Kyla returned home, a luxurious villa perched atop Mount Harppek, feeling as empty as an elegant yet lifeless mansion.

She didn't turn on the lights, allowing herself to sink into the soft sofa in the living room, where the darkness completely enveloped her.

The coldness of the spilled wine on her dress seeped into her skin, but it was nothing compared to the chill in her heart.

It wasn't until midnight that she heard the sound of the keypad unlocking at the entrance.

Gerald was back. He switched on the lights, and the sudden brightness made Kyla squint involuntarily.

The scent of the evening's party still clung to him, along with a faint perfume that didn't belong to Kyla but Aubrey.

"Why are you sitting here in the dark?" he asked casually, loosening his tie, his tone indifferent and devoid of emotion.

Kyla remained motionless, simply watching him from the shadows.

Gerald seemed somewhat tired. He tossed his suit jacket onto the sofa carelessly and headed straight for the bar counter to pour himself a glass of water.

Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, and the fatigue in his eyes gave way to a gentler expression.

"Hello, Aubrey." His voice was as tender as when he comforted Aubrey, reminding Kyla of a spring breeze. "I'm home. Everything's fine. Don't overthink, just get some rest."

Whatever Aubrey said on the other end made Gerald chuckle. "How could it be your fault, silly girl? You know how she is. Don't take it to heart. I'll see you at the lab tomorrow."

After hanging up, Gerald took a sip of water, as if he'd just remembered Kyla's presence. He turned to look at her, the warmth on his face vanishing, replaced by his usual calm detachment.

"What was that about at the party tonight?" he asked, his tone now carrying a hint of accusation. "You left without saying goodbye. Do you realize how much that humiliated me in front of everyone?"

A sharp pain stabbed at Kyla's heart again. She pulled out her phone and quickly typed a line with her cold fingers, showing it to him.

"She spilled the wine on me deliberately and said in public that I was mute."

Gerald glanced at the screen, his brows furrowing deeper, displaying a look Kyla knew all too well. It was called impatience.

"Aubrey is young and innocent. She wouldn't do it on purpose. You weren't like this before. When did you become so sensitive and suspicious?"

Innocent?

Kyla chuckled bitterly, her fingers trembling with anger while she was typing.

"I know better than you whether she's innocent. Gerald, I'm a lawyer. I've never misjudged anyone."

Her words seemed to hit a nerve with Gerald.

The impatience on his face turned to cold indifference, even tinged with a hint of mockery. "A lawyer? Kyla, you haven't been to court in five years. Stop bringing up the past. You don't need to remind me repeatedly about how you defended me back then, either."

Every mention of that case five years before seemed to provoke an overreaction from Gerald.

It got to the point where even bringing up anything related to law would trigger his anger.

Kyla felt a lump in her throat. Just as she was about to type another message, Gerald interrupted her, "Besides, even if Aubrey said something wrong, she apologized. Do you have to keep holding it against her and give me the cold shoulder?"

He took a step closer, looking down at her. "Weren't you always the most understanding and considerate of me?"

Understanding. Considerate.

Those words were like two hot needles piercing Kyla's heart.

For him, she had given up her pride, ruined the future in her career, and learned to be a silent, obedient, and understanding woman.

Kyla had thought that was their bond, but in the end, it became a weapon for him to accuse her of being "unreasonable".

Kyla averted her gaze, deleted her words with grievances from the phone, and typed a new line. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

She didn't want to argue any longer.

In the face of favoritism, all reasoning seemed futile.

She had to admit that she had lost. From the moment Gerald chose to defend Aubrey, she had lost completely.

Kyla pushed herself off the sofa and prepared to go upstairs. As she passed by Gerald, he seized her wrist with a force that hurt. Kyla turned back in confusion.

Gerald's eyes filled with a mix of frustration, scrutiny, and a trace of emotion that she couldn't quite decipher.

He gazed at her for a few seconds before speaking in a low voice, "Do you think that I don't need you anymore, as I've become successful?"

Kyla was taken aback.

Gerald seemed to attribute all her actions to an irrational lack of security.

"Kyla." He leaned closer, his warm breath brushing her ear, his tone softening as if soothing a disobedient pet. "Stop this. You know how I treat you. For five years, I've been providing a life of comfort and luxury. Isn't that enough?"

A life of comfort and luxury.

All her sacrifices, in his eyes, were worth only those words.

