Chandler's childhood friend had just lost her husband.

On our fifth wedding anniversary, he dragged both mother and daughter into a jazz club. In front of everyone, he pulled off my wedding ring:

"Paige needs a title now; the ring doesn’t suit you anymore."

"From tomorrow, quit your job and focus on taking care of them at home."

The room went silent. Everyone awaited my reaction, expecting an outburst.

Instead, I calmly placed the pre-signed divorce agreement on the table and walked away.

A friend stood up, ready to intervene, but Chandler swirled his whiskey and sneered:

"Let her go. She’ll be back before sunrise, begging for forgiveness."

As the door slammed shut, the room erupted in mocking laughter.

What they didn't know was that half an hour earlier, I'd received an email confirming my visa approval.

The person responsible for picking me up was already waiting outside my home ten minutes ago.

This time, I was leaving for good.

---

When I looked up and saw the smudge of garish lipstick on Chandler's collar, my voice tightened as I nodded.

"Okay."

"You agreed?"

Chandler hadn’t expected me to assent so easily, staring at me intently, his gaze scrutinizing.

"Yes, I agree."

After five years of marriage, he knew how much I cherished that ring, how I would never take it off lightly. Yet he chose to force me to do so for another woman.

What was the point of staying with someone like that?

Thinking this, my throat tightened, but I managed a smile.

"Let's get divorced. I’ll step aside for you two."

As soon as the words were out, not just Chandler but everyone else in the room looked surprised.

Especially seeing the divorce agreement, Chandler seemed momentarily bewildered.

But then his lips curled into a mocking smile.

"Trying to play hard to get? Evelyn, you've picked up some bad habits. And after leaving me? Who else would want you?"

The whole room burst into laughter.

"Evelyn finally realizes being clingy is a bad thing!"

"Throwing a tantrum now—when did Evelyn grow a backbone!"

"After leaving Chandler, where can you go?"

They all believed I was hopelessly devoted to Chandler, someone who would never leave no matter what, letting their malice and disdain seep through without restraint.

Their sharp tongues had wounded my spirit countless times, but now I was numb.

I gazed at them quietly, my tone indifferent, "I'll be leaving tonight. Set a time, and we can finalize the paperwork."

With that, I turned to leave.

He, inexplicably upset, grabbed my hand, "Why are you making such a fuss?"

Paige promptly came over, tugging on Chandler's sleeve, her face innocently vulnerable.

"Chandler, don’t argue because of me."

"Evelyn, please don’t be angry with Chandler. If you mind, we can leave."

I impatiently withdrew my hand, "Do as you wish."

Unexpectedly, Paige lightly fell to the ground, clutching her chest and gasping dramatically.

The next second, Chandler, eyes red, held her and shouted at me.

"Evelyn! What are you doing? If you're upset, speak up—why play these petty games with Paige?!"

For a moment, my heart stopped. Intense sadness and anger clenched at my heart.

"I didn’t touch her; she fell on her own."

Before I could finish, Paige’s weak voice rang out, "It hurts..."

Chandler's expression immediately shifted, crouching to inspect her.

Seeing Paige's face turn pale, Chandler's eyes softened with concern.

"Evelyn, I'll deal with you later!"

Without bothering to argue further, he glared at me fiercely, turned, and carried Paige away.

I stood there, watching their hasty departure.

The cold wind blew through the void in my heart, chilling me deeply.

Thankfully, all this would soon be over.

After leaving the lounge and arriving home, I hurriedly packed a few clothes and gathered all my important documents. Just as I was about to step out, the door flew open from the outside.

The first person to rush in was Adalyn, Paige's daughter. As soon as she entered, she launched herself at me, kicking me forcefully.

"You horrible woman, you bullied my mom, you're heartless!"

Her kick hurt, and I was about to scold her when Chandler's commanding voice echoed behind me.

"Take the child to her room!"

"Put her in the car."

Before I could react, a few bodyguards closed in, escorting me to the car.

Ten minutes later, I found myself in a private clinic, restrained on a surgical table. Panicking, I turned to Chandler with fear and anger. "What are you doing?"

His voice was strained. "Paige just arrived home, and I don’t want her feeling stressed. We can't have this baby right now."

