Ansel smiled affectionately, his eyes fixed on Sydney's flushed lips. Unable to resist, he gently lifted her chin and kissed her.

One kiss led to another, and soon they slipped into the car. The vehicle began to rock with a steady rhythm.

Hidden behind a nearby pillar, Odessa stood motionless, her face drained of color. She pressed a hand over her mouth, fighting to hold back a sob as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Ansel had gotten Sydney pregnant.

He had told Odessa she was the one he loved most, yet here he was, sharing their most private moments with another woman.

For a fleeting instant, she felt the urge to scream at them for answers. But instead, she quietly turned away.

She didn't even realize how she left. Rather than returning to the hospital, she wandered aimlessly through the streets.

Not far ahead stood the Halberg Group's headquarters, its massive LED screen looping a video from two years ago.

The footage captured the wedding that every woman in Brightmoor had once envied—a fairy-tale castle, adorable flower girls, and a tearful Ansel and Odessa exchanging vows.

It all felt as though it had happened only yesterday.

As Odessa watched the screen, tears quietly began to stream down her face once more.

All of a sudden, a message from Ansel lit up her phone. "Hey Odessa, there's a last-minute meeting at the office. I won't be home tonight. Let's talk tomorrow, okay?"

Tears dropped onto the screen as a bitter, hollow laugh escaped her lips.

Tomorrow?

Tomorrow was a luxury she no longer had.

Before she discovered the affair, Ansel often sent messages like these, insisting he had "emergency meetings" to attend.

Now, looking back, maybe every single one of those meetings had been a lie—perhaps he'd been with Sydney all along.

"Are you with Sydney?" Odessa typed back.

The typing indicator flickered almost at once, but no message followed.

After what felt like forever, Ansel finally replied, "You're overthinking things. If you don't trust me, feel free to ask my assistant."

Odessa said nothing.

Moments later, a message from Sydney popped up.

"Hey Odessa, I'm sure you heard everything in the parking garage. To be honest, it's only a matter of time before I take your place.

"Half of Ansel's heart already belongs to me. I'm younger, and I know how to make him happy. If you don't want to end up being just another discarded trophy wife, do yourself a favor and get that divorce."

Attached to Sydney's message were several photos of torn stockings and an open condom wrapper.

Odessa's hands shook as she stared at the screen.

She might have wanted a divorce after her death, but that didn't mean she was prepared to endure such a blatant and humiliating insult.

A sudden crack of thunder ripped through the sky as rain began to pour.

Raindrops traced the curve of her pale jaw, blending with her tears.

Finally, she typed a message to Ansel, "Let's get a divorce."

By the time she got home, night had already fallen. Odessa collapsed onto the couch, her fever burning through her veins.

A bitter laugh escaped her. She was nothing but a ghost, lingering on borrowed time… yet even a ghost's fragile body could succumb to illness.

After a long, heavy silence, Odessa forced herself to stand. She climbed onto a chair and reached for the wedding photo hanging on the wall.

Her fingers hesitated briefly on the frame before she ripped it apart with a pair of scissors.

After discarding the shredded photo, she pulled out every album and frame in the house. One by one, she tore each picture of her and Ansel into jagged, broken pieces.

Next, she gathered every gift Ansel had ever given her.

The valuable items were sold off at a steep discount, while the handmade pieces were smashed and thrown away without hesitation.

At last, Odessa entered the exhibition room.

Behind the spotless glass case hung the wedding dress she had worn years ago. She paused for one last look before ruthlessly cutting it apart.

Also on display was the exquisite diamond ring crafted by Ansel himself, its pink diamond alone worth tens of millions.

Odessa held onto the ring for what felt like an eternity before finally flushing it down the toilet.

She and Ansel had once shared a profound love. Those memories were too sacred to be tarnished by anyone else. So, with that in mind, she decided to be the one to destroy them.

When it was all said and done, Odessa collapsed to the floor, utterly exhausted.

Just then, Ansel stormed through the door.

As Ansel took in the wreckage around him, his expression darkened instantly. His eyes burned with fury as he shouted, "Odessa! What the heck are you doing? When is this going to stop?

"These were the things we promised to cherish for the rest of our lives. Why would you destroy them like this?"

Odessa lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. "When love turns ugly, holding on to the remnants only brings more pain. It's better to let it all go."

She swallowed hard, forcing back a sob. "Let's get a divorce."

"Odessa, how many times have you said that in the past two days?" Ansel snapped. "I rushed back the moment I saw your message. Can you stop overreacting?

"I've already told you—what I have with Sydney is just a fling. Why are you being so petty and jealous over her?"

Odessa shook her head. "It's not that I can't tolerate her... It's that she can't tolerate me."

Ansel's expression stiffened as he roughly pulled her to her feet. "Look, your entire family's gone. Without me, what do you have left?" he snapped.

His words sliced through Odessa like a knife.

After her parents' sudden death, all her relatives had turned on her like vultures. It was Ansel who had been her sole support.

From that moment, Odessa saw Ansel as her only family. He was like a piece of driftwood in a stormy sea, the only thing she could cling to in order to survive.

But now, she was already dead. Such threats no longer affected her.

Still, she never imagined Ansel could be so heartless.

More often than not, it was those closest to her who knew exactly where to cut the deepest.

"Why…" Odessa's voice quivered, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Ansel froze, suddenly realizing how cruel his words had been.

He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her, his tone softening. "I'm sorry, Odessa. I didn't mean to hurt you."

Odessa pushed him away, pain flickering in her eyes. "Why did you stop loving me all of a sudden?"

Ansel pulled her back into his arms, pressing gentle kisses to her tears. "Don't be absurd. I never stopped loving you."

"Then let's get divorced." Odessa's voice was faint, yet the words struck like a blade.

