One Divorce To Sign, A Lifetime Of Regret

Slap!

The sharp crack echoed through the hotel room.

Grayson Vance’s head snapped to the side. A vivid handprint bloomed across his cheek, blood seeping from the corner of his lips.

“Are you crazy, Grayson?”

Virelle Ashen’s voice trembled. Her gaze was icy, but her fingers clenched so tightly that they turned stark white.

“I’m your wife, and yet you want to force me to sleep with another man for money?”

“What do you take me for? A bitch?”

Looking at the man before her, she felt only a chilling sense of unfamiliarity, so foreign that he no longer resembled the man who had once sworn to love her, who had shed tears on their wedding day.

Silence fell over the room.

Only the sound of Virelle’s own ragged breathing remained.

She stared fixedly at Grayson, almost desperately waiting for an answer.

Even if he said it was all just a cruel joke, she would believe him.

At least that would prove he didn’t truly intend to push her into another man’s bed.

That he wasn’t that shameless, disgusting, and utterly devoid of respect for her.

But Grayson just wiped the blood from his lips before stepping forward, gently taking her shoulders.

“Just one night, darling.”

His voice was low, dry.

“You know the company is on the brink of collapse, and only Dominic Ashcroft, CEO of Valmont Group, can save it.”

He met her eyes.

“Besides, you bear a striking resemblance to the woman he loved...”

Virelle’s heart clenched, a cold shiver running down her spine. Her fingers curled tightly.

She flung Grayson’s hand away with force, something inside her shattering.

Not just the trust she had placed in him, but her love as well.

“I’m not an object, and I will never do something as disgusting as selling my own body.”

A tear slid down her cheek as she rejected him coldly.

She turned to leave, but her wrist was seized.

Grayson’s grip clamped down like a vice, leaving Virelle with no way to break free.

“Darling, neither of us has a choice.”

“The two hundred thousand dollars for your grandfather’s upcoming surgery... I really can’t afford it anymore.”

Virelle’s steps halted.

“So you’re threatening me?”

Grayson fell silent, then lowered his head, his voice turning hoarse.

“I’m not threatening you. I’m not forcing you either.”

“I’m only telling you what happens if you say no. The choice has always been yours.”

His grip around Virelle’s wrist tightened.

“You can say no, darling. Of course you can.”

“But can you watch me lose everything, and your grandfather die because we can’t afford the surgery?”

Hearing this, Virelle only found it laughable.

Grayson insisted that the choice was hers, yet every reason he gave left her with no room to refuse.

There was no way back, and even less a way out.

This was no longer her voluntary sacrifice, mà chỉ là sự exploitation. Cruel and calculated, wrapped in a gentle facade like a sugarcoated bullet.

She could no longer see even a trace of love in his eyes.

Just calculation.

But before Virelle could respond.

Smack.

Grayson struck himself hard across the face, hard enough that blood split at the corner of his lips.

“It’s all my fault for being useless.”

Smack.

His voice grew rougher, his eyes reddening, his shoulders slumping.

“It’s my failure that dragged you down... that I couldn’t give you a better life.”

“I can’t even keep you clean.”

“I’m truly a bastard. I don’t deserve you...”

Virelle grabbed his hand.

“Stop, Grayson...”

Grayson lifted his head to look at her. His eyes were red, yet something dark and unreadable lurked beneath.

“Help me just this once, darling. I swear there won’t be a second time. I swear it in my heart.”

His voice softened to a whisper as his hand gently stroked her hair.

A familiar gesture that had once made her feel happy and cherished.

But now, he used that very gesture to say the cruelest words.

“Once we have the money, I’ll move your grandfather into the best ward, get him the most advanced treatment… We’ll go back to how things used to be.”

“I’ll make it up to you.”

“If sacrificing one night can save everything, then why shouldn’t you do it?”

Every word sounded gentle, yet together, they formed a cage she could not escape.

A memory flashed through Virelle’s mind.

That rainy night years ago, when she had stood in despair beneath the hospital eaves, Grayson had pulled her into his arms and promised,

“Darling, I will cover all the expenses for your grandfather’s recovery. You’ll never have to bow your head to anyone again.”

Her chest ached sharply as she realized that the man who had once promised to protect her was now the very one forcing her to bow her head.

And yet, she had no way to refuse.

The arms that once warmed her had now turned cold. The man who had sworn so solemnly back then had perhaps long forgotten his promise.

He was no longer someone she could trust or rely on, no longer the man who had once treated her as his entire world.

If in the past she could deceive herself into believing this was a sacrifice for family, then now she understood it clearly.

This was nothing more than coercion disguised as love.

She closed her eyes, biting her lip until it bled. Her voice was as soft as the wind.

“Fine. I’ll go.”

“But this is the last time I save you.”

The thought of leaving Grayson took root in Virelle’s heart for the first time. After all, now that both his love and protection had grown cold, she no longer wished to stay and watch their love fade away in pain.

She knew it all too well. If she continued to stay, what she would lose would not only be her dignity,

but herself, piece by piece, within Grayson’s manipulation.

…

An hour later.

Virelle lay on the bed, her body burning as if consumed by fire.

The glass of wine Grayson had given her, laced with an aphrodisiac, still scorched her throat, making her unconsciously tug her dress straps lower.

“Hot... it’s so hot...”

She whimpered, her mind hazy, her breath uneven. Her body reacted in ways that felt unfamiliar, uncontrollable.

She didn’t know how much time had passed before her vision began to blur.

Click.

The door opened.

