"Happy birthday, Nicky! I love you! You’re the only woman I’ll ever love in this lifetime!"

Tristan pushed a cart forward, topped with a massive three-tiered cake. Resting at the very top was a car key.

"A new car, just for you. I had it shipped in from overseas."

"Wow, the latest one! Do you know how much that costs?"

"I’m so jealous! I couldn’t even get on the waitlist!"

Lisa clenched her jaw in frustration, forcing a smile. "Mr. Ford is so generous to Miss Snow."

"Miss Evans, no need to be envious. Maybe your boyfriend will get you one too," Tristan replied casually.

Lisa’s eyes lit up at his words. "Really?"

The others might not have understood their exchange, but Nicole did. She knew this car wasn’t just for her—Tristan had bought the exact same one for Lisa.

So much for being the love of his life. It was all lies.

"I’m tired," Nicole said abruptly. She couldn’t keep pretending any longer. Without another glance at the party or the gifts, she turned and headed upstairs.

Murmurs followed her departure, some guests commenting on her behavior.

"She’s so spoiled. She doesn’t even care about Mr. Ford’s effort."

But Tristan only smiled, brushing off the remarks. "My wife is tired and needs her rest. Don’t you dare say a word about her. I’ll spoil her as much as I want."

Nicole went to the furthest corner of the second floor, into the home theater. She tried watching a movie, but her mind was in chaos.

The noise from the party downstairs lingered for a long time.

Feeling thirsty, she decided to head down for a drink.

As she passed by the master bedroom, muffled sounds of passion stopped her in her tracks.

For a moment, it felt like lightning had struck her. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Step by step, she moved toward the door. Her legs felt like they were made of lead, each step heavier than the last.

When she reached the doorway, she froze, staring at the scene inside.

On their bed, the silhouettes of two entangled bodies moved shamelessly. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"You naughty thing," Tristan murmured between breaths. "You’re so bold, teasing me here. What if Nicky sees us?"

"That’s exactly what I want!" Lisa replied provocatively. "I want her to see. I want her to know that you’re mine!"

Lisa’s seduction chipped away at Tristan’s restraint, bit by bit, until it completely crumbled.

"This is thrilling! But no matter what, Nicky can never find out about us! Do whatever you want but provoking her is off-limits!"

"Why? Tristan, can’t you just divorce her and be with me?"

Tristan froze, his movements halting as his expression darkened. He fixed Lisa with a cold stare.

"Lisa, you’ve crossed the line tonight. Do you realize the things you said to her could cause problems? And let me be clear—I will never divorce her. She will always be my wife. You’d better remember your place."

Lisa pouted, her voice softening. "I understand, but it hurts, you know? You invited me here just to watch how much attention you lavish on her, how good you are to her?"

"Enough. I’ll make it up to you, alright?"

The two continued their entanglement, completely oblivious to Nicole standing outside the door.

A sharp pain stabbed through her heart as she gripped it tightly, bending over and gasping for air until the suffocating feeling eased slightly.

But the tears came anyway—hot, relentless, and uncontrollable.

She leaned against the wall for support, step by step making her way downstairs.

The fireworks were still going, painting the night sky with bursts of color. The display had lasted for three hours now.

Nicole stood in the yard, watching for what felt like an eternity, until finally, Lisa and Tristan emerged from the house, one after the other. Lisa’s steps were unsteady.

When Tristan spotted Nicole standing outside, he rushed over, wrapping her cold body in his arms and draping his jacket over her shoulders.

"Why are you down here again? Weren’t you tired? Where did you go earlier? I couldn’t find you and was so worried."

Nicole quietly pushed him away, her eyes frosty. "What about you? Where were you just now?"

"I was looking for you. I looked everywhere for so long."

"And what if one day, you can’t find me anymore?"

Tristan’s heart skipped a beat. "Don’t say that, Nicky. You know I can’t live without you."

"Tristan, if you ever betray me, I will disappear from your life forever. Do you understand?"

"I swear!" Tristan raised his hand solemnly, his expression earnest. "I will never betray you, not ever. I swear on these fireworks that I will only love Nicole Snow for the rest of my life!"

As Nicole watched Tristan’s serious demeanor, her mind wandered back to their first year together.

That New Year’s Eve, the fireworks were just as dazzling.

They had spent an unforgettable night atop a mountain, watching the sky light up.

That night, Tristan shouted into the sky, "Tristan Ford will love Nicole Snow forever, for a lifetime! No, for the next lifetime, and the one after that!"

She still remembered how he’d pushed himself to exhaustion for his career, to the point of damaging his liver.

When she donated part of her liver to him, they were wheeled into the operating room side by side. Tristan’s eyes were red and swollen with tears.

"Nicky, I’ll never let you down. I love you so much.”

They held hands tightly, refusing to let go, until the doctors had to forcefully separate them.

Nicole came back to her senses, gazing at the fireworks as she murmured, "The flowers still bloom in the gentle spring breeze, but the face I long for has vanished."

"Why say something so sad?" Tristan pulled her into a tight embrace. "I love you, Nicky. Please, don’t leave me."

Love?

Nicole found it laughable. She wanted to ask him how he could profess love to her right after being with another woman in their bed. How could he feel no shame? How could he be so utterly brazen?

She sighed. Forget it—all of it. She had already made up her mind. She would leave him for good.

That night, the party went on until late. One by one, the guests eventually left.

As usual, Tristan left early the next morning.

Nicole picked up her phone and noticed a text message.

"Open your phone and watch Lisa Evans’s livestream. You’ll see what you want to see."

The number was unfamiliar, but she had a pretty good idea of who it could be.

She searched for Lisa’s livestream and clicked into it. Sure enough, Lisa was streaming live.

Today was her birthday, and the celebration was lavish.