Kyla abruptly shook off his hand with all her strength. She gazed at him, the spark in her eyes faded, leaving only a cold disappointment.

She responded with nothing, just gave Gerald one last glance as if he were a stranger, then turned decisively and went upstairs, leaving him far behind.

As she closed the door, Kyla leaned against it, slowly sliding to the floor.

Overwhelmed by a sense of grievance and helplessness, she hugged herself, but felt no warmth.

She finally understood that some people's hearts could never be warmed, especially when they wanted to give warmth to someone else.

The next day, Kyla woke up pretty late. By the time she went downstairs, Gerald had already left for the laboratory.

The entire day, she found herself alone in the villa.

But as evening approached, the doorbell rang unexpectedly.

Through the monitor, Kyla saw Aubrey standing outside, holding a few exquisitely wrapped gift boxes and wearing a sweet, innocent smile.

Kyla hesitated to open the door, but Aubrey was persistent, continuously pressing the doorbell and even pulling out her phone, seemingly ready to call Gerald.

In the end, Kyla opened the door.

"Kyla, I've come to see you." Aubrey bounced inside cheerfully, took off her jacket, and hung it on the rack as if she were at home. "I couldn't stop thinking about what happened yesterday and felt so guilty. Gerald blamed me and asked me to come over to apologize to you."

Aubrey placed the gift boxes on the coffee table and opened them one by one. "These are skincare products I specially picked for you, and your favorite scented candles. Please don't be mad at me, okay?"

Kyla watched her display with a cold demeanor.

Aubrey seemed unfazed by the icy reception and wandered around the living room, as if inspecting her own territory.

Her eyes lit up when she spotted a lush orchid plant in the corner of the study. "Wow, this orchid is thriving, evidently well cared for. Kyla, you are so amazing."

That plant had been nurtured by Kyla for five years, growing from a tiny seedling into the verdant, glossy-leaved beauty it was now.

Gerald had once mentioned his admiration for the orchid's endearing qualities, so she had tended to it diligently, watering and polishing it daily, much like she nurtured the fragile relationship they shared.

Aubrey walked over and reached out to touch the leaves but suddenly sneezed dramatically, followed by several sneezes.

"A-achoo!" She rubbed her nose, looking apologetically at Kyla. "I'm sorry, Kyla. I... I think I'm allergic to pollen, especially from flowering plants."

She sneezed again, her eyes reddening, looking pitiful.

Kyla stood there, staring at her coldly.

Just then, the front door swung open, and Gerald walked in. He must have just returned from the lab, still clad in his white coat.

"Aubrey? Why are you here?" he asked, surprised, but his attention quickly shifted to her reddened eyes and unusual cough.

"Are you alright? Feeling unwell?" He immediately approached her, his brows furrowed, his voice filled with concern.

Aubrey quickly waved her hand, leaning weakly against the bookshelf, her voice nasal. "It's nothing, Gerald. I just... seem to be a bit allergic to that plant." She pointed to the orchid.

Gerald's gaze followed her gesture, landing on the plant before turning to Kyla with a darkened expression. "Didn't I tell you Aubrey is allergic to pollen? Why did you still keep the plant here?" His tone was openly accusatory.

Kyla was taken aback.

When did he ever say that? She was unaware.

She picked up her phone to type a question but saw Aubrey flash her a quick, secretive smile of triumph.

In that moment, Kyla understood everything.

It was just another one of Aubrey's tricks to assert her dominance.

Kyla's heart sank to the depths.

She looked at Gerald, seeing only his anxiety and concern for Aubrey, not even granting her a chance to explain.

Kyla didn't type anything, just approached the orchid, reaching out as if to move it.

"Leave it," Gerald commanded coldly, then turned to Aubrey. "Go sit in the living room. I'll handle this." With that, he stepped forward, without hesitation, and picked up the orchid plant, pot and all.

Kyla's eyes widened in shock. She rushed forward to grab his arm, shaking her head vigorously. That wasn't just a plant but the sole companion of her silent years, her only solace.

"Don't make a scene." Gerald impatiently tried to shake off her hand; his gaze was cold and unyielding. "It's just a plant. Aubrey's health is more important."

"Oh, no! Gerald, please don't..." Aubrey interjected with feigned sincerity. "Kyla seems to really love that plant. Maybe... maybe I should leave. I can endure it..."

Her words only darkened Gerald's expression further.

