The sterile white walls of the hospital room became Anna's prison for a month, each night a torment of dreams.

In those fragile illusions, Ethan was a devoted figure, perpetually at her bedside, his face lit with a smile as he listened for the phantom stirrings of their unborn child.

Each awakening was a brutal return to reality, marked by the scalding tracks of tears.

The baby...

...was gone.

And Ethan? He remained conspicuously absent.

His excuse was a business trip, a convenient alibi. Instead, he dispatched Oscar Paul, his assistant, with two deliveries: pink roses, their fragrance a cruel mockery, and payment for her medical expenses.

Anna wrestled with the urge to gift the flowers to the nurses, but the words caught in her throat. She'd rather endure the constant sneezing.

The physical toll of the abortion, at only two months, was minimal. But the instinct to cradle her belly, a newly formed habit, persisted.

The thought of the extinguished life within sparked a familiar ache behind her eyes.

Her first child.

The union of her flesh and blood with the man she had poured a decade of love into.

Vanished...just like that.

Anna's nightly grief stalled her recovery, but the hospital, as hospitals do, needed the bed. The eviction notice was inevitable.

Amidst the sterile emptiness of her packing, a stranger materialized in the doorway.

A woman sculpted with delicate features and framed by meticulous makeup, adorned in a Barbie-pink velvet halter dress and a statement necklace –

A necklace Anna recognized all too well: the limited-edition pink diamond piece from FY, the one Riley Gilbert had so ostentatiously paraded on social media.

"Hello, I'm Becca Drew, Ethan's classmate from high school."

The woman's introduction hung in the air, prompting a bitter reflection on the name: Becca Drew...BD. An undeniable connection.

Seeing Becca extend a manicured hand, Anna forced herself to reciprocate the handshake.

"Hello, I'm Anna, Ethan Smith's wife. You can call me Mrs. Smith."

Becca's practiced smile flickered, betraying a momentary loss of composure.

But her poise was quickly regained, her expression smoothing back into place. "I came to offer my sincere apologies."

Becca lowered her gaze, striking a pose of contrived remorse that seemed almost rehearsed. "I had no idea you were in the hospital because... you were pregnant. If I had known, I would never have let Ethan accompany me to the FY press conference. And then I drank too much that night; it's really all Riley's fault, she insisted on calling Ethan. I certainly didn't expect him to actually come and get me...and that it would lead to...this. It's all my fault..."

Becca, oozing contrition, presented Anna with a fruit basket. "This is a small gesture of apology...please accept it. I'll feel awful if you don't."

Anna couldn't suppress a bitter laugh at the performance unfolding before her. "Why wouldn't I accept a five-hundred-dollar fruit basket? You're hardly offering me *the* necklace as compensation."

Becca's carefully constructed facade showed a hairline crack. She cleared her throat. "I heard you're being discharged today?"

"Yes."

"Perhaps...it would be better if you stayed a little longer. Seeing you will only upset Ethan, reminding him of our...your loss. He's been so distraught this past month, and I've been trying my best to support him. We even took a trip abroad...yachts, fishing, sunrises, sunsets..."

Watching Becca's carefully crafted display of elation, Anna couldn't care less whether the details were true or embellished.

"Yes, my husband is a generous man, devoted to his friends. He's always taken such good care of his high school acquaintances, treating them to yacht trips every week. He even gifted my best friend a ten-million-dollar diamond necklace once!" Anna hated lies, but if a few pointed words could shatter the composure of a mistress, she was more than willing to indulge.

Becca's fists clenched almost imperceptibly. "If you're so understanding, I'm relieved..."

She turned to leave, then paused at the doorway, pivoting back. "Oh, one more thing. Ethan won't be able to pick you up from the hospital. He's utterly exhausted and is catching up on sleep... at my place."

With that final, pointed barb, Becca vanished.

Anna felt a strange detachment, a hollowness devoid of anger, replaced by a profound sense of disillusionment.

She contacted Oscar, confirming that Ethan was, in fact, at the office.

Becca had lied.