But what caught Nicole’s attention was the house. It was all too familiar—the rows of dresses and high heels behind Lisa were also familiar.

They were the same ones Tristan had brought for Nicole to choose from that day, with the rest sent to Willow Manor.

It hit her. This was their property at Willow Manor.

Lisa had moved in.

Nicole’s hand trembled as she held her phone. Her disappointment in Tristan had reached its limit.

"Hello, everyone," Lisa said cheerfully. "Today is my birthday, and this party was arranged by my boyfriend."

The comment section was full of admiration.

"What a grand party! Lisa’s boyfriend is amazing."

"Exactly! It’s just as extravagant as the birthday parties Tristan Ford throws for Nicole Snow!"

"Wait, is Lisa living in Willow Manor? The property prices there are twenty thousand dollars per square meter! I can’t believe she’s living somewhere so luxurious!"

"Lisa, when will your boyfriend make an appearance? I’m so jealous of your love story!"

…

Seeing the flood of blessings in the comments, Lisa smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, it’s not convenient. I need to protect his privacy."

The next moment, a series of extravagant virtual gifts lit up the screen.

"Wow, who is this? So rich!"

Nicole tapped on the sender’s profile. It was a blank account with no posts or information.

But her instincts told her it was Tristan’s alternate account.

As the livestream continued, Lisa proudly showcased the Ferrari she had received—a car identical to the one Tristan had given Nicole the night before.

The comment section exploded, the barrage of messages moving so quickly that Nicole couldn’t make out a single word.

She lowered her head and quietly turned off her phone.

Her eyes drifted to the clock on the wall. The time read July 15.

Her planned death date was tomorrow.

Nicole glanced around the cold, lifeless house, her resolve hardening. She was ready to end it all.

But even in death, she wouldn’t let Lisa and Tristan have their way.

Pulling out her phone, she sent Lisa a text message, inviting her to meet at Northern Gate Bridge the next day.

Lisa replied almost immediately, "Sure, so you finally decided to confront me, Nicole. I guess you’re not as stupid as I thought."

Before Nicole could respond, another message followed. It was a photo.

It was Tristan, wearing an apron, cooking in the kitchen.

"See this? He made me dinner for my birthday. Has he ever done that for you?"

Nicole stared at the photo, and her heart tightened painfully.

Ten years. She had known Tristan for ten years, and in all that time, he had never once cooked for her.

But for Lisa, he was willing to step into the kitchen?

She let out a bitter laugh. Ten years of love and devotion—all of it had been for nothing.

Nicole picked up her phone and called Tristan.

"Hello? Nicky, what’s up?"

"Are you coming home today?"

"I’ve got a lot on my plate at work. I probably won’t make it back tonight."

"Alright."

Nicole hung up, her voice calm as she murmured to herself, "Tristan, I gave you one last chance to see me, and you chose not to take it. So, this is goodbye—forever."

She called for the housekeeper and instructed her to bring their bed down to the yard.

"Bring me a torch.”

The housekeeper froze, thinking she must have misheard.

"Ma’am, what did you say?"

She had assumed Nicole wanted the bed cleaned or aired out.

"I said, bring me a torch," Nicole repeated, her face emotionless.

The housekeeper hesitated for only a moment before rushing off to fetch it.

Nicole took the torch without hesitation and set the bed ablaze.

The sheets, the bed, and everything they had bought together during their first year of marriage went up in flames, reduced to ashes.

The housekeeper stood silently nearby, too stunned to ask why, her eyes fixed on the fire.

"Tristan, consider this my parting gift to you," Nicole said coldly.

Watching the fire die out, she let out a bitter laugh. It was over—everything was truly over.

The next evening, Lisa arrived as promised.

She pulled up in the Ferrari Tristan had gifted her, her flashy entrance drawing the attention of everyone passing by.

Nicole smirked. This was exactly what she wanted—to put Lisa squarely in the spotlight, with nowhere to hide.

"You’re here?"

"Make it quick. I’m exhausted. My boyfriend and I have been busy all night and day, and I’m really worn out," Lisa replied with a smirk, casually tilting her head to reveal the marks on her neck.

Nicole remained unmoved, her expression calm despite Lisa’s provocative demeanor.

"Pass a message to Tristan for me," Nicole said, her voice steady as she articulated each word. "Tell him... I hate him."

"What?" Lisa frowned, confused by her tone.

"Why don’t you tell him yourself?"

After all, she was here to assert her dominance, not play messenger.

"Because I’m about to die."

The next second, she climbed onto the railing, standing precariously at the edge of the bridge.

Lisa froze, startled, and instinctively reached out to grab her. "What are you doing? You’re not serious about jumping, are you? If you’re going to kill yourself, go ahead, but don’t drag me into this!"

Before Nicole could jump, her phone rang.

"Miss Snow, your post-mortem service is now active. We’ve arrived at the location, and everything is ready. Shall we proceed immediately?"

Nicole let out a cold laugh. "Yes, I’m on my way."

She threw the phone to the ground, pried Lisa’s hand off her arm, and jumped.

Lisa stood frozen in shock as the sound of a loud splash echoed. The water, thirty meters below, exploded into a burst of white foam.

Nicole struggled against the current for a few moments before vanishing beneath the surface.

For a brief moment, Lisa could only stare, her mind blank. The sight of Nicole’s sudden death left her trembling. As a crowd began to gather, Lisa didn’t wait. She got into her car and sped away.

The moment Nicole hit the water, memories flashed before her eyes.

Her body sank deeper and deeper, the sunlight above fading until it disappeared entirely.

Finally, she was free from her past, free from Tristan’s lies and deceit.

She would die, and in doing so, she would make Tristan regret it for the rest of his life. He would carry the weight of her death, haunted by guilt forever.

Nicole believed that only in death would she find her rebirth.