Gwyneth was left silent by Asher's words. She hadn't worked in years because she overexerted herself while helping him get his startup off the ground, and it took a toll on her health.

Back when Asher first started dealing with clients, he was arrogant and awful at negotiations. He couldn't close any deals.

Gwyneth downed one drink after another, toasting clients until her stomach bled. That was how she kept landing deal after deal.

When he finally succeeded in his venture, her body was a wreck. She lost her period and ended up in the hospital for over half a year. And now, he was blaming her for staying home instead of working.

Gwyneth silently headed to the bedroom, tore up the pregnancy test report from today, and threw it in the trash. She couldn't sleep that night again, managing only two hours of rest with the help of some pills.

After that day, they fought almost every day.

Two weeks ago, Asher brought up the idea of expanding his business overseas and talked about settling abroad.

Gwyneth thought this could be the perfect opportunity to separate him from Liana. Unexpectedly, he suggested bringing Liana with them when they moved abroad.

Today was the third time Asher had brought it up, and Gwyneth had lost all hope. She took a few half-hearted bites, her eyes drifting toward the balcony again.

Asher was still on the phone, smiling with a look of indulgence.

Gwyneth rose from her seat and headed to the whiteboard in the living room, writing the number "seven" on it.

…

Gwyneth woke up bright and early the next morning. She didn't waste any time and called a lawyer to discuss the divorce.

"Ms. Payne, the best-case scenario would be if Mr. Crowe is willing to sign the divorce agreement. If he's unwilling, living separately while he's overseas for a year will definitely help your chances in the divorce case. But are you sure you want a divorce?"

Norbert Lyle was the lawyer Gwyneth managed to find at the last minute. He was surprised to hear that she was thinking about divorcing Asher.

To outsiders, he seemed really attentive to her. He stayed clear of other women, with no signs of being involved with anyone else.

Gwyneth lowered her gaze, a trace of sorrow in her eyes. "He's got another woman."

There was a brief silence before Norbert apologized.

Gwyneth continued, "Send me the divorce agreement. I'll sign it and mail it abroad. After his flight lands next week, I'll have someone deliver it to him for his signature immediately."

As soon as she hung up, she saw Asher standing at the bedroom door.

He shot her a disapproving look. "What was that you were talking about? Divorce agreement?"

Gwyneth didn't expect Asher to overhear. She clutched her phone and hurriedly made up an excuse, saying, "I was talking to a friend. She's been wanting a divorce these days."

Asher didn't give it much thought. He didn't think Gwyneth would ever leave him, and he didn't even consider that the friend she mentioned was actually her.

Instead, he pulled out his phone and showed her pictures of the villas. "I've got two villas abroad—the bigger one for us to live in and the smaller one for Liana. I only put her name on the deeds for both villas.

"Don't try to stop me. She's been with me for so long. I have to do something for her."

Gwyneth couldn't believe what she was hearing. There wasn't a single villa in her name. "You said she wasn't after anything, but now, both villas are in her name. I helped out a lot in those years when you were starting your business. How do you sleep at night doing this?"

Asher shot her an irritated look, his tone firm. "I've given you plenty. You ought to be satisfied. When I transferred the money for these villas, she told me she didn't have any property under her name. That's all she said. I put her name on them because I felt sorry for her, not because she asked."

Gwyneth's heart sank, and she found the whole thing utterly ridiculous. She had more to say, but a noise from the door cut her off.

They turned to find Liana peeking her head out from behind the door.

She showed up in a white dress, lugging two big grocery bags. She had porcelain skin and subtle, elegant makeup. It was obvious she was thriving.

A month ago, Gwyneth had gone through Asher's chat history with Liana. Only then did she realize that he'd been secretly sending Liana 50 thousand dollars each month after he became successful.

Every time, Asher would say, "Here. This is what I owe you. I can't let you be with me without getting something in return. It's a shame she came into my life earlier. Luck was on her side."

When Gwyneth met Liana's eyes, she saw nothing but arrogance and pride. Liana looked soft and delicate in her outfit, but her expression screamed that she was there to assert her place.

