Eleanor recoiled at the sight of the man's nicotine-stained teeth, years of heavy smoking etched into their yellowed surface, and a sharp scream tore from her throat as she flailed her hands wildly. "It wasn't me... it really wasn't me!"

Adrian let his eyes rest on Eleanor for a brief, unreadable second before turning away and drawing Jessica firmly into his embrace under everyone's gaze.

A smile curved his lips, pleasant on the surface yet edged with cold steel, as he said, "Are you blind? This is my future wife!"

Jessica understood that his words were meant to shield Eleanor.

Even so, she still couldn't help but feel her heart flutter.

After all, Adrian had been the one she had carried feelings for since her younger years.

Every casual gesture from him had always stirred a tempest in her heart.

While Jessica drifted into those memories, an abrupt voice cut straight through her thoughts.

"Jessica? What are you doing here?"

Eleanor had just stepped out of the club, intending to smoke in a quiet corner, when she spotted Jessica lingering by the roadside.

She strode over, glanced at Jessica, then flicked her eyes back toward the club entrance before letting out a derisive snort. "You've got a lot of nerve showing up at a place like this looking for Adrian."

With Eleanor present, Jessica had no doubt that Adrian was here as well.

She shook her head quickly and waved her hands in refusal. She then signed, "I'm not here for him. I'm here to—"

Eleanor cut her off, clearly irritated by her gestures, and fixed her with a mocking stare. Her lips curled with open disdain as she said, "Jessica, you really are something. So desperate to seduce Adrian that you even put on a uniform to grab his attention. What's next? Are you planning to crawl straight into his bed?"

Earlier, Jessica had rushed out with Lexi, and she hadn't changed out of her work uniform.

It was an ordinary outfit by any reasonable standard, yet to people like Eleanor, it was meant only to seduce.

Jessica wanted to explain, but then, she stopped herself.

If she said too much, her current job would be exposed.

Seeing Jessica frozen in place, Eleanor took it as proof that her insults had rendered her speechless. She lifted her chin haughtily, contempt etched across her features. "Give it up. Your cheap tricks will never work on Adrian. In his heart, there's only me. Even if you stripped yourself bare and crawled into his bed, he wouldn't spare you a second glance. Do you really think Adrian marrying you means he loves you?"

She let out a sharp scoff, every syllable slamming into Jessica's chest like a blunt strike. "That's absurd. The title of Mrs. Buckley only landed on you because I didn't want it at that time."

Her lips twisted cruelly as she continued, "Jessica, you're only ever good at picking up what I discard. When we were kids, you wore my castoff clothes and jewelry. Now, you're clinging to a man I abandoned before. It's honestly pathetic."

Jessica pressed her lips together, the color draining from her face, her shoulders quivering faintly under the bite of the autumn night air.

She knew Eleanor was telling the truth, and so did everyone in Krovale.

All these years, Adrian's heart had never strayed from Eleanor.

Jessica knew that had Eleanor not chosen to marry another man so early on, Adrian would never have married her.

At that moment, Lexi emerged from the club while directing others to move a cage holding the sheepdog. She instantly noticed what was happening.

She hurried over without hesitation, planting herself firmly in front of Jessica and snapping at Eleanor with open fury, "What do you think you are doing?"

Eleanor cast a glance at Lexi, noting the uniform and the dog hair clinging to her clothes, then shifted her gaze to Jessica standing behind her.

She pinched her nose theatrically and sneered, "No wonder you two are friends. People like you deserve nothing but gutter trash for company."

Lexi's expression darkened at that, and she shot back without restraint, "What makes you think you have the right to say that to us? It's freezing out here, yet you're wearing such revealing clothes. Are you just here to seduce men? How shameless!"

Never before had Eleanor been spoken to like this. Rage surged through her, her teeth grinding as she shouted, "Who do you think you are to talk to me that way? Just wait. I'll have someone deal with you."

Fear tightened around Jessica's chest as she imagined the scene spiraling further, drawing Adrian's attention and putting Lexi directly in harm's way.

She reached out, clutching Lexi's hand and shaking her head urgently. Then, she quickly signed, "Stop. Please, let's just leave."

Lexi resisted, refusing to back down. "Jessica, who is this vile woman? Why is she treating you like this?"

Jessica's fingers paused at that.

How was she supposed to explain any of this to Lexi?

Should she admit that Eleanor was not only her half-sister but also the woman her husband had loved all his life, or confess that her marriage existed only because Eleanor had abandoned her husband before?

She found it difficult to reveal any of that.

Unable to meet Lexi's gaze, Jessica lowered her head in quiet humiliation.

