"Rose! Oh my God, your face is so pale. What happened?" Lila's voice, her closest friend, rang out the moment Rosemary opened the door to her apartment.

Rosemary didn't answer. Her body swayed, the rain-soaked coat nearly sliding off her shoulders. She walked past the living room with vacant eyes, as if her soul had been left behind in that hotel ballroom.

"Rosemary! Hey, answer me!" Lila rushed after her, grabbing her arm. "You're scaring me."

Rosemary suddenly stopped, her shoulders trembling. A broken whisper escaped her lips.

"He... divorced me. In front of everyone."

Lila froze. "What?!"

Rosemary slowly turned, tears streaming down her face. "Adrian... my husband... he gave a diamond necklace to another woman. And then... he said, 'from tonight, I divorce you.' Everyone laughed at me, Lila. They laughed at me like I was some kind of clown!"

Her sobs erupted. She collapsed onto the floor, covering her face with both hands.

"Oh God..." Lila bent down, wrapping her arms around her trembling friend. "Rose... I can't believe he'd do this to you."

Rosemary shook her head violently, crying harder. "I gave him my whole life, Lila! I quit my job to help him build his business. I abandoned my dreams. I thought he would appreciate that, but instead-" her voice cracked, "he humiliated me in front of everyone!"

Lila stroked her hair, trying to soothe her. "Breathe, Rose. Calm down. You're not alone, I'm here."

Rosemary pushed her away, eyes red and swollen. "Why did he do this to me? Why, Lila? What did I do wrong?!"

Lila shook her head firmly. "You did nothing wrong. He's the one at fault. He's a bastard who doesn't know how to be grateful."

Rosemary suddenly stood, pacing back and forth across the living room. "That woman... the woman in the red dress... who is she really? Why did Adrian call her his first love? Why didn't I ever know?"

"The woman in red?" Lila frowned. "Do you know her?"

Rosemary shook her head, her face filled with anguish. "No. But she smirked at me, Lila. As if she had already won Adrian's heart."

Lila clenched her fists. "If I ever meet that woman, I'll slap her."

Rosemary gave a bitter smile. "Slapping her won't erase the shame I felt tonight. It won't erase the disgusted looks people gave me while I stood there. It won't erase their laughter, Lila. I... I was humiliated."

Her body staggered again before she dropped onto the sofa. Covering her face with her hands, her muffled voice trembled. "I don't even know what to do now."

Lila sat beside her, gripping her hand tightly. "Rose... listen to me. You're stronger than you think. Don't let them break you."

Rosemary looked up at her, eyes swollen. "How can I be strong after my husband discarded me like trash in front of everyone? Do you know what they did, Lila? They recorded it! I could feel the camera flashes on me as I fell apart... they'll spread it everywhere. By tomorrow, everyone will have seen the video. I'll be a laughingstock!"

Lila fell silent. She knew it was true. In the age of social media, that horrible moment could spread in hours.

Rosemary lowered her head, her voice trembling. "I gave Adrian my whole life. I thought... he would always be there for me." She stifled a sob. "I even turned down my dream job abroad because he begged me to stay. I trusted him... and now he trampled me like this."

Silence filled the room, broken only by Rosemary's sobs.

Lila took a deep breath. "Rose... listen to me carefully. Adrian is not a man worth your tears. If he truly loved you, he wouldn't have thrown you away for another woman. He wouldn't have humiliated you in front of the world."

Rosemary shook her head weakly. "I can't accept it, Lila... I just can't. Tonight... his face was so cold, as if I never meant anything to him. As if I was just... an obstacle."

Lila gently wiped her tears. "Maybe he's been with her for a long time. Maybe this was planned all along."

Rosemary's head snapped up, her face frozen. "For a long time?"

"Yes. This couldn't have happened overnight. That woman must have been around, tempting him, manipulating him. And Adrian... was too weak to resist."

Rosemary fell silent, tears glistening in her eyes-but deep inside, a new fire began to burn. "If that's true... then I've been lied to all this time. All his sweet smiles, all his 'I love you's... were nothing but a mask."

Lila nodded slowly. "Rose... I know this is hard. But stop asking what you did wrong. Start asking what you can do now."

Rosemary's breath hitched as she looked at her friend. "What can I do, Lila? Everyone already saw me being thrown away. Everyone laughed at me. I... I'm even afraid to step outside tomorrow."

Lila squeezed her hand tighter. "You can rise again. You can prove you're not a weak woman to be trampled on."

Rosemary went quiet for a long moment. Her tears kept falling, but her face slowly hardened. "Rise again..."

"Yes." Lila's eyes were fierce. "Revenge, Rose. Not with tears, but by showing him that without him, you're stronger. Make Adrian regret ever leaving you."

Rosemary froze. Those words pierced straight into her soul.

Revenge.

