The day before Eloise's college entrance exams, Edward suddenly suggested we go finalize our divorce papers. I was momentarily taken aback.

"Weren't we supposed to wait until after Eloise's exams?" I asked, incredulously.

His gaze shifted uneasily. "Edith, that was the initial plan, but Danna's family is pushing for a quick wedding. However, if you're concerned about Eloise's performance and are willing to give me half of the assets, I might persuade them to delay..."

I cut him off sharply.

"No need. Let's go to the courthouse right now."

He froze, shock evident on his face as I walked ahead with a cold smile.

I had overheard Danna pushing him, "Sweetheart, leaving with nothing is so unfair. Edith is only agreeing to the divorce because she's worried about Eloise. Use that to pressure her into splitting the assets before the exams."

But they didn't know that my daughter had already spoken to me yesterday.

"Mom, I've known for a while that Dad is involved with my friend's mom. It won't affect me. Just go through with the divorce."

---

When Edward suggested we finalize the divorce today, I was in the kitchen preparing veggies for Eloise's exam feast. With tomorrow being such a crucial day, my nerves were already frayed.

Initially, I didn't react. I couldn't believe Danna had swayed him, completely disregarding Eloise's upcoming exams. Trying to suppress my overwhelming anger, I grabbed my ID and marched out.

But as I stepped through the door, Edward was nowhere in sight. I turned back and found him still there, dumbfounded, not following me.

"What are you waiting for? Aren't we going to the courthouse?" I asked, puzzled.

A flicker of panic and surprise crossed his face, and he stammered, "Going now, aren't you worried it might affect Eloise's exams?"

Furious, I laughed bitterly. "What do you mean by that? Is it you who's worried, or should I be? If you hadn’t been unfaithful, Eloise wouldn't be dealing with this. Now, on the eve of her exams, you propose such plans. Have you ever truly seen her as your daughter?"

He was momentarily speechless, his face pale.

"Of course I have; I've cared for her for eighteen years. You can't negate that with one sentence. Yes, I slipped up, but my love for her remains."

I smirked coldly. "Would someone who truly loves her heed Danna's advice to disrupt her focus?"

His expression tightened as he defended himself. "It wasn't her; I'm just uneasy about being broke, which is why I suggested splitting the assets. Don't think she's that terrible."

I refused to argue further. From the moment he fell for Danna, his heart no longer had room for Eloise or me.

"I’m not sure if she's terrible, but anyone who inserts themselves into someone else's marriage can't be very honorable. You were the one at fault from the beginning; we've already drafted the divorce agreement, and it won't change. Let's finalize the papers now and avoid dragging this out any longer."

Edward stood there, stunned. "You two can't manage without me, right? Why this sudden hurry? It makes me sound like a nuisance."

I turned away and continued walking, leaving his questions unanswered.

He had this idea all because, six months ago, after discovering his affair, I cried, argued, and pleaded multiple times with him not to get divorced.

"We've been married for over ten years. Even if you don't care about our relationship, think about our daughter. Please don't let this affect her college entrance exams."

"When I found out about your affair, I was shocked, heartbroken, and felt like killing you. But our daughter can't go without a father."

"Can we at least postpone the divorce? Although I hesitate to end this decade-long marriage, I won't stop you if you want to leave. But could you please consider us a bit longer? Could we wait another six months?"

To my dismay, he used this situation to control me, threatening to reveal everything to our daughter if I didn't comply.

As the guilty party, I sought legal advice and drafted an agreement, offering him only five thousand pounds. We had nearly six hundred thousand in assets, so naturally, he was unwilling to walk away with just five thousand.

Yet he was so eager for the divorce that he signed the papers without even informing Danna. In the days that followed, we kept up appearances as a normal couple, doing our best to prevent our daughter from noticing the sham.

However, Danna was furious when she learned he received only five thousand pounds, while the rest of the money and the house went to me.

That day, I was waiting for my daughter in a coffee shop. If it hadn't been for Danna's voice, I wouldn't have realized I was sitting with my back to Edward.

"Darling, why did you sign without discussing it with me?"

