Chapter 1

On the night Uriah Parker married another woman, Irina Charlton trashed the home they had shared for eight years.

Chapter 1

At 2 a.m., Irina Charlton woke up from sharp pains in her lower abdomen. When she reached over to feel the icy sheets beside her, she realized her husband, Uriah Parker, had not come home.

The pain was worsening by the second. With trembling hands, she called Uriah. It rang for what felt like forever before someone finally picked up.

Before Irina could even say a word, a young woman's voice came through the speaker. "Irina, Uriah's already asleep. Whatever it is, just call him tomorrow, okay? I'm hanging up now."

"Wait, hold on..."

The sharp, twisting pain in her lower abdomen made every word an agony for Irina.

The woman ignored Irina and simply hung up the phone.

When Irina tried calling again, the phone was already turned off. She gasped for air as waves of pain crashed through her body, making her shake uncontrollably, and tears streamed down her face.

She did not want to die. After all, she was only 26 years old, and she still had her parents and Uriah.

Forcing herself to stay conscious, Irina dialed 911. Then, she crawled to the living room and unlocked the front door. Just before she passed out, she heard the wail of an ambulance echoing through the entire apartment complex.

The doctor's preliminary diagnosis was an ectopic pregnancy, and Irina needed surgery immediately. They needed to contact her family, but Uriah's phone was still unreachable.

"Do you have any other relatives or friends we can call?" the young nurse asked, looking at Irina with sympathy as she lay pale-faced on the hospital bed.

Irina gave a bitter smile and shook her head. Her parents were not in Sterling City. Even if they caught the earliest flight, they would not arrive until tomorrow afternoon. Besides, her mother, Linda Bailey, had a weak heart and could not handle the shock.

While her best friend, Mia Somerset, lived in the city, she was already in her final weeks of pregnancy and could go into labor any time soon. Irina really did not want to burden her.

She said, "I can manage it myself."

The surgery was performed overnight. When Irina woke up, it was already the next morning.

The caregiver, Anne Davis, saw Irina stirring and quickly poured some warm water for her.

"Ms. Charlton, you're finally awake. You have no idea how critical your condition was. The doctor said the location of your ectopic pregnancy was extremely dangerous. If the surgery had been any later, they might not have been able to save you."

Irina touched her lower abdomen, feeling both regretful and heartbroken. She and Uriah had been trying for a baby for two years. Yet, when she finally got pregnant, it turned out to be ectopic.

Irina gripped her phone as tears rolled down her cheeks. A whole night had passed, yet Uriah had not called once, not even a single text.

Nonetheless, the baby was gone, and the baby's father should know. So, Irina dialed Uriah's number.

This time, Uriah himself actually answered.

"Honey, I..."

"Irina, I know I've been neglecting you lately, but I'm really exhausted. Ms. White had a rejection episode yesterday, and she's in really bad shape. Also, there's nothing going on between Sophie and me. She's like my little sister, and she could never threaten your position as Mrs. Parker. Please, can you stop making a scene?"

Uriah's voice was filled with impatience.

Irina held the phone, momentarily at a loss for words.

After a few seconds of silence, Uriah spoke again. "Well? Say something, Irina."

"I-I had an ectopic..."

Before Irina could finish her sentence, she heard Sophie Lyons' anxious, tearful voice coming through the phone.

"Uriah, my mom needs you!"

"Let's talk later."

Just like that, the call ended.

Irina stared at the ceiling. Her eyes, already red from crying, flooded with tears all over again.

She and Uriah had been together for almost eight years. They got to know each other in their senior year of high school, endured four years of long distance through college, and finally got married two years ago, promising to work together to welcome a baby into their lives.

All of a sudden, after his childhood sweetheart and so-called little sister had only been back for three months, Irina became nothing more than an unreasonable, jealous wife in his eyes.

A laugh escaped Irina. She covered her eyes with her hands, laughing and crying at the same time.

Chapter 2

Irina knew exactly what Sophie and her mother, Beth White, meant to Uriah.

