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!"

"Just wait for me. I'll be right back," Ansel reassured Sydney. Without another word, he grabbed Odessa by the wrist and pulled her out of the venue.

She didn't resist, letting him lead her into a quiet study.

A heavy silence hung between them.

Ansel's eyes remained fixed on Odessa. After a long, tense pause, he finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse. "What if we don't go through with the divorce? I'll end things with Sydney."

Odessa let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. "If you were truly capable of letting her go, you wouldn't have needed to drag me in here to say it. Maybe you haven't realized it yet… but you've already fallen for her."

Besides, Sydney was only the beginning. Even if she vanished, there would always be someone else waiting to take her place.

Ansel clenched his fists, still refusing to back down. "What if I sent her overseas? You'd be in separate cities, living separate lives. Would that finally satisfy you?"

A sharp ache tightened in Odessa's chest. Too weary to argue, she simply shook her head. "No."

Ansel's eyes burned red, frustration creeping into his expression. "Why do you have to make this so hard? Why can't you just—"

Before he could continue, Odessa struck him sharply across the face. "Ansel, I don't love you anymore. Do you understand? The moment you betrayed me, everything ended. There's no going back!"

In an instant, the atmosphere thickened, plunging into an eerie, suffocating silence.

Ansel stood with his head slightly tilted, staring at the floor in disbelief. His bloodshot eyes held a fierce, unsettling glare.

Snapping back to himself, he raised his hand, but the slap never came. Instead, his fingers trembled as they curled tightly into a fist.

"Fine! If you want a divorce, then so be it! But don't you dare regret it!"

Without warning, he grabbed the divorce papers from Odessa's hands and signed them without a second thought. In a burst of anger, he slammed the papers against her cheek. "Are you happy now?" he shouted.

The sharp sting flared into a burning red mark across her face.

Odessa staggered back, shocked into silence. After a long pause, she bent down and gathered the papers, holding them close to her chest. "At last, I'm free," she whispered.

Seeing her relief only ignited Ansel's fury even more.

"You'll regret this," he hissed through gritted teeth. Without looking back, he spun around and walked away.

"Ansel!"

Odessa caught his sleeve, her tear-filled eyes slowly softening as the anger drained away. At last, a bitter smile flickered across her lips.

"Will you come with me to the red maple grove behind the hill?" she asked. "Let's make it our final farewell."

Ansel hesitated for a heartbeat before pulling his hand away. His voice was cold and cutting. "No! From this moment on, whether you live or die is none of my concern."

Without another glance, he turned and walked away.

Odessa remained frozen, watching his figure disappear into the shadows. Her heart was numb.

Maybe this was for the best. When the news of her death reached him… at least he wouldn't mourn.

Night had fallen. While clutching the divorce papers to her chest, Odessa gazed up at the pale, distant moon as she made her way toward the red maple grove.

The moonlight was crisp and radiant, bathing the fiery red leaves in a shimmering glow.

She wandered among the trees for what felt like hours. At exactly 11:58 pm, she pulled out her phone and typed a message to Ansel.

"I don't regret falling in love with you, Ansel. The happiness we shared was real, and so were the good times. But if I could start over, I'd choose never to have met you. I can't accept an ending like this."

The moment she hit send, the clock struck midnight.

The castle's bell tolled, its chime cutting through the still night air.

Odessa's eyes lingered on the chat screen, realizing the message had failed to send. A shiver ran down her cheeks.

Bathed in the soft glow of moonlight, she let out a quiet breath and closed her eyes. In that very moment, she vanished without a trace.

At the same time, in a foul-smelling, shadowed gutter on the outskirts of Brightmoore, a frantic call came through to the police. A woman's mutilated body had been discovered.