In that moment, I understood.

I knew I couldn’t swallow this half-hearted lie. Even more, I couldn’t bear a man who could betray me so easily.

So, without hesitation, the word divorce slipped from my lips.

Jack, unaware of what had just unfolded, frowned and glanced at me.

He rubbed his temples before collapsing onto the sofa, exhausted.

“Can you stop being unreasonable?”

“I’ve been working all day. I’m exhausted.”

I didn’t massage his shoulders or bring him breakfast like I usually did.

Instead, I calmly opened Audrey’s profile and held my phone up in front of Jack.

In over twenty videos, Jack's presence was everywhere.

There were shots of the two of them walking together at sunset, as well as photos of them holding hands in a hot spring.

Although his face was never shown, our years of closeness allowed me to recognize him instantly; that was Jack. Alongside that were countless flowers and luxury gifts.

The first post was from just ten minutes ago.

Audrey stood in a sea of flowers, flashing a peace sign. She wore a full set of ruby jewelry, sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight.

The caption read, [Stupid fool. Every time we meet, you always bring flowers. I’ve long grown sick of them. Better to give them to someone who needs them.]

At that moment, I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

I grabbed the wilted, yellowing roses and threw them at Jack’s face.

“You think I’d be touched just because you gave me flowers another woman tossed aside?”

“You think I wouldn’t recognize you just because your face isn’t in the photos?”

“Jack, I’m not a fool and I don’t need your leftover trash!”

He yanked off the ruby bracelet and held it up in front of me.

“Stop throwing a tantrum!”

“Look at yourself! Everything you eat, wear and use is bought with my money! Without me, could you even afford this bracelet?”

“My job is stressful. So what if I unwind once in a while? It’s not like I’m not coming home.”

“If you really have that much pride, then get out of this house without taking a single cent!”

The sharp edges of the bracelet dug into my wrist, bright red blood dripping onto the carpet.

Staring at everything around me, I suddenly found it all laughable.

That bracelet had once been Jack’s wedding gift to me.

I still remembered that day. He had kissed the back of my hand so gently and smiled as he said, “Wife, thank you for staying by my side all this time.”

“I promised you I’d give you the best of everything. Now I can finally make that happen.”

Back then, I had truly believed I was the happiest woman in the world.

Now, I understood. I had always been just like that little cat in the story.

Eating leftovers someone else had grown tired of.

Wearing a bracelet that someone else had discarded.

And still, I dared to believe I was deeply loved.

Rage surged through me and my tears flowed uncontrollably.

But my last bit of dignity wouldn’t let me back down.

I charged forward and slapped Jack hard across the face, over and over.

I shouted furiously, “What right do you have to throw me out? This house is my premarital property; if anyone’s leaving, it’s you!”

“If it weren’t for me back then, would you even have the family business you have today?”

“Now you’re trying to kick me out to make room for your mistress? Keep dreaming!”

In the chaos, Jack’s shirt was accidentally torn open.

Those faint red marks felt like a giant axe, cleaving us apart.

Jack, flustered and guilty, hurried to close his shirt.

He tried to speak but fell silent. His eyes had fixed on the photo of the four of us, frozen in happier times.

He shoved me aside, sneering coldly, “What right do you have to talk to me about divorce?”

“In this world, who else but me would want a piece of trash like you, someone who killed her own son?”

That one sentence silenced me.

The wound I had buried deep inside, the one that would never heal, was torn open again, bleeding all over.

I stood frozen, the pain so sharp that I couldn’t find the words to speak.

A satisfied smirk curled at the corner of Jack’s lips. After calling me a shrew, he slammed the door and walked out. And I couldn’t hold on any longer.

I collapsed into the chaos around me, sobbing uncontrollably.

Until a timid voice broke through the silence, Ruby clutched her little bunny, her eyes wide with fear.

“Mommy, did you and Daddy fight?”

“Are you going to separate? Will Daddy still come home?”

The fear in her eyes pierced straight through my heart.

I pulled her tightly into my arms.

“I’m sorry, Ruby. Mommy scared you.”

“Go back to bed now. I’ll take you to school later.”

Ruby shook her head, her eyes fixed fearfully on my phone.

After a long pause, she gently tugged at my sleeve.

“Mommy, I’ve seen that lady before… a long time ago… on the day Brother died…”

“What did you say?”

My breath caught and my eyes widened instinctively.

“Ruby, do you know something? Tell Mommy, what happened that day?”

Ruby stepped back, her innocent eyes filled with deep fear.

Then, all at once, she broke into sobs and threw herself into my arms.

“That day, Daddy brought that lady home.”