A man stepped inside, stopping beside the bed. His gaze swept over Virelle’s flushed face, undisguised disgust flashing in his eyes.

“Who are you? And who sent you here?”

His voice was cold as ice, laced with killing intent.

“Do they really think I like this kind of woman?”

Virelle forced her eyes open, her gaze unsteady as it landed on the man.

The moment she saw clearly who he was, her breath caught in her throat.

Dominic Ashcroft.

Virelle’s fingers clenched tightly around the bedsheet, her voice choked as if on the verge of tears.

“I’m Virelle.”

“I came to beg you to invest in my husband’s company, Virex Global Holdings...”

Dominic let out a low chuckle, his eyes locking onto hers.

“Invest in your husband’s company?”

“So this is the way your husband came up with to secure funding?”

His gaze darkened.

“Then he really is a bastard.”

Dominic’s voice dropped.

“Forcing his wife to take aphrodisiacs, and then sending her to my bed?”

He paused for a beat.

“Did no one tell him? I hate men who are both stupid and vile, men who will do anything, no matter how low, to get what they want.”

“And you…”

“I don’t like things that have already been touched by someone else.”

The biting mockery in his words made Virelle lower her gaze, her face turning even paler.

Her fingers clenched tightly around the bedsheet, her body trembling, and even her voice began to shake.

No, she had to find a way to salvage the situation, otherwise, her grandfather...

“Please, Mr. Ashcroft... I can do anything you want...”

Her hand moved to pull down the strap of her dress.

“Get out of here.”

Dominic cut her off coldly.

“You have three seconds. One...”

He turned, about to leave.

Virelle’s heart pounded violently, and anic surged through her.

“Wait, Mr. Ashcroft...”

She tried to stand, but her legs gave way, limp and powerless.

With a dull thud, she collapsed right in front of him.

The thin straps of her short dress slipped from the fall, revealing the curve of her chest and the pink birthmark on her right side.

Dominic’s steps halted. A fragment of memory flickered through his mind.

In the freezing, bonechilling water, a pair of gentle hands had grasped his, pulling him up from beneath the surface.

The position of that girl’s birthmark matched Virelle’s exactly.

His gaze fixed on it, his voice lowering.

“Who exactly are you?”

Virelle didn’t understand the shift in his tone. She only bowed her head, pleading through her tears.

“Mr. Ashcroft, please..."

" If there’s no investment, my husband will lose everything.”

“My grandfather won’t get the surgery either... he won’t survive...”

Her voice broke into soft, pitiful sobs.

Her grandfather was the only family she had left in this world.

She could lose everything, but she could not lose him.

Dominic studied her in silence for a long moment before letting out a quiet breath.

Whether it was because he pitied her misery, or because she resembled that person.

“Fine. The investment will proceed.”

“My secretary will contact Virex Global Holdings.”

Virelle froze. Joy burst open in her chest as she lifted her head to look at Dominic, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“You mean it?”

Dominic gave a slight nod.

“Mm.”

Virelle’s voice lifted with joy. She lowered her head, her words pouring out in a steady stream.

“Mr. Ashcroft, thank you, thank you so much. You’ve saved my life.”

“To show my gratitude, I can...”

“No need. Stay and rest.”

Dominic cut her off.

“My private doctor will be here shortly to check on you.”

With that, he turned and left, swift as the wind.

Have I finally found you?

The thought crossed his mind as he stepped out of the hotel lobby.

He took his phone out of his pocket and quickly pressed the call button.

"Help me investigate something..."

…

By the time Virelle returned home, it was already late, yet the lights at Nightveil Residence were still on. She took a deep breath, forcing a small smile as she stepped inside.

“Grayson, I have good news for you.”

No reply. The living room was silent, as though no one was there.

Frowning slightly, Virelle walked toward the bedroom.

“Mommy...”

A soft child’s voice rang out, instantly melting her heart.

It was her son’s voice.

Was Jaxon... calling her?

A smile touched her lips as she was about to respond.

“Mommy’s here. Let Mommy sing you to sleep.”

A different woman’s voice answered.

The smile on Virelle’s lips froze. She stood rooted in place as she heard Jaxon respond sweetly to that woman.

Without realizing it, she quickened her steps, approaching the bedroom.

Through the halfclosed door, she looked inside.

Jaxon was lying in a woman’s arms, obediently clinging to her, gentle and intimate.

Something he had never once done with Virelle.

To her, Jaxon had always been stubborn, distant.

And Virelle recognized that woman, the one wearing her nightdress.

Selene Duvall, Grayson’s childhood friend.

At that moment, Grayson stood beside them, watching with a soft, tender gaze. The three of them looked perfect, like a real family.

The sight sliced through Virelle’s heart.

“Daddy...”

Jaxon shifted in Selene’s arms, then climbed down and ran to Grayson, clinging to him.

“Can Mommy stay here forever?”

He pouted, scrunching his nose.

“I don’t like Virelle at all. She’s not pretty, she doesn’t smell nice, and she’s not as gentle as Mommy.”

Virelle’s heart clenched violently. Her body trembled, and she no longer had the strength to step inside.

Six years.

Although Jaxon was not her biological child with Grayson, just a stranger child they had adopted from an orphanage, she had spent six years raising him, caring for him, loving him as if he were her own.

When he was sick, she had always been the one by his side.

When he was younger, his health had been fragile. Afraid the maids wouldn’t care for him properly, Virelle had even given up her job to take care of him fulltime.

And in the end, this was what she received.

Rejection. Disdain. Denial.

Bitterness clogged her throat as she braced herself against the wall just to remain standing.

