"Ms. Wagner, you truly wish to erase your entire identity? Once the process is complete, you will no longer exist in any official records. No one will be able to find you."

Victoria Wagner fell silent for a brief moment, then nodded with unwavering resolve.

"Yes. That is exactly what I want."

Though the official on the other end of the line sounded slightly surprised, he responded promptly, "Understood, Ms. Wagner. The procedure will be completed within two weeks. Please wait for our notification."

After hanging up, Victoria booked a one-way ticket to France, departing in two weeks.

The television played in the background, replaying the press conference of the Valor Group.

A week prior, the group's CEO, Ambrose Byrd, had unveiled a stunning new piece—a unique necklace crafted from the world's finest diamonds and gems, created especially for his wife, Victoria Wagner.

He had named it "Adoria".

It was a public declaration to the world that he would adore Victoria forever.

Upon its release, "Adoria" instantly topped trending lists across all social platforms, captivating the public for days. Everyone was talking about the couple's seemingly perfect love story.

The news segment cut to street interviews. "Excuse me, ma'am, are you familiar with the love story of Mr. and Mrs. Byrd?"

A woman in a floral dress answered, her voice brimming with envy, "Of course, everyone knows! Mr. Byrd even wrote and published a book about her. She loves cherries, so he planted an entire orchard of cherry trees in the backyard of their villa. I told my husband to learn from him, but you know what he said? He said he 'couldn't be that kind of man'. Honestly, it drives me crazy!"

The reporter interviewed several others.

A college student clasped her hands to her chest, eyes sparkling. "It's like a romance novel come to life! Mr. Byrd is the most devoted man in this world. Four years ago, when Mrs. Byrd suffered kidney failure and needed an urgent transplant, he was a match. He went into surgery and gave her one of his own, ignoring all objections. He said she was his life—that without her, he wouldn't want to live. How touching!"

***

Each interviewee expressed their admiration for Ambrose and Victoria's legendary love.

The segment replayed several times. Staring at the screen, Victoria let out a soft, self-mocking laugh.

All her life, she'd had plenty of admirers because of her beauty.

But because of her parents' early divorce, she had long held little hope for love and had always turned every suitor down. "Sorry, I'm not interested in a relationship."

That was, until she met Ambrose.

Unlike others, he had pursued her relentlessly for three years. Undeterred by her repeated rejections, he grew even more determined. He'd once entered a high-stakes car race, betting his life to win back a necklace she'd admired, nearly dying in the process.

Only then did her heart finally soften.

After they got together, his affection never waned. Instead, he devoted himself to her completely, slowly melting the icy defenses around her heart.

He proposed fifty-two times before she finally gathered the courage to take that leap of faith and agree to marry him.

The day she said yes, she looked at the ring on her finger with tears in her eyes and told him, "Ambrose, I will give my whole heart to this marriage—through life and death, through rich and poor. But remember one thing: I will never accept lies. If you ever deceive me, I will disappear from your world forever!"

Those beautiful memories had since been shattered by harsh reality, fading into distant, formless echoes.

Three months ago, Victoria discovered that Ambrose had been cheating on her for a long time. His days were spent with her, but his nights belonged to his mistress. His heart had long ceased to be hers alone.

He was the one who had fallen for her first. Yet, after winning her heart, he was the one who pulled away, leaving her stranded in an abyss of betrayal...

With a bitter smile, Victoria turned off the TV. She printed out the divorce papers she had prepared long ago and signed her name slowly, yet firmly.

To this day, she remembered the promise she made to him. She meant every word and would disappear from his world forever.

After signing, she placed the agreement into an exquisitely wrapped gift box.

An hour later, Ambrose returned home.

Without even changing his shoes, he strode toward her and pulled her into his arms, coaxing softly, "I'm sorry, Vicki. I had to pick up the necklace myself today. That's why I missed our anniversary dinner. Don't be mad, alright?"

He presented the box containing "Adoria", hoping it'd win her smile. The collar of his black shirt was slightly open, the top button undone.

As he lowered his head, the skin beneath his collar revealed a patchwork of fresh hickeys and scratches that stung her eyes.