Refusing to accept the mistress's warped narrative, Anna resolved to seek the truth from Ethan himself.

Before leaving the hospital, she made a detour to the Traditional Medicine Department, collecting a fresh supply of herbs.

Ethan suffered from a sensitive stomach, and his mother had a deep-seated distrust of tablets. Anna had always personally brewed his remedies, knowing the precise dosages, proportions, and simmering times by heart.

The family's stock was dwindling. If not for the recent tragedy, Anna would have replenished it long ago.

Clutching the heavy bag of the medicine, Anna arrived at the Smith Group headquarters.

The receptionist recognized her from previous meal deliveries to Ethan - a time when she was mistaken for a nanny.

"Miss Anna, President Smith is in a meeting. You can leave the medicine with Assistant Oscar; he's in the assistant's office."

"Okay."

Anna refrained from correcting the receptionist, from clarifying that she wasn't "Miss Anna," but "Mrs. Smith."

Reaching the executive floor, Anna bypassed Oscar's office, heading directly for the general manager's door.

The frosted glass wasn't fully closed. Through the narrow gap, Anna saw Ethan and Riley standing inside.

"Ethan, you claim you can't bear to let go of your wife, yet you had the heart to murder your own child..."

Anna, her hand raised to knock, froze, petrified in place.

"Becca had nothing to do with it..."

"Whether she returns or not, I can never have a child with Anna."

"Why?"

"Human energy is finite. A child would change her. Besides, right now, it's just Grandpa's appreciation and Mom's approval. Once a baby arrives, it won't be so simple." Ethan casually exhaled a plume of cigarette smoke, his calculated smile striking Anna with the force of a physical blow.

"And...I knew she was pregnant. So I deliberately...wasn't careful, damaging her uterus. The doctor says she can't have any more children."

His voice, coolly detached, made the admission with chilling ease.

On the other side of the door, Anna was already slick with cold sweat.

"Ethan, if you've treated that shrew so harshly, who will carry on the Smith family name? It will have to be my best friend!"

Ethan offered no response to Riley's suggestive remark.

Finishing his cigarette and his conversation with Riley, he began to leave the office. He spotted something Riley didn't notice.

A bag of herbs.

Emerald Nursing Home.

Anna had practically fled here, running from Ethan's office, from Ethan's company, unable to endure another moment.

She felt consumed by nausea.

His every word was a vile poison.

This was the man she had loved for a decade.

He'd pursued and married her out of spite, as revenge against another woman.

He'd murdered their child with his own hands, again, for another woman.

Ten years of devotion, three years of marriage-a complete and utter sham.

Anna furiously wiped away her tears and walked into the nursing home.

Since her marriage to Ethan, her mother had been moved here from the hospital.

Her mother, whose health had always been fragile, had succumbed to Alzheimer's during a global pandemic.

Even though she no longer recognized her, there were things she needed to confess.

Her mother's greatest wish was to see her happily married.

So Anna had to tell her mother...

...she was a failure as a daughter.

That evening, Anna left the nursing home and went to a nearby law firm.

As darkness descended, the lights of New York City flickered to life, illuminating the vibrant pulse of the city. When Ethan arrived home, he found

the lights were off. He flipped them on, illuminating the medicine and a bouquet of pink roses in his hands.

In the silent, empty house, there was no hot, fragrant meal.

And no Anna Hendrick.

Ethan's brow furrowed. He placed the flowers and traditional medicine down, then retrieved his phone with practiced calm to call Anna. The call went unanswered.

He hadn't imagined a day where Anna wouldn't be home. Nevertheless, Ethan, true to habit, put on a record, filling the silence with his beloved Chopin nocturne.

An hour passed. Still no Anna Hendrick.

Two hours crept by. The house remained empty.

Three hours later, Ethan rose and headed to the closet. Inside, most of Anna's clothing hung neatly, all gifts from him, dominated by shades of pink.

However, the two blue suits she owned before their wedding were gone.

Just then, a delivery arrived.

The recipient: Ethan Smith.

He couldn't recall ordering anything.

