I didn't know who recorded the wedding, but the clip of me looking cold and contemptuous toward Yasmin spread like wildfire. Within hours, it had been turned into countless memes. Overnight, I became the century's worst scumbag.

One comment read, "Who does he think he is, canceling a wedding over an old watch? Just another pampered heir throwing a tantrum."

Another said, "Yasmin is so pitiful. Ten years of her youth wasted, only to be humiliated publicly."

A third read, "I heard the watch belonged to a deceased friend of hers. Jayden is jealous of the dead? How narrow-minded. Is he even a man?"

The online community even dug up my company address and home. Every day, people threw eggs and paint at my door. Burke Corporation's stock lost billions in a single night.

Dad held a press conference to announce he had severed ties with me, making it clear that everything I did was personal and had nothing to do with the Burke family.

Relatives and friends who once clung to me for benefits were now blocking my number and cutting all ties, terrified of being associated with me. I had become a complete pariah.

Meanwhile, I was lounging in the penthouse suite of a hotel, watching Yasmin's interview on TV. She wore a simple white dress. Her face was pale and her eyes swollen red. She looked wronged yet unyielding—a woman full of tenderness and quiet suffering.

"Please, everyone, stop attacking Jayden," she said to the camera, her voice choking with emotion. "I believe he acted in the heat of the moment. Our ten years together were real. There must be a misunderstanding.

"He cares about me too much. That's why he reacted so strongly over the watch. I'll wait for him to calm down. We won't divorce. We'll be together forever."

Her performance was flawless. She came across as utterly selfless, forgiving and devoted, which only made my justified reaction look like childish, overblown pettiness.

The press cheered her generosity, and the public tributes flowed across social media.

I watched her flawless image on the screen and laughed out loud. I dialed her number, and the connection was immediate.

As the reporters realized who the caller was, they swung every microphone toward the speaker.

"Jayden?" Yasmin's voice overflowed with hope. "You finally called! Have you thought it through? I don't blame you for the wedding. Let's start over—"

"You're overthinking," I interrupted with a light chuckle. "Just a reminder, see you at the courthouse tomorrow at 9:00 am. Don't be late."

I ended the call, but her sharp gasp echoed clearly before the line went dead. The press conference instantly devolved into chaos. The cries of outrage were deafening.

"Scumbag! Beast! He's heartless after everything Ms. Walsh has been through!"

I could hear her crying over the phone, broken and desperate.

"Jayden… do we really have to go this far?"

I chuckled, ensuring my voice carried over the din. "Of course. We're not just divorcing. I will reclaim every property, stock, and fund I ever gave you. Not a single cent will remain. From now on, we will go our separate ways."

The next day, I arrived at the courthouse.

Reporters swarmed around me like sharks smelling blood, instantly closing the gap.

"Mr. Burke, are you really divorcing Ms. Walsh, the woman you've loved for ten years, over a single watch?"

"There are rumors that you already have a new lover, and that the watch was just an excuse to divorce Ms. Walsh. Is that true?" one of the reporters asked.

"Doesn't it bother your conscience to shame Ms. Walsh in public like this?" another asked.

Countless microphones were shoved almost into my face.

My expression remained calm. With security clearing a path, I walked straight into the courthouse.

Yasmin was already inside. She wore black today. Her face was drained of color, tear marks still faintly visible at the corners of her eyes. When she saw me, she whispered hoarsely, "Jayden…"

I walked past her without a glance and took my seat at the plaintiff's table.

The hearing began.

"I, Jayden Burke, request the termination of my marriage with the defendant, Yasmin Walsh," I stated clearly.

The judge asked, "What is your reason for seeking a divorce?"

Before I could answer, Yasmin slammed her hands on the table and cried out, "I do not agree to this divorce! Jayden, tell me why! We loved each other so much! Is this really because I didn't take off that watch?

"That was my best friend's keepsake! If anything had happened to you, I would have honored your memory too! Why can't you understand?"

Her desperate devotion moved many in the courtroom to tears.

I let a faint, cold smile touch my lips while surveying the crowd. My reply was perfectly level. "Yes, it is entirely because of that watch. There is no other factor."

Yasmin was visibly stunned by my honesty. "Truly just because of that?"

"What kind of reason is that? It's ridiculous!" Sophia shouted from the gallery. "Because of a broken watch, you ruined my daughter's life! You scumbag!"

Dad, sitting on the opposite side, clutched his chest in anger. His lips trembled as he jabbed a finger at me. "You ingrate! You've shamed the Burke family!"

The courtroom erupted.

"Crazy! Jayden is insane! Destroying a marriage over a watch!"

"Yasmin must be blind to love someone like this!"

"Scumbag! You're a complete disgrace!"

Several furious spectators hurled eggs and vegetables at me. Yolk dripped down my hair and into my eyes.

I was a mess.

Frowning, the judge hammered the gavel. "Order! Mr. Burke, your reason for divorce is insufficient and does not meet legal standards. Do you have any further evidence?"

I lowered my gaze and checked my phone. The screen remained dark.

It wasn't time yet.

I shook my head and said, "No."

"Then, due to insufficient evidence, the court dismisses the plaintiff's petition for divorce," the judge said, raising the gavel to announce the ruling.

"Wait!" Just as the gavel was about to fall, my phone screen lit up. The weight I had been carrying for so long lifted in an instant.

I raised the phone, displaying the notification to the judge and the courtroom, a cold smile spreading across my face. "Your Honor, I have just received my evidence. May I present it now?"

A moment later, the courtroom's large screen flickered on.

The images that appeared made Yasmin's face turn chalk white.

She froze in place.

The moment the familiar name and image flashed onto the display, full realization washed over her. A piercing scream tore from her throat, and she threw herself at the monitor, shrieking, "No! Turn it off! Turn it off now!"