Was he truly picking up a necklace?

Or had he just risen from his mistress Rosemary Payne's bed?

Yet, Ambrose remained oblivious to the change in Victoria's expression. He fastened the necklace around her neck, his gaze filled with apparent tenderness. Under the light, the jewels sparkled brilliantly, enhancing her delicate features.

"You look breathtaking, Vicki," he complimented genuinely, his eyes alight with admiration.

Victoria, however, showed no joy. With red-rimmed eyes, she handed him the gift-wrapped box containing the divorce papers. "This is for you."

He looked puzzled. "What is it?"

A faint smile touched her lips. "My anniversary gift to you. You've prepared a present for me, and it's only right that I give you something in return."

His eyes lit up with surprise, and he moved to open the box eagerly.

But she stopped him. "Open it in half a month."

"Why?" he asked, bewildered.

She enunciated each word clearly, "It will hold much more meaning then."

After a stunned moment, he didn't press further. Instead, he took her hand and planted a gentle kiss on it.

"As you wish, babe. I look forward to the surprise."

He then tore off a sticky note, wrote "Do not open until half a month from today" on it, and solemnly attached it to the box, behaving very much like an obedient pet.

Victoria watched all of this in silence.

Hopefully, Ambrose would find himself truly "surprised" when the time came.

Waking up in the morning, Ambrose gave Victoria a morning kiss affectionately, like always.

"Vicki, I'm so sorry about missing our anniversary yesterday. Let me make it up to you today.

"How about I take you to the amusement park? You mentioned wanting to go there once."

Victoria felt no interest in the idea, but before she could refuse, he had already packed a bag and even laid out an outfit for her.

At the amusement park, he attended to her every possible need.

When she lightly pressed her lips together, he thoughtfully brought a bottle of water to her lips.

The moment her gaze lingered on a plush toy, he immediately bought it for her.

From the merry-go-round and bumper cars to the Ferris wheel—no matter how childish the attraction seemed—he joined her without hesitation, as long as she showed the slightest interest.

Throughout it all, he held her hand, not letting go for a second. Even when she subtly tried to pull away, his grip remained firm.

He even bought a balloon and tied it to her bag, smiling as he said, "Now you'll never get lost, Vicki."

Get lost?

But after she left this time, he would never find her again.

"Ambrose, you've already lost me long ago," she muttered, her voice barely audible.

Their striking looks and seemingly affectionate behavior quickly drew the attention of other visitors. It wasn't long before someone recognized them.

"Look! Isn't that Mr. and Mrs. Byrd? I can't believe we saw them in real person! Aren't they just the sweetest?"

A young woman excitedly jumped up and then tugged her boyfriend over.

"M-Mrs. Byrd, could we take a photo with you and Mr. Byrd? We're huge fans—we totally ship you two!"

Seeing the genuine excitement on her face, Victoria nodded, not wanting to disappoint her.

Though Ambrose usually disliked taking photos, he never refused Victoria's wishes.

With a click, the photo was taken. The young couple gushed, "You two are so in love! We're seriously envious. Please stay this happy forever!"

Ambrose smiled and nodded.

He didn't notice that Victoria, standing beside him, hadn't said a word. Only she knew they no longer had a future.

During lunch, Ambrose kept checking his phone.

Noticing Victoria's gaze, he apologized softly, "I'm sorry, Vicki. There's some urgent work I need to handle. Go ahead without me. I'll be all yours after this."

Yet the very next second, a lavish digital gift—a luxurious castle animation—flashed across his screen.

Victoria spotted it instantly and knew he wasn't working. He was watching a livestream.

A cold, mocking smile touched her lips. Quietly, she opened her own phone and pulled up Rosemary's livestream.

Rosemary was once a little-known internet personality. Not long ago, however, Ambrose had signed her and made her the spokesperson for "Adoria".

With the sudden influx of premium resources, many speculated she had a powerful backer.

Little did they know it was Ambrose.

Right now, Rosemary was live-streaming from the entrance of the very same amusement park. Holding her phone high, she announced triumphantly to her viewers, "Everyone, see this amusement park behind me? It's a gift from my boyfriend! Just mention my name when you buy tickets, and you'll get a discount. Everyone is welcome to come and have fun!"