Uriah's parents always worked late when he was a kid, so he would often eat dinner at Beth's house.

Beth was a single mom who raised Sophie on her own. Since they were kids, Uriah and Sophie were everyone's idea of the perfect golden couple. Everyone assumed they would go from being childhood sweethearts straight to walking down the aisle together.

During Uriah's senior year of high school, Sophie and Beth moved abroad, and they stayed gone for eight years. Three months ago, Sophie returned with Beth, who had pancreatic cancer, and they came to find Uriah.

From the moment they returned, Uriah started coming home less and less frequently.

Whenever Irina asked, his answer was always the same: he was at the hospital. Since she understood Uriah's relationship with Sophie and Beth, Irina never complained once, firmly believing that their relationship was solid enough that it would not crack just because his childhood friend had come back.

At first, Irina even volunteered to help connect them with specialist doctors. However, her involvement gradually seemed to make both Uriah and Sophie uncomfortable. Things escalated to the point where Sophie would burst into tears the moment Irina showed up.

Eventually, Uriah told Irina to stop coming to the hospital altogether.

Irina had no idea what she had done wrong, especially since she had not fought or made a scene. She had simply waited patiently for it all to be over, for Uriah to finish dealing with everything, so they could return to the way things used to be.

However, this ectopic pregnancy surgery and Uriah's attitude were starting to shake her faith.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Irina texted Uriah and attached a photo of her medical records.

At the same hospital, Uriah frowned at the message on his phone.

Sophie, sitting beside him, leaned over to look too. Before Uriah could say anything, Sophie's eyes immediately reddened, and tears fell one after another as her voice began to choke.

"I'm so sorry, Uriah. I shouldn't have come to you... I know Irina's scared I'll steal you away, so she made up this ridiculous story. Mom and I have ruined what you and Irina had. I'm so sorry."

For just a split second, Uriah had felt a flicker of panic. Then, he thought about how in these past three months, he had barely been home at all because of Beth's illness, and he and Irina had not been intimate in ages. He also knew Irina well enough to know she would never cheat.

This had to be another one of her desperate attempts to get his attention, to make him prove he still loved her.

Uriah tenderly ruffled Sophie's hair, his voice incredibly gentle. "This has nothing to do with you. I've just been spoiling her too much, that's why she'd make up lies like this."

"Thank you, Uriah. Without you, I really don't know what I'd do." Still crying, Sophie threw herself into Uriah's arms.

Uriah gently patted Sophie's back, offering her comfort.

After spending a while consoling Sophie, Uriah finally found time to text Irina back. His message read, [Irina, Ms. White doesn't have much time left. You know how much she took care of me when I was little, so please be mature about this and stop making a scene. Also, you shouldn't say such vicious things about yourself and our future child. Once things settle down, I promise I'll make it up to you.]

Chapter 3

After being disappointed too many times, that one final disappointment becomes the ending of the whole story.

Wiping away her tears, Irina sent Uriah a single-word reply, [Okay.]

She had decided, too.

...

Three days later, Irina was discharged from the hospital. During that time, Uriah had not sent a single message, and Irina had not reached out to him either.

Anne reminded Irina kindly, "Ms. Charlton, even though it was an ectopic pregnancy, you still need to treat this like a recovery period. When you get home, make sure to keep yourself warm, eat nutritious food, and get plenty of rest, okay?"

Irina thanked her with a heavy heart. "Thank you, I'll take good care of myself."

After saying goodbye to Anne, Irina walked out alone. However, she had only taken a few steps when she heard someone calling her name from behind.

"Irina?"

Irina turned around to see her heavily pregnant best friend, Mia.

Mia asked, "What are you doing at the hospital? You look awful."

"I-I was pregnant." Irina's expression was blank; her tone was as calm as if she were discussing the weather.

Mia was just about to congratulate her, but she could keenly tell something was wrong.

