Adeline always had a way to threaten me, so I sighed and said to Jordan, "Fine, I’ll step down.”

“I’ll give the Vice President seat to that illegitimate daughter and be the housewife you’ve always wanted."

“Good,” he said. “Finally, you’re acting like an obedient wife. But Casey, how many times do I have to remind you? Adeline is your sister.”

I stared straight into his eyes. “No. She’s the illegitimate daughter of the Stevens family. Nothing more.”

He sighed and rubbed his temples like I was a misbehaving child. “Casey, I know you’re angry. But this is for your own good. Once you leave, you can focus on getting pregnant. Adeline’s just worried about you.”

‘So that you can screw her without guilt,’ I sneered silently.

But outwardly, I only smiled faintly. “That’s so kind of you both.”

I pulled out a stack of papers and placed them in front of him. “Sign these. I’ll leave once I finish this last task. But Jordan…”

I leaned forward slightly, my voice low and laced with something sharper.

“…You do realize I never played a game I couldn’t win, right?”

He chuckled, completely misreading my tone, his pen moving across the page without hesitation. He didn’t even read them.

“I know. Even if you’re stepping down, the next heir of Stevens will be our son, right?” He looked up with satisfaction. “That’s why it’s best to get pregnant soon—before Adeline marries into the Walton family.”

As the last signature fell into place, I gently gathered the documents, storing them neatly into my folder.

"Yes," I said with a pleasant smile. Then I turned to leave.

Outside the door, Adeline stood waiting, arms crossed and lips curled into a venomous smirk.

As I passed her, she leaned in and whispered, “Nothing in this world is truly yours. Everything you love eventually leaves you.”

Then, I woke up.

Not without reason did I dream of that scene again.

As if my own mind whispered the cruel truth, if I had no one.

Then, as expected, I was lying on a hospital bed alone.

My head pounding fiercely from last night’s fall, but I had no intention of staying any longer.

Just as I reached for the IV to pull it out, I heard the nurses talking outside.

"Even though Ms. Casey’s the first daughter and hit her head so badly until she was unconscious for two days, she’s just in a regular room. Meanwhile, Ms. Adeline, with just a scratch, is in VIP.”

“Right? And did you see her husband? He’s been with the younger sister the whole time. Honestly, those rumors about Ms. Casey being an Ice Queen must be true. Even her husband can’t stand her.”

Two days?

So, I’d been unconscious for two days and Jordan never even came.

My lips moved with barely a breath, “This kind of humiliation… I’ll never accept it again.”

I clenched my jaw, ripped the IV from my arm, and stood up.

There was no pain stronger than betrayal.

With only two days left until everything would be finalized, I went back to the house I had once called home.

I erased every trace of myself, wiped my fingerprints from the smart lock, packed my clothes in silence, and burned every photo, note, and keepsake Jordan and I had once shared.

Just as I handed off the last package for overseas shipment, Jordan’s car rolled into the driveway.

He stepped out, surprised. “Casey? What happened? I heard you suddenly left the hospital and now you’re here, packing?”

“Just clearing out old things,” I replied, my voice dull. “They’ve gathered too much dust. And I left the hospital because I wasn’t feeling at home there.”

He nodded with barely a thought. “I see. No problem. You can always buy new ones—whatever you like.”

That was it.

Not a single question about my injuries, not even a concern about my attitude.

That night, he came out of the bathroom, hair damp, carrying that same woody musk scent that used to make my heart race.

He sat beside me on the bed and wrapped an arm around my waist, like it meant something.

“Is tonight the right time to make a baby?” he murmured against my ear.

Once upon a time, I would’ve giggled and wrapped my arms around him. “Yes! The sooner the better!”

But tonight, I didn’t even flinch.

Instead, my mind drifted to the first night we were together.

I had cried from the pain, yet I smiled through it, convincing myself that pain was part of love.

Even when it became routine, or turned into a duty, I endured it all.

But not anymore.

This marriage had died. One more night, and I would be free.

So, I let him hold me, just this once, knowing it would be the last time.

Jordan leaned in, ready to kiss me.

But the moment his scent filled my nose, I smelled Adeline. It made my mind threw back to the moment I saw them making out in the office last week.

My stomach turned violently and I jumped off the bed, rushed to the sink, retching.

“Casey? What’s wrong?” Jordan’s hands gently held my hair back, patted my shoulder, and calmed me down just like he used to.

But the nausea wasn’t from illness. It was from the sickness of being fooled.

I held the edge of the sink, breathing heavily, until a sudden thought shot through me like lightning.

Wait, I hadn’t gotten my period this month!