Through the haze of pain, she saw Grayson reach out and gently pat Jaxon’s head.

“Of course she can, Jaxon.”

“If you want, Mommy and Daddy will always stay here with you.”

Her heart was torn apart.

Grayson’s bias cut deeper than Jaxon’s childish words, like a bomb detonating in Virelle’s mind.

Those words erased her completely, his legal wife, Jaxon’s mother in name. She was nothing more than an outsider.

And the three of them inside... they were the harmonious family he truly wanted.

Then what was she?

A tool, something to be discarded once used?

Her lips pressed tightly together.

The humiliation and despair from before surged back all at once.

She could no longer hold back. She burst the door open and walked in.

Her gaze swept across the three people in the room.

“Grayson, I did everything to save your company.”

“Is this how you repay me?”

Virelle’s voice was hoarse, a mocking laugh tearing from her throat.

“You bring another woman into my bedroom, let her wear my clothes.”

“And let my son call a woman he’s just met for the first time 'Mommy'?”

“Have you ever thought about how I feel, the one who has loved and cared for him for the past six years?”

“Virelle, don’t make such a big deal out of this.”

Grayson stood up abruptly, grabbing her hand and pulling her out into the living room, his grip so forceful that pain shot through her wrist.

His voice was cold, laced with barely concealed irritation.

“Selene just got divorced and has nowhere to go, so I’m letting her stay here with us for a while.”

“You’ve always been kind and understanding. It’s such a small matter, surely you wouldn’t get mad and make a fuss over it, right?”

Kind and understanding.

Those same words again.

Those familiar words made Virelle let out a silent laugh.

She couldn’t remember when it had started, but every time Grayson did something that hurt her of his own accord, he would use that exact excuse to force her into compromise.

It meant enduring when he went to dinner with a female partner, holding her close as if they were lovers.

It meant the endless messages from female subordinates flooding in, laced with flirtation toward him.

It meant swallowing her pain and pretending to be a gentle, tolerant woman.

She had heard it so many times that she was exhausted by it.

“Then how do you explain her wearing my clothes, and Jaxon calling her 'Mommy'?”

Virelle’s voice was icy, her gaze fixed on him with scrutiny.

Grayson only frowned, licking his lips.

“Selene didn’t bring any sleepwear, so I let her borrow yours. You have plenty of clothes anyway.”

“As for Jaxon, he’s just a child. It’s normal for him to misspeak.”

Hearing that, Virelle found it even more laughable.

Perhaps Grayson didn’t even realize it himself. Licking his lips was a subconscious habit of his whenever he lied.

For the sake of another woman, he had lied to her again and again.

She had wanted to protest, but her throat was so dry that no words would come out.

“Grayson, you...”

Before Virelle could finish her sentence, a loud bang echoed.

Selene rushed out in a panic, even bumping into the door in her haste.

“Virelle, don’t blame Grayson.”

Her eyes were red and glistening, pitiful as though she had suffered some great injustice. Walking toward Virelle, Selene trembled, her voice quivering as well.

“I just came back to the country."

"I don’t know anyone else, and I have nowhere to go, so I asked Grayson to let me stay for a while.”

“If you don’t like it, I’ll leave immediately. Please don’t be upset because of me, and don’t argue with Grayson...”

Selene lowered her head, tears streaming down her beautiful face. Combined with her petite, fragile figure, she looked all the more pitiful.

Yet despite saying she would leave, Selene didn’t move at all.

She simply stood there, waiting.

Sure enough, the very next second, Grayson pulled her into his arms.

“Selene, it’s already late. Where could you possibly go now?”

"A fragile girl like you going out alone at night is dangerous!”

He glared at Virelle, his voice rising as he questioned her.

“Virelle, since when did you become so cruel? I already said Selene has nowhere else to go, so I’m letting her stay for a few days.”

“It’s only a few days. Do you really have to make things so tense?”

Looking at Selene sobbing pitifully in Grayson’s arms, at the way he shielded and defended her, Virelle felt so exhausted that she no longer wanted to say a single word.

No matter what she said, she would always be in the wrong.

Seeing her fall silent, Grayson’s tone softened. Letting go of Selene, he stepped forward and took Virelle’s hand.

“Darling, don’t be angry anymore. I was wrong to bring Selene back without telling you, but it was an urgent situation.”

“I swear there won’t be a next time.”

His hand was still warm, yet Virelle felt only cold. A chill seeped deep into her bones, making her withdraw her hand almost instinctively.

When he saw that Virelle’s gaze remained indifferent, Grayson added.

“To make it up to you, I’ll go with you to the hospital tomorrow to visit our grandfather, alright?"

"I’ve been so busy with work lately that I haven’t gone to see him.”

Virelle’s gaze wavered.

Every time her grandfather was mentioned, her heart softened. This time was no different.

After all, her grandfather had always been very fond of Grayson, always so happy whenever he came to visit. To Virelle, her grandfather’s happiness mattered more than anything else.

“Besides, I just received a message from Dominic’s secretary earlier. The investment will be processed soon. You really did a good job.”

Grayson shifted the topic, gently patting Virelle’s head.

“As soon as the funds come through, I’ll move your grandfather into a VIP ward, alright?"

"You’ve always said the regular ward is inconvenient for him. I’ll arrange the transfer as soon as possible.”

Lowering his voice, he coaxed her softly. In the end, Virelle gave a slight nod.

“Alright. Do as you want.”

Grayson let out a breath of relief.

“Good. Selene is my close friend, after all, we can’t treat her carelessly.”