The package was a large, imposing cardboard box. He tore it open, revealing a dazzling, almost overwhelming collection:

Pink roses, a pink diamond necklace, a pink Hermès bag, bright pink high heels, a cherry-pink dress, a pink diamond watch, gold jewelry, a peach-pink silk scarf, luxury perfume, a pink diamond brooch, car keys, a pink diamond ring...

Ethan's expression darkened, a silent storm gathering in his eyes.

These were all gifts he had showered upon Anna during their courtship.

The pink diamond ring, his engagement ring.

Ethan rifled through the box, discovering that, despite the years, not a single label had been removed from any of the items.

The only thing in the box that wasn't a present from him was a file folder. Ethan pulled it out.

New York City's night skyline shimmered, a testament to wealth and extravagance.

The old houses on Salem Street had been dark for years, but tonight, lights blazed from dusk until late.

Anna had spent half the day meticulously cleaning her room until it sparkled. Though simple, it was now clean and inviting.

She used to have her mother, a constant source of support, but now she was alone. To deny the loneliness would be a lie.

Anna clutched her phone, wavering over whether to call Lucy Goldberg.

Lucy was her closest friend, a bond forged in high school.

But before she could dial, the doorbell rang. Anna quickly hung up and went to answer it.

Ethan's tall, imposing figure filled the doorway, like a mountain looming over her, startling Anna.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded.

With a thud, the divorce agreement in Ethan's hand struck Anna's face.

Her face flushed crimson. This was the first time she had seen Ethan so enraged, and she instinctively lowered her head in fear.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Why did you run away from home for no reason? Are you a child?"

Ethan reached to pull her closer, but Anna recoiled.

"Ethan, I want a divorce..."

"Why?"

"Because..."

"Is this about Becca?"

Anna looked up, meeting Ethan's gaze. His arms were crossed, his handsome features sculpted into a sneer of disdain.

That smile was a painful blow.

Seeing Anna's silent agreement, Ethan scoffed.

Becca's return had made the truth undeniable, and he no longer felt the need to hide it.

"Anna, when did you learn to play these games? I admit Becca was my first love, and I proposed to you to get under her skin. But I've never given you any reason to complain during our three years of marriage..."

The phrase "never given you any reason to complain" stung, bringing tears to Anna's eyes.

She wanted to retort: "What about the child? Didn't *you* force me to abort our child?"

But she knew it was pointless.

Her chest tightened, as if crushed beneath a heavy weight. Anna drew a deep breath.

At this point, divorce was the best outcome for them both, putting an end to her foolish, failed love and marriage.

Anna watched as Ethan pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and exhaled a plume of smoke on her cramped living room sofa, his words laced with unwavering conviction.

"Becca and I went to high school together. She studied abroad and is now a highly respected professional. A rising star in jewelry design. Had her hand not been injured, she would be a world-class pianist... A woman like that is too brilliant, my mother wouldn't be able to handle her. For her to stay at home and care for the family would be a waste of her talent. She's not suited to be the Smith family's daughter-in-law..."

Anna's face paled.

"But you're different. You have no talent, no ambition, no aspirations. You didn't graduate from college. You have no education, no diploma, no skills, and your family isn't well off. After all these years as a housewife, you're completely out of touch with the world... Without me, you're nothing. You can't even afford to eat or have a place to live. What makes you think you can divorce me?"

The small house fell into a heavy silence.

Anna opened her mouth, inhaled the cigarette smoke Ethan exhaled, and started coughing.

"When you've thought it through, pack your things and come home. This is the only time I'll forgive you."

After finishing the cigarette, Ethan looked around for an ashtray, but found none. He didn't throw it on the floor.

He raised his hand, and Anna moved forward and took the cigarette butt, tossing it in the trash can.

Ethan smiled, his charm especially potent when he smiled.

She claimed she wanted a divorce, but her actions belied her words.

Ethan shifted, crossing his legs.

Anna was penniless and unskilled, a parasite only capable of relying on men.

Anyone with sense would realize that sticking with him was the most beneficial choice.