Victoria's hand, clutching her phone, went cold.

The amusement park was a gift from Ambrose to Rosemary?

Skeptical comments flooded the live chat.

Viewer A: "Stop bragging. With your follower count, a wealthy boyfriend like that? Don't make me laugh."

Viewer B: "Pure clout-chasing. Where's the proof? Standing there, I could also say I own the park."

Viewer C: "So desperate for fame. Does she even know that park costs eight figures?"

Seeing the comments, Rosemary bit her lip, looking aggrieved.

"I'm not lying! See for yourselves—isn't my name right here?"

With that, she pulled a property deed from her bag. The name "Rosemary Payne" was clearly visible.

The chat exploded, and everyone was in awe.

Viewer D: "What an eye-opener! Today I've witnessed a real bigshot."

Viewer E: "An entire amusement park as a gift? He's as rich and devoted as Mr. Byrd!"

Viewer F: "They say you can tell if a man loves you by whether he's willing to spend money on you. How come I've never met such a perfect guy?"

Viewer G: "Because there are only two perfect men in the world. One is Mr. Byrd, the other is Rosemary's mysterious boyfriend. So, who loves their partner more? Type 1 for Mr. Byrd, 2 for the mysterious boyfriend!"

Instantly, the screen was flooded with "1"s. After all, everyone knew how deeply Ambrose doted on Victoria—he had nearly died for her.

Just then, an account named "Love_Rose" suddenly went on a gift spree and dropped a hail of ten thousand yacht gifts. The screen filled with dazzling animations, stunning every viewer.

Within seconds, the livestream's viewer count skyrocketed from several hundred thousand to over ten million.

Love_Rose: "My love for Rose is unparalleled."

The livestream erupted, with countless comments pouring in.

"Rosemary's boyfriend is here! He's insanely rich!"

Rosemary flashed a smug, willfully spoiled smile. "See? I told you. My boyfriend loves me the most."

Victoria's hand trembled slightly. She looked up and saw the faint, unconscious smile playing on Ambrose's lips and the unmistakable doting in his eyes.

He was "Love_Rose".

In that instant, Victoria felt her heart squeezed by an invisible, painful grip. Ambrose had already given his heart to another, yet she remained trapped in the agony of his betrayal.

The pain in Victoria's chest was so sharp she instinctively clutched it with her right hand, her breath catching for a moment.

Finally, Ambrose noticed something was wrong and rushed to her side. "Vicki? What's wrong?"

The worry in his eyes was genuine—it looked as though if anything happened to her, he would die on the spot.

This was the man who claimed to love her more than life itself, all while deceiving her for so long.

Victoria struggled to control her emotions. "I'm fine... It's just a sudden cramp."

He immediately placed a warm hand over her chest, gently soothing her. After making sure she was truly alright, he insisted on taking her home to rest.

On the way back, he tried his best to lighten the mood, telling jokes and funny stories.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't draw a single smile from her.

Leaning against the window, Victoria watched the passing scenery in silence, her expression unreadable.

"Vicki, are you upset with me? Did I do something wrong?" he ventured carefully.

"No," she finally replied. "I was just thinking about a TV drama I watched recently."

He visibly relaxed. With a soft smile, he asked, "Oh? What was it about?"

Slowly, she turned her head and met his gaze.

"The male lead loved the female lead deeply at first, but later, he fell for someone else and kept hiding it from her..."

As she spoke, she watched his face intently, studying every subtle shift in his expression. After a pause, she added flatly, "Ambrose, if one day you were to fall for someone else—"

"Not going to happen!" Ambrose cut her off, his voice firm, as though the very idea was unthinkable.

"Vicki, you are the love of my life. Maybe every other man in this world cheats, but not me. I could never live without you."

His earnest promise only twisted the knife deeper in Victoria's heart.

He couldn't live without her, yet he still shared his bed with another woman...

She was about to speak when his phone chimed.

He hesitated for a moment and was about to reject the call. But then she pushed him away and said, "Answer it."