Irina continued, "But it was an ectopic pregnancy. I already had the surgery, and I'm being discharged today."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Mia was upset, but she quickly softened and grabbed Irina's hand with concern. "Wait, where's Uriah?"

To all their friends, Uriah was a devoted husband. He normally could not stand to see Irina suffer even the slightest inconvenience, the epitome of a doting husband.

Not seeing him here shocked Mia.

Irina mumbled, "He's at the hospital with Sophie's mom. He doesn't have time for me."

Mia had heard a little about Uriah and Sophie, but no matter what, he should show up for something this serious.

Then, Irina asked, "It's fine... It's all over now. Why are you here alone, too?"

Mia replied, "I'm here for my final prenatal checkup. James is just paying the bill."

Mia wanted to ask more about Irina and Uriah. However, seeing how terrible Irina looked, she held back.

Irina's ride was about to arrive, and Mia insisted on walking her downstairs. However, as soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they saw Sophie clinging to Uriah's arm, standing right there in the lobby.

All four of them froze.

The next second, Uriah pushed Sophie's hand off his arm, though his expression darkened.

"Irina, I already explained everything clearly in my message. What's the point of stalking and spying on me? When did you become so unreasonable?"

"Irina, please, just stop."

Right there in the crowded hospital lobby, Sophie dropped to her knees in front of Irina, crying her eyes out.

"Sophie, get up! What are you doing?" Uriah immediately tried to pull Sophie up.

"Uriah, don't stop me. My mom and I are the ones who hurt Irina... But Irina, my mom is dying. Please, have some mercy and let me have Uriah for this little while."

As she spoke, Sophie even tried to bow her head toward Irina.

Uriah could not stop Sophie, so he turned his anger on Irina instead. "Irina, Sophie and Ms. White have never done anything to hurt you. They never said a single bad word about you. How can you act like this? Where's your conscience? You make me sick."

Chapter 4

Before long, more people gathered around to watch. Everyone was starting to point their fingers at Irina and whispering among themselves.

Without a second thought, Mia stepped forward and slapped Uriah across the face.

She growled, "Uriah, have you lost your mind?"

Uriah had never been hit by anyone in his entire life. He glared at Irina with fury and hissed, "Impressive. You even dragged a pregnant woman here to make a scene with me. Irina, you're supposed to be a big-shot designer. Where are your manners?"

Mia was ready to hit Uriah again, but Irina stopped her. "Let's go, my ride is here."

Irina did not even glance at Uriah or the drama queen kneeling on the floor, pulling Mia toward the exit.

Uriah had never been ignored by Irina like this before, so he furiously grabbed her wrist and barked at her. "Stop right there and apologize to Sophie!"

When Irina did not respond, Uriah tightened his grip. "I told you to apologize to Sophie!"

The pain in her wrist was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. Irina took a deep breath and turned to look at Uriah.

She argued, "Why should I apologize? Did I say anything? Did I do anything? Also, is this your hospital? Are you the only one who's allowed to be here? Prof. Parker, what happened to your basic decency?"

Irina's eyes were ice-cold, as if she were looking at a complete stranger.

As Uriah stared at her, something inexplicably chilling crept into his heart, and his grip loosened.

Not wanting to waste any more time on Uriah, Irina pulled Mia along and headed for the hospital doors.

Noticing Uriah's uneasy expression, Sophie timidly tugged at his hand. "Uriah, did I cause trouble again?"

Uriah snapped back to reality and patted Sophie's hand reassuringly. "It's not your fault. I've just been neglecting her lately."

Yes, that was it. He had simply been too busy recently, and that was why Irina felt upset and made such a big deal out of things. Once he went home and coaxed her properly, everything would be fine. After all, she had always been the most understanding and easiest to talk to.

After giving himself this pep talk, Uriah pushed aside the fleeting unease in his heart and led Sophie into the elevator. That evening, he headed home, stopping on the way to buy Irina's favorite pink tulips.

When he opened the door, Irina was on the phone.