“The master bedroom is the largest. Let her stay there...”

He spoke gently, but Virelle lifted her head to look at him, cutting him off coldly.

“No.”

The thought of the master bedroom, the place she had shared with Grayson for years, every decoration chosen by her own hands, now being occupied by another woman, was enough to make Virelle feel sick with disgust.

“If you insist on letting her stay there, then I don’t mind throwing her out in the middle of the night.”

It was the first time Virelle had refused to give in, and it left Grayson momentarily stunned.

He instinctively tightened his grip, his gaze on Virelle carrying a hint of calculation.

Perhaps thinking of the investment Virelle had just secured, he let out a sigh.

“Alright, then we’ll sleep in the master bedroom.”

“Selene can stay in the guest room, okay?”

Virelle took a step back, putting distance between herself and Grayson.

“It’s not we who will sleep in the master bedroom. It’s you alone.”

“I’m tired. I’ll sleep in another guest room tonight.”

Perhaps exhausted after a day filled with too many things, Virelle only wanted to be alone. She didn’t wait for Grayson to respond before turning and heading toward the adjacent bedroom, shutting the door behind her with a sharp slam.

As for the rest, Grayson and Selene could deal with it themselves.

...

In the middle of the night, Virelle woke up, parched.

She got up and, still halfasleep, walked out to the living room to find some water. As she passed by the master bedroom, a strange sound drifted out.

It was the soft, sweet moan of a woman.

Listening closely, it sounded very much like Selene’s voice.

Virelle’s steps came to an abrupt halt, the drowsiness instantly vanishing.

She strained her ears, listening to the sounds coming through the halfclosed door.

“Grayson, when are you going to divorce that bitch Virelle?”

Selene’s voice was coquettish, laced with a pout.

“Didn’t you see how she humiliated me today? She even wanted to throw me out.”

“I don’t want to live like this anymore, constantly holding myself back.”

Selene’s voice blended with her sweet moans, along with the unmistakable sounds of bodies entangling, more than enough for Virelle to understand what was happening inside.

Her knees buckled, forcing her to brace a hand against the wall to steady herself.

Her eyes burned as she heard Grayson’s reply.

“Just endure a little longer, honey. After all, it’s thanks to that bitch that my company was saved.”

“Virelle is still useful. Besides...”

Grayson paused for a moment before his mocking voice rang out again.

“Isn’t it amusing?”

“A free nanny who’s this dedicated, wouldn’t it be foolish not to use her to take care of our son, Jaxon?”

No...

How could it be?

All the sounds in Virelle’s head seemed to blur into a dull ringing. Her lips parted in shock, yet no words came out.

Jaxon... was Selene and Grayson son?

So unbelievable.

Her fingers tightened against the wall, and tightened when she heard Grayson added.

"Good thing I was quickwitted back then, sending Jaxon to the orphanage right after he was born, then tricking Virelle into adopting him. Otherwise, with how jealous your exhusband was, we would’ve been finished.”

For a moment, she wasn’t even sure she was still breathing.

Ha.

So, that was the truth.

No wonder he had always been distant, had always disliked her, no matter how much love and patience she gave him.

No wonder he had clung to Selene so sweetly earlier, calling her “Mommy” with such affection.

So everything had always left clues. It was just that she had been too foolish to notice.

Her lips parted in shock, yet no words came out.

The pain came, not sharp, but slow, inch by inch, grinding her heart to dust.

Along with it, the last remnants of her love and hope for Grayson crumbled into nothing.

Virelle gasped for air, bracing herself against the wall as tears slid down to the corner of her lips.

Salty. Bitter.

...

Their laughter seemed to amplify in her ears, making Virelle even more shaken.

In the end, her marriage to Grayson had been built on deception from beginning to end.

All this time, she had been the only one who had truly been immersed in her love for him.

The child she had loved with all her heart, the man she had loved with her very life.

They had been acting all along, while she had known nothing.

In despair, she turned and walked back to her room. Each step felt unbearably heavy, her heart aching until it had gone numb.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Virelle let the tears fall freely, sobbing until she could barely breathe.

Recently, she had cried far too much.

She cried when he asked her to sleep with another man.

She cried when she saw Jaxon push her away and call someone else “Mommy.”

And she cried when she realized she had been betrayed.

Each time, she stayed, thinking it would be the last.

A bitter smile curved at the corner of her lips as she found herself thinking of Jaxon.

The soft little boy she had adopted when he was just born, small and adorable.

In truth, he had once been very wellbehaved.

When he had just learned to crawl, his chubby figure would gently make its way toward her, babbling sweetly with a bright smile.

When he had just learned to walk, he would wave his soft, fair hands and call her “Mommy.”

Now, that same word belonged to someone else.

After the tears had run dry, her mind felt clearer than it had ever been.

The love she had for Grayson had been crushed by his own hands.

And something within her slowly faded away, leaving behind nothing but emptiness.

She did not want to spend the rest of her life with a man as deceitful and repulsive as Grayson.

Picking up her phone from the bedside table, she pressed the number.

Her vision blurred in tears.

Staring at the screen for so long, Virelle pressed the call.

“Hello?”

A deep, warm male voice sounded through the quiet room.

Virelle took a deep breath, the words she wanted to say seeming to catch at the tip of her tongue.

Her fingers tightened, and at last, she spoke, her voice choked.

“Hello, Lawyer Declan Wolfe.”

Her voice still trembled, but she did not stop.

“I want a divorce.”

The lawyer seemed not to notice the choked tremor in Virelle’s voice. His tone was calm, steady.