He saw Kyla as unreasonable, deliberately making things difficult for Aubrey.

"Enough!" he barked, forcefully shaking off Kyla's grip, causing her to stumble back, crashing into the cold bookshelf with a dull thud.

Yet he didn't spare her a glance, carrying the orchid out of the study, out of the villa.

Soon, the sound of something heavy shattering on the ground echoed from outside.

Kyla knew her plant was gone. Along with it, the last shred of her laughable persistence and hope, shattered by his own hands. She stood rooted to the spot, feeling cold all over.

Aubrey approached her, whispering in a voice only they could hear, "Kyla, did you see? To him, your past five years mean nothing compared to a single word of my allergy." With that, she turned and skipped away lightly.

"Gerald, wait for me! Let me help you clean up the pieces so you don't cut yourself..." Her sweet voice drifted in from outside, like a dagger wrapped in honey, repeatedly cutting into Kyla's already battered heart.

After the orchid pot was smashed, Kyla and Gerald entered a period of complete silence and avoidance.

Gerald started staying out all night, and when Kyla messaged him, his replies came slower and slower, evolving from initial "I'm busy" to just leaving her on read.

Kyla knew that he no longer wanted to come back home.

That day was the Company Family Day of the Paragon Group, and employees were required to attend with their families.

In an unprecedented move, Gerald came home a day early.

"Tomorrow at ten in the morning, at the western suburbs racetrack. Don't be late." He tossed a golden-embossed invitation card onto the coffee table. His tone was commanding, leaving no room for negotiation.

Kyla looked at the invitation, feeling nothing. She picked up her phone and typed, "Can I not go?"

"No." Gerald's answer was simple and resolute. "You are still, at least in name, my wife."

In name.

His wife.

Kyla felt as if an invisible hand gripped her throat, suffocating her.

She went anyway, dressed in a suitably elegant suit and wearing light makeup, masking herself as a competent and happy Mrs. Spencer.

At the racetrack, the sun was bright and the crowd was bustling.

Aubrey, clad in riding gear, sat boldly astride a chestnut horse, like a striking figure that drew everyone's attention.

Gerald stood prominently at the edge of the field, his gaze following her, and a subtle smile appeared on his lips, almost unconsciously.

Kyla seemed like an outsider as she sat quietly under a parasol in the resting area.

During the intermission, Gerald walked towards Aubrey with two bottles of water. He opened one for her with care, then gently moved her damp hair aside, wiping away her sweat. The intimacy and familiarity of his actions prompted teasing remarks from their colleagues.

"Dr. Spencer and Aubrey really make a perfect pair."

"I can't agree more. Who knows? We might be attending your wedding soon."

Aubrey lowered her head shyly, stealing a glance at Gerald. He didn't deny it; he just smiled. That smile was full of indulgence and consent.

No one remembered that his legal wife was sitting right there.

Kyla's heart was like ice melting away under the intense heat of the sun. It gradually melted, evaporating, until nothing remained.

Before the event ended, she left alone, unwilling to witness any more of that glaring scene.

As she stepped out of the ranch, she was so despondent that she accidentally bumped into someone.

Just as she was about to apologize, she heard a tentative voice. "Ms. Gibson, the famous lawyer?"

Kyla looked up and saw a face both unfamiliar and familiar.

The man quickly introduced himself. "I used to be an intern at Fairchild & Associates. My name is Blaine Shaw. I wonder if you remember me…"

Surprised to meet a former colleague there, Kyla nodded in response. She never forgot anyone she had worked with.

"Really? I can't believe such an esteemed lawyer remembers me!" Blaine Shaw exclaimed with excitement. "I've studied every case you've defended, especially that brilliant defense for the medical student falsely accused. But…"

He hesitated as he glanced at Kyla, wanting to say more but refraining.

However, Kyla was too engrossed in her own emotional turmoil to notice his hesitation.

Back home, almost instinctively, she wandered into Gerald's closet.

Reaching into the inner pocket of a suit jacket, she found a velvet jewelry box. Inside lay a dazzling diamond necklace, the latest design from Van Cleef & Arpels.

The box bore an elegant inscription—"For Aubrey".

Kyla remembered that the previous month on their wedding anniversary, she had silently mouthed "beautiful" to Gerald while pointing at this necklace in a magazine.

How had he responded then?

He had remarked, "It's too flashy for you."

It turned out it wasn't that it didn't suit her but that she wasn't worthy.