The next day, after finishing my final night shift, I returned home at dawn with a fever. But when I opened the door, I found the place bustling with noise. They were throwing a birthday party for Ella.

There were twinkling lights and nonstop laughter. The scent of cake filled the air as well. Kurt's closest friends were all there, and Ella was at the center of it all, surrounded like a princess.

The moment I walked in, their playful banter came to a sudden halt.

The atmosphere turned awkward. Kurt rushed over in excitement and shoved a microphone into my hand. "It's Ella's birthday today. Anna, why don't you sing her a song?"

My head was spinning so badly I could barely speak.

I hadn't slept since the night before. The only thought echoing in my mind was the deadline to confirm Hefford's offer, which was less than 24 hours away.

I gently pushed his hand away and shook my head, instantly causing the mood to falter.

Ella glanced at me and said, "It's okay. Anna doesn't have to sing if she doesn't want to."

Kevin Drew, who was drinking nearby, let out a whistle and shot me a displeased look. His expression made it clear that he thought I was ruining the vibe.

I didn't bother to explain myself. My steps were unsteady as I turned to head toward the bedroom. But just as I turned, my eyes caught sight of a crumpled pile of old clothes tossed in a corner, stained with grease.

It was the set of scrubs I had hand-sewn the day I started my ICU internship after graduating from college, meant to be a keepsake.

I had always kept it at the top of the closet, ensuring it remained pristine and clean. I looked at it as a symbol of my original passion. Now, it was covered in cake, alcohol, and even dirt.

I felt my heart twist painfully, but no one noticed anything was wrong. Kurt was still gazing tenderly at Ella as she laughed.

It wasn't until I stood in front of them, holding the scrubs in my hands, trembling with suppressed fury, that they finally spared me a glance.

When Kurt saw what I was holding, he immediately pulled me into his arms and whispered, "Ella accidentally used that as a rag. She didn't mean to. I'll buy you a few new ones, okay? Don't take it to heart."

New ones? A few more?

I froze. That wasn't just clothing; that was a piece of my life I had fought to preserve. But there wasn't even a hint of guilt in his eyes, only a desire to smooth things over.

The grievances I had buried deep inside finally broke free, and tears began to fall uncontrollably.

Kurt was stunned for a moment. Then he instinctively reached out to touch my face, but I turned my head away.

A flicker of irritation crossed Ella's eyes. This moment had been meant for her, and now I was ruining it.

But she quickly composed herself, putting on a pitiful expression as tears welled up in her eyes. "Anna, don't be mad at Kurt. It's all my fault. I'll buy you something better later to make up for it, okay?"

That one sentence lit a fire in Kevin. He licked his tongue in annoyance and pulled out a wad of cash, slamming it in front of me. "Isn't money what you want? Why go through all that drama? Is this enough for you?"

Kevin had always been like this. He was a typical friend of Kurt's who looked down on me. In their eyes, I had never been someone from their world.

I would have felt embarrassed and inferior in the past. I would have wondered how I could fit in with them. But now, all I felt was relief. I finally knew I didn't belong here.

I stepped on the cash emotionlessly, walking toward the bathroom with those clothes in hand.

After several failed attempts to smooth things over, Kurt finally lost his temper. He berated me, "Anna, whatever crap you dealt with outside, don't take it out on us!"

My head buzzed as I abruptly looked up at him. I was still wearing my food delivery vest. My shoes were soaked with rainwater, and I was burning hot with fever.

I had worked myself to the bone to fund his business, doing side gigs and even helping to pay off his debts. In the end, all I got in return was to be scolded like that.

I smiled softly, but there was no sadness in it, only the peace that came with letting go. Kurt's expression wavered for a moment. For some reason, a wave of panic suddenly crept into his heart.

He instinctively reached out again, but the next second, my body gave out. I collapsed straight to the ground.

The last thing I saw before everything went dark was the panic-stricken look on Kurt's face.

When I regained consciousness, the first thing I heard was the sound of a heated argument between Kurt and Ella. "We can't keep pretending anymore! Do you even realize she's been running food deliveries, hauling goods, and washing cars despite having a fever for days?"

Kurt's voice cracked mid-sentence, and his frustration gave way to something close to a sob. "If this keeps going on, she'll collapse. I won't let anything happen to her…"

Ella pouted, looking completely unconcerned. "Hasn't Anna always been pretty tough? It's just a little illness. Kurt, you're totally overreacting."

