One of the bodyguards shoved me hard between the shoulder blades.

I stumbled forward, bumping the hospital room door open as I staggered inside.

Ethan was sitting beside the hospital bed, holding a glass of water. With a look of deep concern, he dabbed Chloe's dry lips with a cotton swab dipped in warm water.

Hearing the noise, he turned his head.

When he saw the swelling on my face and my disheveled hair, his hand paused for a moment.

He set the glass down and stood, walking over to me.

He pulled out a chair. "Sit down and have some water first."

He poured another glass of warm water and held it out to me, his voice deliberately gentle. "Nora, what you did today really went too far. If you're willing to apologize to Chloe, I'll book the entire island again next month and give you an even grander wedding. That way everyone can save face."

I looked at the steaming glass of water in his hand.

I raised my hand and swung it sharply.

The glass shattered on the floor. Warm water splashed across his leather shoes as shards scattered everywhere.

Ethan's expression darkened instantly.

He pointed a finger at my face and shouted. "Nora, have you lost your mind? I'm already giving you a way out. How long are you going to keep this up? Do you have any empathy at all?"

The veins on his forehead throbbed. "You humiliated me in front of hundreds of people today and I didn't even hold it against you! Chloe almost lost her baby because of you, and you can't even say you're sorry?"

I stared at him coldly, taking in that hypocritical face.

In my previous life, Ethan's company had suffered a massive break in its cash flow and was on the verge of bankruptcy.

I had run from pawnshop to pawnshop, selling every piece of jewelry and antique my mother left me just to fill the financial hole for him.

But after I became pregnant, he brought Chloe—who was also pregnant—into our home.

Whenever Chloe shed a single tear, he would lock me in the basement and leave me without food.

On the day I went into labor, I was lying on the delivery bed, hemorrhaging badly.

Ethan walked in without even sparing me a glance.

To vent Chloe's anger, he reached over and pulled out my life-support equipment.

I would never forget the suffocating pain and despair of that moment.

The cold beeping of the machines echoed in my ears as my breathing grew weaker until I finally suffocated on that hospital bed.

The memory of that pain surged through every limb of my body again.

Looking at the man in front of me, my stomach churned violently with disgust.

I took a step back, my eyes filled with pure hatred.

Ethan seemed unsettled by my gaze and awkwardly pulled his hand back.

He stepped forward again, reaching toward my cheek.

"Nora, don't look at me like that."

"Oh, Ethan… my stomach hurts so much."

Chloe suddenly writhed on the hospital bed, clutching her stomach with both hands as she cried out miserably.

Cold sweat covered her forehead. Her face was ashen as she gripped the bedsheet tightly, tears streaming down her face.

Ethan immediately withdrew his hand and rushed back to the bed.

"Chloe, how are you? I'll call the doctor right away!"

Chloe grabbed his sleeve and shook her head weakly. "Ethan, I'm fine. As long as Ms. Whitmore can forgive me, it doesn't matter if my baby suffers a little."

Ethan turned around, pulled a document from his briefcase, and slammed it onto the table.

"Nora, sign this project transfer agreement."

I walked over and looked down at the title on the document, "NovaCore Renewables Project — Gratuitous Transfer Agreement."

The pages were filled with dense clauses, all designed to strip the project away and transfer it unconditionally to a subsidiary company under Chloe's name.

I demanded sharply. "Ethan, did you plan this from the beginning? That project is my mother's life's work. Are you trying to squeeze the last bit of value out of me?"

Ethan avoided my gaze, his voice slightly unsteady. "It's just compensation for the baby Chloe is carrying. She was frightened today and deserves something to make up for it. I'll compensate you twice as much later."

The hospital room door was suddenly thrown open.

Donna Langley, Chloe's mother, stormed inside and immediately began shouting, her finger pointed straight at my face.

"You vicious woman! Just because you can't have a child, you want to harm the baby in my daughter's belly. Why don't you just die already? You're useless as a wife. You can't even give the Carrington family a child, yet you're still clinging to the title of Mrs. Carrington! Hand over the money. That'll cover my grandson's formula."

Donna's spit sprayed across my face as she shouted.