Seeing that, Lexi suddenly seemed to grasp the situation, whipping around to glare at Eleanor as she blurted, "So, you're the homewrecker, trying to steal Jessica's husband!"

That single accusation snapped something inside Eleanor.

She loathed being called a homewrecker more than anything.

In her mind, she was the one who had stood beside Adrian first.

If Jessica had not stubbornly clung to the title of Adrian's wife, Eleanor believed she would have married Adrian long ago.

How dare some outsider judge her like that?

Blinded by rage, Eleanor lifted her hand, aiming a slap at Lexi.

But Lexi, hot-tempered and now fully aware that Eleanor was the one wrecking Jessica's marriage, was determined to defend her friend.

"After all the shameless things you've done, you still dare try to hit me?" She caught Eleanor's wrist mid-swing and shoved her hard, sending Eleanor crashing to the ground with a dull thump.

Never in her life had Eleanor been treated this way. Humiliation burned through her as she screamed, "How dare you push me? You bitch!"

Lexi let out a cold laugh and stepped forward. She reached down, yanked Eleanor by the hair, and swung her hand twice.

Two sharp slaps rang out in quick succession.

"Not only can I push you," Lexi said, "but I can also hit you."

Eleanor was stunned, her carefully styled hair disheveled, her flawless makeup smeared, two vivid red handprints blooming across her face.

Clutching her face, she ground her teeth in hatred, glaring at Jessica and Lexi as though she wanted to rip them apart with her bare hands.

At that moment, Adrian stepped out of the club.

The instant he saw Eleanor sprawled on the ground, his expression hardened with cold anger. "What is going on here?" he asked.

The second Eleanor caught sight of him, the malice drained from her features, replaced by a fragile, pitiful look.

"Adrian, Jessica brought some vicious woman to attack me," she sobbed weakly. "I only asked whether she came looking for you, and they beat me like this."

She pointed shakily at Jessica and Lexi, tears streaming down her face. "They didn't just hit me; they even called me a homewrecker. If you hadn't come out in time, they would have beaten me to death."

Adrian's expression softened at her words, concern flickering through his eyes. "Don't be scared. I'm here now."

He did not spare Jessica a single glance. Instead, he walked over to Eleanor, carefully smoothing her tangled hair before lifting her into his arms.

Only then did he look at Jessica, his eyes stripped of warmth. "Jessica, I'll deal with you when I get back!"

Without another word, he carried Eleanor into the club, not once glancing back.

Jessica stood rooted in place, watching him disappear. The ache in her chest swelled until it felt impossible for her to breathe, yet there was nothing she could do about it.

After a long, stunned silence, Lexi finally found her voice. "Jessica... was that your husband?"

He was handsome, but he was such a jerk!

Jessica closed her eyes and nodded slowly, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

"Let's go, Jessica."

With a quiet breath, Lexi slid an arm around Jessica's shoulders, steering her toward the car in a protective gesture.

Jessica turned slightly and lifted her hands toward Lexi, signing, "Thank you, Lexi."

After all these years, it was the first time anyone had stepped between her and Eleanor's cruelty, shielding her from the worst of it.

The realization settled in her chest, gratitude stirring as she felt lucky that she had Lexi by her side.

Lexi knew that Jessica was still not in a good mood and, for a moment, considered taking her straight home.

But the memory of the dog still curled in the back seat changed her mind, forcing a detour back to the pet shop so the animal could be treated.

Understanding her intentions, Jessica signed with steady hands, "I'm alright. The dog's well-being matters more."

Lexi brushed her fingers over Jessica's face and exhaled quietly. "You always put yourself last, Jessica."

Once the sheepdog with the stomach trouble had been settled at the pet shop, Jessica turned her thoughts toward going home.

She flagged down a taxi, and with the evening traffic choking the roads, it took an extra twenty minutes before she finally returned to the Iris Mansion.

When she and Adrian had just gotten married, they had lived at the Buckley Estate.

Later, Cheryl would always find faults with her during meals, and Adrian, fed up with it, moved to the Iris Mansion with her.

Shaking her thoughts away, Jessica pressed her lips together, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

The living room was well-lit.

Adrian had already returned before she did.

He occupied the center of the living room, stretched back against a plush leather sofa, long legs crossed with lazy composure as the bright lights traced an elegant yet distant line along his profile.

As Jessica entered, he turned slightly, his low voice edged with coldness. "Why were you at Glamour today?"

Jessica halted, then lifted her hands and signed slowly, "I was out with a friend. We wandered around and ended up there."

This was the first time she had lied to Adrian, and the unease that followed settled deep in her stomach.