My eyes widened and I rushed to the bathroom drawer, fumbling through the storage box until I found the test pack. My hands trembled as I tore it open.

“Wait... are you pregnant?” he asked, voice almost breathless. “Really?”

Panic swelled in my chest, and I blurted, “I’m not sure. I just want to check.”

While waiting for the result, his eyes lit up. As if this was good news for him.

Meanwhile, I was praying for a negative result, fingers shaking as I bit down on my knuckles to stay calm.

Jordan reached out my shaky hands and said with a soft smile, “You’re always so nervous.”

“It’s okay. Whatever the outcome is… we’ll go through it together.”

Together?

How could he say those words with the same mouth that whispered to Adeline?

How could the man I believed in, the man who made me trust love again, now be the same person who ruined me this deeply?

Tears welled up in my eyes. I couldn’t stop them.

I pulled my hand away sharply and stood up. “It’s time to check.”

And when the result appeared, the tears that brimmed finally fell.

Without asking, he pulled me into his arms and held me tight, misreading my tears entirely.

“It’s okay,” he whispered into my hair. “Next time, okay? We’ve waited a year… what’s a little longer?”

I couldn’t say a word. Because the test was negative.

Jordan thought I cried from disappointment. But the truth? I was relieved.

Relieved I wouldn’t have to tie myself further to a man who broke me.

After the melodrama of the night before, we spent the breakfast in silent.

Jordan finally started the conversation. “You must be sad about last night. But don’t worry… we can try again. We will.”

I didn’t respond.

He gently touched my fingers laid in the table. “How about this—let’s fly to Maldives tomorrow, okay? For our anniversary, we deserve a break.”

“But today, we still have to go to Adeline’s birthday party. Just one day, then it's just us two in paradise.”

Maldives was our honeymoon destination, where I once thought our forever began.

But that paradise meant nothing now.

Still, I forced a smile and murmured, “Sure.”

Breakfast went by with Jordan rambling about resorts and ocean villas, his voice animated as he scrolled through photos.

But somehow, Adeline kept slipping into the conversation.

"What kind of gift should we get her?” he mused aloud. “She’s into minimalism these days. Maybe that brand she likes from Paris?”

Then he chuckled. “Remember that pale pink dress she liked? That would look stunning on her.”

Of course, he knew her better than I ever did. But I couldn’t even feel angry anymore, since the exhaustion ran deeper than rage.

I stood up slowly, avoiding his gaze.

“I’m full,” I said quietly, and walked into the kitchen, leaving his voice—and his fantasies—behind.

Finally, he left for the office.

I stood alone in the bedroom, staring at the cold space we used to share.

There was no trace of me left anymore, and yet, Jordan never noticed. Or maybe, he simply didn’t care.

I then sat at my desk one last time, picked up a pen and a paper.

This wasn’t going to be a love letter. It was a farewell.

I folded the letter and put it in an envelope, ready to give it to my lawyer friend, Leah Cortez, to attach to the divorce papers.

Before leaving, I headed to a private lounge where my closest friends waited. They deserved my goodbye.

“You’re too kind, Casey,” one of them said, raising a glass. “After everything you’ve built, how can you just give up?”

Another added, “We saw how you transformed Marsell from nothing. You built that empire with your bare hands.”

I smiled faintly and took a sip of champagne, the burn on my throat nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

“Right, right—just drink today,” Leah said, pulling me into a tearful hug. “After tonight, everything will be different.”

I knew she meant it, since my ID would never appear again starting tomorrow.

“Don’t worry,” I said smoothly. “I’m fine.”

On my way out, I passed another private box.

Laughter spilled from behind the half-open door and Adeline’s voice, unmistakable, floated out along with her friends.

“Even your sister’s husband is smitten with you,” someone teased.

“But Adeline, do you really want him?”

Her voice was light, mocking. “Of course not. I’m going to marry Young Master Walton soon.”

A giggle followed. “Then what about Jordan?”

Still holding her champagne, Adeline laughed airily. “He’s handsome. I wouldn’t mind keeping him as a little plaything. That’s not taboo anymore, right?”

More laughter erupted.

I didn’t flinch. I simply watched, through the crack in the door, as the man who shattered me was nothing more than a pretty toy in her eyes.

“I wonder how you’ll react when you hear this, Jordan,” I murmured, lips curling in a quiet sneer and I walked away.

That evening, I finished my makeup and slipped into the gown I’d prepared a year ago—meant to celebrate our first wedding anniversary.

Outside, Jordan was waiting.

When he saw me, he grinned and held out his hand like some fairytale prince. “Beautiful lady, ready to dazzle the party tonight?”

