Odessa's words hung heavily in the air. A moment later, the silence shattered, like ice cracking under sudden pressure.

Ansel shoved her hard, rage bursting forth. "How many times are you going to make up lies like this?"

Odessa stumbled, nearly losing her balance. She lowered her gaze and offered a bitter smile. "You never believe me. But I guess that's fair… the trust between us disappeared long ago."

Ansel glared at her, his whole body trembling with rage, yet he remained silent.

In the blink of an eye, he regained control, a mocking smile curling on his lips. "Fine. If that's what you want… I'll divorce you on the sixth day."

Without looking back, he grabbed Sydney's hand and started to walk away.

"Ansel, please! You have to believe me!"

Odessa rushed after them but was stopped by the gate as it swung shut.

Without warning, she tumbled to the ground. Her heel snapped loudly, a sharp pain shooting through her ankle.

She let out a muffled cry, refusing to look at her injury. Instead, she turned to the receptionist and pleaded, "Please… could you open the gate for me?"

Before the receptionist could reply, Ansel's sharp, commanding voice pierced the silence. "Don't let her in!"

Yet, when his eyes landed on Odessa's disheveled appearance, a flicker of tenderness softened the hardness in his gaze.

Sydney noticed immediately. Without missing a beat, she leaned into her act. "Ansel, my face still hurts. Can you check if it's swollen?"

Ansel's attention shifted. He knelt down, gently blowing on her cheek. "Come on, let's go back to the office. I'll get some ice for it."

She bit her lip, tears glistening in her eyes. "But what about Odessa…"

Caught in Sydney's pleading look, Ansel steeled himself and said firmly, "From now on, no one lets Odessa into the building without my approval."

When she saw them so close, Odessa's heart broke, bleeding with each agonizing beat. Through choked sobs, she pleaded, "For God's sake, Ansel! Can't you trust me just this once? I only have five days left!"

Ansel didn't look back. Without a word, he stepped into the elevator.

Suddenly, the room grew still. Every pair of eyes felt like sharp needles piercing Odessa's skin. Yet, rather than pain, a deep, hollow void began to spread inside her chest.

After what felt like an eternity, she forced herself up and staggered out of the building.

Outside, thick clouds hung heavy in the sky. Two young women stood at the bus stop. Their eyes were locked on Halberg Group's building, confusion etched across their faces.

"Wasn't that screen showing the CEO's proposal video before? Why did it suddenly switch to an ad?"

"That spokesperson isn't particularly pretty, but she has a fresh, innocent look. I have no idea who she is, though."

Odessa paused, looking up. The giant LED screen now featured a commercial with Sydney, promoting Halberg Group's latest "True Love" jewelry collection.

At the heart of the ad was a dazzling ring. It was a limited-edition piece from the company's 100-Year Anniversary Collection.

As Odessa stared at the screen, her mind wandered back to when the jewelry designs were nothing more than rough sketches. She recalled Ansel laying them before her, eager to hear her thoughts.

"Odessa, which one speaks to you the most?" he asked.

She pointed to a ring shaped like a maple leaf. "This one. It's beautiful."

Ansel smiled, leaning in to kiss her. "I love that one too. Maple leaves shine their brightest in autumn. It reminds me of the first time I saw you at school.

"I'll make it the centerpiece of our 100-Year Anniversary Collection. But it won't be for sale. It will belong to you alone."

Odessa wrapped her arms around him, looking up with a teasing pout. "You'd better mean it. If you don't, I'll leave you forever."

"I swear on my life!"

Ansel's promise still lingered in Odessa's ears, as if spoken just yesterday. And yet, the ring that once held the weight of their love now graced Sydney's finger.

Odessa stared blankly at the screen, tears streaming down her face without her even realizing it.

"Miss, are you alright?"

The two women looked at her in surprise and quickly handed her a tissue. But when they took a closer look, their eyes widened in disbelief.

"Aren't you… the wife of Halberg Group's CEO?"

Odessa accepted the tissue with a word of thanks. At their question, she offered a bitter smile and shook her head.

"Not anymore. There's no such thing as eternal love. Maybe the journey is beautiful… but the ending is always the same."

With that, she turned and walked away, her steps faltering.

The two women exchanged uneasy glances as they watched her silhouette disappear into the distance.

By the time Odessa returned home, a fever had already set in.

She sank onto the couch, her body weighed down by exhaustion. As her eyes closed, sleep enveloped her quickly.

In her dream, she was carried back to a crisp autumn day when she was just 17.

The campus was alive with the vibrant hues of maple leaves, and for the first time, she found herself running late. By chance, she came face-to-face with Ansel, who stood guard at the school gate.

Back then, he was a slender, neatly dressed teenager. Odessa could still picture his face as she wrote her name in his notebook, a brief smile softening his typically serious expression.

"Odessa… What a beautiful name."

After meeting his clear, steady gaze, Odessa felt her cheeks flush.

That night, her fever surged. She floated in and out of sleep, caught in a blur where dreams dissolved into reality.

In the midst of it all, she felt someone lifting her gently, a cool, damp cloth soothing her burning skin.

"Ansel?" she murmured instinctively.

"I'm here."

The voice was gentle, carrying the unmistakable timbre of youth. It was the voice of a 17-year-old Ansel.

Suddenly, Odessa's eyes snapped open. Darkness and silence engulfed the living room. She was completely alone.

She gazed into the shadows for a long moment before closing her eyes, tears silently soaking into the cushion beneath her.

