Chapter 1

The 19th time I demand a divorce from my husband, Jason Simmons, my best friend, Diana Nicholson, doesn't try to change my mind as usual.

In the past, she always tried to stop me. She even personally showed up at Jason's company to ask him to reconcile with me. This time, she quietly contacts a lawyer for me, prepares a divorce agreement, and helps me with the divorce proceedings.

Unable to help myself, I question her about her unusual behavior just as I'm about to sign the divorce agreement.

It seems that I've touched a sore spot because she suddenly loses her temper and snaps, "Layla suffered a miscarriage because of you this time. How much longer are you going to cause a fuss?"

Layla McKinley is Jason's mistress.

Diana sighs as she takes in my bewildered expression, explaining, "The truth is, Layla was my junior in university. I'm the one who introduced her to Jason. I did my best to compensate you for so many years out of guilt, but I've grown exhausted.

"For my sake, please stop causing a fuss," she says, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'll make it up to you for everything they've done."

My body feels unbearably cold. I feel as if I've been shoved into a pool of freezing water.

It turns out that both my friendship and my marriage have been nothing but a farce the entire time.

I quietly flip open the divorce agreement when Diana isn't paying attention and pen my signature on the dotted line.

Chapter 1

The air turned deathly silent.

The sound of a ringing phone cut through the air. I couldn't help but feel as if I was being mocked when I saw my husband's mistress Layla McKinley's name flashing on the screen.

My best friend Diana Nicholson's expression turned soft when she answered the call, saying, "Okay. I'll be there as soon as possible."

Her tender expression morphed into a calm one again after she hung up.

"I know that you don't actually want to get a divorce," she said. "You wouldn't have let me convince you to change your mind time and time again if you were being serious. Go home. Apologize to Jason properly and swear that you won't harass Layla again. We can sweep everything under the rug if you do."

She snatched up her keys after she was done speaking and hurried out of the courthouse.

Howling winds blew past the window. It began storming heavily a few seconds later.

I clutched the divorce agreement, thinking about how it had also been a rainy day when I caught my husband, Jason Simmons, cheating on me for the first time.

Back then, Jason and Layla were lying on the bed together. The room was an utter mess.

In the face of my hysteria, Jason said nonchalantly, "I just wanted to experience something new. Why are you crying? The position of 'Mrs. Simmons' will only belong to you."

That day, I rushed into the rain as if I had lost my mind before throwing myself into the river to drown myself.

Diana was the one who risked her own life to save me. She cried and made a vow to me, saying, "Jason's just fooling around. Don't worry. I'll definitely help you think of a way to get him to stop."

From then on, every time I caught Jason being unfaithful, I would try to take my own life. I tried slitting my own wrists and jumping off a building. I also tried to end both our lives at the same time.

Every time, Diana was the one who threw all caution to the wind to stop me, telling me time and time again that Jason would change.

However, Jason never changed from start to finish. Not even once.

Jason was my love, while Diana was my best friend. I remembered how they got into a fierce argument over whether I disliked onions or cilantro. I remembered how one of them would stick up for me while the other would chase the bullies away when I was being harassed.

Now, they didn't hesitate for even a second to hurt me for the sake of another woman.

It turned out that there was nothing in life that I could rely on forever.

I tried my best to stop my hands from shaking as I walked out of the courthouse.

I could only rely on myself from then on.

…

When I returned home, I saw countless jewelry boxes taking up the entire surface of the dining table.

Jason always used the same method to appease me whenever I asked for a divorce. Instead of comforting me or explaining himself to me, he would just order his men to deliver the latest jewelry on the market to the house.

My eyes stung the moment I approached the dining table and caught a glimpse of the blood-red jewels. A few seconds later, I threw up on the spot.

Many years ago, Mom was accused of being someone's mistress. To prove her innocence, she jumped off a building right in front of me.

Blood pooled endlessly around her broken body. From that moment on, the color red became my nightmare.

My hands trembled as I closed the jewelry boxes. I then dialed Jason's number, but he didn't pick up within ten seconds like he usually would.

A minute passed. Then 30 minutes, and then an hour. My call history was filled with unanswered calls to Jason.

I couldn't just sit there anymore, so I rose to my feet. With practiced fingers, I opened the location app that was also installed on Jason's phone. I then grabbed the divorce agreement and car keys from the table and left the house.

Following the coordinates of Jason's phone, I found myself standing before the estate that Jason had bought for Layla in the suburbs.

I had just walked up to the door when the security guards blocked my path, saying, "Unauthorized people are forbidden from entering the premises."

Chapter 2

The estate was heavily guarded as if they were trying to keep someone out.

I tightened my grip on the divorce agreement and cleared my throat. "I'm looking for Jason Simmons. I'm his wife, Sienna Irving."