"Okay, once you have the agreement ready, just send it to me. Yeah, as soon as possible."

With that, Irina hung up.

"What agreement?" Uriah asked, trying to act like everything was normal, as if the argument at the hospital had never happened.

"It's just work stuff," Irina replied, not even looking at Uriah before turning to leave.

Uriah hurried forward and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Honey, I'm home."

In the past, Irina would have turned around, gently touched his face, and given him a kiss with a smile. At this point, though, he did not even want to speak to him.

She forcefully pushed away the arms wrapped around her and walked straight into the bedroom, then shut the door.

Uriah stood there in a daze, completely at a loss. He could not understand why Irina was still giving him the cold shoulder when he had already come home.

Over the past three days in the hospital, Irina had barely slept. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw scenes of Uriah defending Sophie and Beth.

Before long, Uriah, fresh from the shower, entered the bedroom. He lifted the covers and lay down beside her. His long arm wrapped around Irina's waist from behind, and his face nestled against the hollow of her neck.

"Irina, I know I've neglected you these past few months. You missed me, didn't you?"

As he spoke, Uriah moved to kiss her, and his hand under the covers started wandering.

Irina felt nothing but disgust, so she dodged the kiss and pushed his hand away with revulsion. "Don't touch me."

Chapter 5

Uriah thought he had lowered himself enough, but he still could not understand what exactly Irina was so upset about.

He said, "Irina, what more do you want from me? I saw all those messages you sent Sophie. Yes, Sophie and I grew up together, but I only see her as a sister, so why do you have to imagine things so dirty between us?"

He continued, "Ms. White is like a mother to me. You lied about having an ectopic pregnancy, and I didn't get mad. You went to the hospital today to spy on me, and I could still forgive that, so can you stop being so unreasonable already?"

"I'm exhausted. You should just leave," Irina said flatly.

"You're telling me to leave?" Uriah could not believe it.

This was their home, so where was he supposed to go?

Before he could process it, the phone beside him rang. He composed himself and answered the call.

"Uriah, Mom's coughing up blood. Please, come quickly! I'm so scared."

Sophie's panicked voice came through the phone, and Uriah immediately got out of bed. He said, "Don't panic. I'll be right there."

Listening to the sound of Uriah hurriedly getting dressed and then leaving the apartment, Irina closed her eyes.

...

At the hospital, Uriah held Beth's hand, his face full of concern.

Beth opened her cloudy eyes and looked at Uriah pleadingly. "Uriah, the only thing I can't rest easy about is Sophie. I know this is an outrageous request, but I'm begging you... Could you marry Sophie and take care of her for the rest of her life?"

At those words, Uriah froze. He could take care of Sophie for life, but there was no way he could marry her. Besides, he had sworn that he would never abandon Irina.

Seeing Uriah's conflicted expression, Beth immediately started coughing violently. Blood once again soaked the tissue Uriah handed her.

Sophie cried as she tried to comfort Beth. "Mom, Uriah is already married. Please don't put him in such a difficult position."

"But you two are meant to be together. It's all my fault... I shouldn't have taken you abroad. It's all my fault..."

As Beth grew more agitated and struggled to breathe, Uriah stopped hesitating and tightly grasped Sophie's hand.

"Ms. White, I promise you that I'll marry Sophie. I'll take care of her for the rest of her life."

"Y-You have to swear... S-Swear on it..."

Somehow finding strength, she clutched Uriah's shirt tightly.

Uriah had no choice but to raise three fingers. "I swear I will marry Sophie. If I ever break this promise, may I die a terrible death."

Hearing this, a relieved smile appeared on Beth's gaunt face. "I don't have much time left. You have to have the wedding before I die."

Perhaps from talking too much, Beth soon fell unconscious again.

Outside the hospital, Uriah sat on a bench, smoking, something he rarely did.

Sophie came over with two cups of coffee and sat down beside him. "Uriah, I know Mom's request is outrageous, but she's dying, and I don't want her to leave with regrets.