Gwyneth scowled at Asher, her face tight with displeasure. "Why is she here? Didn't I tell you she's not welcome in our home?"

He glanced away, looking guilty. "Today is Liana's birthday, and since you agreed to let her go abroad, she came by to cook for you as a way of saying thanks."

After a beat, he shot Gwyneth a disapproving look. "She's trying to be nice, so don't be rude. She's dealt with so much over the years and hasn't said a word."

Gwyneth looked at the "seven" written on the whiteboard. She took a deep breath, forcing down the disgust she felt. "Tell Ms. Quayle I don't eat pickles and don't want any in the food."

Liana's smile faltered, feeling like Gwyneth was treating her like she was a maid. She went to the kitchen to prepare a few dishes.

Instead of bringing the dishes out, she poked her head out and waved at Gwyneth. "Wyn, help me carry these out."

Gwyneth entered the kitchen and scanned the dishes on the table, immediately noticing pickles in all of them.

Liana was reapplying a light shade of lipstick, and her rosy lips ended up looking colorless. She gave Gwyneth a condescending glance. "Asher's definitely going to feel sorry for me when he sees how much I've been doing. He hates seeing me wear myself out."

Gwyneth glanced at Liana, noticing how her makeup made her look drained.

Asher really did feel sorry for Liana. Recently, he often said, "Liana's done so much for me. You've just been supporting me through the startup phase."

When Gwyneth first heard Asher say stuff like that, she would try to explain herself. These days, she didn't even bother to respond.

"You must be tired from pretending to be so fragile and needy all the time," Gwyneth mocked.

Liana snorted, picked up the soup, and looked at Gwyneth disdainfully. "I'm doing great. Can't say the same for you, though—sacrificing yourself for him and still getting treated like crap. If I were you, I'd divorce him without a second thought."

Gwyneth's gaze hardened as she crossed her arms. "Have you been in the gutter long enough that you think you deserve to climb out now?"

Liana set the soup down and crossed her arms. After all the years Asher had pampered her, her confidence and calmness were second nature. "Honestly, I may not be his legal wife, but I'm a better fit for him than you are.

"I've known Asher for nine years, and we've never gone a day without talking. He doesn't hold anything back and tells me right away. I know how he feels inside and out, and I even know his PIN for transactions—198111. If you think I'm lying, try it yourself."

Gwyneth went still. In all their 12 years together, Asher had never shared his PIN with her. She was legally his wife, but it was Liana who got treated like one.

"Are you done?" Gwyneth asked.

A smug smile crept across Liana's face when she saw Gwyneth frown. "How do you just stand there while your husband cheats on you?"

"Are you done?" Gwyneth asked again.

Liana paused, unsure what she was up to, but still itching to provoke her. "I'm not leaving him. If you guys head abroad, I'll be going, too. I'm sticking with Asher—he loves me. You won't have a happy marriage with me around!"

Gwyneth set the plates down and narrowed her eyes. "You done? Now, it's my turn. Here's a little advice. If you're going to be a mistress, act like it and stop blabbing."

She slapped Liana hard, and her face jerked to the side.

Liana twisted her ankle and knocked the soup bowl off the table. The scalding liquid splashed on her, and she yelped, "Ouch! That's burning!"

The noise caught Asher's attention, and he hurried into the kitchen. "What happened, Lia?"

Liana looked up, her right cheek red from the slap and her left hand swollen and burned. She pointed angrily at Gwyneth, who remained cold and distant. "Honey, she slapped me and spilled soup on me!"

Honey? Gwyneth pushed down the disgust rising in her. Liana acted like Asher was her husband, even though he was actually Gwyneth's.

Asher lifted Liana off the floor, his heart aching for her. He faced Gwyneth with a stern look. "Apologize to Lia."

Gwyneth frowned. The hot soup had gotten on her, too.

"You don't even care to ask what happened?" she asked, feeling hopeless.

Asher's face showed sympathy as he looked at Liana, who was a mess. "She's a great woman who's been with me for years and never asked for any title. What bad things could she have done? How could she possibly provoke you?"

Gwyneth gazed at him, her chest tight with sorrow.