Only then did he pick up. The person on the other end of the line said something, and his expression shifted from calm to visibly strained, his pupils contracting slightly.

Then he hung up and looked at her, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Vicki, something urgent came up at the company. I have to go now. Can you take a taxi home?"

Victoria nodded and stepped out of the car without another word.

Once his Maybach had disappeared from sight, she hailed a taxi. But instead of giving her home address, she instructed the driver, "Please follow the Maybach ahead."

Without any question, the driver started the engine and followed the vehicle while keeping a proper distance.

Soon, the Maybach pulled over in front of a villa.

A young woman dressed in a provocative bunny maid outfit opened the door. The moment she saw the man step out, her face lit up, and she threw herself into his arms.

It was Rosemary and Ambrose.

After they embraced, they eagerly kissed each other passionately.

When they finally pulled apart, Rosemary, still breathless, tugged playfully at Ambrose's tie and cooed, "My owner, I've prepared an even more surprising gift for you. Are you ... interested?"

She tapped his Adam's apple with her fingertip when saying this.

He swallowed hard, his eyes dark with desire as he gripped her hand. "I made a thirty-minute drive in fifteen. What do you think, babe?"

Giggling, she hooked her slender finger with his and led him toward the car. "Unwrap it inside."

They climbed into the back seat.

Seconds later, the car began to rock—gently at first, then more and more noticeably.

Of course, they had no idea that Victoria was watching from a taxi not far away.

She had long lost any illusion about Ambrose, yet seeing his betrayal with her own eyes still pierced her heart.

The scene was like a sharp blade, stabbing her repeatedly and without mercy. She pressed a hand hard against her chest, breathing heavily as tears streamed down her face.

When they were dating, Ambrose had always been a gentleman. He respected her boundaries, and even in their most intimate moments, he'd hold back.

He had always insisted that their first time be saved for the wedding night, or itwouldn't beperfect.

He had pursued her for three years, and they dated for three more. Finally, it was their wedding night.

On that night, Ambrose—the intimidating titan of the business world—had been as nervous as a teenage boy. When he undressed her, the tips of his ears turned bright red.

He treated her with such reverence, attentive to her every reaction. The moment he made her his, he was so overwhelmed he shed tears.

Over and over, he whispered in her ear, "Vicki, you're finally mine. I love you... I'll love you forever."

In that moment, Victoria had truly felt cherished. She had believed no one could love her more deeply than Ambrose.

Ambrose loved only Victoria.

He had said it himself.

But now, it was also he who had broken that vow.

The taxi driver, seeing how bitterly Victoria was crying, sighed deeply and handed her a tissue.

"Men are all the same. Cheating jerks, every one of them. I get it. I can't even get a divorce because my husband and I have a child..."

Her voice broke as she recalled her own pain. After a few seconds of silence, she continued, "Don't be too sad. Since you're already married, sometimes it's easier to just endure it. Forgive him this once and pretend you never saw anything."

Clutching the tissue, Victoria replied with unwavering resolve, her voice hoarse but clear, "No. I will not forgive him."

She would never forgive Ambrose.

Once she returned home, she went through every cabinet and drawer, gathering every gift Ambrose had ever given her.

Including the priceless "Adoria".

Then she made a call.

"Hello, is this the asset management agency? I'd like to sell a number of items. All proceeds will be donated to the Women's Foundation to support women who wish to divorce but can't due to financial or familial constraints."

Within an hour, she shipped everything out.

Then, she began packing her luggage.

When she was in the middle of it, Ambrose suddenly returned.

He rushed through the door, drenched from the rain, his presence charged with cold urgency. Without even changing his clothes, he strode toward her, his voice trembling as he asked, "Vicki, why did you sell 'Adoria'?"

"Adoria" was exceptionally valuable, and selling it would realistically only be possible through an auction house.

Had Ambrose seen it listed?

Instead of answering him, Victoria asked, "Did you go to the auction house?"

Ambrose was momentarily taken aback, his gaze shifting slightly. After a pause, he replied, "I wanted to buy some new jewelry for you."

For her? Or for Rosemary?

After the "special surprise" Rosemary had prepared for him, of course, he would want to reciprocate.