"Don't worry, though. It'll be a fake marriage. I'll explain everything to Irina myself."

"There's no need for that. I'll tell her myself. She's understanding, and she won't be upset."

"Are you sure she won't be upset? But she..." Sophie trailed off hesitantly.

"What about her? Did she message you again?"

Before Sophie could answer, Uriah grabbed Sophie's phone and opened the chat app.

The text read, [Sophie, you witch. Why won't your mom just die already?]

Looking at that message, Uriah almost smashed the phone. He never imagined Irina could be this vicious, because she had never been like this before.

"Don't be angry, Uriah. Irina just loves you too much."

As Sophie cried pitifully, Uriah put out his cigarette and pulled her into his arms. "She's gone too far. I'll make sure she apologizes to you."

Sophie nodded with a choked sob, but in her eyes, hidden from Uriah's view, swirled a triumphant gleam of calculation.

Chapter 6

The lawyer worked fast, and the divorce agreement was ready the next day.

Irina skimmed through it and was satisfied. She and Uriah did not have many assets to divide between them. The only property they shared was the house Uriah had bought before they got married, though Irina had paid for all the renovations.

From the design to the finishes and furnishings, Irina had been involved in every aspect of this penthouse. The money she had spent was no less than what the house itself had cost.

Irina had poured her heart and soul into creating their love nest, and every corner of this house reflected her hopes and dreams for their future together. That room she had prepared early for their future child was the masterpiece she was most proud of in her entire life.

Everything in this house was like a joke to Irina after everything that had happened.

Not wanting to dwell on painful memories any longer, Irina ended her medical leave and returned to work, planning to start the handover process while she was there. She was going to resign. She was done with this long-distance marriage and was ready to go back home to be near her parents.

In the parking garage below her office building, Irina had just parked her car when she saw the two people she least wanted to see.

Uriah looked utterly disappointed, while Sophie stood behind him with tears in her eyes.

He said, "Irina, I need you to sincerely apologize to Sophie. I know you didn't mean the things you said."

Aside from demanding an apology, Uriah also intended to discuss with Irina how to help Beth fulfill her final wish.

Meeting Uriah's accusing gaze, Irina smirked, finding it amusing. "Mr. Parker, what exactly did I say that was worth making this special trip to find me?"

"You are still denying it? Sophie, take out your phone," said Uriah.

Sophie shook her head pitifully. Then, she stepped forward and tightly grabbed Irina's arm. "Irina, you can say whatever you want about me; I don't care. But my mom doesn't have much time left, and she wants to see Uriah and me get married before she dies..."

"Wait." Irina flung Sophie's hand away and cut her off. "What exactly did I say to you? Make yourself clear."

"I..." Faced with Irina's questioning, Sophie immediately shrank back like a frightened animal and hid behind Uriah.

Seeing Sophie so distressed, Uriah stepped forward immediately. He barked, "Irina, that's enough! Sophie is being the bigger person here, and you're still pushing it?

"Wishing death on someone's mom, calling her a homewrecker and a witch... Irina, did all those years of education go to waste? Is this how your parents taught you?"

With a sharp crack, Irina used every ounce of her strength to slap Uriah across the face.

Uriah never expected Irina to actually hit him. For a moment, his eyes were filled with nothing but shock. "You hit me?"

Irina sneered. "Yes, I did. Did it hurt? That's right, I did call her a homewrecker and a witch. I do want her mom to die soon. So what? She's not my mother; I couldn't care less about her. She just asked me to step aside for the two of you. Sure. I'm free tomorrow. Let's settle this at the courthouse."

Without sparing Uriah another glance, Irina turned and walked away.

Uriah watched her slender figure retreat. Inexplicably, panic rose in his chest.

He wondered why Irina looked so completely indifferent and why she agreed so easily when she heard he was going to marry Sophie.

Was this really the Irina who used to smile at him and act sweet with him every day?