“He said they were going to play a game and told Brother and me not to bother them.”

“The lady gave us two pieces of chocolate with liquor in them, then locked us in the room.”

“After Brother ate the chocolate, he said it hurt and then he just fell to the floor and stopped moving.”

“I was so scared. I kept banging on the door, crying, calling for Daddy, but he just kept playing with the lady. He wouldn’t listen no matter what I said.”

“Later… Brother was gone. Daddy said it was our secret and we couldn’t tell anyone. He said if I told… he wouldn’t want me anymore…”

“Mommy, I’m sorry. Ruby’s not a lying bad girl… Ruby was just scared…”

I stood there, dazed, completely at a loss for words.

It felt like a knife twisting inside me, tearing through everything.

Aiden’s death had been the deepest pain of my life, of both our families.

Two years ago, the other party had pushed me to attend a meeting.

To help the company secure that crucial contract, I had no choice but to leave Aiden and Ruby with the nanny and drive off alone.

When I returned, the nanny was gone.

Only Ruby was there, crying uncontrollably and Aiden lay stiff and cold.

The doctor said Aiden had died from an allergic reaction after mistakenly eating chocolate with liquor in it.

If he had been brought in just ten minutes earlier, he could have been saved.

My mother couldn’t bear the shock and died of a heart attack.

My mother-in-law directed all her fury at me.

She grabbed me by the neck and slapped me over and over, calling me a murderer with every word.

“You wretched woman, how could you leave two such small children home alone? Are you even human?”

“You knew perfectly well that Aiden was allergic to alcohol, so why did you still buy liquor-filled chocolates? Was it on purpose? Did you mean to kill my grandson?”

“You murderer! Killer! I want you to pay for his life!”

The relatives on my mother-in-law’s side beat and kicked me, as if they wanted to tear me apart.

At the critical moment, Jack rushed in.

Without hesitation, he pulled me behind him, standing tall in front of everyone.

“Aiden’s death was an accident. This wasn’t Nora’s fault.”

“As long as I’m here, no one will lay a hand on her.”

That day, Jack felt like a hero, strong, unwavering, shielding me from the world.

Later, he took me to see a psychologist.

Jack stayed by my side, helping me slowly emerge from the shadow of Aiden’s death.

But the series of blows had left me with lasting psychological scars.

I couldn’t keep working. I couldn’t live like a normal person.

I kept dreaming of Aiden and I was always terrified that something might happen to Ruby, too.

Jack advised me to resign and stay home to care for our child.

After much hesitation, I gave up the career I had worked so hard to build and became a full-time housewife.

Thankfully, Ruby was obedient and thoughtful.

Though Jack was always busy with work, he treated me with care and respect.

Over the years, even with regrets in my heart, I still felt fortunate to have a partner I could trust with my life, to have a family that, at the very least, seemed whole.

But I never imagined that one day, Jack would use Aiden’s death to hurt me.

Even more unimaginable, it was Jack’s affair that had taken our son’s life.

It was Jack who shifted all the blame onto me, who used guilt to trap me at home, far from the company.

It was Jack who destroyed my family and shattered every bit of happiness I had.

Blow after blow had numbed me. I closed my eyes in quiet despair.

Gently patting Ruby’s back, I softly reassured her not to be afraid.

I told her I would never blame her.

And I told myself I had to make Jack and Audrey pay for what they had done.

I sent Ruby to my best friend’s house and drove straight to the law firm.

While drafting the divorce papers, I asked the lawyer about Aiden’s case.

However, too much time had passed.

Without solid evidence, it would be difficult to convict Jack.

If that was the case, then I had no choice. I had to take justice into my own hands.

I drove to Jack’s company with the divorce agreement in hand.

After all these years, stepping into that familiar place again, everything felt different. The setting was the same, but the people were no longer there.

Before I could gather my thoughts, the receptionist stopped me.

“Sorry, ma’am, you can’t enter without an appointment.”

“I’m Jack’s wife. I want to see him.”

She looked me up and down, then flashed a mocking smile.

“Sorry, but everyone here knows Secretary Quinn is the boss’s girlfriend.”

I reached out to a few old colleagues and friends.

That’s when I learned that Jack had already fired everyone who had once been close to me.

He trapped me at home with guilt, while using money and power to build a kingdom for himself and Audrey.

Disgust surged in waves, crashing over me again and again.

Just as I was about to call Jack, Audrey appeared.

That sickly sweet perfume hit me before her voice did.

She adjusted her clothes as she walked over, then glanced at me with a knowing smile.

“You’re here to see Jack, right? We just… oh, never mind.”