"Divorce? And you want a billion dollars?" Kristine lifted a hand to her lips in exaggerated shock before pretending she had only just realized who Leanna was.
Turning toward her with a sugary smile devoid of warmth, Kristine said, "So you're Leanna—the woman who's been caring for Derek all this time. Forgive me, but with how plainly you're dressed, I honestly mistook you for a household staff member. Still, demanding a billion dollars feels rather excessive, don't you think?"
Though her tone sounded courteous on the surface, every carefully chosen word carried a sharp undertone of ridicule, deliberately casting Leanna as vulgar and money-hungry.
"Kristine, there's no need for you to apologize to her. She was the one who took what belonged to you from the start."
Derek stood protectively beside Kristine, yet when his gaze shifted to Leanna, it held nothing but cold resentment.
In his mind, everything had already become clear. He believed Leanna had entered the Shaw family solely for wealth and was now weaponizing the three years she spent caring for him to manipulate him.
Derek accepted a prepared folder from his assistant and tossed it onto the table before Leanna. "Your condition is accepted," he said icily. "The divorce papers are inside. Sign them."
Now that matters had reached this stage and the agreement sat plainly before her, Leanna no longer hesitated. She picked up the pen and calmly wrote her name.
A trace of contempt flickered through Derek's eyes. He was further convinced that money had always been Leanna's true motive. In the end, all she cared about was wealth.
Leanna quietly placed the pen aside and returned to her room without another word. She packed her belongings swiftly before dragging her suitcase toward the mansion entrance.
To the servants, she was nothing more than an unwanted woman finally being thrown away. They watched her struggle with the heavy luggage in silence, not one of them stepping forward to help.
Just as Leanna crossed the foyer toward the exit, Derek's cold voice stopped her from behind. "Wait."
Leanna turned back slightly, confusion flickering across her face. Without emotion, Derek said, "Tomorrow. Meet me at the courthouse to finalize the divorce."
"Alright."
With that brief reply, Leanna walked beyond the grand entrance of the villa.
After passing through the towering iron gates, she paused and looked back one final time, exhaling slowly.
Farewell to the place where she had sacrificed everything, only to leave with a shattered heart in return.
From this moment onward, she would no longer live for anyone except herself.
Still pulling her suitcase behind her, Leanna retrieved her phone and dialed a number she had not contacted in three long years.
"Averie, I'm returning."
"Seriously, Boss? That's amazing! Do you know how dull life's been these past three years without you around? Now things can finally get interesting again!"
Averie Foster had always been the most trusted and capable person by Leanna's side.
Listening to the excitement pouring through the phone, Leanna finally allowed the faintest smile to appear. Without slowing her steps, she headed directly toward her previous residence.
…
The following morning, before leaving for the courthouse, Leanna changed into an elegant black dress. Her softly curled hair flowed freely over her shoulders, and refined makeup transformed her appearance into something breathtaking.
Years ago, Janice had casually mentioned that Derek preferred women dressed in white. Because of that single comment, Leanna had buried herself in pale colors and simple styles for three entire years, living as plainly as the quiet life she endured.
Not long afterward, Leanna arrived at the courthouse.
Derek had already been waiting outside, but the moment he saw Leanna approaching, he stood frozen in place.
The woman in his memory had always appeared bare-faced and understated; never once had he seen her radiate like this.
"What exactly are you staring at? Didn't we come here to get divorced?"
Noticing the stunned look in his eyes, Leanna lifted a brow slightly as she questioned him, her voice carrying no emotion.
Derek quickly regained composure, forcibly suppressing the unfamiliar feeling stirring inside him. Without another word, he followed Leanna into the courthouse and toward the filing counter.
After reviewing their paperwork, the clerk informed them, "According to regulations, divorce filings require a mandatory one-month cooling-off period. Your application has now been registered. If both parties still wish to proceed after one month, you may return to complete the divorce."
Leanna's mood darkened instantly. She had no interest in waiting another month—she wanted every tie between herself and Derek severed immediately.
The moment the filing process ended, Leanna turned on her heel and walked out of the courthouse without the slightest hesitation.
Kristine had been waiting outside the entrance. The instant she noticed Leanna emerging with an unconcerned expression, her own face turned sour. Striding forward to block her path, she warned sharply, "Listen carefully, Leanna. Don't even think about using this month to tempt Derek into changing his mind. Give up whatever foolish ideas you're having."
Leanna took in Kristine's guarded hostility, the way she stood as though protecting something precious from a dangerous enemy, and suddenly found it laughable.
"What you treasure so dearly is nothing but garbage to me."
"You—!" Kristine's cheeks flushed bright red with fury, leaving her unable to speak for a moment.
At that exact moment, Derek exited the courthouse, and an idea flashed through Kristine's mind. She deliberately threw herself backward onto the ground, catching herself weakly with one hand while putting on the appearance of someone fragile and wronged.
Tears shimmered instantly in her eyes as she looked up at Leanna with pitiful grievance and whispered shakily, "Leanna, I understand that you're angry. If insulting me helps you feel better, I can endure it—but how could you call Derek garbage?"