Sophie gently touched Uriah's cheek, her face full of concern. She whispered, "Uriah, Irina loves you so much. I'm sure she didn't mean to hit you. Everything she said was just said in anger. Once things cool down a bit, I'll find her to explain and apologize, and you two will definitely be able to work things out."

Sophie's voice was soothing, and it gradually helped Uriah's tense nerves relax.

Uriah nodded, fully agreeing with her. He believed that no matter what, Irina would never actually divorce him.

Chapter 7

"Are you really sure about this?" Hannah Kent held Irina's resignation letter, still feeling it was a pity to lose her.

Irina nodded with a smile. "Yes. I'm an only child, and my parents are getting older, so I've decided to move back home and build my career there."

"What about Prof. Parker? What about his job?"

Hannah knew everything about Irina's relationship.

They went through four years of long-distance dating in college. Later, Irina moved far away to Sterling City after graduation to marry Uriah. Everyone believed their marriage was rock-solid.

More importantly, Uriah was the youngest professor at a top college, with a bright future ahead of him. Hence, quitting was never an option.

"I'm getting a divorce."

"A divorce?"

Seeing Hannah's shocked expression, Irina smiled. "Yes. It's already in process."

Irina had always been calm and composed. Although she seemed easygoing, she had her own stubborn streak. Once she decided on something, she would not look back.

"Alright, then. I wish you nothing but success in your future," said Hannah.

She did not try to talk her out of it and simply signed the resignation form.

After that, Irina spent the entire day handing over her work responsibilities.

That evening, the divorce agreement was delivered to the office by courier. Once she had carefully reviewed all the terms, Irina signed it decisively.

That night, Hannah invited everyone out to dinner as a farewell for Irina. After dinner, someone suggested going to karaoke, and Irina did not refuse, joining them instead.

Because Uriah disliked such gatherings, Irina rarely attended gatherings with her coworkers. She had respected all of Uriah's preferences, only for everything to end so miserably.

As if perfectly timed, the night ended with a coworker singing 'Strangers Again.'

When Irina got home, it was already past midnight. As she opened the door, she found Uriah sitting on the couch, smoking.

Hearing Irina come in, Uriah quickly stubbed out his cigarette and stood up from the couch. He seemed apologetic as he said, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself and smoked in the house."

"It's fine." Irina no longer wanted this house anyway. Hence, she did not care if he smoked in the living room.

After changing her shoes, Irina headed toward the bathroom.

Uriah blocked her path, determined to have a proper conversation with her tonight. "Irina, I need to talk to you about something."

Irina was exhausted and had no energy to argue. She stopped and looked at him calmly. "Okay, go ahead."

Uriah had thought that his attitude this morning would have made Irina angry, that she would give him the silent treatment. He assumed that her coming home so late was her way of throwing a tantrum.

To his surprise, Irina was completely calm. Even though he still felt vaguely uneasy inside, he knew he could not delay this any longer.

"Ms. White received a critical condition notice today. The doctors said she could pass at any time. She has a final wish and hopes that..."

Uriah believed he had done nothing wrong, yet he could not bring himself to finish the sentence.

Irina said softly, "She hopes you'll take care of Sophie for the rest of her life and wants to see you two get married?"

She still remembered everything Sophie had said earlier that day, and she had stayed silent then because she wanted Uriah to say it himself.

He finally did it, and it was clear he knew how hurtful it sounded.

"You already knew?" Uriah was somewhat surprised.

Nonetheless, since it was all out in the open now, he had no choice but to reason with Irina. He explained, "Irina, when I was little, my parents were always busy. Once when I got sick, Ms. White carried me to the hospital in the pouring rain and stayed awake to care for me for three days straight. She saved me. I can't let her die with regrets, so can you–"

Before Uriah could finish, Irina cut him off. "You don't need to say any more. I agree."

After speaking, she even smiled slightly.

That smile instantly lifted much of the gloom weighing on Uriah's heart. He happily pulled Irina into his arms and hugged her tight. "I knew it! I knew you'd understand. My precious Irina is the most understanding person in the world."