Back in school, a jealous classmate had falsely accused her of stealing money. The homeroom teacher had questioned her about it.

But Asher rushed to the office to defend her. "Ms. Johnson, Gwyneth's a great person. She keeps quiet even when she's wronged. What bad things could she have done? How could she have stolen money?"

And now, Asher was saying the same stuff, but instead of defending Gwyneth, he was backing up Liana.

"I'll apologize, but she's not coming with us," Gwyneth said.

Liana shot her a glare as she gritted her teeth. "Who are you to make that decision? It's not up to you."

Asher's expression darkened. "Don't get me mad."

Gwyneth's eyes welled up, and she glanced up, trying to hold back the tears. "Don't make me bring in a lawyer and make this whole thing about you and Liana go public."

Asher's face grew stormy. He took a moment before pursing his lips. "Fine. I'll let it slide this time, but it had better not happen again."

He carried Liana to the couch in the living room and got some burn cream for her.

As Gwyneth left the kitchen, she spotted them together, looking all lovey-dovey. She headed upstairs to the master bedroom.

Since Asher wasn't around, she seized the chance and grabbed his phone. She pulled up the transaction app, entered an amount, and typed in the PIN.

The screen flashed a message, "Transfer Successful".

Gwyneth paused. After clearing everything off, she returned his phone to its spot. It was ironic that Liana ended up being the one to tell her Asher's transaction PIN.

Asher was downstairs, pressing a warm towel to Liana's right cheek before putting burn cream on her hand.

Liana's eyes welled up, her voice breaking with emotion. "She slapped me and acted like nothing was wrong. How could she be so nasty? Honey, you didn't even stand up for me. You should've slapped her back."

Asher looked annoyed but patiently tried to calm her down. "What if she gets angry and decides not to let you go abroad? What do we do, then? I'm doing all this for you, aren't I?"

Liana dropped her gaze and said, "Fine. But tonight's my birthday. You have to spend it with me."

"Anything for you, princess." Asher lowered his head and kissed her softly on the lips.

They didn't realize Gwyneth was upstairs, watching them condescendingly as they did all that flirtatious stuff.

A little while later, Asher came into the master bedroom. He seemed bothered and told Gwyneth that Liana's burns were severe and that she had to be taken to the hospital immediately.

Gwyneth didn't call him out.

Once Asher was gone, she went through her chat history with him. He always claimed something came up at work every year on this day.

Before going to bed, Gwyneth erased "seven" from the whiteboard and put "six" in its place.

"Six days," she murmured.

…

When Gwyneth woke up the next morning, Asher was already home. He had dark circles under his eyes, clearly from a night of too much fun.

Gwyneth ate her breakfast.

Asher looked at the whiteboard and frowned. "What's with the six?"

Gwyneth kept a straight face. "Six more days until we leave for abroad."

Six more days until she could finally end this 12-year relationship and walk away from him.

Asher couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but his phone rang before he could dwell on it.

After he left, Gwyneth started packing her things. Asher wasn't planning on selling the house once they moved abroad.

Gwyneth sorted her things, packed them, and sent them to the Payne residence. As for the gifts Asher had given her, she left them all behind. Once she was done, it was already afternoon.

There was a noise from the doorway. She turned to see Liana standing behind Asher, looking smug with a suitcase in hand.

Gwyneth could already tell what Asher and Liana were up to. She gave a slight frown but didn't seem mad.

"The bedroom next to the master is bigger. Let her stay there," she said calmly.

She'd already sent all her things off, so this place wasn't home to her anymore.

Asher didn't expect Gwyneth to be so easy to talk to. He sensed something was off when Liana tugged at his sleeve and gave him a sweet smile. "Honey, take me upstairs."

After taking care of Liana, Asher entered the master bedroom to find the place nearly empty. All of Gwyneth's stuff was gone.

He frowned, feeling a little off. "Where's all your stuff?"

Gwyneth sat on the edge of the bed, not even bothering to look his way. "I had them shipped abroad. I won't need to buy clothes when I get there."

Asher noticed the jewelry box on the table. It held every gift he'd given her over the years. "What about the gifts I gave you? Why didn't you ship them?"

