But out of guilt, he kept trying to make it up to Mandy. The two of them grew closer and closer, even his son began to like her more.

Meanwhile, the future version of me became quieter by the day, weighed down by misery. Even the paintbrushes I once loved had been abandoned in a corner, left to gather dust.

Just thinking about it made my chest ache in waves. I could not bear to imagine how wronged and heartbroken my future self must have felt.

Liam looked at me coldly, disappointment filling his eyes.

"Stella, the evidence from the fire back then was already conclusive. I thought you were the type to own up to what you did. I never expected you'd still be making excuses even now.

"Tell me this: would Mandy really set herself on fire?

"If I hadn't saved her that night, she might actually have died in that house. Do you understand?"

I met Liam's sharp gaze as grief and bitterness surged through me at the same time.

Back before graduation, someone in class falsely accused me of stealing. Eighteen-year-old Liam had stepped in front of me without hesitation.

"I know better than anyone what kind of person Stella is. Anyone in this class could be the thief, including me, but Stella would never do something like that."

He defended me, found the real thief, and cleared my name.

But ten years later, the man who once swore he trusted me more than anyone had chosen to believe someone else instead.

I forced down the burning bitterness in my chest and let out a mocking laugh.

"Liam, I really never imagined you'd become this stupid after ten years."

His expression darkened instantly.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean exactly what I said. Liam, you're an idiot. The twenty-eight-year-old me must deeply regret marrying you."

A flicker of shock crossed his eyes. He clearly hadn't expected me to say something like that. Then anger quickly took over.

"You regret marrying me? I haven't even regretted marrying you! Keep talking like this and I'll divorce you indeed!"

Charles immediately lifted his chin at me smugly.

"Dad, every time you say things like that and threaten divorce, she starts crying again. I hate it when she acts like that.

"Mandy is way better. She's smart, pretty, and she knows how to paint too. Dad, if you really divorce her, then marry Mandy and let her be my mom."

I glanced at the father and son standing in front of me.

"If you two are really that impatient, then let's not wait. We can get divorced right now."

Liam and Charles both froze.

I walked straight into the study, turned on the printer, downloaded a divorce agreement template, printed it out, and handed it directly to Liam.

"I don't want a single cent from you. Just sign it. Once you do, I'll leave immediately."

He stared at me as though he no longer recognized me, unable to believe I would ever say something like this to him.

Of course he could not understand.

Because the soul inside this body was no longer the twenty-eight-year-old Stella who had been worn down by life.

It was the eighteen-year-old Stella instead, someone who knew how to love deeply and let go cleanly.

Still holding the divorce papers, Liam remained stunned.

"You don't want anything? You don't even want your son anymore?"

Charles pursed his lips and stared at me with wide eyes.

I looked back at my five-year-old son.

The future me had suffered terribly to bring him into this world. During pregnancy, her body swelled constantly, stretch marks spread across her skin, she could barely eat or sleep, and near delivery she suffered a massive hemorrhage.

It took three days and three nights of emergency treatment before both mother and child finally survived.

When he was three years old and first saw the scar, his little face had filled with heartbreak.

"My teacher said having babies really hurts. Mommy worked so hard.

"When I grow up, I'm going to earn lots and lots of money and give it all to Mommy. Even if I only have food for myself, I'll still share half with Mommy."

Back then, his whole world revolved around me. He always wanted to give me the very best things he had.

But now, at five years old, his heart had already tilted toward Mandy.

And today, he had even threatened to throw me out of my own home.

"I don't want any of it. Keep everything."

Liam suddenly tore the divorce papers into pieces. He grabbed my wrist, fury blazing in his eyes.

"Nicely done, Stella. You picked our seventh anniversary to ask me for a divorce, hit our son, and now you don't even want custody anymore, all just so you can leave me?

"Have you forgotten how many years you've been a housewife? If we divorce, who's going to support you? What can you even do?

"Or are you still angry that Mandy and I went to the art exhibition yesterday?

"Wasn't it you who refused to go? You said your hands couldn't even hold a paintbrush steady anymore and that you didn't want to go. So what exactly are you throwing a tantrum over now?"

At twenty-eight years old, the very first note in my phone was about yesterday's exhibition.

Liam rarely invited me anywhere. The future version of me had actually been excited at first, until she found out the person he truly wanted to invite was Mandy. I had only been an afterthought.

That was why she turned him down.

Just as I was about to speak, Liam suddenly let go of me and sighed deeply.

"We've already made enough of a scene today. I doubt you're in the mood to celebrate our anniversary anymore.

"I'm taking our son to tonight's painting appreciation banquet. Stay home, calm down, and stop acting crazy."

With that, he left with our son.

I stood there for a few seconds before anger exploded inside me. I slammed my fist against the wall twice, biting my lip as my eyes reddened.

"Liam, you b*stard!"

The Liam from when I was eighteen, the Liam who stood in front of me yesterday, would never have dared speak harshly to me. Back then, he only ever praised me for having personality. Whenever I got moody, he would grin and call me his little princess.

However, the moment I woke up ten years into the future, I had somehow become a lunatic in his eyes.

And the way he treated the future me was unbearably cold.

In their chat history, there was only message after message from me asking about him, caring about him, trying to talk to him.

