Chapter 2

“I know.”

The moment I returned to the house Ruby and I shared, I did not waste a second. I started packing.

I did not have much. I had a few sets of clothes I wore often, some professional books, and the belongings my father had left me.

I was placing a locked walnut jewelry box into my suitcase when the door swung open.

Hayden stood there with his arms crossed, leaning lazily against the frame. He wore Ruby’s bathrobe, the collar hanging wide open to reveal his toned chest.

He acted like he owned the place.

“Jeff, packing this late at night?” His eyes dropped to my suitcase, the contempt in them completely clear.

“Ruby asked me to check on you,” he said with a smirk. “She was worried you might do something impulsive.”

I ignored him and zipped up my suitcase.

He walked in anyway and picked up a handcrafted brass fidget spinner from my desk.

I had made it in a metalworking class back in college. It was also the first gift I ever gave Ruby.

She had loved it back then. She used to keep it by her bedside.

“This thing is ugly.” He toyed with it, rubbing it between his fingers as if it meant nothing.

Clack.

A sharp sound.

The spinner hit the floor, dented with an ugly mark.

“Oh, my bad. Slipped.” He spread his hands, yet there was no apology in his eyes. Only the thrill of provocation.

In my previous life, I would have rushed him and fought like hell.

However, now, I only glanced at the spinner on the floor. Then I looked up and smiled at him.

“It is fine. I was going to throw it out anyway.”

Hayden’s smile froze.

I walked past him, grabbed my suitcase, and headed for the door.

As I passed him, I paused, leaned close to his ear, and spoke in a voice only he could hear.

“Hayden, how long do you think it took me to get used to that cheap cologne smell on her?”

His face turned ghostly pale.

I did not look back. I pulled my suitcase behind me and walked out of the home I had lived in for five years without a second glance.

The door shut behind me.

A second later, something inside smashed violently against the floor.

I settled into the apartment where Yara had helped me find.

Early the next morning, my phone started ringing.

It was my mother‑in‑law, Natasha Porter.

The second I picked up, her voice came crashing through the line.

“Jeff! What the hell were you doing last night?

“Do you have any idea? You made the entire Wheeler family a joke!

“Ruby’s birthday party was completely ruined because of you.

“Do you have no shame at all?”

I held the phone away from my ear and waited for her to finish.

“Are you done?” I asked.

There was a pause on the other end. She clearly had not expected that.

“What kind of attitude is that? I am telling you, go apologize to Ruby right now! Hayden is a good kid. Stop targeting him all the time!”

“Mom, we are getting a divorce.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? Divorce? I do not agree!” Natasha’s voice sharpened like a blade.

“That is between me and Ruby.”

“Jeff, wake up and face reality. What do you think you are capable of?

“Without Ruby, you are nothing. A complete failure.”

I hung up.

Silence at last.

Not long after, a notification popped up on my phone.

A bank alert.

All the credit cards under my name had been frozen.

Then Ruby’s message came through.

[Jeff, enjoy what it feels like to have no money. When you finally come to your senses and admit you were wrong, come beg me.]

The message ended with an icy, arrogant period.

After deleting it, I opened a secondhand luxury marketplace app. One by one, I listed the watches I had once been reluctant to wear and the suits I had barely touched.

I had bought all of them with my own money before the marriage. They would become the starting funds for my new life.

That afternoon, I received a call from an unknown number. The caller said they were from the organizers of the Brighton Charity Auction.

“Mr. Baker, hello. We have received notice from Ms. Wheeler to cancel your VIP seat for this auction.

“Additionally, the designer tea set she submitted, First Light, is to be cataloged under Mr. Gibson at her request.”

I held the phone in silence for a few seconds.

In my previous life, it was that very tea set that made Hayden famous overnight under the title of genius designer.

Chapter 3

Ruby used that perfectly executed charity campaign to pave the way for her company’s successful IPO.

No one knew that the true designer of that tea set was the late artisan, Shane Ellis.

I was his last student before he retired.

The Brighton Charity Auction was one of the biggest social events of the year, where the city’s elite gathered.

Ruby had poured massive resources into it.

She needed a flawless public‑relations moment to boost the company’s image and build hype for their upcoming product launch.

Hayden’s genius‑designer persona was the centerpiece of it all.

In my previous life, I had been locked inside the house, forced to watch everything unfold through the news.

I watched as the two of them stepped onto the stage together, bathed in flashing cameras.

Ruby stood there, confident and radiant, announcing that all proceeds from the auction of First Light would be donated to children in remote mountain areas.

Beside her, Hayden carried himself with effortless charm, talking about his so‑called creative journey.

They won thunderous applause.

Me?

I was like a rat hiding in the shadows, driven nearly insane with jealousy.

This time, I was not going to give them that chance.

I did not contact the media, nor did I search for evidence.

When it came to arrogant people, the best way to deal with them was simple: let them fall from the highest point on their own.

I pulled out my teacher Shane’s original design drafts. Tucked into the last page was a yellowed sheet of paper, a letter he had written to me before he died.

In it, he wrote about the piece he was most proud of in his later years, one he loved too much to ever show publicly, never even signing it. He described the entire design process in detail, down to one particular feature. At the center of the tea set’s base, he had left an almost imperceptible signature using a special glaze, “Shane.”

That piece was called First Light.

I picked up my phone and made a call. “Hello, is this Mr. Carter?”

An older voice answered on the other end, aged but strong. “Who is this?”

“I am Shane’s student. Jeff.”

Brian Carter was one of the most respected authorities in art authentication. He had also been a close friend of my teacher for many years.

He was known for being strict and uncompromising. He had zero tolerance for people who built their reputation on hype or stole others’ work.

“Oh, Jeff. What can I do for you?”

“Mr. Carter, I needed a favor.”

I did not go into too much detail. I only mentioned that a piece might appear at the Brighton auction that closely resembled Shane’s style.

“I just think my teacher’s work deserved better, that it should not be buried or stolen by people like that.”

There was a long silence on the other end.

“I understand.”

That was enough, I thought.

On the night of the auction, I did not go in person. I stayed home and turned on the livestream.

On the screen, Ruby stood under the spotlight in a tailored black suit, sharp and composed.

Beside her, Hayden wore a white suit, looking polished and refined.

Behind them, on a massive display, was the First Light tea set. Its porcelain looked like jade, smooth and luminous, with light passing through its delicate body as if it held a piece of the morning sun within. It was breathtaking.

“This piece, First Light, is the result of three years of careful work by Hayden. It represents rebirth. It represents hope.” Ruby’s voice was rich and confident. The way she looked at Hayden was filled with admiration, even affection.

Hayden gave a graceful nod, perfectly in sync with her.

The crowd erupted into applause.

The bidding began, and the price shot up fast.

It quickly crossed into eight figures.

Just as the host was about to bring the hammer down, someone stood from the front row.

It was Brian.

He leaned on his cane, his hair gray, yet his presence strong and commanding.

“Ms. Wheeler, may I ask a question?”

The moment he spoke, all eyes turned toward him.

Ruby clearly recognized him. A polite, professional smile appeared on her face.

“Mr. Carter, of course. Please.”

Brian gave a slight nod, his gaze settling on the tea set. “This is indeed an excellent piece.”