Gwyneth scratched her head, realizing she'd forgotten to throw them out. "I forgot about that. I'll ship them tomorrow."

Asher's frown deepened, and he snapped, "Don't come asking for gifts later if you didn't ship them! I'm not wasting my time or money on you."

Gwyneth pursed her lips and said nothing.

After dinner, Asher pulled out two sets of car keys. He gave Gwyneth the Mercedes keys first. "I got this car a month ago. Once you're over there, you can drive the Mercedes."

Gwyneth took the keys without a hint of excitement.

"What about me, honey?" Liana pouted.

Asher pulled the McLaren keys from his pocket and gently grazed her cheek. "You know I wouldn't leave you out. I know how much you love this sports car."

Liana grabbed the keys and gave Gwyneth a smug smile.

Gwyneth's expression soured. Asher got her a Mercedes worth half a million dollars, but he dropped two million dollars on a McLaren for Liana. It was obvious he'd planned everything a month ago.

"The Mercedes is nice, too. Wyn, why do you look so down? I actually love driving the Mercedes." Liana smiled, pretending to be jealous. "The McLaren's too flashy. I'd rather have something more low-key."

Gwyneth frowned and handed the Mercedes keys to Liana. "If you want it, it's yours."

After all, her share was already clearly stated in the divorce agreement.

Asher observed with a sense of satisfaction as Gwyneth generously handed over the keys to the Mercedes. Normally, she would've caused a scene, smashed things, and yelled at him for being unfaithful.

Now, her ability to let it go showed she'd come to terms with it. This was exactly how he had always hoped she'd act.

…

Three days later, Gwyneth got a phone call.

"Ms. Payne, the custom birthday gift you ordered three months ago is ready. When would you like to pick it up?"

Gwyneth frowned. It was the high-end custom watch she'd prepared for Asher's birthday. She'd spent extra to have it ready for his birthday in two days, but now, it was all for nothing.

"Just give it to charity," she said.

"Pardon?" The staff sounded puzzled.

"I'm getting a divorce. Just give it to charity for me. Thank you," Gwyneth said calmly.

The staff paused for a few seconds before apologizing again and again.

Gwyneth hung up and took a cab to the hospital. The attending physician at the gynecology clinic was her close friend, Yvette Jennings.

Yvette looked behind Gwyneth but didn't find Asher. "Asher always came with you to the hospital no matter how busy he was. He's been less busy with work these last two years. Why doesn't he accompany you anymore?"

Gwyneth sat and gave a wry smile. She touched her belly, not wanting to part with the little one growing inside her. "Yvi, help me get ready for the abortion."

"Are you nuts?" Yvette's eyes went wide, assuming Gwyneth was just throwing a fit. "I get that you're angry, but it hasn't been easy for you to get pregnant after trying for three years. You finally got pregnant, and the baby's healthy—why end it?"

Gwyneth looked at Yvette and decided to be straight with her. Her voice caught as she spoke, "I'm getting a divorce. This marriage is draining me."

Yvette could almost tell what happened. She quickly got the abortion consent form ready and went with Gwyneth into the operating room.

Gwyneth was home two hours later.

Asher was in the living room, smiling fondly as he caressed Liana's belly. "Lia, you're my lucky charm. Gwyneth couldn't get pregnant after three years, but it only took you a month to make me a dad."

Liana flashed her most charming smile, clearly feeling pleased with herself. "Looks like it's not you, but some woman who's been the problem all along."

Gwyneth was changing into her slippers when those words made her stop. She quietly walked through the living room and up the stairs, looking pale.

Asher followed behind, giving her a brief look without catching how pale she seemed. He said coldly, "Lia's pregnant, so you can stop putting yourself under pressure to get pregnant. I promised her I'd give this baby all the love and care it deserves, and I won't hold back on any expenses."

After a pause, his eyes landed on Gwyneth's belly. "If anyone's to blame, it's your stubborn womb."

Gwyneth sat at the edge of the bed, her lips colorless as she looked up at him. "If both Liana and I were expecting, would you favor her kid?"