“Hello, Madam. Could you describe your situation?”

“The grounds for the divorce, as well as your expectations.”

Virelle paused for a moment, then told him everything.

“Mrs. Ashen, I am very sorry for what you've been through."

His voice measured.

"If you truly wish to leave, I can assist you with the division of assets.”

“Although I cannot make your husband walk away with nothing, I can ensure you receive fair...”

Virelle cut him off.

“Mr. Wolfe, I don’t need any assets. I just want the divorce to be finalized as quickly as possible, and the freedom to leave at any time.”

Virelle clenched her hands unconsciously.

Her grandfather was about to undergo surgery, and the doctor had repeatedly warned that he must not be subjected to any shock.

And on top of that, she still needed the two hundred thousand dollars from Grayson, the very price for all the sacrifice she had made, and the humiliation she had endured.

She could not leave immediately.

But she needed to be ready to leave as soon as the surgery was successful and his condition was completely stable.

"I understand."

The lawyer did not ask further, just calmly replied.

"Please prepare the necessary documents, and I'll handle the rest."

Finally, Virelle could breathe a sigh of relief.

...

The next morning, Virelle woke up as usual. After getting dressed and putting on light makeup, she picked up her bag, preparing to head to the hospital to visit her grandfather.

As she stepped into the living room, the space was unusually quiet.

Jaxon had likely already been taken to school by Grayson. In the living room, only Grayson and Selene remained, seated at the table having breakfast. At that moment, Selene was leaning close, feeding Grayson a bite of salad with intimacy.

“Grayson, eat this one.”

Virelle glanced at them, then looked away as if she hadn’t seen anything. Grayson, however, seemed uneasy. He quickly pulled back from Selene, stood up abruptly, and cleared his throat to mask his embarrassment.

“Virelle, are you heading to the hospital?”

“I’ll take you. I promised last night I’d go with you to visit your grandfather.”

Every time he did something wrong or hurt her, Grayson would always act this gently afterward. Virelle shot him a brief glance before nodding.

After all, her grandfather truly liked Grayson.

“Wait a moment, I’ll grab my coat, and we can go together.”

Seeing her agree, Grayson let out a breath of relief and quickly reached for his jacket.

“Wait, Grayson...”

Selene’s voice cut in at just the right moment, soft and sweet.

“Can I come along?”

“I was thinking of stopping by the mall nearby, it’s on the way.”

Without waiting for his answer, she cheerfully cleared the table and stepped to his side.

“Virelle, you don’t mind, right?”

Selene blinked, putting on an innocent and harmless expression, while Grayson looked at Virelle as if gauging her reaction.

“Up to you.”

Virelle no longer wanted to argue. She gave a lazy shrug and turned away. She had no interest in wasting words or emotions on someone as shameless as Selene anymore.

When they reached the garage, Grayson, as usual, gently opened the front passenger door for Virelle. But before she could react, Selene swiftly slipped into the seat, acting coy.

“Virelle, I get carsick. Can I sit in the front?”

“You’re so generous, you wouldn’t get mad, right?”

Selene blinked, looking at Virelle sweetly.

“Besides, I’m used to sitting next to Grayson anyway.”

At the sight of Selene’s fake smile, Virelle felt her stomach churn with nausea. She didn’t bother responding, simply opening the backseat door herself and sitting down calmly.

Seeing how “understanding” Virelle was, a trace of satisfaction flashed in Grayson’s eyes.

The car started moving.

Selene casually picked up a bag of snacks from inside the car and opened it. The smell of food quickly spread through the space.

Watching Grayson’s indifferent expression, Virelle couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.

Grayson had always hated it when she ate in his car. There was once when she had worked overtime until she was trembling from hunger, her blood sugar dropping. She had tried to open a small snack in the car just to ease it.

Yet Grayson had slammed on the brakes in anger, snatching the snack from her hand and throwing it out the window.

“Virelle, I’ve told you before. Eating in the car smells disgusting and makes me sick."

"Don’t ever do that again.”

At that moment, Virelle even felt guilty for making him mad.

Up until now, when Selene did the same thing, he indulged her. There wasn’t even a trace of displeasure on his face.

Love and the absence of it were, in truth, painfully easy to see.

It was only that, all this time, Virelle had been blinded by love.

“Grayson, have a bite. This snack is really good...”

Selene leaned closer, holding the snack right to his lips. The gesture was so familiar, as if she had done it countless times before.

Grayson smiled indulgently, tilting his head as he opened his mouth and ate the snack.

At that exact moment.

A container truck hurtled toward them from the opposite direction, heading straight for them.

The piercing blare of its horn tore through the air, sending Grayson into a panic as he jerked the steering wheel.

“Ah!”

Selene screamed as her body lost balance, the world spinning around her.

Bang.

The car slammed violently into the roadside barrier, the front of the vehicle beginning to smoke almost immediately.

Everything descended into chaos.

“Selene, watch out!”

With all his strength, Grayson lunged forward and pulled Selene tightly into his arms, shielding her just before she crashed into the window. In the next instant, the glass shattered.

As for Virelle, seated in the back, the force of the collision hurled her body hard against the car door. Her head struck the window with a dull, heavy thud, and blood quickly began to flow as the glass shattered.

Fragments of glass flew everywhere, slicing into her skin and leaving her dazed, her reactions delayed.

The world around her gradually blurred.

“Selene, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Struggling, Virelle forced her head up, only to see Grayson cry out in alarm as he held Selene tightly, frantically checking her for injuries.

His voice was filled with concern, as if she were the most precious person in the world.

