When I returned to the mansion, I dug a few cardboard boxes out of the storage room.

Then I began sorting through the things that belonged to me, one item at a time.

There really wasn't much.

Every corner of this house carried traces of Daniel and Sophie.

Sophie's favorite throw pillows were scattered across the couch. Imported snacks she liked sat casually on the coffee table.

As for me, it felt as though I had never truly existed here at all.

I folded the cheap everyday clothes from my closet and packed them neatly into the boxes.

Then I tossed my toothbrush and towel from the bathroom counter straight into the trash.

Finally, I opened the drawer and took out the plastic bag containing the plain ring band.

I placed it squarely on the center of the coffee table, impossible to miss.

The sound of the keypad lock echoed from the front door.

Daniel walked in with his tie loosened slightly, exhaustion clinging faintly to his face.

In his hand was the bag of chestnut cakes I had refused earlier.

The moment he noticed the boxes scattered across the floor, he stopped dead in his tracks. His grip around the paper bag tightened instantly.

"It's getting colder. Makes sense to reorganize your clothes for the season." He tugged at his tie and forced out a strained smile before reaching for the packing tape in my hand. "Leave it alone. We can have the housekeeper deal with it tomorrow."

In the past, whenever he offered me even the smallest olive branch, I would end up throwing myself into his arms with tears in my eyes.

But this time, I didn't even pause my packing.

The tape ripped apart with a harsh tearing sound, sharp enough to feel like the final thread between us snapping clean in two.

Avoiding his hand, I said quietly, "Daniel, let's cancel the marriage registration next month."

His fingers curled sharply in midair.

For the first time, a flicker of panic surfaced in those always-confident eyes.

"Claire..." His voice came out hoarse, even trembling slightly, though he still struggled to maintain the composure and authority he was so used to. "Don't joke about something like this. I've had a long day."

"I'm not joking." I looked at him calmly. "And one more thing. I can't eat chestnut cakes with peanuts in them. I'm allergic."

The color drained from Daniel's face instantly.

He drew in a deep breath, walked over to me, and pulled an unlimited black card from his wallet before placing it on top of the box beside me.

"Claire, throwing a tantrum has its limits. Take the card. Go buy yourself something you like. Stop taking your anger out on yourself just to upset me."

I stared at the black card while violent cramps twisted through my stomach hard enough to leave a sheen of cold sweat across my skin.

Then I lifted my head and smiled at him with impossible gentleness. "Daniel, you don't need to spend money buying yourself peace of mind anymore. For the past three years, I've been the one constantly backing down. I'm tired of climbing down from that ledge over and over again. From now on, I won't put you in a difficult position anymore."

Daniel's pupils constricted sharply, but within seconds, he tightened his jaw and forcibly shoved every surging emotion back down.

"Fine. Claire, if you insist on leaving, I won't stop you. Starting today, your card access is suspended." He straightened his suit jacket with his back facing me, his voice lowered almost to a whisper. "When you've calmed down and thought things through, come back to me."

At the doorway, his hand clenched around the handle so tightly that his knuckles turned ashen.

After several long seconds of silence, he finally said without turning around, "I'll wait for you to come back."

But his tone stayed cold and unyielding, as though he was simply waiting to see how long I could keep this up without him.

A second later, the front door slammed shut with a violent bang.

I remained standing where I was as cold sweat slid from my face and dripped onto my collar.

My stomach churned violently, and this time, I couldn't hold it back anymore.

A thick metallic sweetness surged straight up my throat.

I doubled over suddenly and vomited a mouthful of blood onto the carpet.

My body collapsed helplessly to the floor, fingers digging desperately into the thick fibers beneath me.

Yet as I stared at the shocking splash of crimson spreading across the carpet, a relieved smile slowly curved across my lips.

It took me an entire hour to scrub the bloodstains out of the carpet.

By the end, my body was so weak that even standing required me to lean against the wall and gasp for breath for a long while.

I sealed the last few cardboard boxes with tape and attached local delivery labels to them.

The recipient address was Daniel's company.

When everything was finished, I sat down on the bare sofa and pulled out my phone.

A bank notification popped up on the screen.

"Your credit card has been frozen by the primary cardholder."

I calmly swiped the message away.

What Daniel didn't know was that I hadn't used that card for a single dollar in over six months.

Every expense I had came from freelance translation work I picked up online.

He had always believed I depended on him completely, that I would never survive without him.

My phone suddenly vibrated. It was a call from Daniel's assistant, Oliver Reed.

I pressed answer.

"Ms. Parker." Oliver's voice carried the polished indifference of someone speaking on behalf of power, with a faint trace of contempt underneath.

"Mr. Carter asked me to inform you that the card has been suspended. If you're regretting your decision now, Mr. Carter said he's willing to give you a chance to step back gracefully." Oliver paused briefly. "Mr. Carter's exact words were for you to call him."

He cleared his throat before adding on his own accord, "Though personally, I'd also suggest apologizing to Ms. Bennett a little. After all, she was upset yesterday at the hospital too."

Listening to the condescension dripping from his tone, I couldn't help letting out a faint laugh.

"Oliver." My voice was hoarse, yet strangely calm. "Please tell Daniel that I already threw the card away. And remind him to check his delivery package."

With that, I hung up directly and added Oliver's number to the blacklist.

That afternoon, William arrived at the mansion.

His eyes swept across the empty living room before settling on my ashen face, and something painful flickered briefly through his expression.

"Ms. Parker, are you certain you want to donate all of your assets?"

I nodded and accepted the documents he handed me.

"The old house my mother left me... use the money from the sale to establish a foundation dedicated to supporting orphaned children with stomach cancer."

I picked up the pen and carefully signed my name at the bottom of the documents.

"And please handle this body donation agreement as well."

William's hand trembled slightly.

"Ms. Parker... are you really not planning to tell Mr. Carter?"

"There's no need." I handed the signed documents back to him calmly. "There's nothing left between him and me anymore."

After William left, I called for a car and finally walked away from the mansion I had lived in for the past three years.

When I left, I took only two things with me—the old necklace my mother had left behind, and the bottle of painkillers with the label torn off.

I placed the house key on the cabinet by the entrance, beside the plastic bag containing the plain ring.

The moment the door closed behind me, I never looked back.

The sunlight outside was beautiful, yet I couldn't feel a trace of warmth from it.

I gave the driver the address to a cemetery on the outskirts of the city.

That was where my mother was buried.

Before I left this world completely, I wanted to see her one last time.

The car moved steadily along the highway while I leaned against the window, watching the scenery slip backward into the distance.

At last, through all these repeated tests and disappointments, I had finally seen Daniel's hypocrisy clearly for what it truly was.

What he called love had never been anything more than charity handed down from above, carefully measured after weighing the costs and benefits.

And now, I didn't want it anymore.