I smiled, but only with my lips. My eyes stayed cold.

“Stop the sweet talk, Jordan.”

He chuckled, mistaking my icy tone for shyness, the way I used to blush at his flattery.

He rushed ahead to open the car door, expecting me to take his arm like always. But I brushed past him without a word and slid into the car.

He stood frozen for a moment, confused by the chill. Then forced a smile, pretending not to notice anything at all.

As we arrived at the banquet hall near the Grand Canal, Jordan kept glancing toward the entrance.

He wasn’t there for me. He was waiting for her.

I swirled the wine in my glass, letting out a quiet sigh.

Then they came stepping in like Venice’s royal family.

Adeline, my father, and her mother walked in perfect unity, a portrait of happiness. And I, the first daughter, was once again left out of the frame.

The sight brought back the memory that had haunted me for years, a nightmare on loop.

Fifteen years ago, my mother had begged my father to abandon his mistress. Instead of protecting her, he beat her.

Broken and hopeless, my mother finally jumped from a cliff. They called it suicide, but I called it murder by cruelty.

From that day on, Adeline and her mother slowly stole everything from me. I became a ghost in my own house.

But they never knew, someone they tried to destroy was still alive and helped me in private.

Jordan’s voice snapped me back to the present. “Adeline looks so beautiful tonight.”

Then, noticing the glare in my eyes, he added quickly, “But of course, you’re the most beautiful woman here.”

I rolled my eyes.

Around the room, guests gathered around Adeline like bees to honey.

“Happy birthday, Ms. Adeline!”

“Congratulations on becoming the new Vice President of Marsell Jewelry!”

“You truly deserve it.”

And then, the stares began.

“Such an Ice Queen, she’s clearly unfit to run the company.”

“Yes, it’s better for her not to come today.”

Adeline waltzed toward me with fake warmth and a saccharine smile, patting the back of my hand like we were loving sisters.

“Oh, sister,” she whispered, “please don’t listen to them. I’m happy you are here today”

Then, as if by accident, she bumped my other hand and the wine splashed across her pastel pink gown, making the glass shattered at our feet.

“Argh!”

Adeline shrieked like I had thrown acid on her, not wine.

Jordan rushed in without hesitation and scoop her into his arms.

“Adeline!” he cried. He didn’t even glance at the glass shards that had cut into my leg.

Then came the blow. “Casey, what are you doing to Adeline at her birthday banquet?!”

“I didn’t do anything,” I said in shock.

Adeline, tears in her eyes, cried, “It’s okay, Jordan… I’m used to it. She’s always bullied me.”

I lifted my chin, my voice slicing like ice. “You think I’d waste time plotting against you? If I really wanted to, you wouldn’t have made it here.”

The room erupted in murmurs.

“Wow… it’s true. The Ice Queen really does bully her sister in public.”

“I used to think it was a rumor. Turns out the First Daughter is exactly how they described her.”

Jordan’s brows furrowed. “I never realized how cruel you really are…”

“What?!” I gasped, fury burning in my chest. “You don’t know the facts, yet you pretend like you do?”

I also turned to the crowd as I said that.

Betti, Adeline’s mother, stepped forward like she’d been waiting. “Everyone knows you hate her, Casey. Don’t act innocent now.”

I stared at her, then laughed. A cold, hollow sound.

“So, this is the twist. The bunny plays innocent while the fox is painted as the villain. Even though it was the bunny who lured the fox in the first place.”

SLAP!

My father’s palm collided with my cheek.

“Casey!” he roared. “Watch your mouth in front of your mother! You’re nothing but a spoiled child!”

I stood frozen, hand against my cheek, heart shattering far worse than the sting of his slap.

He had hit me before, behind the walls of the manor, whenever Adeline cried her fake tears. But now… in public?

Tears stung my eyes as I said bitterly, “You only ever see them, Dad. You always have.”

Then I looked at Jordan — still holding Adeline in his arms, gently calming her and whispered, “That’s okay, I will protect you, Adeline. That’s okay.”

I swallowed hard. “Jordan… I have never sunk to that level. But if you believe that kind of story, then fine, keep it. Just don’t you dare regret it later.”

He flinched.

Adeline clutched his sleeve. “Jordan… don’t. Don’t make a scene here. Everyone’s watching.”

That was it.

The final spark that burned the last of my hopes to ashes.

Betti, always alert to Adeline’s unspoken cues, turned to my father with a fake sweet smile. “Honey, we should get Adeline changed. The dress is ruined.”

He nodded. “You’re right. The party’s about to start.”

Jordan, holding her bridal-style, said, “Okay, let’s go. I’ll carry you so you don’t step on the broken glass.”