She stood slowly, turning to face her reflection in the large mirror of the living room. Her face was broken, her eyes swollen-but deep within them, a spark had begun to ignite.

"Adrian..." she whispered, her voice sharp as glass. "You think you can humiliate me in front of everyone, then live happily with her? You're dead wrong."

Lila looked at her, startled by the shift in her expression. "Rose?"

Rosemary gave a bitter, determined smile. "I gave him everything. Now it's my turn to take it all back-and more."

She clenched her fists tightly. "I swear, Lila. I won't stay silent. Adrian will pay for what he's done to me. He... will regret it."

"Knock... knock... knock!"

The sound of Rosemary's hand rapping against the door echoed through the house she once called home. Her fingers trembled-not from fear, but from a mixture of anger and bitter resolve.

The door swung open hard. Adrian stood there, his face tense.

"Rosemary?" His voice was heavy, laced with scorn. "So, you finally decided to show up."

Rosemary's eyes were cold. "I came to collect my things. Leave the rest here-I don't care."

Adrian let out a mocking chuckle, folding his arms across his chest. "Your things? You disappear for two days without a word, and now you show up with that pathetic face, claiming you just want to get your belongings? Do you think I believe that?"

Rosemary lifted her chin, forcing down the pain in her chest. "I didn't disappear. I needed time after the humiliation you put me through. I won't spend another night under the same roof as a man like you."

Adrian stepped forward, his eyes sharp and cutting. "Humiliation? Don't blame me for your own foolishness. You crashed a party uninvited, embarrassed yourself in front of everyone, and now you point fingers at me? That wasn't my fault, Rosemary. That was yours."

Rosemary let out a bitter laugh. "My fault? My fault for being a loyal wife? My fault for giving you my entire life? My fault for believing in you?"

"Loyal?" Adrian sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "You vanished for two days, Rosemary. Two nights, gone. Tell me-where were you sleeping? Or should I say-with whom?"

Rosemary's face hardened, her expression freezing over. "You dare accuse me of that? After everything you've done? You paraded another woman in front of me, and yet you call me a woman of the night?"

Adrian leaned closer, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "Who knows, Rose? A wounded woman can do anything. Perhaps you found comfort in another man's arms. Doesn't that sound... more believable?"

SLAP!

Rosemary's hand struck Adrian's cheek, the sound ringing through the living room.

"Don't you ever insult me like that again, Adrian!" Rosemary's eyes blazed. "I may have lost a miserable marriage, but I have not lost my dignity!"

Adrian held his cheek, his expression darkening before twisting into a cold laugh. "You dare slap me-in my own house?"

"Your house?" Rosemary's chest rose and fell as her gaze swept the room. "This house was built from both our sweat! From my money too! Don't you dare pretend it belongs to you alone."

Adrian stepped closer, his voice low and threatening. "I don't need your money, Rosemary. All of this is mine. You were just a guest."

Rosemary's body shook, but her voice was steady. "A guest? I gave up my career to support you! I handled your business papers, stood by you when you were nothing. And now you tell me I was just a guest?"

Adrian's grin turned cruel. "Yes. You were nothing more than a burden I carried all this time."

Rosemary closed her eyes for a moment, breathing through the sting of his words. When she opened them again, her gaze was filled with steel. "If I was a burden, then remember this: that 'burden' is what carried you to where you are today. Don't forget, Adrian-without me, you would still be nobody."

For a fleeting moment, Adrian froze, his face stiffening. But quickly, he masked it with another cold laugh. "Still daring to challenge me? Even after I cast you out in front of everyone?"

Rosemary stepped forward, their faces only inches apart. "Yes, I dare. Because that night, you thought you turned me into a pathetic woman. But that same night, I realized-I don't want to live in your shadow anymore. You can insult me, accuse me, throw me away. But listen to this, Adrian: I will not stay down forever. And when I rise, you'll be the one brought to your knees."

Adrian narrowed his eyes, his tone quiet but razor-sharp. "A threat? You think you can fight me? You're alone, Rosemary. You have nothing left."

Rosemary gave a bitter smile. "Maybe I am alone now. But I have something stronger than anything you own. And that resolve will destroy you, Adrian. One day, it will."

They stared each other down, the air so heavy it felt like knives slicing through the silence.

Finally, Rosemary turned away, holding back her tears. She walked into the bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and began packing her things into a suitcase. Her hands trembled-not from fear, but from the weight of heartbreak.

Adrian stood at the doorway, arms folded, his face cold. "Take whatever you want. After this, never come back."

Rosemary zipped the suitcase shut and stood tall. She looked at Adrian one last time-no longer as a broken wife, but as a woman ready for retribution.

"Don't worry, Adrian. I won't come back. But I promise you this-you'll miss the days when I was by your side. You will regret it."