He continued, "Oh, and Irina... My marriage to Sophie will be fake, just a ceremony to satisfy Ms. White. I won't invite many people, but if there are rumors, I still hope you can help explain the situation for me."

Chapter 8

Over the next three days, Uriah did not come home.

During that time, Irina packed up all her belongings and had everything shipped back to her parents' house.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally called Linda. "Mom, I'm coming home in a few days."

On the other end of the line, Linda sounded thrilled. "Oh? Are you taking time off? Is Uriah coming with you? Irina, how's the baby planning going? You need to eat well. A healthy body means a healthy baby. Oh, and make sure you tell Uriah: no smoking, no drinking, and no staying up late."

She continued, "Mrs. Rogers downstairs brags about her granddaughter every single day, going on about how pretty she is. Well, you're so beautiful, and Uriah is a handsome man! When you have a baby, they'll definitely be better looking than her granddaughter."

Every time they talked on the phone, Linda had so much to say to Irina. However, this time, as she listened to her mother's rambling and reminders, Irina's eyes welled up with tears.

As if she heard her daughter's choking sobs, Linda's tone suddenly changed. "Irina, what is wrong? Are you crying? What happened?"

Irina wiped her tears and told the truth. "Mom, I'm divorcing Uriah."

The moment the words left her mouth, the line went quiet for a long time. After a while, Linda's gentle voice sounded again.

"Then come home. I just bought a new set of bedding. You'll definitely love the pattern."

"Okay." Irina could barely hold it together, so she said she had something to do and hung up.

Leaning against the couch, she stared at the wedding photo of herself and Uriah on the wall, her eyes brimming with icy, unshed tears.

She thought, 'See, Uriah... Even without you, there are still people in this world who love me unconditionally.'

Just then, a chat notification chimed, pulling Irina back to reality. She opened it and saw a photo sent by Sophie.

It was a photo of Sophie and Uriah in wedding attire. Sophie wore an elegant royal-style dress and leaned sweetly against Uriah, while Uriah wore matching formal attire and looked like a refined gentleman.

Irina looked back up at her own wedding photo with Uriah. She suddenly felt that the eight years she had poured into this relationship were nothing but a massive joke. Back then, she had wanted to wear a royal-style wedding dress, but Uriah objected. He said he didn’t like her wearing it because it was too gaudy.

Not only did he have no problem with Sophie wearing it, but he also posed willingly for the photos.

It was obvious who he truly cared about.

Another notification chimed as Sophie sent another message. She wrote, [Irina, Uriah and I are getting married tomorrow. I wanted to invite you, but Mom's emotions are quite unstable, and she doesn't want to see you, so please don't come. Once it is over, Uriah and I will treat you to a meal.]

Irina sneered, thinking it was a clumsy attempt at showing off and provocation. She simply replied with just one word, [Congratulations.]

After that, she blocked Sophie. Then, she called a demolition contractor she had worked with before.

Everything in this house was a product of her love and devotion. Since she was leaving, there was no point in any of it remaining.

...

The next day arrived. Everyone attending the wedding was a relative or friend of Sophie's family.

Uriah kept searching for Irina's figure, but from the start of the ceremony to the end, he never saw her.

That evening, after taking Beth back to the hospital, Uriah wanted to go home. Sophie wanted to go with him, saying she wished to thank Irina in person. He saw no reason to refuse, believing that he and Sophie had nothing to hide since their relationship was completely innocent.

However, the moment Uriah opened the front door, he froze. All the finishes in the huge house were gone.

The walls and floors had been stripped back to their lifeless, concrete gray, and except for a few large boxes in the center of the living room containing Uriah's personal belongings, nothing remained in the home he had shared with Irina.

Under Sophie's shocked gaze, Uriah walked to the boxes and picked up the envelope sitting on top with trembling hands. When he opened it, inside was the divorce agreement Irina had signed, along with her ectopic pregnancy surgery records.