For the next three days, Ansel didn't appear once.

He had clearly decided to cut her off completely. Not only had he ignored her messages and calls, but he had even gone so far as to freeze her credit cards.

With only two days remaining, Odessa had no choice but to reach out to Ansel's assistant, Gregory McMann. But instead of his usual courteous tone, Gregory's voice was cold and firm, edged with unmistakable impatience.

"Ms. Montclair, if you want to reach Mr. Halberg, you'll need to speak with Ms. Wainwright. He's been with her constantly for the past two days."

Without another word, he ended the call.

Odessa gripped her phone tightly, a wave of humiliation rising in her chest.

Gregory's cold attitude was nothing more than a reflection of Ansel's.

Just then, a message from Sydney lit up her screen, dripping with contempt. "Mr. McMann told me everything. How pathetic! You can't even catch a glimpse of Ansel now!"

Moments later, a stream of photos appeared, each one revealing intimate glimpses of Sydney and Ansel together.

Odessa immediately recognized the background. It was a place all too familiar.

"Actually, Ansel flew me all the way to Yandoria. He's going to propose tomorrow, just like he always said he would.

"Do you want to be there when it happens? Oh, that's right… you're broke now, aren't you? But since you helped me through college, I'll be kind enough to send you money for a plane ticket. You wouldn't want to miss the big moment!"

Shortly after, a transfer of ten thousand dollars appeared in Odessa's account.

The young woman who had once struggled to afford even a meal was now shamelessly showing off Ansel's money, all to spite and humiliate her.

Odessa let out a bitter laugh.

Without a second thought, she booked a plane ticket to Yandoria.

The journey was grueling, stretching well over an entire day. By the time she finally arrived at the castle, the afternoon was slipping away quickly.

In just a few hours, she would leave this world behind forever.

Inside the magnificent castle, a violinist played a graceful melody while flower girls scattered petals along the aisle. The air was thick with romance and grandeur.

Disheveled and breathless, Odessa stumbled in just in time to see Ansel on one knee, holding out an engagement ring to Sydney.

"Sydney, will you marry me?" he proposed.

His eyes were gentle and full of love.

In that instant, Odessa was transported back to a memory from three years ago.

Ansel had once looked at her just like that, but back then, his eyes had been full of tears.

Sydney stood radiant in a stunning wedding gown, its long train shimmering beneath the lights. Blushing, she extended her hand and whispered, "I will."

Odessa couldn't ignore the striking resemblance. The gown was almost identical to the one she had worn.

In just a few days, Ansel had it remade.

The memories that had once meant the world to her clearly held no weight for him. To Ansel, it seemed any woman could take her place at the altar.

Tears poured down Odessa's face. Without warning, the bag holding the divorce papers slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor.

Despite this, the gentle thud was lost beneath the thunder of cheers and applause. Surrounded by a tide of congratulations, Ansel drew Sydney close and leaned in to kiss her.

Unable to watch any longer, Odessa suddenly rushed forward. "Ansel!"

Her hoarse voice shattered the perfect moment. The room plunged into a heavy, unsettling silence.

Ansel turned toward her, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes at her disheveled appearance. Instinctively, he pushed Sydney aside, his expression hardening.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Odessa wiped away her tears, forcing a bitter smile.

"I just came to wish you well. And also—"

She held up the divorce papers. "To divorce you."

Ansel scoffed. "I told you, I'll sign it on the sixth day. It's not time yet."

Odessa grasped his sleeve. "Please… just let us both move on. All you have to do is sign your name."

Her eyes were bloodshot, and strands of hair stuck to her pale face. She looked like a delicate porcelain doll, ready to shatter at any moment.

Ansel froze, their eyes locked in a tense silence before he abruptly pulled his hand away. His voice was sharp and unforgiving.

"Odessa, do you really believe you have any right to bargain with me?" he questioned.

Sydney clutched Ansel's arm, leaning in with a confident smirk. She gave Odessa a pointed look and said, "Ansel has already set the date with you. It's only a few hours away. Why are you so insistent on today? Is it because you're jealous he proposed to me?"

Ansel reached out, gently stroking Sydney's hair. "There's no need to waste your breath on her," he said coldly.

Odessa trembled uncontrollably. "Ansel… today really is my last day on this earth. I'm not lying, I—"

"Enough!" Ansel's voice sliced through her like a knife.

"Odessa, how many times do I have to say it? These lies are pathetic. You say you're dead, but where's the proof? Can a ghost really board a plane?

"Keep spinning these stories, and I'll have you sent to a psychiatric hospital. This is the last time we'll ever see each other!"

A deafening ringing exploded inside Odessa's head, as if the last thread of her sanity had finally snapped.

Her eyes widened in torment as she screamed, "Ansel! Is this some kind of game to you? Why won't you just set me free?

"You treat me like I'm nothing but an old toy. You don't play with me anymore, yet you can't find the strength to let me go. So here I am, just collecting dust!

"Didn't you say Sydney was just a passing distraction? So what on earth are you doing now? Why can't you walk away from me?"

Tears streamed down her face as she spoke. Her strength gave way, and she collapsed to the floor.

"I wasn't lying… that night… I was stabbed 17 times… it hurt so much…"

Her voice dwindled to a fragile whisper. She wrapped her arms around her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

A sharp, searing pain ripped through Ansel's chest. His eyes reddened as he reached down and helped Odessa to her feet.

"Come with me," he said.

Sydney grabbed his sleeve, her voice trembling with desperation. "Ansel, please don't go!"