Ethan stood beside her without saying a word.

He grabbed the pen from the table and forced it into my hand.

"Sign it and end this peacefully. If you keep stalling, I'll call my people right now and have the mansion your mother used to live in sold off. Don't push me to handle this the hard way."

I looked down at the black pen in my hand.

With both hands, I snapped the pen cleanly in half.

One half of the pen clattered onto the tiled floor with a sharp sound.

I lifted my head and met Ethan's eyes.

"This agreement has multiple legal flaws. My attorney, Stella, needs to review it personally. I'm not signing it today."

Donna shrieked and lunged forward, grabbing for my collar.

"You little bitch, still trying to play tricks? You really don't know what's good for you! If you don't sign that paper today, I'll tear your face apart!"

Her long nails slashed toward my neck.

I twisted sideways, caught her arm, and shoved her away with force.

Donna stumbled and crashed down onto the floor.

She slapped her thigh and burst into exaggerated wails. "Help! She's assaulting me! The Whitmore family's precious daughter is beating people! There's no justice in this world. She's bullying a helpless mother and daughter!"

The veins on Ethan's forehead bulged.

He lunged forward, grabbed my throat, and slammed me against the wall.

My back hit the hard wall, the impact making me wince.

His grip tightened as his voice turned vicious. "Nora, you really won't give up until you hit the wall, will you? Do you still think you're that untouchable rich girl you used to be?"

My airway was compressed, and the lack of oxygen made my face flush red.

I didn't struggle. I simply stared straight into his eyes.

Through clenched teeth, I forced out the words. "Besides using violence to hide your guilt, what else can you do?"

Ethan glanced at the red marks forming on my neck and suddenly released his grip.

He stepped back, staring at his own hands as a flicker of regret crossed his face.

He took a few deep breaths, clearly trying to soften his tone.

"Nora, fine. I was wrong. How about this. That three-hundred-square-meter penthouse downtown. I'll transfer it to your name tomorrow as compensation. Just sign the agreement and we can part on good terms. Stop making things difficult between us."

I straightened my wrinkled collar and coldly brushed away his hand when he tried to touch me again.

I turned, walked to the door, and stepped out of the room.

The hospital corridor smelled strongly of disinfectant.

I took out my phone and quickly called Stella.

"Stella, have you gathered the full evidence chain for the financial irregularities on Ethan's side?"

Stella's voice came through the phone. "Everything is ready. But to launch the final liquidation procedure, we must obtain the personal seal from the safe in Ethan's desk. Without it, everything we've done so far will be useless. Can you get it?"

"Alright. I understand. I'll find a way."

I ended the call.

I left the hospital and took a taxi straight to Carrington Tower.

At two in the afternoon, I pushed open the door to my private office.

The room was completely empty. My office supplies, documents, even the sofa, were all gone.

Miles was directing a few workers as they carried several potted plants.

He turned around and looked at me with smug satisfaction.

"Oh? Ms. Whitmore, what brings you back? Mr. Carrington has already ordered this office to be fully renovated with non-toxic materials. It's being prepared for Ms. Langley while she waits to give birth."

He stepped in front of me, blocking the way. "Ms. Whitmore, all that useless stuff of yours has already been thrown into the trash. There's no place for you here anymore. You'd better go home and pack up."

Looking at his smug face, I lifted my foot.

The pointed tip of my high heel slammed straight into his shin.

Miles cried out in pain and crouched down, clutching his leg.

"Move."

I walked past him and headed straight for the CEO's office at the end of the corridor.

I pushed the door open. Ethan was leaning back in his leather office chair.

When he saw me walk in, a smug glint flashed in his eyes.

He held a jade personal seal in his hand, casually rolling it between his fingers.

"What is it? Changed your mind? Come back to beg me?"

I stared at the seal in his hand. "Lend me that seal for half an hour. I need to stamp a few documents."

Ethan stood up and walked to the desk, bracing both hands against the surface.

"You can borrow it. There's a charity gala tonight. You'll attend with me and play the part of a loving couple. Behave properly in front of those executives and clean up the embarrassment you caused today. If you make me look good tonight, you can take it for half an hour."