Selene, as though frightened out of her wits, clung to Grayson, sobbing softly that she was fine.

A selfmocking laugh escaped Virelle's lips.

An accident had just happened, and at the very line between life and death, yet the person her husband protected and cared for had never been her.

He did not spare her even a single glance, while frantically shielding and soothing his mistress.

How ironic.

If he had only turned his head, even just once, he might have seen her collapsing in a pool of blood.

Her heart pounded violently, as if it might burst through her chest.

She tried to lift her hand, tried to call his name for help, but no sound came out.

Her body felt as if it had been drained of all strength, and Virelle slowly slid downward.

It will be alright. She will be fine.

She won't die.

Virelle tried to comfort herself.

Her vision gradually blurred until, at last, Virelle’s world sank into darkness.

Perhaps… this was for the best.

At least now, Virelle no longer loved him.

And, she would no longer hurt because of him.

Virelle woke in an unfamiliar space, the sharp, suffocating scent of antiseptic so thick it made it hard for her to breathe. The cold, sterile air of the hospital room raised goosebumps across her skin, and the moment she stirred, faint whispers reached her ears.

“This girl in the ward is really pitiful. She’s severely injured, with a concussion and heavy blood loss, yet there’s no one here to take care of her.”

“Even the driver of that container truck she nearly collided with was the one kind enough to bring her to the hospital and pay for her emergency treatment.”

That voice suddenly lowered, laced with regret.

“I wonder what relationship she has with the two people sitting in the driver's and passenger seats of that BMW."

"They were in the same car during the accident, weren’t they? How could they just abandon her like that, without caring whether she lived or died?”

A soft shushing sound followed, then another female voice deliberately hushed.

“Don’t say things like that. If someone overhears, it won’t be good.”

The faint clatter of medical instruments echoed as the voice dropped even further.

“I think the girl in the passenger seat is the driver’s wife. He looked so panicked, after all.”

“She only got a small scratch from shattered glass, just a little bleeding, but he made such a huge fuss in the hospital."

"He even exaggerated things and demanded the best doctor treat her, as if her condition were serious.”

Clicking her tongue again, she added.

“And that girl... I suppose she’s just an acquaintance, not someone close.”

“After all, when she was brought in by the ambulance, the stretcher was already soaked in blood... and that man didn’t even spare her a single glance...”

Only when the room fell completely silent, and the footsteps faded into the distance, did Virelle slowly open her eyes. The harsh light shone straight into them, blurring her vision for a moment.

A faint sob escaped from the corner of her lips.

She lifted her hand, staring at the crisscrossing cuts left by shattered glass, then reached up to touch her head, wrapped thickly in bandages.

A dry, hollow laugh slipped out.

Grayson truly disgusted her more with each passing moment.

A man rotten to the very core.

Her heart, which she thought had long since hardened, still throbbed with pain. As if something inside had just shattered into countless pieces, beyond any hope of repair.

No matter what, they had shared years of life together. Yet he hadn’t cared in the slightest whether she lived or died.

All he cared about was the minor scratch on his mistress.

All these years, had she been living with a man, or with a monster?

...

In the days that followed, Virelle spent her time alone in the hospital.

Not a single phone call. Not a single visitor.

Only long stretches of silence, filled with nothing but her own loneliness.

She didn’t dare go see her grandfather, didn’t dare let him know she was injured. So she could only lie, telling him she was on a vacation with Grayson, just to keep him at ease.

During that time, however, she focused on far more important matters.

She put up for sale every piece of jewelry and every designer outfit Grayson had once given her.

She also contacted agents to sell the old apartment she had bought when she first brought her grandfather to this city for treatment.

She searched for the best hospital in Solvang, the place she planned to move to with her grandfather after leaving Grayson, was also where the two of them had lived together ever since she was a child. And also, arranged a room for her grandfather to recuperate there after his surgery was successful.

Finally, she reached out to an old friend, asking for help finding a job in Solvang. Even if it was only as a cashier or a sales assistant, she needed a new job to support herself.

On her last day at the hospital, when the divorce papers arrived, Virelle calmly completed the discharge procedures herself and took a taxi home.

The house remained as luxurious and magnificent as ever.

Only she had changed.

The moment the door opened, angry shouts and the sharp crash of something shattering rang out.

“What the hell did you cook? It tastes awful!”

“Is this dog food? You idiot!”

A plate of food was hurled straight at the maid. She dodged in panic, but the plate shattered against the floor, shards and food scattering everywhere.

Jaxon stood in the middle of the living room, his face flushed with anger.

“Jaxon, don’t be so rude.”

Grayson’s lazy voice drifted from the sofa, yet he didn’t even bother to get up. He simply lay there, idly stroking Selene’s soft hair, their bodies pressed close together in an intimate posture, as if they were husband and wife.

No one truly cared about disciplining Jaxon.

Virelle silently watched the scene for a few seconds. Then she let out a quiet breath and slowly walked toward him.

“Jaxon, we should use polite words."

"I’ve told you that before, haven’t I?”

She stopped in front of him and crouched down, coaxing gently.

“And even if the food doesn’t taste good, you shouldn’t throw it like this. That’s wrong.”

Jaxon glanced at her, a flicker of annoyance crossing his eyes.

“Shut up. I’m not wrong.”

His eyes were red as he glared at her fiercely.

“What right do you have to lecture me? Daddy already said, you’re just a stupid housewife.”

The air tightened in an instant, his words slicing into Virelle’s heart like a blade.