But before she could finish, Kurt snapped, "Shut up! I listened to you before, and Anna ended up suffering again and again. If she weren't so strong, she wouldn't just have a fever right now. She would have collapsed on the street with no one to help her!"

Kurt continued, "She's so stubborn and never lets me help with anything. I can't let this drag on. Who knows how much more she's hiding from me!"

Ella bit her lip and said nothing, but the flicker of jealousy in her eyes gave her away. She shot me a sharp glare as I lay in bed, and the hatred in her heart deepened.

All of this should've belonged to her alone. Why did I, a woman who only came in halfway, get to take it away?

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Kurt rushed to my bedside, gently touching my face with concern. "Anna, you're awake. How are you feeling now?"

When I didn't respond, he hesitated for a moment and said solemnly, "There's something I need to tell you. Actually, I…"

"Let's break up," I said.

Whatever Kurt had been about to say got stuck in his throat. He froze for a few seconds before finding his voice and asking in confusion, "Why? Just because of a piece of clothing?"

Ella's eyes flickered with mischief as she jumped in and fanned the flames. "Anna, are you embarrassed because Kurt's too poor? Did you find someone richer? It's really shameful to throw away your dignity just for some money!"

She self-righteously hurled lies at me. I looked at the designer gown she wore, the jewelry clinking on her wrists, then glanced down at my worn denim jacket and tattered sneakers.

All my money had gone to Kurt. Even my visa fee and plane ticket had been scraped together from five different jobs.

And him?

He hadn't even known why I'd collapsed in the hospital. He thought it was just a result of overwork. He never once considered that I was fighting with everything I had just to leave him behind and start over.

Kurt grabbed my arm tightly, and his voice rose in anger and desperation. "Is what Ella said true?"

I couldn't help but laugh at his cruelty and blindness.

After five years, if he had ever truly cared about me, he would know what kind of woman I was.

So I decided to just accept the slander and nod. For the first time, I spoke coldly to Kurt, "Why would I hold on to a man who's lazy, greedy, and doesn't have a sense of responsibility?"

His face turned livid. He stared at me for a long time and said in disappointment, "Anna, I never thought you were this kind of woman."

With that, he turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Ella gave me a triumphant smile. She shot me a condescending look before walking away with a skip in her step.

I felt nothing as I got out of bed and quietly started packing my documents and belongings. But just a few hours later, colorful fireworks lit up the sky by the river outside the window.

A notification popped up from Ella's social media. "Thank you, Kurt, you're the best. With you, I'll always be a little princess."

The post was accompanied by pictures of a sky full of fireworks and a giant, sparkling pink diamond ring. The comments were full of their mutual friends.

"You two are such a perfect match. Kurt always gives Ella the best of everything."

"Good thing he dumped that hideous old woman. Just seeing her ruined my mood for the whole day."

"She was so tacky, it made me want to throw up. I totally support the breakup. Kurt was already done with her anyway."

I silently scrolled through the screen.

They used to hide posts like these from me. But now, they couldn't wait to shove it in my face, openly daring me to say something.

Kurt had definitely allowed it. I know that he wanted me to regret it, to realize what I had lost.

He was waiting for me to crawl back to him as I had done so many times before, desperate, humiliated, and begging for his forgiveness. But I felt no bitterness or regret. After a few taps, I blocked both of them.

A notification came in to tell me my departure was scheduled for tomorrow.

The next morning, my phone was flooded with texts from Kurt. I had forgotten to block his number.

He sounded drunk, and his messages were erratic.

"Anna, are you really going to ignore me? Do you even know who I am?"

"You're going to regret this, I swear! Even if you come crawling back, I'll never forgive you! Never!"

"Why aren't you answering me? I didn't come home all night. Aren't you worried?"

"Anna, are you feeling any better? Please just text me back…"

The screen was packed with his desperate words, but I couldn't be bothered to read more. I calmly looked away and put on my hat, wheeling my suitcase to the medical center I had booked.

The university required a medical exam and vaccination record before enrollment, which was my final step before going abroad. As the doctor verified my passport information, my phone rang again.

It was Kurt. The ringtone sounded urgent and panicked as if he had just realized something. But I didn't answer him. I waited for it to go silent, then switched off my phone.

As the screen went dark, the only thing I felt inside was freedom. Not resentment, not hatred, but freedom.