As Jordan passed me, he whispered coldly, “Let's talk privately after this.”

Then they walked off. Adeline turned her head, just enough to flash me a victorious smirk.

I felt dizzy, so I walked out of the banquet hall.

Outside, by the Grand Canal, I broke down in tears just as the sky opened up and wept with me.

I cried for the foolish girl who once believed that love could save her.

I didn’t know how long I stayed there until my phone buzzed. A message from my mother, [Ready for flight, honey?]

I typed back quickly, [Ready.]

Suddenly, a voice slithered behind me. “Ready for what?”

I jumped and hid my phone.

It was Adeline who had changed into a new pink gown, and around her neck was my mother’s necklace, the only thing she left me.

“Where did you get that?” I hissed.

She smirked. “Oh? I found it.”

I lunged to snatch it, but she slapped my hand away.

“Let it go!” I warned.

She yanked the necklace from her neck and flung it into the canal. “You want it? Go fetch it.”

“No!” I screamed, reaching over the water, but it had already vanished into the depths.

She laughed, drunk on my pain, and turned to leave as the rain began to pour heavily.

But I grabbed her by the hair. “You bitch! How dare you!”

She thrashed in my grip. “Let go or I’ll scream!”

Her threat only made me angrier. I pushed her closer to the water’s edge.

“Go ahead, scream! But once you do, you’ll be screaming underwater.”

Adeline’s eyes widened in terror for a fleeting second. “No, no, please.”

“Beg me after you fetch what you threw,” I said coldly, loosening my grip.

Her fingers dug deeper into my wrist, desperate.

But as a bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating her face, she suddenly smirked and released my hand deliberately, “Fine”

Splash!

The sound tore through the night. I lunged forward, but it was too late—she had already vanished into the black water.

Gasps erupted behind me. “Someone’s drowning!”

“Adeline!” Betti screamed.

Jordan’s eyes darted to the canal. Without hesitation, he stripped off his jacket and dove in.

A stinging slap met my cheek. “What did Adeline ever do to you that you wanted to kill her?” Betti hissed.

My father’s voice followed, sharp as a whip. “If anything happens to Adeline, you will be erased from Stevens family forever!”

When Jordan dragged Adeline to the shore, she collapsed in his arms, coughing up water between gasps, and cried hysterically.

“Jordan… why did you save me?” she whimpered.

Her wide, trembling eyes darted toward me before she buried her face in his chest.

“I’m scared… scared of what Casey will do to me next,” she cried, her voice cracking. “She’s jealous that you care about me. Just because you helped me during the wine accident earlier… she pushed me into the river!”

Because of that, every pair of eyes locked on me, full of accusation.

Then came Jordan who scolded me angrily, “Casey! I really can't stand your cruelty anymore. I guess you’ll only understand… when you feel it yourself!”

Before I could even open my mouth, his hands were on me, shoving me hard.

The icy water swallowed me whole. I kicked, flailed, tried to scream, but the river’s current was merciless, fueled by the storm’s rage.

On the embankment, no one came for me. Their attention clung to Adeline—as if she were the only one worthy of being saved.

The last thing that caught my sight was the medical team lifting Adeline onto a stretcher, rushing her into the ambulance.

Then they were gone, leaving me adrift in the dark, cold canal.

I didn’t know how far the current dragged me before strong arms pulled me to the shore. My lungs burned as I coughed up the river, my vision spinning.

A sudden vibration in my pocket.

Even though my phone was already broken from being submerged in water, I still could see my mother’s name was on the screen.

[Send your location, dear. I’ll send the driver to pick you up.]

As the car arrived, the driver was shocked to see me soaking wet. I just gave him a signal that I was fine and asked him to immediately send me to the airport.

As the car started moving, another message lit up my phone. This time from Jordan.

For a brief, foolish moment, I thought he’d be worried. That maybe, despite everything, he still cared. But his words were a blade.

[You should be grateful Adeline is okay. If not, your fate might have been worse. Go to the hospital and apologize to her. Maybe then your family will forgive you. Hurry!]

A humorless laugh slipped from my lips. My fingers typed slowly, deliberately, [Never!]

Then I rolled down the window, letting the wind snatch my already broken phone from my hand.

It clattered onto the wet asphalt, disappearing under the hammering rain, like Casey Stevens that night.

Soon, my lawyer delivered the final divorce agreement and my final letter to Casey Stevens. By the time Casey discovered everything, I had gone.

The moonlight filtered through the leaves, streaming through the car window and onto my face.

Tonight, I walked under the endless starlight towards a new self and a new life.