Adrian caught the way her eyes avoided his and let out a short, humorless sound. "Wandering, and you just happened to stop at Glamour's entrance? And you coincidentally ran into your sister as well?"

Jessica's anxiety tightened, her fingers moving as she signed, "It was really a coincidence."

Whether Adrian accepted her explanation or not was impossible to tell.

Noticing her just standing there, Adrian strode toward her, his gaze locking onto her with glacial intensity. "How dare you cause trouble for Eleanor? And you did it with some shameless woman!"

Faced with his looming presence, Jessica instinctively retreated a half-step, her shoulders curling inward as her fingers shook. "I didn't cause trouble for her. She insulted me first. And my friend... she is not shameless."

Adrian reached out and seized her wrist, yanking her back without warning.

Jessica's forehead collided with his solid chest, the impact sending a sharp ache through her.

She blinked rapidly as his frigid voice descended from above. "Then explain how Eleanor ended up with injuries on her face. Do not assume that being my wife gives you free rein. Listen carefully. If you ever lay a hand on Eleanor again, you can forget about holding onto that title."

Jessica's heart plunged as if dropped into freezing water, battered by a hammer again and again until nothing remained but a raw, hollow ache.

Whenever Eleanor was involved, Adrian never spared a thought for truth or fairness, choosing her side without the slightest hesitation.

And Jessica, his so-called wife, was never the one he believed.

Mistaking her silence for resistance, Adrian let his voice sharpen further. "From now on, stay away from that shameless friend of yours."

At that, Jessica lifted her head, her hands moving in quick motions. "Lexi is not shameless! She is a good friend!"

Emotion surged through her, color blooming faintly against her pallor as her reddened eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Only then did Adrian register just how much that friend mattered to her.

The realization soured his expression even more, his features hardening as anger gathered in his eyes.

He caught Jessica's chin between his fingers, forcing her face up. "If I say she is, then she is. You will not see her again."

Defiance flared across Jessica's face, and for the first time, she met his gaze head-on. She signed, "I won't do as you say."

She was actually going against him for an outsider.

Fury roared up Adrian's chest, his words forced out through tightly clenched teeth. "Jessica, do I need to spell it out for you? You are my wife, and that means you must obey me!"

Jessica's breathing hitched as tears spilled without warning, streaking down her cheeks.

It felt as though a hole had been torn open in her chest, each breath scraping painfully through it.

When she stopped signing, Adrian assumed her silence meant surrender. He released her and turned away, ready to leave.

But after wiping her tears, Jessica hurried after him and raised her hands again.

"Adrian, let's get a divorce."

She signed each word slowly, like she was afraid that he might not understand her.

For a moment, Adrian thought he had read her hands wrong.

When Jessica repeated the signs with unwavering seriousness, the truth finally landed on him heavily. Jessica was really asking for a divorce.

Adrian curled his lips slightly, anger sharpening his voice as he spat, "Do you even understand what you're saying right now?"

Divorce? How could Jessica dare to bring that up?

Tears still shimmered in Jessica's eyes, but her face stayed unnervingly composed as she signed, "I know exactly what I mean. I want a divorce."

Adrian shifted backward and folded his arms across his chest, studying her with lazy detachment. Contempt flickered in his gaze, the kind reserved for a child acting out for attention.

"What right do you think you have to divorce me? Since the day we married, everything you eat, wear, and use has come from me. Without me, how are you going to survive? You can't even speak!"

With every word he threw at her, the color drained further from Jessica's face.

He knew better than anyone that her inability to speak freely had always invited ridicule, yet now, he still used it as a weapon to hurt her.

Was it because he never loved her that cruelty toward her came to him so easily?

Adrian appeared blind to her pain, his voice turning sharper and more mocking as he continued, "Or are you just throwing a fit? Trying to threaten me with the word divorce?"

Jessica's heart ached as her body shook uncontrollably. She signed, "No. I simply don't want to stay with you anymore."

Adrian's expression hardened, his jaw tightening as he snapped, "Fine! But remember this. If you divorce me, you will walk away with nothing."

This was something Jessica had long prepared herself for, so his words did not shock her.

"Don't worry. I won't touch your money again. After the divorce, I'll figure out a way to make a living by myself," she signed.

Adrian let out a derisive laugh, eyes dropping to her hands as he sneered, "Jessica, you think too highly of yourself. You can't speak, and you don't have a job. How exactly do you plan to survive on your own?"

Then, as if a sudden thought amused him, he dragged out a mocking "oh" before adding, "You went to Glamour today, didn't you? Thinking of selling your body like the women there?"