I stared into Chandler's eyes, my nails digging into my palms, my voice breaking with anguish. "So you're willing to hurt your own child for another woman?"

He avoided my gaze. "Yes."

That single word plunged me into despair. I knew no matter how much I pleaded, his decision would remain unchanged.

"I hope you never regret this!"

Before the anesthesia took hold, I closed my eyes tightly, a faint voice lingering in my mind. The doctor hesitated, "Ma'am's health is fragile. Losing this child might make it difficult for her to conceive again. Shouldn't we reconsider?"

"No." Chandler dismissed the concern without hesitation.

After a pause, he spoke again, his voice haunting the shadows. "Even if she can't have another child, I believe she'll forgive me."

In my unconscious state, I dreamed.

In the dream, a man approached me, his face blurred but his smile gentle. I reached out to grasp his hand but couldn't break free, crying out desperately.

"Finnegan, save me, save me..."

I awoke suddenly to Chandler's angry eyes.

"Evelyn, whose name were you just calling?"

I pressed my lips tightly together, staring blankly at the ceiling. "You misheard."

His gaze remained skeptical but he chose to believe me. Perhaps he thought someone like me couldn't possibly have anyone else in my heart.

Seeing me touch my now-flat abdomen, Chandler showed a flicker of guilt and offered a weak explanation.

"Paige married another man because of me, ruining her life. I owe her this; I have to do it."

"I know you're upset, but you are still my wife; that won't change."

"Recover your health, there'll be more children."

I maintained an indifferent expression, saying nothing.

Misinterpreting my silence as anger, he reached out to touch my face.

I turned away, his hand left hanging, his eyes showing a hint of panic.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but I was already fed up with the lingering scent of Paige's perfume on him, speaking with disdain.

"If there's nothing else, I need to rest. Please leave."

My cold attitude seemed to wound him, and Chandler grew slightly irritated.

"Evelyn, will you ever be satisfied? I've already spoken kindly to you, what more do you want?"

I closed my eyes, unwilling to look at him any longer.

"Chandler, where have you been? Adalyn is crying to see you, come back and keep us company, okay?"

The soft voice over the phone made Chandler's expression waver.

He gave me a final glance. "I'll go see Adalyn and be back."

Once he left, I reached for my phone.

There were dozens of missed calls.

I called back, and the line connected immediately.

"Evelyn, you finally turned your phone back on. I was so worried. What's happened? Are you having second thoughts?"

"No, something unexpected came up, had a minor surgery. I'll come once I've rested for a few days."

"This is a big deal; why didn't you tell me? No, I need to come and get you myself."

I was about to refuse, but the call ended abruptly.

That night, Paige sent me a message gloatingly.

Besides a recording of Chandler promising to care for her and her daughter forever, she sent photos of various intimate moments with Chandler, filled with teasing and provocation.

Unable to bear it, I turned off my phone.

Feeling drained, I drifted back to sleep.

When I woke up, it was already the next day.

I completed the discharge paperwork on my own and returned home, only to find my room had been taken over.

Adalyn was sitting in the midst of it all, fiddling with something in her hands.

My breath caught.

She was holding a gold locket meant for the unborn child.

I rushed over, snatching the locket back. Adalyn glared at me before bursting into loud sobs.

Hearing the commotion from my room, Chandler entered.

He didn’t say a word, just tossed a necklace in my direction, expensive and elegant.

"Fine, consider this your compensation."

"This locket isn't worth much. Since the child likes it, let her play with it for a while."

His words stabbed at my heart.

This locket was crafted by a master artisan at Chandler's request, engraved with the child’s birth details and blessed in a cathedral. He once said he would cherish our child as much as he cherished me.

But in reality, his affections had long shifted elsewhere.

I laughed bitterly, smashing the locket on the ground, shattering it to pieces.

"If my child wasn't kept alive by this locket, perhaps it's cursed, better to destroy it."

"Unless it passes its bad luck to your child, wouldn’t you agree?"

Chandler couldn't find a retort, but her words sparked an unexplained irritation in him.

Unable to find a reason to argue, he stormed out.

Shortly after, the door creaked open once more.

