The necklace was stunning, featuring a rare red diamond set in heart-shaped platinum—a symbol of a love that was meant to be unique and irreplaceable.

But that love wasn’t hers to claim.

“No, thank you,” Mia said, shaking her head with a polite smile. “This is a gift from Nick to you. How could I take something so precious away from someone else?”

If it wasn’t meant for her, she wouldn’t take it.

She wouldn’t accept the necklace and she wouldn’t accept the man who gave it either.

“What’s with the attitude?” Nick suddenly snapped, his frustration boiling over. “So I forgot your birthday because I was busy with work. Is it really such a big deal? Do you have to act like this?”

Mia was stunned. She didn’t understand what she had done wrong.

She hadn’t cried or caused a scene. She had smiled the entire time and spoken with perfect courtesy. So why wasn’t he satisfied?

“I wasn’t being sarcastic,” Mia said softly, lowering her gaze to hide the exhaustion in her eyes. “Nick, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to take the necklace? If that’s what you want, I’ll take it.”

With that, she took the necklace and genuinely thanked Xena. “Miss Quinn, thank you for the gift.”

As a stand-in, Mia felt she had already been as accommodating, cooperative, and respectful as she could possibly be to save Nick’s pride.

But for some reason, after she accepted the necklace, Nick became even angrier.

“Mia, you’re unbelievable!” he spat before storming out, slamming the door behind him.

Whether she refused the necklace or accepted it, Nick was furious.

That was when Mia understood that it was never about the necklace. No matter what she did, he would never be satisfied.

“Those who are loved can get away with anything, while those who aren’t can never do anything right,” she concluded.

The birthday cake from Zoe was enormous, but no one joined Mia to eat it. Not wanting to waste Zoe’s thoughtful gesture, she forced herself to eat the entire five-tier cake on her own.

By the time she finished, she was so painfully full that she ended up in the bathroom, throwing up for what felt like forever.

“How absurd,” she thought, slumping onto the bathroom floor. Tears streamed down her face as she laughed silently.

When she was a child, they couldn’t afford birthday cakes. She used to stand outside the bakery, staring through the glass at cakes she could never have.

And now? Now she finally had more cake than she could ever eat, but it only left her sick—her stomach aching and her chest heavy with regret.

“Some things lose their meaning once they’re lost, even if you finally get them back,” she mused.

By evening, Mia had packed her belongings and moved out of the master bedroom.

The rightful owner of Nick’s heart—his “one true love”—was back. As a stand-in, she knew her place. She couldn’t stay in the same room as Nick anymore. It might upset Xena.

As she was moving her things, Xena stepped out of the adjacent room. She was wearing a skimpy camisole dress, so short that it barely covered anything, exposing her alluring shoulders and her long, slender legs.

“Mia, don’t misunderstand,” Xena said sweetly, her voice dripping with false sincerity. “Nicky isn’t staying out of the master bedroom to avoid you. He’s just still upset. Don’t worry, we didn’t do anything. We were just playing cards, that’s all.”

Mia smiled faintly. “There’s no need to explain to me.”

Even if they had done something, it didn’t matter. The divorce papers were already prepared. Tomorrow, she would find the right moment to have Nick sign them.

“Mia, you’re still misunderstanding.” Xena bit her lip, her face a picture of innocence and grievance. “Nicky and I…”

Before Xena could finish, Mia cut her off with a calm smile.

“I know. You and Nick grew up together—childhood sweethearts, deeply bonded. Now that you’ve finally returned after so many years apart, of course, you have plenty to catch up on.

“So go ahead and reminisce. I won’t get in your way.”

With that, Mia turned and walked away without looking back.

Xena stood rooted to the spot, watching Mia intently for a long moment, her gaze heavy with unspoken meaning.

Nick spent the entire night in Xena’s room.

Mia hadn’t gone out of her way to notice this but Mrs. Zimmer, the housekeeper, had eagerly pulled her into the backyard early that morning to share this “important information” in hushed tones.

“Ma’am, you’ve got to start paying attention!” Mrs. Zimmer said anxiously. “That shameless little vixen, Miss Quinn, is clearly here to seduce Mr. Ford! You wouldn’t believe what she was wearing last night. I couldn’t even look!”

Mia smiled faintly. “You’re overthinking it. Miss Quinn and Nick grew up together, and he holds her in high regard. Please don’t speak badly of her again. Nick wouldn’t be happy if he heard you.”

Mrs. Zimmer froze, her expression bewildered. She looked Mia up and down before hesitantly asking, “Ma’am, what’s going on with you?”

“I’m fine,” Mia replied with a smile. “I’m doing great.”

But that smile looked like a mask welded onto her face.

She would keep smiling. She wouldn’t cry anymore.

“No, something’s definitely off with you today!” Mrs. Zimmer said with certainty. “You used to call Mr. Ford affectionately as ‘Nicky,’ but now you’re using his name—Nick!”

Mia lowered her long, dark lashes and stayed silent.

In truth, when she first got together with Nick, she didn’t call him “Nicky” either. Like his friends, she used to call him “Nick.”

It wasn’t until their first night together that he made her call him “Nicky.”

That night, he had pinned her to the bed, blindfolded her with a strip of black cloth, and, while roughly pulling her hair, demanded she call him “Nicky” over and over.

For the longest time, Mia thought “Nicky” was a special name just for her to use, a sign of their intimacy. The thought had secretly made her happy for quite a while.

It wasn’t until yesterday, when she heard Xena call him “Nicky,” that she realized the truth.

No wonder he had blindfolded her that night.

