After clearing my desk, my phone buzzed. Jason's voice came through, flat and professional, but every word was Jeremy's—repeated verbatim like a knife pressed to my throat.
I didn't need to ask twice. I knew exactly what Jeremy was trying to do.
Adel's relationship with him was nothing short of an affair. She had rightfully earned the title of homewrecker, but Jeremy wanted me to be the one to clean up her mess. If anyone dug too deeply, the records would show that I, Jeremy Gillian's legal wife, had been the one to shield her name. Adel would walk away spotless—while I carried the shame.
It was primitive, but effective.
Jeremy was pulling out every stop for Adel, even if it meant crushing me in the process. And as for his warning about the consequences? I knew what it meant. If I refused, he wouldn't just let me leave Skylight Corporation. He would strangle every opportunity before it reached me. No company would dare touch me once Jeremy Gillian blacklisted my name.
For three years, I had given him everything a wife could give. I had even cut ties with my own family for him—only to be rewarded with coldness, neglect, and humiliation.
I was tired. Too tired.
A bitter laugh slipped from my throat as I pressed the phone closer. "I'm taking sick leave. If you force me to work while I'm sick, that's a violation of labor law. I'll see you in court."
I hung up before Jason could reply.
Jeremy could rage. He could threaten. But I was already divorcing him. Already resigning. Why should I care about his happiness any longer?
As I left the building, my phone buzzed again. This time, it was a text message—from my father-in-law, Arnold Gillian.
Simon is out. We are having a family dinner. Are you coming?
Though it was phrased as a question, I knew better. Arnold had never wanted me at his table. To him, I was a shameful accessory, a pawn who had wormed her way into the Gillian name. He had despised my closeness with Simon, seeing it as shameless, an insult to the family's pride.
But this dinner… this wasn't about Arnold.
It was about Simon.
Simon Gillian had once been the most important person in my life. And whether he still remembered that or not, I owed it to myself to say one final goodbye.
I hesitated in front of the mirror, touching up my makeup. At least I could look presentable. Then, without another thought, I drove straight to the Gillian mansion.
If not for Simon, I would never have set foot in that house again.
The moment I stepped inside, the staff's eyes turned sharp.
"Why are you here, Miss Anderson?" one of them muttered, deliberately dropping the Mrs. Gillian.
I ignored them. Their disdain was nothing new.
From the living room, a couple emerged—leaning close, whispering as if no one else in the world existed. Jeremy and Adel.
Adel spotted me instantly. Her smile widened as she tugged on Jeremy's sleeve, drawing his attention.
Jeremy glanced at me. His eyes flickered—cold, unreadable—before shifting right back to Adel. His hand slid down her waist, claiming her openly.
"What? Are you jealous because of her?" Adel teased, her voice sweet, her cheeks flushed with triumph. She pressed herself closer against him, then turned to me with deliberate sweetness.
"I'm Adeliade Bosten. You can call me Adel."
The confidence in her smile burned sharper than any slap. Jeremy's gaze locked on me, his fake smile daring me to break—to scream, to lose composure.
Instead, I lifted my chin. My lips curved in a polite smile.
"Nice to meet you, Adel."
Her eyes gleamed with victory as she nestled against Jeremy's chest. He hesitated for the briefest second, then pulled her closer, lowering his head as if I were already erased from his world.
I swallowed hard, the last shred of hope inside me snapping cleanly.
And then—
"I wanted to see if you'd stay calm seeing me with another woman."
Simon's voice came from behind, steady and cutting.
I turned. He was watching me carefully, as though testing, searching for something.
My chest tightened. Everyone here was waiting for me to shatter—for my marriage to collapse in front of them.
I set the small gift bag in my hand on the table, my voice calm.
"Don't worry. You're a free man now. Goodbye, Simon."
Without another look back, I turned and walked out of the mansion. Staying would only mean more humiliation. More misery.