Ansel's restraint shattered. Overwhelmed by rage, he shoved her against the wall. "Why, Odessa? Why are you so determined to divorce me?"

"Because I'm already dead, and my final wish is to divorce you. I want to sever every last thread between us.

"After you left that night, I was dragged into an alley by a thug…"

Odessa began to tell him everything, but the moment she mentioned returning from the dead for seven days, Ansel's patience snapped.

"Odessa, you're 27 years old, for heaven's sake! I'm not an idiot. Can you please stop with these ridiculous stories?

"If you really can't stand Sydney, then just go abroad for a while!"

With those dismissive words, he turned to leave.

"So you'd rather ship me off than end things with her?"

Ansel's steps faltered, but he didn't turn around.

"Think whatever you want!" he snapped. "Once I'm done fooling around with her, I'll come back home."

Odessa slumped to the floor, shaking her head in despair. She knew she wouldn't live long enough to see that day.

From that point on, a cold war began between her and Ansel.

With just five days remaining, her anxiety grew heavier by the hour.

She eventually decided to message Ansel. After a long wait, his reply finally came. "I won't be home for the next few days. Just try to calm down. Once you're feeling better, we can talk."

Odessa's hands trembled as she read his cold, distant words.

While suppressing her emotions, she got into her car and drove straight to Halberg Group. But the moment she stepped into the lobby, she was stopped.

"I need to see Ansel!" she insisted.

The new receptionist answered politely, "I'm sorry, miss. It's currently lunch break, and Mr. Halberg isn't seeing visitors right now. If you'd like to meet him, please schedule an appointment."

"I'm his wife."

The receptionist blinked in surprise. After a brief pause, she shook her head. "Ms. Wainwright has made it clear that no one is allowed to disturb her and Mr. Halberg—not even you."

A bitter laugh slipped from Odessa's lips. It had been ages since she last stepped into the office. She never expected things to have changed so drastically.

"Odessa!"

Just then, Sydney walked over, dressed in a vibrant dress that made her glow. In her hand, she carried the season's latest designer handbag.

"Where's Ansel?" Odessa asked, her voice laced with fury.

Sydney let out a mocking chuckle. "Shouldn't you be the one to know? You're his wife, after all. Or maybe… he just doesn't want to see you right now."

Without raising her voice, the poison threaded through her words was enough to make heads turn.

Many of the longtime employees recognized Odessa, their expressions shifting the moment she entered the room.

Ansel had long upheld the illusion of a faithful husband. But now, the familiar tension between wife and mistress was on full display for everyone to see.

To make things worse, a few employees recalled that Sydney had once been a struggling student who Odessa personally supported. The memory only deepened the curiosity etched across their faces.

"Well, Odessa, since you have no idea what Ansel's doing, let me fill you in. He's taking a nap. I was keeping him company, but one of my girlfriends invited me to go shopping, so I stepped out."

As Sydney spoke, her fingers lightly traced her necklace. Odessa couldn't help but notice the kiss marks along the edge of her neckline.

"Look, Odessa, if you don't have anything important to say, you should go. Ansel doesn't want to see you right now. If that changes, I'll be sure to let you know."

Odessa could feel the eyes of everyone on her, each one like a needle pricking at her composure. Her anger surged without warning, and she slapped Sydney hard across the face.

After a moment of silence, gasps and murmurs began to ripple through the crowd.

Sydney stood dazed, her head tilted to one side as she stared blankly at the floor.

As clarity slowly returned, she spotted a figure just at the edge of her vision. All of a sudden, she collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. "Odessa, it's all my fault! Please, don't be mad at Ansel anymore!"

Odessa hadn't expected such a reaction. Just as she was about to accuse Sydney of putting on an act, a tall figure pushed through the crowd.

"Sydney!"

It was Ansel.

"Ansel, I—" Odessa began.

But before she could finish, Ansel shoved her roughly.

"Odessa, stop this madness! This is an office! Wasn't making a scene at home enough? Do you want everyone to see you like this?"

Odessa staggered backward and collapsed onto the floor. A groan slipped from her lips as her face turned pale.

Ansel didn't even look at her. He hurried to Sydney's side, gently cupping her face. "Does it hurt?"

Tears slipped down Sydney's cheeks. "It does... I need you to blow on it to make it better."

Ansel softly blew on the injured spot, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I warned you to stay away from her, didn't I?"

Curled up in his arms, Sydney shook her head. "Ansel, don't blame Odessa. It's my fault. I must've upset her by accident."

Ansel lifted her carefully and turned to the crowd gathered around them. "Why are you all just standing there?" he barked. "Get back to work!"

At his terse command, the crowd broke apart in an instant.

His gaze then shifted to Odessa, still seated on the floor. His cold stare was unlike anything she had ever encountered.

When their eyes met, a sudden chill ran through her. She had never imagined Ansel could look at her with such disdain.

The warmth and tenderness they once shared now felt like a cruel, bitter illusion.

Without another word, Ansel stepped forward and hauled her to her feet. His grip was unyielding, devoid of any mercy.

"Let's take this to the office," he said flatly.

Odessa stumbled, nearly twisting her ankle as he pulled her along. She yanked her hand, trying desperately to break free. "No, let's talk here."

"Odessa, my patience isn't endless!" Ansel snapped. "I'm honestly so disappointed in you. You're acting like a total shrew."

"A shrew?"

Odessa's body trembled, a bitter smile touching her lips before fading away. Tears quietly traced down her cheeks.

"I never imagined hearing those words from you. So, you think I'm disgraceful, huh?

"When you were running wild like that, did you ever wonder how it would all end?"

"That's enough!" Ansel's voice thundered through the room. "What do you want from me? What will it take for you to stop?"

Without hesitation, Odessa pulled out the divorce papers. "I want a divorce!"