Her eyes didn’t look like Xena’s.

But her voice sounded similar, so he made her call him “Nicky,” over and over again, as if that was all that mattered.

“Mrs. Zimmer,” Mia said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder, “in a place like this, the most important thing is to focus on your work and keep your thoughts to yourself. Please don’t say anything bad about Miss Quinn anymore.”

She would be leaving soon, and Xena would take her place as the lady of the house.

If Mrs. Zimmer offended Xena, she would certainly pay the price later.

After advising Mrs. Zimmer, Mia went upstairs to grab the divorce papers and then headed to Nick’s study.

Nick was busy working but scoffed when he saw her walk in. “Finally realized you were wrong?”

“Yes,” Mia said flatly. If he said she was wrong, then she would let it be. She was too tired to argue, especially since it would all be over in a few days.

“If you’d figured that out sooner, none of this would’ve been necessary!” Nick said irritably, his tone sharp. He pulled a finely crafted gift box out of a drawer and tossed it onto the desk in front of her. “Here’s a belated birthday gift. Open it.”

Mia wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but her instincts told her that if she refused, Nick would only get angry.

She still needed him to sign the divorce papers, so it was better not to provoke him. Silently, she accepted the gift without a word.

Just then, Nick’s phone rang. Out of the corner of her eye, Mia saw the caller ID—Xena.

Nick glanced at her, then pulled a pair of headphones from the drawer and put them on.

He answered the call, and the cold indifference in his eyes was immediately replaced with a smile. His tone softened, a stark contrast to how he spoke to Mia.

Mia placed the divorce papers on the desk in front of him. “Please sign these.”

Without so much as glancing at them, Nick scribbled his signature and went right back to his call with Xena, his voice warm and affectionate.

Mia frowned slightly, hesitating before asking, “Aren’t you going to check what you just signed?”

“No need,” Nick replied impatiently. “It’s just about hiring foreign specialists for your mom’s treatment, right? Take care of it yourself. If there’s anything that needs my signature, just give it to Assistant Wilson to pass on to me. And stop calling me over nothing. Do you have any idea how many important calls I missed last time because you wouldn’t stop blowing up my phone?”

Mia’s mother, Charlie Larson, had passed away a week ago.

She had been in the late stages of brain cancer. Despite Nick’s arrangements for her to stay in the best hospital in the country, her condition continued to deteriorate day by day.

Her moments of clarity grew shorter, and her confusion lasted longer. Most of the time, she couldn’t even recognize Mia.

The attending doctor had warned that they couldn’t delay any longer. A surgery was necessary. Otherwise, Charlie might not make it through the week.

Mia didn’t know what to do. She called Nick, hoping to get his advice.

The first three calls went unanswered, and when he finally picked up on the fourth, he lashed out before she could even speak. “Why are you calling for no reason? I’m busy! Stop bothering me!”

The attending doctor, knowing Mia was Nick’s wife, suggested having Nick bring in foreign specialists to collaborate with the domestic team for a medical consultation. This would increase the chances of a successful surgery.

Mia thanked the doctor, then sat in the hospital corridor with her phone, counting the seconds and minutes until 6 p.m.—Nick’s usual time to leave work.

Summoning her courage, she called him again.

He didn’t pick up. She reasoned he might be working late and decided to wait a bit longer.

This time, she waited until midnight before calling, but no matter how many times she tried, the line wouldn’t connect.

It took her a moment to realize the truth. Nick had blocked her.

For the next week, Nick didn’t come home. Her calls didn’t go through, and her messages went unanswered. Meanwhile, Charlie missed the optimal window for surgery and passed away.

Was Nick really that busy?

So busy that he still found the time, in that same week, to pick out welcome-home gifts for Xena and order her a birthday cake?

Mia couldn’t let herself think about it any longer. She closed her eyes, steadying her trembling hands as she clutched the divorce papers. Without another word, she left the study.

At lunchtime, Mrs. Zimmer prepared a table full of delicious dishes. But Jenna, who had come over to mooch a meal, started nitpicking right away before even sitting down.

“Mia, didn’t you usually do the cooking? Why didn’t you cook today?” Jenna asked provocatively. “Is it because Xena moved in? Do you think you’re too important now to cook for her?”

Hearing this, Nick’s expression darkened, and he cast a cold, piercing glance at Mia, clearly waiting for her response.

How ironic, Mia thought bitterly. Even as his wife, she didn’t have the right to refuse cooking for his "one true love."

“I’m better at making spicy dishes,” Mia said softly, lowering her gaze. “Miss Quinn prefers lighter flavors. I was afraid she wouldn’t like what I make.”

“Then why not just skip the chili?” Jenna shot back, still dissatisfied.

“Jenna, don’t be like that,” Xena interjected, stepping in with a gentle smile. “Mia is your sister-in-law, and you should treat her with respect. Besides, I think Mrs. Zimmer’s cooking tastes wonderful…”

Before Xena could finish her sentence, she suddenly frowned and clutched her stomach, her face contorting in pain.

“Xena, what’s wrong?” Nick exclaimed, rushing to her side immediately to steady her.

“Nicky, my stomach hurts,” Xena whispered weakly, her face pale as she collapsed into his arms, looking delicate and helpless.

Nick frowned deeply. “How could your stomach hurt all of a sudden?”

Jenna’s face lit up with dramatic realization as she pointed accusingly at Mia. “Oh, I get it! No wonder you refused to cook today. You must’ve drugged Xena! You’ve been feeling guilty, so you stayed out of the kitchen on purpose!”