"You just want to doll yourself up like a peacock and seduce other men, don’t you?" she sneered, her eyes burning with malice.

I had no patience for her absurdity. Without a word, I grabbed my bag and moved to pass her.

She latched onto my arm, her grip like iron. "You’re not leaving until you explain yourself!"

I exhaled sharply, my patience wearing thin. "Didn’t I just tell you? I’m going to visit him in detention. What, do you not understand human speech, or do you want your son to rot in there forever?"

Her fingers loosened instantly. Red marks flared against my pale skin, stark reminders of her grasp.

"Then hurry up and go," she finally muttered, her tone uncharacteristically subdued.

I didn’t waste another second on her. Without so much as a backward glance, I walked out the door.

***

William sat slumped in a wrinkled T-shirt, his hair a tangled mess, stubble darkening his face, looking more like a drifter than the man I once knew. At the sight of me, he shot up, the chair scraping loudly against the floor.

"Alexis, you're finally here! You have to save me!" His eyes brimmed with desperation.

I stood motionless, taking in his disheveled state. Scratches marred his neck, stark against his pale skin. My chest tightened, torn between heartbreak and bitter disappointment. My eyes burned, but no tears fell.

Ever since the accident, he had drowned himself at work, rarely coming home before ten. Our intimacy had faded into something so scarce I could count the moments on one hand. And when I reached for him, he always had an excuse: too tired, too busy. And I had believed him like a fool.

Sensing my turmoil, his voice trembled. "Alexis, I’m sorry… I was drunk. It was a mistake. I didn’t mean for this to happen. Please, forgive me."

A pause. Then, hesitantly, "I was supposed to be in the neighboring city for a deal, but the client came here instead, so..."

A pathetic lie. He had the audacity to say it with a straight face. Exhaustion settled deep in my bones. I cut him off, my voice cold. "Let's get a divorce."

Silence stretched between us. Then, after what felt like forever, he finally spoke. "Alexis, we can talk about that later. Right now, I don’t want to go to prison. Just help me get out of here."

"William, did you or did you not rape that woman? Tell me, how exactly am I supposed to help you? I barely know anyone in this city. Who do you expect me to turn to?"

He lowered his head, his voice barely above a whisper. "That woman is Eris Jones. If you can talk to her and convince her to drop the charges, that would be enough."

A bitter laugh escaped me. "Which Eris? You think I can just ask someone to drop charges and they’ll do it?" My eyes bore into him, unwavering.

“Hendrick Wilson’s wife. She works as a hostess at that club."

Hendrick… The man I had hit with my car.

My breath hitched and a dull pounding echoed in my skull.

Guilt swelled, heavy and suffocating. Pressing my hands against my face, I forced myself to steady my breathing before speaking again, my voice even and controlled. "Fine. I’ll go find her. If she agrees to drop the charges, we get a divorce."

I held his gaze, waiting. When he finally nodded, I turned on my heel, grabbed my bag and walked out without a backward glance.

***

I knocked on Eris’s door. When it creaked open, she stood there—hair disheveled, eyes rimmed with red, her cheeks blotchy and swollen as though she had been crying for hours.

The moment her gaze landed on me, she moved to slam the door shut.

I quickly spoke. "I’m sorry. Can we talk?"

Her voice was sharp, trembling with anger. "Talk? About what? Should we discuss how you ran over my husband? Or how your husband…"

Her words faltered as she clutched her face, fresh sobs wracking her frame.

I stepped inside before she could stop me, closing the door behind me. "I’m sorry," I said again, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You’ve said that so many times already," she spat, her tone laced with bitterness. "And I know… I know my husband’s death was an accident. But your husband…."

"I’m sorry," I repeated, hesitating before forcing the words out. "It’s just… William is only thirty. If he goes to prison, his whole life will be ruined. Could you… could you drop the charges?"

Her fury ignited instantly. "Drop the charges? Do you have any idea what your husband did to me? The kind of hell I endured? A whole night. A whole damn night! Does he do that to you, too? Do you not feel even a shred of disgust?"

Disgust churned in my stomach. I couldn’t stand another second in this place. But I reminded myself why I was here. Taking out the red envelope, I placed it on the table. “Here’s 10,000 dollars. Drop the case.”

Her bloodshot eyes gleamed with disdain as she let out a sharp sneer. “You think 10,000 dollars is enough for me to back down? Don’t insult me. I want 100,000.”

A cold laugh escaped me. She must have thought I was an idiot. My voice turned, cutting. “How much do you even make for one night of escorting? Let’s be clear: I’m divorcing William. These 10,000 dollars is all that’s left in his salary account. Do you think I’d waste more to bail him out?”

