one missing."

Raymond's expression faltered. He instinctively turned to the hospital bed, only to find Melanie with her eyes closed.

Did she not care about him anymore? The thought crossed his mind, but he quickly shook it off.

No. Melanie loved him too much not to care. Besides, Bethany still needed the Johnson family to survive.

At that thought, Raymond's gaze became gentler all of a sudden. "Get some rest, Melanie. After you're discharged, I'll personally bring your mother back here."

Once the door was shut, Melanie pulled out her phone to call the butler working in the villa. "Send the bag full of documents that's in my room to the hospital."

She then messaged Vincent. "Come get me."

An hour later, Melanie deleted all of Raymond's contact information, got into a wheelchair, and left the hospital.

Meanwhile, Raymond, who was in the middle of the photoshoot, got a message from a lawyer. "Congratulations, Mr. Johnson. Your divorce from Ms. Melanie Strickland is now officially finalized."