Derek watched Kristine's tearful, fragile appearance and listened to her trembling accusation, his expression darkening immediately. Displeasure gathered heavily between his brows as the disgust in his eyes toward Leanna deepened.
"Leanna, you've crossed the line!"
He hurried to Kristine's side, carefully helping her to her feet while soothing her gently in a voice filled with concern.
Yet when Derek looked back at Leanna again, all that remained in his gaze was cold disappointment.
Faced with that accusing stare, Leanna found the entire situation absurd beyond words.
"Derek, before condemning someone, at least learn the truth first. Kristine threw herself down—I never laid a hand on her." Leanna lifted her hand toward the surveillance camera mounted above the courthouse entrance. "If you doubt me so much, then check the footage yourself."
Her steady composure and unwavering confidence were nothing like the meek obedience she once showed, leaving Derek momentarily stunned.
The woman who used to bend herself to accommodate his every desire now felt completely unfamiliar to him.
Kristine's expression stiffened slightly beside him. Just as Derek seemed ready to investigate, she quickly caught hold of his sleeve and softly shook her head. "Derek, it's really unnecessary to make such a fuss over this. I never wanted to hold anything against Leanna in the first place. Let's just forget about it."
Leanna's eyes cooled as she retorted sharply, "What exactly do you mean by 'not holding anything against me'? This had nothing to do with me from the beginning. I simply wanted certain blind people to stop refusing to see the obvious truth."
"That's enough! Kristine already said she doesn't want to pursue it further!"
Derek shot Leanna a warning glare filled with irritation.
Although anger showed clearly on his face, confusion churned beneath it.
When had Leanna transformed into someone so completely different from before?
Leanna let out a cold laugh before turning away without another glance.
To her, Derek was simply a man incapable of distinguishing truth from lies. In one more month, once the divorce waiting period ended, she would sever all ties with him forever.
Leaving the courthouse behind, she headed straight to meet Averie, and together they soon arrived at Sunrise Mall.
The entire shopping center belonged to Leanna.
Averie's lively personality made silence impossible, and she chatted nonstop with visible excitement the entire journey. "Boss, tell me honestly—am I hallucinating? You're finally dumping that useless burden named Derek?"
Even while bubbling with excitement, Averie still gave Leanna a detailed and efficient breakdown of the mall's recent operations.
"Boss, this boutique specializes in ultra-luxury handbags—it's the most exclusive store in the entire mall. Want to go inside and browse?"
Stopping in front of the storefront, Averie rubbed her palms together eagerly, practically glowing with anticipation.
Leanna gave a small nod before stepping through the doors.
By pure coincidence, Derek and Kristine were already inside. Hoping to improve Kristine's mood, Derek had brought her to the most luxurious handbag boutique in the city to buy whatever she wanted.
As Kristine leisurely examined the handbags on display, she spotted Leanna entering from the opposite side of the store. Her gaze also swept toward the young woman accompanying her.
The girl appeared barely in her twenties, dressed in a black leather jacket paired with a short skirt and knee-high combat boots. Her cropped hair was dyed a striking electric blue, and her rebellious aura made her stand out instantly.
A flicker of disdain surfaced in Kristine's eyes. In her mind, anyone close to Leanna could only belong to the lowest sort of crowd.
Pretending she had only just noticed them, Kristine drifted toward Leanna with exaggerated surprise. "Leanna? What are you doing here?"
She glanced around theatrically before reaching out as though to usher Leanna toward the exit. "You really shouldn't stay here. The handbags in this boutique are extremely expensive—far beyond what you can afford. If you humiliate yourself, I won't be able to help you."
Even while she was speaking those seemingly considerate words, the ridicule in her smile remained impossible to miss.
Averie instantly stepped in front of Leanna protectively. "Open your eyes properly, Kristine," she snapped. "My boss could purchase all the bags in this boutique without even blinking!"
"I understand wanting to save face, but there's really no need to exaggerate so shamelessly."
Kristine maintained a sympathetic expression, though the sarcasm laced through every syllable was unmistakable.
Derek's gaze immediately turned cold.
Meanwhile, Leanna remained perfectly composed, as though none of this affected her at all.
At that moment, a flamboyant male voice rang loudly from the entrance. "Pack up every handbag in this store immediately! They're all gifts for the gorgeous Ms. Dunn!"
Both Derek and Kristine instinctively looked toward the door and saw Liam Nelson—the young heir of the Nelson Group—swaggering inside. Dressed entirely in luxury brands, he carried the arrogant confidence of someone born into immense wealth.
The moment Liam noticed Derek and Kristine staring at him, a mocking grin spread across his face as he sneered openly, "What a surprise. I was wondering who could possibly be foolish enough to underestimate our Leanna. So it's Mr. Shaw along with the mistress hanging off his arm."
The words "our Leanna" echoed sharply in Derek's ears.
Shock flashed across his face. Since when did Leanna know Liam? Judging by Liam's tone, the two of them were clearly far closer than ordinary acquaintances.
For some reason, the thought ignited a fierce irritation inside him. Turning toward Leanna, he demanded darkly, "What is this supposed to mean, Leanna? The divorce hasn't even been finalized yet, and you're already rushing to find your next man?"