Victoria had already steadied her emotions. She said calmly, "I didn't sell it. I donated it."

Ambrose held her hand gently, a hint of helplessness in his tone. "Vicki, I know you have a generous heart. You can donate anything you want, but not this."

With that, he produced a black velvet box and placed it in front of her.

Then he opened it, revealing "Adoria" inside.

The necklace sparkled as brilliantly as ever.

"I bought it back," he said. "It's a symbol of my love for you. No matter what, you shouldn't take it off."

He fastened it around her neck once more.

Looking down at the necklace, now returned to her, Victoria smiled self-mockingly.

She had never realized Ambrose was such a skilled actor.

Moments ago, he had been with another woman. Yet now, he whispered sweet words to her so naturally.

That night, as she was about to sleep, Ambrose's phone rang.

He declined the call immediately and patted her back soothingly.

But seconds later, it rang again.

After several attempts, he frowned. Not wanting to disturb her further, he finally answered.

The voice on the other end of the line was unusually clear in the quiet night.

"Ames, come out and hang with us! Everyone's here waiting for you."

Ambrose refused without hesitation, "I'm putting Vicki to sleep. Bye."

"Wait! Stop being so henpecked for once, will you? It's been forever since we last saw you!"

"Seriously, man. We know you love her, but cutting us off completely? That's too much!"

The noise from the other side was so loud, and Ambrose covered the speaker. "Keep it down. I told you—Vicki comes first. Always. I'm staying with her."

But his friends wouldn't let it go.

They took turns trying to persuade him, determined to get him out.

As the stalemate continued, Victoria, now fully awake, finally said to Ambrose, "Just go. It's been a while since you spent time with them."

Ambrose frowned, clearly reluctant. But he didn't want to go against what she wanted either. After a moment of silence, he offered a compromise. "I'll only go if you come with me. If you don't go, I won't either."

Hearing this, his friends immediately chimed in, "Victoria, come out with Ames! The more, the merrier!"

"Yeah, Victoria, you heard what Ames said. Please? We're begging you."

In the end, Victoria agreed. Only then did Ambrose get up.

When they opened the door to the private room, Ambrose's expression darkened instantly at the sight of his friends with women in their arms. He turned to leave without a moment's hesitation.

Understanding his reaction, his friends quickly shooed the women away.

"Get out, all of you!"

Once the female companions had left, one of them slung an arm around Ambrose's shoulder with a sigh.

"After all these years, you haven't changed a bit, Ames. Victoria's still the only woman you let get close."

Ambrose pushed him away in disgust and brushed imaginary dust off his shoulder. "I'm a married man. I should make sure Vicki feels secure. If you understood that, you wouldn't still be single."

The others laughed teasingly, their eyes drifting toward Victoria.

Although it was a gathering among friends, Ambrose's attention remained fixed on Victoria the entire time.

When someone lit a cigarette, he shot a cold glare and warned, "Vicki hates the smell of smoke."

When someone toasted him, he shook his head firmly. "Vicki dislikes it when I reek of alcohol."

When someone started singing, he frowned. "Turn it off. Vicki prefers quiet."

With a stern expression, he declined an invitation to play cards and focused instead on skillfully peeling and slicing fruit for Victoria.

Soon, a plate of neatly arranged fruit was placed before her.

He smiled fawningly, "Here you go, Vicki."

Noticing her thin dress and the cool air conditioning, he quickly took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

"Is that better, Vicki? Are you still cold?"

The others sighed in admiration and teased, "Ames, if the rest of us were even half as attentive as you, none of us would be single."

Victoria remained silent throughout. After staying in the private room a while longer, she could no longer bear Ambrose's performance and decided to leave.

"It's late. I'm going back."

Hearing this, Ambrose stood to leave with her, but his friends quickly stopped him.

"We get it—Victoria's tired and should go rest. But you can't leave! We haven't hung out in so long. Who knows when we'll see you again?"

"Exactly. Let Victoria go back to sleep. You stay with us a bit longer."

Victoria gently pulled her hand from Ambrose's grip and said calmly, "The driver will take me. Stay."

With that, she turned to leave.