I clenched my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned pale, a wave of nausea rising in my stomach.

Suppressing the disgust churning inside me, I looked at him. "Fine. I agree."

Ethan smiled in satisfaction.

He held the jade personal seal out toward me.

I reached for it, but he stepped forward instead, wrapping an arm around my waist as he leaned down to kiss me.

I turned my head aside and quietly stepped half a step back.

"I need to touch up my makeup. I can't show up to the gala looking this plain. Once I'm ready, I'll go with you."

I slipped the seal from his hand and walked quickly out of the CEO's office.

Back in the corridor, I headed straight into the restroom and locked myself inside a stall.

I pulled out the dozens of documents I had prepared in advance, flipped through them quickly, and stamped Ethan's seal heavily onto every signature line.

Half an hour later.

Ethan's voice suddenly echoed through the hallway over the intercom. "All board members report to Conference Room One immediately for an emergency board meeting. No one is allowed to be absent."

I gathered the documents, slipped the seal into my pocket, and pushed open the door to the conference room.

The conference room was already filled with people.

Ethan sat at the head of the table and tossed a document onto the surface.

"Nora caused a public scandal at the proposal ceremony today, triggering severe negative publicity and dragging down the company's stock price. As punishment, I propose confiscating all of the original shares in her possession."

Jake Hargrove, seated beside him, immediately tapped the table in agreement.

"I support Mr. Carrington's proposal. Those shares shouldn't go to waste. They could be transferred to a trust fund under the name of Ms. Langley's unborn child, securing the future heir's interests. After all, this is for the long-term development of the company."

I walked calmly to an empty seat in the corner and sat down.

My fingers moved rapidly across my phone screen as I sent Stella the final instruction. "Execute all liquidation procedures immediately."

Ethan picked up a freshly printed document titled Compulsory Share Confiscation Agreement and walked over to me.

He slammed the document onto my desk and pushed a box of red ink toward me.

"Press your fingerprint. Nora, I'm giving you one last chance. If you do it now, we can still remain husband and wife."

Those original shares were the last thing my late mother had left me.

They were also my final line.

I lifted my head and looked straight into Ethan's eyes.

My voice was icy. "Ethan, are you really determined to push this to the end?"

Ethan stood there with his hands in his pockets, looking down at me with complete arrogance.

"Nora, stop pretending you're stronger than you are. You can't live without me. Everything you have belongs to Chloe anyway. Today you're paying it all back, with interest. Sign the paper and you can still remain Mrs. Carrington. That's the best ending you're going to get."

The conference room door opened.

Chloe walked in, supported by Donna.

She stroked her stomach and looked at me smugly. "Ms. Whitmore, why don't you hand over the shares and leave already? Staying here like this is embarrassing. You've occupied Ethan for long enough. It's time you gave up the position."

Ethan immediately walked over and gently supported Chloe's arm.

He turned back to me with a frown. "Nora, are you blind? Get up and give your seat to Chloe. Don't you have any manners?"

My phone rang.

It was my father.

Ethan stepped over and pressed the answer button, putting the call on speaker.

My father's furious roar instantly echoed through the conference room.

"Nora! You brat! Hand over all your shares to Mr. Carrington immediately! If you dare drag the Whitmore family down with you, you're no daughter of mine! Do you hear me?"

I lifted my hand and firmly ended the call.

I stood up and picked up the compulsory share confiscation document from the table.

I gripped the edges of the paper and tore it apart.

The thick stack split cleanly into two halves.

I folded the pieces together and tore them again.

I threw the handful of shredded paper straight into Ethan's face.

The scraps scattered all over his head and face.

Ethan exploded with rage. "Nora, do you have a death wish?"

I opened my bag and pulled out the bankruptcy liquidation agreement stamped with his red personal seal.

I slammed the document onto the center of the conference table.

"Open your eyes and look carefully." I sneered as my gaze swept across everyone in the room. "Every available fund and core asset under the company has already been legally transferred."

I pointed straight at Ethan. "From this second on, Ethan, you're not only penniless, you're also drowning in tens of billions of dollars in debt. Take your mistress and the bastard in her belly and go beg on the street."