The humiliation in his words cut deep, and tears spilled freely down Jessica's face.

The sight seemed to irritate Adrian. He reached out and tried to wipe her tears away roughly.

But Jessica turned her head away, refusing his touch.

At once, darkness crept into Adrian's eyes, his words growing even more vicious as he said, "Those women know plenty of tricks in bed. What about you?"

He yanked her into his arms, forcing her against his body, one hand tipping her chin upward as his thumb touched her quivering lips. "All you do is lie there like you're lifeless, opening your mouth when you're told and rolling over when you're ordered. It's dull. When I am having sex with you, I feel like I am sleeping with a sex doll."

Jessica could no longer endure the insults being hurled at her.

When driven to the edge, even the most timid person could become courageous.

Jessica was angry now.

She wrenched herself out of Adrian's hold, fury blazing in her eyes as she stared him down.

Her hands flew through the air in sharp, frantic motions. "If you found it so dull, then why did you share a bed with me for three years?"

Jessica had always been gentle by nature, never one to confront anyone head-on.

She had believed words like these would be hard to express, that doing something like this would be unbearably humiliating.

Yet now, standing here, she realized it was not so difficult at all.

Compared to being crushed under people's feet and stripped of dignity, fighting back felt strangely freeing.

Yes, she had loved Adrian for more than ten years.

He had been her first love, the one she had once believed would be her last.

But so what?

From this moment forward, she could choose to stop loving him, could she not?

Adrian was used to Jessica's careful obedience, and her sudden resistance ignited a violent fury inside him as he snapped, "Isn't that exactly what your family begged for?"

Jessica's pupils shrank instantly at that.

What did Adrian mean by that?

Adrian's gaze pinned her in place, lips twisting into a cruel smile as he continued, "When your sister got married, my mother planned to break off the arrangement between our families, but your father refused. He said even though his eldest daughter was taken, he still had a younger daughter."

A cold laugh escaped him, thick with disdain. "He even told me that as long as I didn't object, I could bring you back just to enjoy your company in bed."

Jessica did not question the truth of his words for a second.

Because that was exactly something her father would say.

Tears poured down Jessica's face in heavy drops, draining the color from her skin as her body swayed unsteadily, fragile as a leaf caught in an autumn wind, like she might collapse at any moment.

Adrian steadied her as she faltered, his wide palm brushing away her tears before sliding to the back of her neck, fingers closing there with unmistakable force.

"Why aren't your hands moving now? Feeling embarrassed because you know you have nothing to say against the truth?" he said.

His touch remained deceptively tender, yet his voice cut cold as he added, "So, don't ever bring up divorce in front of me again."

The skin beneath his grasp was soft and supple, carrying a faint fragrance that was irresistibly alluring to any man.

As Adrian's hand lingered and traced slowly, a familiar heat awakened inside him.

His long legs pressed between Jessica's, his taller frame caging her against the cabinet with deliberate pressure.

That large hand of his swept past her ear and slid downward, closing over her chest without hesitation.

He knew her body intimately, knew every place that reacted to the slightest provocation, and with a bit of deliberate teasing, he could draw out the uneven sound of her breathing.

Though Jessica couldn't speak, her breathing during intimacy was undeniably seductive.

Soft and startled, tightly held back, it was intoxicating, like a potent liquor where one taste was enough to make people lose control.

Adrian was already drunk on it, the polished restraint he wore falling away.

With one sharp motion, he tore open her collar, disregarding her weak attempts to resist, and captured her lips in a fierce, consuming kiss.

It left Jessica reeling, her thoughts scattering.

How could he do this?

After she had spoken of divorce, how could he still do this to her?

Jessica could not allow herself to break down again, her hands pushing desperately against his chest.

No. They could not go on like this.

Her struggle did not anger Adrian at all. Instead, it seemed to amuse him, stoking his desire even further.

He caught her hands and pressed them flat against his warm chest, his voice dropping rough as he murmured, "Why struggle? Don't tell me you feel nothing at all."

Anxiety flickered through Jessica as she failed to pull free, her eyes speaking for her with unmistakable clarity—she didn't feel anything.

In the past, during their shared moments, she had liked being held by him, drawing comfort from his warmth and familiar touch.

But right now, under these circumstances, every part of it felt wrong to her.

Adrian held her gaze, then let out a low laugh, amusement glinting in his eyes as he said, "Is that really the case?"

His broad palm slipped beneath her skirt, his touch unerringly precise as it brushed against the unmistakable moisture between her legs.

He chuckled again as he withdrew his fingers, lifting them before her eyes and slowly stretching out a thin, humiliating trace between them.