Becca's appearance had just upset her, prompting a temporary display.

"Enough. I don't have time for your games. From now on, just keep running the household as you always have, and I'll continue to support you," Ethan said coldly. He watched Anna bend down, her shoulders slumped, as she gathered the scattered divorce papers one by one.

"If you don't sign, I'll mail them to your company or your mother tomorrow..."

Anna shot to her feet.

"Anna, don't be so shameless!"

Anna now seemed so foreign, it unnerved him.

She opened the door.

"Go back! Don't come here again."

Ethan had never anticipated his attempts to appease Anna would be met with rejection. He shrugged and offered an angry smile.

"Fine, Anna. If you're so sure, don't come crying and begging me when you regret it."

He slammed the door behind him and left, leaving the divorce papers behind.

Late into the night, Anna finally located her old bank card.

It was from before her marriage, untouched and stored away in this house. Not a single penny in it had come from Ethan.

Ethan had been right the night before. She had no education, no diploma, and years of being a housewife had left her disconnected from the world. After the divorce, she would have to make a living on her own.

After linking the bank card to her mobile banking app, the balance appeared on the screen:

2,077,805.

Slightly more than she expected.

Anna allowed herself a rare luxury: sleeping in.

This was partly a result of her late night, but more significantly, she was no longer bound by the demanding routine of sourcing the freshest ingredients at dawn or preparing an elaborate, multi-course breakfast for Ethan.

Content with a simple bag of instant noodles, Anna satisfied her hunger. Afterward, she visited the bank and wrote a check for 1,405,537, clearly marking it for medical expenses.

Leaving the bank, Anna headed to Puma Coffee, where she arranged dinner with her close friend, Lucy Goldberg.

Since marrying, Anna had effectively severed ties with her classmates and friends, dedicating herself entirely to her role as a dutiful wife in the Smith household. It had been three years since she last saw Lucy.

Reflecting on those years, Anna felt a pang of regret for the opportunities she'd missed and the time she'd lost.

Anna settled into her reserved seat, awaiting Lucy's arrival.

Lucy currently worked as a vocal coach at a reputable training center in New York City. Anna suspected the dinner invitation was not only to reconnect but also potentially to offer job leads.

As expected, Lucy soon subtly guided the conversation toward the possibility of Anna teaching piano at the school.

"Thank you, Lucy," Anna responded with a lighthearted smile and a dismissive wave. "But I've sworn off the piano. I've already found a different path."

"Really?" Lucy inquired, her curiosity piqued. "Perhaps a jewelry design firm? It would be a natural fit!"

Anna waved her hand again. "No. I didn't even finish college, and those companies have strict requirements."

"But it's hard to find jobs without qualifications these days!" Lucy murmured, before passionately defending Anna. "Ethan Smith is such a rat! He cheated on you, and you left with next to nothing. If I hadn't extracted those millions from him, I'd feel like I let you wasted years for nothing!"

Anna stifled a laugh. Just then, her phone signaled the arrival of a new message.

"It must be from Ethan! Let me have him!"

Anna opened the message. It wasn't from Ethan.

As she replied, she said to Lucy, "I don't have concrete proof that Ethan cheated, really..."

Whether or not Ethan had been physically unfaithful, his heart had clearly betrayed her, even to the point of abandoning his own child.

Thinking of the baby who only survived for two months in her womb, before being killed by his own father, Anna's expression hardened.

"I just want to escape Ethan, and my old life."

"So?" "So?"

"So, I applied here."

Anna sent Lucy a link. Seeing Anna's excited expression, Lucy assumed it was a great job, but upon clicking the link, she found-

"A Juvenile Detention Center?"

Lucy's expression darkened, but Anna's face remained bright.

Lucy's lunch break was limited, and the two women parted ways after their short, rushed visit. Anna returned to her residence, but instead of going inside, she retrieved an envelope from the building's package locker.

At that moment, another message arrived, this time from Ethan.

It contained no text, only a photo: a picture of shredded paper scattered across the floor.