The gentle smile on her lips froze, her chest constricting painfully. Though he wasn’t her biological child, she had always loved Jaxon with everything she had.

Even after learning he was the child of Grayson and Selene, she had never let that truth turn into resentment toward him.

And yet... this was what she received in return?

Jaxon suddenly bent down, grabbed a plate of roasted chicken from the table, and hurled it at her with all his strength.

“Idiot! Get out of this house! Then Daddy, Mommy, and I can be happy together!”

“Get out of here, idiot!”

“I hate you.”

Bang.

A dull, heavy impact echoed as the plate struck Virelle’s head. Sauce and pieces of chicken splattered across her, while a shard of broken porcelain sliced a long cut across her forehead.

Blood trickled down along her temple.

Her gaze turned cold.

She didn’t wipe it away. She only slowly clenched her fingers.

Inside her mind, fragments of memories shattered one by one, the sweet smile Jaxon once gave her, the way he had cried in panic when she was hurt, the soft, tender “Mommy” he had called her for the very first time...

All of it seemed to be crushed into dust, turning distant, as though it had never existed.

Perhaps from the very beginning, she should never have wasted her gentleness and kindness on people who were never worthy of it.

Smack.

The sound rang out, sharp and decisive, as Virelle struck Jaxon across the backside.

“Jaxon, who gave you the right to behave so rudely? It seems everything I’ve taught you all this time has been thrown away!”

“Apologize to the maid. And apologize to me.”

Her voice was cold, devoid of emotion.

Jaxon froze, staring at her with wide, stunned eyes for several seconds.

The next second, he burst into loud, uncontrollable sobs.

His eyes reddened as he struggled wildly, trying to break free, but to no avail.

“Virelle, are you crazy? Why would you suddenly hit Jaxon like that?”

Selene rushed forward, pulling Jaxon tightly into her arms as she lashed out at Virelle.

“Mommy... Virelle hit me... it hurts...”

Jaxon buried his face in Selene’s chest, crying helplessly, which only fueled her anger further as she glared at Virelle.

“Look at him, he’s been frightened like this.”

“How can you be so cruel as a mother?”

Her voice turned sharp with accusation, and Grayson quickly stepped in as well.

“Virelle, Jaxon is still a child, you can’t...”

Before he could finish, Virelle let out a laugh.

It was cold, laced with unmistakable mockery.

“Precisely because he is a child, I have to teach him properly, Grayson.”

She met his eyes directly, emphasizing each word.

“Otherwise, he’ll grow up to be an illmannered, uneducated child.”

“And you...”

Virelle shifted her gaze to Selene, her eyes sharp as a blade.

“What’s wrong with me disciplining my own child? What right do you have to interfere?”

Selene’s face paled slightly, her hand freezing midair. She parted her lips, about to respond, but before she could, Virelle continued.

“Besides, if I’m hitting my son, why are you reacting as if I’m hitting yours?”

Selene pressed her lips together, trembling.

“I... I...”

But no words came out.

The air in the room grew suffocating, thick with tension, while Jaxon’s piercing cries continued to echo.

Virelle only found it irritating.

Without another glance, she reached into her bag, took out a document, and handed it to Grayson.

“Right. This is the request form to upgrade my grandfather to a VIP ward. Sign it.”

Virelle’s cold demeanor left Grayson momentarily stunned.

“Virelle, do you really have to force me to sign this right now? Our son is still crying, can’t you comfort him first?”

The look in his eyes carried disappointment, as though he were staring at a heartless mother.

Virelle merely gave a faint, indifferent shrug.

“Isn’t Selene already comforting him?”

“Besides, you promised to move my grandfather to a VIP ward. Are you planning to go back on your word?”

“If you don’t have the ability to do it, then you shouldn’t have promised in the first place.”

Her sarcasm ignited Grayson’s temper. He snatched the document from her hand and signed it without even glancing at its contents.

Virelle watched him intently.

The moment she saw his signature fall onto the divorce agreement she had slipped beneath, her breath caught in her throat.

Her gaze trembled slightly, her lips parting.

It was over.

At last... it was truly over.

“Is that enough now? Go comfort our son. He’s crying himself hoarse.”

Grayson shoved the document back to her, frowning in irritation.

But Virelle remained indifferent.

“I told you, Selene is already comforting Jaxon.”

“If you want, go comfort him with her. After all, you are his father.”

“Stop pushing your responsibilities onto me all the time.”

With that, she turned and walked upstairs.

Behind her, Grayson stared after her in a daze.

There was something off about Virelle today.

As if she had completely become a different person.

…

After going upstairs, Virelle did not allow herself any idle time. She quickly sorted through and packed the items she had already sold, preparing to send them to their new owners.

As for the things that were outdated, no longer trendy, or difficult to sell, she tossed them all into another box. Naturally, she had no intention of taking along anything Grayson had given her once she left.

While carrying the boxes downstairs to arrange for express delivery, she unfortunately ran into Grayson.

“What is it, Virelle?”

Grayson frowned at the cluttered boxes in her arms. The moment he caught sight of the handbags, shoes, and clothes he had once bought for her inside them, his expression darkened with displeasure.

Virelle, however, was only momentarily stunned before quickly replying,

“Oh, just some old things.”

“I don’t use them anymore, so I’m planning to donate them to an orphanage, for people who actually need them.”

After saying that, Virelle no longer bothered to care about Grayson’s reaction. Brushing past him coldly, she walked straight ahead.

That evening.

Virelle had originally intended to continue handling the paperwork for selling the apartment, but Grayson forced her out of the house to attend his mother’s birthday party, Talia Mercer’s.