"I know you're eager to divorce and be with me, but only getting five thousand pounds is way too little..."

"Of course, I'm not materialistic. I'm upset for your sake, considering Edith Roberts hasn't worked for years—it's all money you've earned."

Though her tone was soft, I could still sense a hint of suppressed anger.

Edward's tone was equally resigned.

"It can't be helped. We're at fault here. I certainly betrayed her and our marriage, and a divorce like this would hurt Eloise significantly. If not for wanting to be with you, I wouldn't have considered it."

"Darling, if I only have these five thousand pounds, would you still want to be with me?"

Danna paused briefly before she chuckled and said:

"Of course I want to be with you. I'm interested in you, not your money. With your talent, earning money is no big deal, right?"

"Let's try something, okay?"

"Edith Roberts is mostly worried about Eloise's college entrance exams. If you scare her the day before, maybe she'll reconsider the arrangement. If she does, it's a win for us. If not, we lose nothing, as we won't have any interactions afterward. Don't bother with all those sentiments, alright?"

Edward hesitated before refusing.

"No, I can't. Despite my relationship with Edith Roberts cooling off, I truly love Eloise. I've watched her grow from birth to now—how could I hurt her at such a crucial moment in her life?"

"Besides, even if we're divorced, Eloise is still my daughter. How could we have no contact?"

Seeing he wouldn't budge, Danna became thoroughly enraged. She suddenly stood up, laughing twice, and said:

"Alright, alright, Edward, you only care about Eloise. Have you thought about what will happen to the child I'm carrying?"

"I risked ruining my reputation to be with you, and now our child is here. Not only are there no promises, but there's also no money. Are you trying to force me into a corner?"

"Since you refuse to divorce, I can't get the marriage certificate, and you only took five thousand pounds. How will we survive?"

Edward was stunned and stood up as well.

"What? You're pregnant?"

In the end, amidst Danna's tearful pleas, Edward gave in. He comforted her, saying, "It's my indecision that brought us to this point. I'll go back and talk to her. Don't worry—even if she's unwilling to change things, I'm still the vice president at Amazon. Making a million, or even ten million, is no challenge for us!"

Danna finally wiped her tears and managed a smile.

My heart sank, frozen in despair, as silent tears streamed down my face. I had clung to the hope that he'd spare me from the final blow, respecting the bond we shared as father and daughter. Yet, two days later—today—he actually proposed the separation.

It had been half a year since I discovered his affair. During those months, I felt fury, heartbreak, and deep self-doubt, feeling both inadequate and trapped. My greatest fear was that this chaos might hurt our daughter.

Yet, as I walked through the courthouse doors, I felt unexpectedly calm and detached. It was something Eloise said yesterday that gave me the courage to break free from the ties he'd used to control me. As for Edward, I was done; anything easily taken is worthless.

For the rest of my life, having my daughter is all I need.

Edward trailed behind, hesitating. It wasn't until the clerk asked him to sign that he snapped out of it and reluctantly scrawled his name.

"Now that the divorce papers are filed, you'll just need to come back after the cooling-off period to finalize it," the clerk said.

Edward glanced up at me sharply, and perhaps it was just my imagination, but I thought I saw a flicker of regret in his eyes. I turned away, and he instinctively reached out to stop me, asking, "Edith, you don't have a job. Even though you have money now, it's tied up in fixed assets. When Eloise goes to college, you'll need a lot of funds. How will you manage?"

I looked at him with disbelief, gazing at the man who'd been at my side—from school uniforms to wedding dresses—for nearly twenty years. A wave of sadness washed over me. But mindful of the public setting, I neither cried nor made a scene, though my voice was taut with suppressed anger.

"What does your concern mean now? When you were with Danna, did you ever think about this?"

"But Edward, wrong is wrong, and there's no going back for us."

"Whatever happens to Eloise and me is no longer your concern."

"Go back, pack your things, and leave. Your Danna and the baby can't wait any longer."

His pupils dilated in shock.

"How did you know she's pregnant?"

I didn't answer; I simply turned and stepped back into my home.