The photo was taken in the Smith Group's CEO's office.

Ethan sank into his chair, gripping the edge of his desk. The torn divorce agreement, which he had ripped apart with his own hands, lay at his feet.

"Mr. Smith, all the stomach medicine I could find is here..." Oscar stammered, only to witness Ethan sweep the medications off the desk.

"It's useless. The more I take, the worse it gets." Ethan clutched his stomach, sweat beading on his forehead.

He hadn't had his traditional medicine in days, and his stomach was rebelling. The sight of the divorce agreement Anna had sent that morning had only intensified the pain.

Oscar watched Ethan with growing concern.

The traditional medicine that Ethan needed was a special recipe from an old doctor. Only Anna knew the exact proportions, heating techniques, and brewing time, and she always prepared it herself.

"Mr. Smith, what if... I call Miss Anna?"

Oscar asked hesitantly, only to be met with a sharp glare from Ethan.

"What did you call her? Anna?"

"Miss Anna!" Oscar was confused.

Everyone around Ethan referred to Anna as "Miss Anna."

It was in that moment that Ethan realized that Anna had been "Miss Anna," and not "Mrs. Smith," for the entire three years of their marriage.

Ethan reached for his phone, curious about Anna's reaction to the shredded divorce agreement. Anna didn't call back, but Becca did.

Late in the evening, Anna arrived alone at the extravagant Violet Hall in New York City.

She had carefully chosen her outfit.

The blue Chanel-style suit was a statement piece from her pre-marriage wardrobe.

The doorman greeted Anna with a polite smile, which she returned. As she reached for her purse, she heard a voice she'd hoped to avoid.

"Miss Anna, what a surprise! What brings you here?"

Anna turned to see Becca approaching with her two closest friends.

Becca was meticulously dressed in a pink, fairytale-like dress, her pink diamond necklace catching the light.

"Becca, who is this? A friend?" Emily Giveon eyed Anna. "Is she here for the FY celebration?"

"Impossible," Priscilla Scott scoffed. "FY is a high-end luxury, international brand. They invite all the elite. Look at what she's wearing... She's probably a delivery person!"

Anna observed Becca and her friends, realizing they had been aware of her identity all along.

"Emily, Priscilla, don't be rude to Miss Anna..." Becca began, feigning generosity, "I heard from Ethan that Miss Anna married right after college and spent years as a housewife. She mostly wore an apron and rarely went anywhere besides the market, so she never had the chance. It's understandable she's unsophisticated and lacks a sense of fashion, unlike designers like us at FY."

"You work at FY?"

Seeing Anna's apparent surprise, Becca proudly presented her business card.

"Becca is a rising star in the jewelry design world. FY's HR department is really optimistic about her."

"You're just a housewife, do you even know what HR means?" Anna glanced at Becca's business card: "FY Jewelry Design Department Intern."

Amidst the taunts of Emily and Priscilla, Becca expected Anna to be humbled by the business card, but Anna simply smiled.

"Well, you're excellent."

Emily immediately rolled her eyes. "Why are you pretending to be so calm? You must be jealous of Becca!"

Seeing Anna turn to enter the building, Priscilla shouted, "Delivery people can't go that way."

Becca covered her mouth and giggled. She and her friends squeezed through, forcing Anna aside.

"See? You need an invitation to get in." Emily showed her invitation, allowing Becca to pass first.

Becca carefully lifted her pink dress and walked in like a princess, holding her head high and puffing her chest.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, your invitation only allows you to go through the employee entrance," the waiter stopped Becca.

Becca flushed with embarrassment, but Emily and Priscilla quickly spoke up, "Becca is an FY employee!"

"That's right, it's better to use the employee entrance than to not be able to get in at all."

Becca and the other two finally made way. Anna again approached the VIP entrance, withdrew an envelope from her purse, and handed it to the waiter.

The waiter's eyes widened, and his smile became even more respectful.

"Miss Anna, this way, please..."

Under the shocked gaze of Becca and her two friends, Anna entered the auditorium through the VIP passage.