The security guards exchanged glances before scoffing. "What nonsense are you spouting? Everyone knows that Mr. Simmons' wife is Layla McKinley, the one who stays in this estate."

They gave me a once-over before continuing, "Who's going to believe the words of a country bumpkin like you?"

I pursed my lips and remained rooted to the spot in front of the door, refusing to leave.

A few moments later, someone who looked like the housekeeper came out of the estate and whispered to the security guards.

The security guards brandished their batons and shouted, "Get out of here! Mr. Simmons said that he doesn't know anyone named Sienna Irving. Get out of our sight right now!"

They shoved me to the ground after they were done speaking and swung their batons at me.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The ear-piercing screech of car brakes stopped the security guards.

Diana rushed out of the car and helped me back to my feet. "You know that Jason won't want to see you after you caused Layla to suffer a miscarriage. Why are you doing this?"

Instead of responding, I stubbornly bit my lip.

Diana sighed. "Forget it. Come with me."

The security guards finally let me pass. Diana and I walked through several metal doors before arriving in a quaint-looking reception room.

I froze in place when I reached the door.

The people inside were dressed to the nines as they clinked glasses with one another. The atmosphere was lively and joyous. A massive wedding portrait of Jason and Layla had been placed in the middle of the room.

It was blatantly obvious that a wedding ceremony was taking place.

I could see former business partners, friends, relatives, and university classmates among the guests. The people who once despised Layla for shamelessly accepting the role of Jason's mistress were approaching them to give them their blessings.

Jason saw me from the corner of his eye. He stiffened for a brief moment before excusing himself from the crowd to walk over to me.

"Was Diana the one who brought you here?" he asked.

When I didn't respond, he sighed and said, "Although Layla's been with me for so many years, she doesn't have a title or any children. I thought of hosting a wedding ceremony to cheer her up. It's her big day, so don't make a scene, okay?"

He tried to pat my head, but I immediately dodged out of the way.

Disdain flickered in Jason's eyes as his hand hung in midair. "Tell me. What do you want this time? Branded jewelry? A luxury home with a river view? Or the company's shares?"

My heart twisted painfully. I had wanted to divorce Jason countless times in the past few years, but Diana told me that if I wanted to capture a man's heart, I had to keep an iron grip on his wallet.

So, every time I caught Jason cheating on me, Diana would demand an astronomical compensation on my behalf.

Jason fulfilled my requests every single time. However, he also gradually grew more and more disgusted with me.

I tightened my grip on the divorce agreement. I was just about to open my mouth when Layla suddenly stormed toward me.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

She then slapped me hard across the face. Her eyes were bloodshot as she glared at me. "You're truly a mistress' daughter. You're just as despicable and disgraceful as your mother."

My heart throbbed painfully. My eyes reddened as I snapped, "My mother wasn't a mistress!"

Jason stepped forward and shielded Layla behind him. He shot a furious glare at me and roared, "That's enough! How much longer are you going to continue making a fuss?"

I was stunned by the impatience and disdain brimming in his eyes. A few seconds later, someone shoved me aside.

Diana, who had changed into a bridesmaid dress, looked at me coldly and said, "Your mother ruined Layla's family when she decided to be her father's mistress."

Chapter 3

I was completely frozen in place. I looked between Diana and Jason.

Mom remarried when I was in high school. However, she was exposed for being somebody's mistress. Only later did we learn that the man already had a wife and daughter and had been unfaithful to his wife.

But no matter how Mom tried to explain herself, everyone believed that she was a homewrecker.

When the man's ex-wife showed up on our doorstep, she forced Mom to jump off the building. Meanwhile, the man vanished into thin air out of fear that he would be punished for being responsible for the tragedy.

Eventually, rumors of me being a mistress' daughter spread like wildfire throughout the school. My desk was always filled with trash, and red crosses were scribbled all over my test papers.

I was also criticized wherever I went. People would say things like, "A mistress' daughter will definitely grow up to be a mistress too!"

At one point, my depression got so severe that I had to drop out of school.

Diana was the one who pulled me out of bed and personally combed my hair and bathed me.

Whenever Jason walked me to and from school, he would argue with the passersby, demanding, "Did you see what happened with your own two eyes? Or did your mother get cheated on too?"

The passersby would always be rendered speechless by his words. Eventually, they stopped talking about me altogether.

Jason confessed to me on the night of our high school graduation.

Diana seemed even more excited than I was. While I simply nodded in response, tears welled up in her eyes as she exclaimed, "You know what Sienna fears the most in this world, Jason. Swear that you'll never allow anyone to call her a mistress!"

Jason immediately got down on one knee and made a vow. "I will be loyal to Sienna Irving and no one else for the rest of my life. If I go back on my word, may I suffer a terrible fate."

The three of us had a wonderful time together during our high school and university days. We established a business together and were glued to each other's sides. We even stayed in a basement unit together once, surviving on bread that cost less than five dollars.