I leaned in slightly, my tone unwavering. “Besides, we live in the same neighborhood. You know what my mother-in-law is like. The moment she hears her son is in jail because of you, do you think she’ll stay quiet? Do you think people will still look at your son with respect?”

But she didn’t flinch. Instead, amusement flickered in her gaze. “Are you threatening me?”

I shook my head, my expression calm. “No. I’m just telling you how things are.”

She lounged back on the couch, her gaze dripping with disdain. “Don’t look down on me. I may be an escort, but as long as I don’t withdraw the case, William will rot in prison. Your mother-in-law will make my life hell, but do you think she’ll spare you? And I know you can’t get a divorce while he’s in custody. Do you really think he’ll let you walk away when he gets out?”

I let out a low chuckle. “That’s not your concern. I’ll clarify to William that I don’t have the money to bail him out. He’ll have to sit tight in there.”

Grabbing my bag, I reached for the red envelope, ready to leave.

But before I could react, Eris snatched it right out of my hand. “Give me the money. I’ll withdraw the case.”

I froze.

She laughed, eyes glinting with amusement. “What, too happy to think straight? Relax. I’ll freshen up and then I’ll go.”

With that, she shoved me out the door.

Her change in attitude was so abrupt it made my head spin. Just like that? Was it over?

Half an hour later, the door swung open and she looked at me in disbelief. “Why are you still here?”

“I’m coming with you.”

“There’s no need.” She dismissed me instantly, then suddenly turned back with a smirk. “What, scared I’ll run off with your 10,000 dollars? Don’t worry; your husband will be home tonight. If he’s not, come find me.”

She pointed at her house, her lips curling in amusement.

Her eyes were still bloodshot, her cheeks flushed, but she looked invigorated, as striking as the Hermès bag dangling from her arm.

I chuckled. “Alright, then. I’ll head home and wait for the good news.”

Since the house was under my mother-in-law’s name and there were no other assets worth fighting over, I didn’t need a lawyer’s input. I might as well start packing.

The moment I stepped through the door, my mother-in-law rushed past me, her eyes darting toward the entrance. When she didn’t see the person she was expecting, she turned back, her expression falling.

I braced myself for another round of her screeching, but instead, there was only silence. When I glanced at her, I saw her hunched shoulders and lowered head, so different from her arrogant tantrum at noon.

A sigh slipped from my lips. As infuriating as she was, I felt a flicker of pity. “If nothing unexpected happens, William should be back tonight,” I said before heading to the bedroom.

At my words, she instantly perked up. “Where are you going? My son’s coming home! Shouldn’t you prepare the groceries you bought earlier and cook a proper meal to cleanse his bad luck?”

Some people truly didn’t know their place. The moment you showed them kindness, they took it as an invitation to trample all over you. “Once he’s out, I’m divorcing him. If you want a meal, cook it yourself.”

She stiffened before letting out a sharp snort. “You really don’t know what’s good for you. If you divorce my son, who else would want you? But fine, I fully support the divorce.”

With that, she sauntered off, humming as if she’d just won some great victory.

My lips curled into a sneer. “You don’t need to worry about me. But your son, no car, no money and now a criminal record, do you really think he’ll still have his pick of women?”

She turned back with a scoff. “What kind of woman wouldn’t want to marry my son?”

I didn’t bother responding and walked straight into the bedroom.

By the time William returned, I had already packed my clothes. One suitcase filled not just with fabric and belongings but with the weight of six bitter months.

I held out his salary card. “There’s only ten thousand left. I gave it to Eris this afternoon.”

He took the card without hesitation, merely responding with a curt, “Hmm.”

His gaze drifted to my packed suitcase. “You’re… leaving now? I can take you.”

“No need. I’ve already called a ride. See you at the City Hall at ten tomorrow morning.”

Not a single word to stop me. Even though I had chosen this ending, a small part of me still felt disappointed. I took a deep breath and pulled my suitcase out of the bedroom.

As I passed through the living room, his mother busied herself in the kitchen, not even sparing me a glance. I used to run myself ragged in this house, trying to please them both. Looking at her now, I felt like the biggest fool in the world.

I booked a hotel for the time being. The divorce wasn’t finalized yet and I still had work to wrap up. Even if I resigned, I needed to finish my handover.

Thinking back on these past six months felt like waking from a long, suffocating nightmare.

Then, suddenly, a jolt of panic surged through me. My cat, the one I had brought with me when I got married, was still at William’s house.

I sat up in a rush, my heart pounding and quickly dialed his number.

Instead of his voice, a child's soft, unfamiliar tone answered, "My dad is taking a shower."

A chill ran down my spine. My fingers went stiff around the phone, but I forced myself to hang up immediately.

Heart pounding, I opened the home surveillance app. The screen flickered to life, revealing a boy fiddling with a phone.