But this time, it wasn’t Chandler—it was Paige.

Her face was beaming with triumph, smirking at me.

"Evelyn, seeing you like this is pure joy."

I glanced at her, uninterested in conversation.

"Well, Chandler loves me; he would give up anything for me, even his own child and you."

Presuming I had seen her post on social media, she continued with a provocative air.

"Chandler never treated you with such intimacy, right? He always said you were lifeless and dull."

"I really pity you, spending five years with a man who doesn’t love you."

Her words dripped with malice as she eyed my neck, her red lips curling with satisfaction.

She manipulated her collar, revealing more skin marked with intimate traces.

She expected me to break, to cry, to rage.

But I only raised an eyebrow, without any emotion.

"Then you should savor it."

Seeing her attempt to anger me fail, Paige became annoyed, her eyes narrowing.

"Evelyn, you might not know, but I suggested getting rid of your child."

"As long as my child is around, yours won’t live a day!"

That statement broke me.

I raised my head sharply, eyes bloodshot, grabbing a vase and hurling it at Paige.

Though it missed, she screamed in shock, “Ah!”

Chandler burst through the door, Paige lying on the floor, tears streaking her face.

Upon seeing Chandler, Paige’s delicate fingers clutched Chandler's shirt collar, her complexion pale, her voice feeble.

"Chandler, I’m so afraid. Why is Evelyn doing this to me? I clearly didn’t do anything…"

Chandler rushed over, shoving me aside to pull Paige up.

I stumbled, falling onto the floor.

Fragments embedded into my palms, small droplets of blood emerging.

But Chandler didn’t notice, his expression dark, his eyes filled with disdain as he looked at me.

"Evelyn, have you no humanity? Paige is already like this, yet you still want to harm her?!"

Adalyn rushed up, hitting and kicking me.

I staggered upright, my heart felt like it was being suffocated, making it hard to breathe.

"I harmed her? Chandler, are you blind? Can’t you see she’s the one hurting me?"

"Enough! Evelyn, even now you're slandering Paige! I never realized how malicious you are!"

Chandler was furious, picking up another vase and throwing it at me.

The next moment, with a dull thud, blood slowly dripped from my forehead.

Chandler hesitated, then said instinctively, "Why didn’t you dodge…"

His gaze lingered on my face with a flicker of hesitation. Just as he was about to help me up, someone behind him held him back.

"Chandler, I'm in pain..." Paige whimpered softly against Chandler's chest, tears streaming down like a broken string of pearls.

Chandler's expression instantly became tense. Without even glancing at me, he turned and hurriedly carried Paige out of the room.

As I watched them leave, darkness engulfed me, and I fell to the floor, hitting my head hard.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a hospital room.

The door creaked open, and Aarav, the assistant, entered.

"Mr. Oliver asked that when you wake up, you join him at the chapel to pray for Miss Jensen. The car is already waiting at the entrance."

Swallowing my sadness, I nodded and held back my tears.

Fine. Once this is done, I can leave for good.

On the way to the chapel, Chandler cradled Paige in his arms, while I sat alone up front. The two of them were so wrapped up in each other, it was like I didn't even exist.

I chose not to dwell on it and instead gazed out the window.

Then, a piercing screech of brakes shattered the silence.

It was followed by a series of urgent collisions and the sound of shattering glass.

Before losing consciousness, I saw Chandler rushing towards me, "Evelyn, don't worry, I'm here to help you."

But in the next moment, at Paige's frantic cries, he immediately turned and lifted her in his arms.

"Chandler, Chandler..."

I called out his name, desperately reaching my hand out to stop him from leaving with Paige.

Chandler heard me, but kept Paige close.

"Paige is bleeding; she needs to get to the hospital immediately. Just hang in there, help will be here soon."

Feeling helpless, I closed my eyes as tears blurred my vision.

An hour later.

Chandler's people couldn't find me at the crash site, and he sent me a message.

"Let me know you're okay. I'm tied up with Paige here. I'll come see you later."

I didn't reply.

That night, before boarding the plane for a fresh start, Chandler called again.

I ignored it, blocked all his contacts, and tossed the SIM card.

From then on, Chandler Oliver was no longer a part of my life.