She walked so quickly that Ambrose couldn't stop her in time.

Shortly after the car pulled away, Victoria felt a phone in a black casein the jacket Ambrose had draped over her.

It was Ambrose's.

Frowning, she asked the driver to turn back.

The moment the car stopped outside the club again, Victoria saw Rosemary step out of a taxi.

Checking her makeup on her phone, Rosemary hurried toward the private rooms without watching her step.

Victoria's grip tightened around the phone as she followed Rosemary silently.

Just as she expected, Rosemary stopped outside the room where Ambrose was.

The moment Rosemary entered, she threw herself into his arms.

He caught her, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face with apparent fondness. "You got here fast."

Leaning against his shoulder, she smiled sweetly, "I missed you. The moment you called, I rushed over."

He chuckled softly. "Someone deserves a reward."

With that, he kissed her deeply, and she responded with equal passion without hesitation.

"Hey! Get a room!"

His friends showed no surprise, only laughing and teasing them.

Standing outside the door, Victoria felt a chill spread through her entire body as she watched the scene.

So, everyone knew about Ambrose and Rosemary.

They had all been acting in front of her.

"Ames, now that Rose is here, we can play something a little wilder, right?"

His friends laughed suggestively. One clapped his hands, and the female companions from earlier returned.

Soon, nearly every man had a woman in his arms.

The game was simple—spin the bottle. Whoever the neck pointed to had to choose truth or dare.

After a few rounds, the bottle finally landed on Ambrose.

The room erupted in cheers, pushing the atmosphere toward its climax.

"Ames, when was your last time?"

The one who asked grinned suggestively, his meaning clear to all.

Ambrose raised an eyebrow and answered calmly, "Yesterday. In the car."

Immediately, everyone was in an uproar.

"Damn! You dog! How was it?"

Rosemary, already blushing, buried her face in Ambrose's chest. He curved his lips and said word by word, "Incredible. She served me well."

The room roared with laughter. "I told you—forbidden fruit is always the sweetest."

"So true. At our level, Ames, it's normal to have a mistress. More than one, actually."

"As long as you keep it quiet, Victoria will never find out."

As they spoke, Ambrose's friends began kissing and fondling the women beside them.

At the mention of Victoria's name, the smile on Ambrose's face stiffened. His expression darkened as he said seriously, "Vicki mustn't hear a word about this. Or ... you know the consequences."

"Yeah, yeah, she won't know a thing."

Victoria heard every word.

Their laughter and teasing continued to reach her ears, but she only felt colder and colder. Her feet had gone numb at some point. In a daze, she turned and walked away.

Noticing her distress, the driver approached and seemed ready to go inform Ambrose, but she stopped him.

"No need to take me home. I want to walk alone. And don't tell Ambrose I came back."

She sent the driver away and began walking alone along the deserted streets.

Suddenly, rain began to pour. Heavy, cold drops soon soaked through her clothes, but she felt nothing.

If anything, the icy water brought a strange, painful clarity.

She didn't know how long she had walked. It felt longer than that snowy night when she was seventeen, when she'd twisted her ankle and Ambrose had carried her home on his back...

Only now did she understand how fleeting love could be.

After returning to the villa, Victoria developed a high fever that refused to break.

Ambrose came home slightly intoxicated and panicked at the sight of her unconscious with flushed cheeks.

Immediately, he gathered her in his arms and rushed her to the hospital.

When Victoria finally stirred, her eyelids fluttered open with effort.

The nurse changing her IV smiled in relief, "Mrs. Byrd, you're awake! You've had a fever for a full day and night. Mr. Byrd was terribly worried—he didn't leave your side until a call pulled him away just minutes ago. Should I go get him? He'll be relieved to see you're awake."

Victoria shook her head, her voice hoarse. "No need."

The nurse nodded and left with respect after changing her IV.

The spacious room fell into silence—so quiet that Victoria could hear Ambrose's voice from outside the door.

He had always been calm and controlled, rarely losing his composure except around her.

But now, his tone was bright and animated.

Soon, his footsteps rang out and faded into the distance.

Summoning her strength, Victoria slipped out of bed and followed him slowly.