“We need to look like a happy family, Virelle.”

“Besides, if you don’t go, then don’t blame me for refusing to pay your grandfather’s fifty thousand dollars in hospital fees and medication costs this week.”

Grayson no longer bothered to pretend, openly threatening her instead. Virelle’s hands clenched tightly.

At that point, those expenses already amounted to nearly all the money she had managed to save and earn from selling her belongings. If Grayson refused to cover them, she would practically be left with nothing if she had to pay for everything herself.

In the end, it was only a party. She could just endure it as if she were deaf to everything around her. Gritting her teeth, Virelle finally agreed.

What she didn’t expect was that Selene would be going along as well.

When they arrived at the Rose residence, the lights blazed brilliantly, and the banquet hall was already crowded with guests.

Still sulking at Virelle, Jaxon let out a cold snort and ignored her completely, walking straight toward a maid and ordering her to take him upstairs to play.

Virelle didn’t react. She simply placed the gift she had prepared on the table and was about to hand it to Talia. But the moment she parted her lips.

“Selene, it’s been so long since you last visited me. I’ve missed you so much.”

Talia walked past Virelle as if she didn’t exist and went straight to Selene, taking her hand with warmth and affection.

Under her enthusiastic welcome, Selene smiled sweetly.

“Aunt, I’ve missed you too.”

“I knew today was your birthday, so I prepared a gift for you.”

Talia’s face immediately lit up with delight. She picked up the gift box and opened it without hesitation.

Inside was a diamond necklace from a wellknown domestic luxury brand.

“How beautiful, Selene. You always choose gifts so thoughtfully, exactly to my taste.”

“Unlike some people. Married into this family for years and still doesn’t know what I like. Every gift is wrong.”

“Truly an eyesore.”

Talia let out a cold snort.

“And such a dull personality. Never even come to visit me or keep me company.”

Virelle stood there, silently enduring the gazes, the scrutiny, and the criticism directed at her.

Talia had always been like this, openly showing her dislike.

The gift Virelle brought hadn’t even been opened, yet it had already been dismissed.

Virelle let out a cold laugh inwardly.

If it had been before, she would have been hurt, and would have tried every way to win Talia’s favor.

But now, she remained silent, offering no reaction at all, as if none of it had anything to do with her.

Grayson watched her calm, detached demeanor, his brows knitting slightly as an instinctive unease crept in.

Something about Virelle... felt off.

Yet before he could say anything, she had already turned and walked out.

…

The night breeze drifted through the garden, carrying a chill, while the golden light cast a solitary shadow of Virelle.

“Virelle, your shamelessness truly broadens my horizons.”

The sharp click of high heels echoed from behind, blending with a woman’s scathing voice.

Virelle turned around, her gaze meeting Selene’s eyes, filled with hostility and malice.

“Despised by your motherinlaw, rejected by your son, neglected by your husband, and you can still endure it.”

Selene let out a cold laugh as she stepped closer, her lips curling as she looked Virelle up and down.

“Why are you still clinging to this failed marriage? For money?”

She laughed mockingly, tilting her head to one side.

“Or is it because of that sickly grandfather of yours?”

Virelle did not respond. Her hand hanging at her side had already clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned pale.

Her fingers stiffened further, her ears ringing the moment Selene mentioned her grandfather, yet she still forced herself to endure it.

There was no need to get angry at someone so shameless.

Seeing Virelle remain silent, her face paling, the smile on Selene’s lips deepened. She covered her mouth as she giggled, even giving a taunting wink.

“Don’t blame me for being harsh, but that sickly grandfather of yours is already very weak. Even with treatment, he won’t live much longer.”

She shrugged, her tone light and careless.

“You might as well give up on treatment and let him die sooner, so he won’t be such a burden...”

Smack.

A sharp sound rang out, cutting off Selene’s words.

The air seemed to congeal.

Selene’s face snapped to the side, the burning sting on her cheek driving her into a frenzy.

“You...”

“Shut up.”

Virelle’s voice was icecold, her gaze sharp as a blade.

“A shameless person like you has no right to mention my grandfather.”

Selene glared at her, her eyes blazing with hatred. She stepped forward, eyes wide, yet in the next instant, something shifted.

The malice vanished, replaced by panic and frailty.

“Virelle, I’m sorry, I misspoke. Please don’t be angry with me...”

Her eyes reddened as she reached out, as if to take Virelle’s hand in apology, but Virelle had already stepped back coldly.

At that exact moment.

Smack.

A resounding slap landed across Virelle’s face, her ears ringing as though something had exploded inside her head. Her cheek burned as if scalded, the faint metallic taste of blood spreading across her mouth.

Virelle slowly lifted her head.

Grayson stood before her, his chest rising and falling with anger.

“Virelle, you’ve gone too far. How could you raise your hand against Selene?”

“Apologize to Selene. Now.”

Virelle looked at him, her expression shifting from stunned disbelief to quiet despair. She stood frozen for a few seconds before letting out a faint laugh.

“Apologize? Grayson, you haven’t even asked what happened, and you’ve already decided I’m at fault?”

“Do you even know what Selene said about my grandfather...”

Her voice was hoarse as she tried to explain, but Selene had already thrown herself weakly into Grayson’s arms. Tears streamed down her face, her body trembling as though she had suffered immense injustice.

“Grayson, don’t blame Virelle. It’s all my fault.”

“I was only asking about her grandfather’s health. I didn’t expect her to get angry.”

Selene choked out each word, her tears soaking into Grayson’s shirt, making his gaze grow even sharp