Adrian didn't respond, only smirked. But deep inside, something about her final look unsettled him.

Rosemary dragged her suitcase toward the door. As she stepped out, Adrian's voice rang behind her.

"Don't ever come back to my house after the divorce, Rosemary. I will never take you back again!"

The shrill ring of a phone echoed through Adrian's luxurious office. He had just taken a sip of wine when the name Markus – Personal Assistant flashed across the screen. With irritation, Adrian pressed the answer button.

"Yes, Markus. What is it?" His voice was heavy, dripping with impatience.

On the other end, Markus's tone was urgent and laced with worry.

"Sir Adrian... we have a serious problem. The launch of the gown collection is in two days-our design team's work has been rejected by the investors."

Adrian's brows furrowed instantly. "Rejected? What do you mean rejected? Didn't we send them the final revisions last week?"

Markus swallowed audibly. "Yes, sir. But the investors said the designs... lack the soul they're looking for. They called them stiff, lifeless."

Adrian rose from his chair, pacing back and forth as his face flushed with heat. "Stiff? Lifeless? What kind of nonsense is that? They were the ones who approved the initial concept in the first place!"

Markus's voice dropped lower, hesitant, as if afraid of Adrian's reaction. "The investors gave a new condition. They'll only proceed... if the designs are made by Mrs. Rosemary."

Silence.

Adrian froze mid-step. His jaw clenched tightly. "What did you just say?"

"They want Mrs. Rosemary's designs, sir. They're threatening to pull their investment and take it to our competitor if she doesn't handle the launch collection."

"Damn it!" Adrian roared, slamming his fist against the desk, nearly toppling the glass. "Rosemary again! Even after I cast her aside, her name still haunts my company!"

Markus's voice was barely a whisper now. "I'm sorry, sir. But the investors were very clear. They said only Rosemary can bring the elegance they expect. Without her, the launch will be a disaster."

Adrian's fist tightened until his knuckles turned white. His breath came in harsh bursts, fueled by anger. "Impossible... Rosemary won't come back. I won't beg her."

He ended the call in frustration and hurled his phone onto the sofa. His face was crimson with rage.

"What's going on?" Cassandra's voice drifted from the door. She stepped in, draped in a silk-blue gown, her hair cascading perfectly, her smile alluring yet edged with calculation.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Adrian snapped.

Cassandra arched a brow. "With that tone, clearly something's wrong. Tell me."

Adrian exhaled heavily before finally spitting out the truth through clenched teeth. "The investors for the launch in two days... rejected everything. They want only Rosemary's designs."

Cassandra's smile faltered for a split second. "Rosemary?"

"Yes." Adrian rubbed his temples with frustration. "That woman... even after I threw her out, she still overshadows everything. The investors are threatening to pull out unless she does the collection."

Cassandra was silent for a moment, then her lips curved subtly, hiding a flicker of satisfaction beneath a sweet tone. "So, without Rosemary, the project could collapse?"

Adrian glared at her. "Yes. And I will not humiliate myself by crawling back to her."

Cassandra moved closer, her hand brushing Adrian's arm tenderly. "Then let me handle this."

Adrian turned to her suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

Her smile gleamed with confidence. "You know I studied at one of Milan's top design schools. Fashion has been my world long before I returned to this city. If the investors demand quality, I can deliver it-better than Rosemary."

Adrian's eyes narrowed. "The investors specifically asked for Rosemary. They know her work. They're not fools."

Cassandra let out a soft, mocking laugh. "They're clinging to a myth. Rosemary's name may still enchant them, but I can create designs just as good-if not superior. Give me the chance, Adrian. Let me prove I can replace her completely."

Adrian remained silent, his face taut with conflicting emotions-anger, pride, and doubt. He collapsed back into his chair, rubbing his face with both hands. "Damn it... two days left. I don't have time to renegotiate."

Cassandra leaned against the chair's armrest, locking eyes with him. "Trust me. This is my moment to show who truly deserves to stand by your side. I'll take over the project, and when it succeeds, everyone will forget Rosemary. They'll remember only Cassandra."

Adrian stared at her, searching her expression. Confidence radiated from her words, but he knew the investors weren't easily deceived. Still, his pride outweighed his logic.

"Fine," he said coldly at last. "I'll give you the chance. Take over the project. Create something better than Rosemary ever could. But if you fail..." He leaned forward, his gaze sharp as a blade. "You'll share the downfall of this company with me."

Cassandra's smile never wavered. "I won't fail, Adrian. I'll prove to you that Rosemary is the past. I am your future."

But deep inside Adrian, Rosemary's shadow lingered. The investors' words echoed relentlessly in his mind: "We only trust Rosemary's touch."

And though his pride refused to admit it, he knew the truth-Cassandra could never match Rosemary's brilliance.

Yet Adrian was far too arrogant to say it aloud.