For four whole years, he had barely responded.

I still did not understand why I had suddenly traveled ten years into the future, and I understood even less how the confident, radiant girl I used to be had become so pitiful and meek.

But now that I was here, I was going to end this dead marriage with my own hands.

And as for the fire that ruined me back then, I was going to uncover the truth myself and slap every single person who slandered me with the evidence.

Scrolling through the notes on my phone, I found information about the maid who had disappeared after the fire years ago.

The future me had once wanted to clear her own name too, but after marrying Liam, she gradually lost contact with all her old friends. Later, depression consumed her, leaving her without the energy to travel around searching for people or the truth.

But I was different.

At eighteen, the one thing I had in abundance was energy.

I contacted a few friends, and before long we tracked down the maid's whereabouts.

"What a coincidence," my friend said over the phone. "She's working as a nanny at my house now. We're actually hosting a painting banquet tonight too. I'll come pick you up."

Not long later, a luxury car arrived downstairs.

I got into Sam Callahan's car.

Back in university, I had studied painting as well. I worked incredibly hard and had real talent too. I learned a lot, competed in countless contests with my senior, and once had a future full of promise ahead of me.

But after all these years, I had become a housewife.

Meanwhile, Sam had become a respected artist with a well-known name in the art world.

He glanced at me and suddenly smiled.

"Long time no see, Stella. It's been almost six years, hasn't it? I honestly thought you'd never contact me again."

I gave an awkward laugh and apologized softly.

Sam remained as gentle and refined as ever.

"There'll be a lot of people at tonight's painting appreciation event. Want to paint something too?"

I agreed immediately.

"Sure. I'll do one right now."

I grabbed the paper and brush beside me and lowered my head to paint.

Half an hour later, as the drive came to an end, I finally set the brush down and handed the completed painting to him.

Sam froze for a second before breaking into a smile.

"I heard you stopped painting after getting married and lost your touch. Looks like that was a lie.

"You haven't declined at all. If anything, your work has even more soul now. Later, I'm going to show this painting to those old critics and make them jealous."

I simply smiled without replying.

The car soon arrived at the banquet venue. The moment Sam and I entered, we immediately went to find the former maid.

She handed me a USB drive, guilt written all over her face as she apologized.

"Madam, I'm sorry for framing you back then. This contains the recording of Ms. Coot ordering me to do it, along with the video revealing the truth about the fire. I've kept them all these years.

"She threatened me at the time. She said if I refused to help her, she'd cut off my mother's medical expenses. I was foolish and made the wrong choice. I haven't had a single peaceful night of sleep since then.

"I could never get close to you or Mr. Beaumont to tell the truth. Thankfully, you came to find me. You gave me a chance to make up for what I did."

I took the USB drive from her hand.

After being buried for so many years, the truth had finally ended up within my reach.

I wondered what kind of expression Liam would have once he learned everything. He would realize that the innocent, pure Mandy he trusted so completely was actually a vicious woman hiding beneath the surface.

I slipped the USB drive into my pocket and walked into the main hall.

At that moment, the painting I had finished earlier had already been hung on the exhibition wall by Sam.

Liam and Charles had also arrived at the banquet. Charles stared at the painting in open admiration, while Liam frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on it as though lost in thought.

After all, he had once loved me.

He knew me well, and he knew my paintings even better.

Maybe he had already recognized my work.

Just as I was about to walk toward him, a beautiful woman stepped in front of me.

I did not remember her personally, but I had seen her photos on my phone before.

She was Mandy.

She looked me up and down in surprise before letting out a mocking laugh.

"Stella, I'm shocked you'd actually dare come out alone.

"After the fire years ago, I thought you'd be too ashamed to ever show your face in public again.

"Or is it because Liam is attending tonight? Were you afraid something might happen between us, so you couldn't resist following him here?"

I looked at her calmly.

"Liam and I are legally married. At most, you're just a mistress who never managed to replace the wife.

"So why exactly do you care where I go?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Mandy's face again before she smiled faintly.

"I didn't expect you to be able to control your emotions now. No more attacking people?

"So your illness is finally under control?

"But it doesn't matter. The person Liam trusts now is me.

"And you? You're still just a vicious woman accused of attempted murder. Even if you've regained your sanity, that stain will never disappear."

I looked at the smug expression on her face.

"You seem very confident that you can keep suppressing me forever."

Mandy curled her lips into a smile, a flash of malice passing through her eyes.

"Years ago, all it took was one simple fire to turn you into a woman everyone despised.

"I even warned you back then: stop flaunting your identity as Mrs. Beaumont everywhere you go.

"For all these years, you stayed obedient.

"So why stop now?

"Why insist on challenging my patience?

"Since you refuse to behave tonight, I'll make sure you're completely ruined."

Still gripping my hand, Mandy suddenly shoved herself backward.

Her body crashed into the table behind her. Wine glasses shattered across the surface with a loud crash as her palm slammed straight into the broken glass.

Blood dripped down the shards while she cried out in pain.

The surrounding guests immediately rushed over.

I stood there in shock.

I had never imagined she would be ruthless enough to hurt herself like this.

Liam hurried to her side at once.

"Mandy! Are you alright? Call an ambulance now!"

Mandy collapsed into Liam's arms, her eyes red as she spoke…