However, everything changed the moment Layla appeared.

In the past, I couldn't figure out what triggered the change. But at that moment, I finally understood what was going on.

"So… Layla's the daughter of the woman who sent Mom to her death?" I asked.

Diana silently shielded Layla behind her.

"Sent your mother to her death?" she repeated. "Layla has already told me the truth about what happened all those years ago. Your mother's the one who got between her parents. She knowingly became her father's mistress and tore her family apart.

"Layla was sent to her uncle's place after what happened. Her university days were much tougher than yours."

My lips trembled violently. "Is that why you introduced her to Jason? Because you felt sorry for her?"

Diana averted her gaze, not daring to look me in the eye or retort anymore.

"That's enough!" Jason snapped, stepping forward and shooting a cold look at me. "Even if Diana didn't introduce us, it would have only been a matter of time before I fell for Layla."

I suddenly burst into laughter as I stared into his resolute gaze. Tears began to stream down my face even as I continued to laugh. They watched me warily as I reached into my bag.

"Stop her!" Jason suddenly shouted. "Don't let her hurt Layla."

A few bodyguards surged forward and pinned me to the floor. They then rained their fists down on me.

However, the physical pain was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. I forcefully suppressed my groans as I wiped the blood from the corners of my mouth, saying, "I came here to ask for a divorce, Jason."

Chapter 4

Jason stiffened before he lowered his head and stared at me in disbelief. "How much longer are you going to cause a fuss, Sienna?" he demanded.

He was right. He believed that I was just causing a fuss every time I asked for a divorce.

Every time I tried to jump from a building or slit my wrists, he thought that I was just trying to cause a scene.

After all, I would always let Diana convince me to change my mind and obediently reconcile with him in the end.

I was the only one who knew that things were different this time.

I crawled back up to my feet after the bodyguards released me.

"I don't want any jewelry, cars, or houses this time," I said. "I just want a divorce."

Jason's arm, which was wrapped around Layla, went rigid for a split second. "I won't agree to a divorce. What are you scheming this time? Are you trying to play hard to get?"

Layla had also stopped crying. "You promised me that you would give me a family, Jason," she said.

Jason fell silent for a few moments before saying, "Be good. I also made a promise to her. You will get my love while she gets a title."

Layla turned her flushed face to the side, clearly too upset to continue talking.

My heart ached painfully as I took in Jason's cautious gaze. I had already predicted that he would react like this, so I pulled out a share transfer agreement from my bag and said, "You've been wanting me to return the company's shares, right? I'll return them to you once we're divorced."

Diana grabbed me tightly and hissed, "Have you lost your mind? We agreed that those shares belong to you when we first established the company. You can reject everything else, but you'll truly have nothing to your name if you lose those shares."

I ignored her and stared at Jason. "I know that you've been caught in a bidding war with Finch Group recently. If you have these shares, your decision-making power in the company will be greater."

Jason narrowed his eyes as he remained silent. "I can agree to your request for a divorce, Sienna. But you better not have any other tricks up your sleeve."

"I'm setting myself free by letting you go, Jason," I said, staring at him. "I've grown too exhausted over the last few years."

It seemed that my words had touched a sore spot. Jason snatched the divorce agreement from me and snapped, "I'd like to see how long you'll be able to survive without Simmons Group's protection, Sienna. I'll be waiting for you to come crying back to me, begging me to marry you again."

I didn't say a single word as I watched him pen his signature on the dotted line.

"It's done! Now, get out of here!" he exclaimed, throwing the divorce agreement in my face.

I didn't make a fuss as I turned around and left.

Diana called out to me from behind. "Have you gone mad, Sienna? How will you survive without Jason? Just because I didn't talk you out of it one time, do you have to be so stubborn and actually divorce him?"

When she tried to chase after me, Jason's cold voice cut through the air.

"Forget about her. We protected her too well over the past few years. It's time for her to experience the hardships of the outside world. Only then will she realize how well we've been treating her."

I briefly halted my footsteps.

Jason had no idea that hardships didn't originally exist in my world. They were the ones who brought pain and disaster into my life.

…

I returned home and began packing my belongings. I didn't take anything that was related to memories of the three of us, like our group photos from our high school days and postcards from our university days.

I only took a few clothes and my identification documents. After all, Layla's things were scattered all over the house, while I barely had anything that truly belonged to me.

Fortunately, that meant that I was able to finish packing in record time.

There was already someone waiting for me when I headed to the airport with my suitcase in tow.

"You've been a big help to Mr. Finch this time, Ms. Irving. He has already arranged the next part of your itinerary for you. Don't worry. Jason will never be able to find you for the rest of his life as long as you don't want him to."

I nodded at the man. I then switched off my phone, turned around, and boarded Hunter Finch's private jet.

When the plane landed two hours later, my phone was bombarded with a barrage of messages and missed calls.