After descending several floors, she saw him supporting Rosemary as they walked out of the OB-GYN Department.

Their smiles were unmistakable, their joy palpable.

Rosemary feigned surprise upon spotting Victoria. "What a coincidence, Mrs. Byrd. What brings you here?"

Ambrose looked up instinctively and met Victoria's gaze.

His body stiffened, and he quickly released Rosemary's arm.

"Vicki, I-I came down to get your medicine and accidentally bumped into Rosemary. She's pregnant, so I had to help her—what if something happened?"

He explained nervously, afraid Victoria might misunderstand.

As Victoria's eyes dropped to Rosemary's abdomen, her chest tightened.

She closed her eyes briefly. It took her a while to regain calmness, and then she asked, "Ms. Payne, when did you ... find out you were pregnant? Where is the father?"

Rosemary stroked her belly with a satisfied smile. "I just found out—I'm one month along. The father was delayed, but he's overjoyed. He bought me several villas and transferred 15 million dollars into my account. Not only that—tonight, he's setting off fireworks across the city to welcome our baby!" she spoke with sparkling eyes, clearly gloating.

Victoria studied her for a long moment before forcing a faint smile. "Is that so?"

Rosemary's triumphant grin widened. "Of course! Mrs. Byrd, since we've run into each other, why not have dinner together? I'll invite him to join us."

Ambrose's expression shifted. He shot Rosemary a dark look and said flatly, "We'll pass. Vicki doesn't have time for that."

Then, seeking to please Victoria, he drew her close, his voice softening as he coaxed, "Vicki, you're not well yet.

"Let's go back and rest, shall we?

"She's just a spokesperson—not worth your attention at all."

The dismissiveness in his tone made Rosemary's face livid.

She bit her lip, lowered her head, and said meekly, her eyes reddening, "I-I'm sorry. I got carried away. Of course, I don't deserve to dine with Mrs. Byrd."

With that, she wiped her tears and hurried away in a huff.

Ambrose instinctively wanted to chase after her, but ultimately remained rooted to the spot under Victoria's calm gaze.

After collecting her medicine, Victoria was discharged.

On the drive home, Ambrose seemed distant and preoccupied—likely unsettled by how mean he had treated Rosemary earlier. Once they returned, he claimed he had urgent work to attend to and locked himself in his study.

Meanwhile, as soon as Victoria entered the bedroom, her phone buzzed with a message from Rosemary.

It was a photo of a prenatal check-up report.

A series of deliberately provocative texts soon followed. "Victoria, I know you can tell Ames is the father. If you still believe he loves you, you're only fooling yourself. If he truly loved you, why would he be with me?"

"Do you have any idea how obsessed he is with me? Every year, on your birthday and your wedding anniversary, after he's coaxed you to sleep, he comes straight to me. He's incredible in bed. We go through boxes of condoms every time, and I can barely walk the next morning."

"We've done it everywhere—in his Maybach, in his CEO office, even right here in your bedroom. We've tried nearly a hundred positions. People say sex and love are inseparable. Has he ever been that adventurous with you?"

Reading the messages, Victoria drew a slow, deep breath, forcing down the emotions surging inside her.

Just as she darkened her phone screen, Ambrose embraced her from behind.

"Babe, what are you looking at?" he murmured.

As he rested his chin in the crook of her neck, all he saw was the darkened screen of her phone.

"Nothing," Victoria said.

Her gaze fixed out the window, eyes red-rimmed.

Just then, countless fireworks bloomed in the night sky—dazzling, brilliant, illuminating the darkness.

Rosemary's boast from earlier echoed in her mind—Ambrose would set off fireworks across the entire city tonight in celebration of their baby.

Noticing her stare, Ambrose wrapped his arms around her, his voice tender.

"You like fireworks? I'll arrange a display for you. It'll be even grander than this one. How does that sound?"

Victoria let out a bitter, tearful smile.

"Ambrose, I don't do secondhand."

Not when it came to fireworks. And certainly not when it came to love.

Ambrose fell silent.

He knew she was referring to the fireworks, yet an inexplicable panic tightened around his heart.

After a moment, he held her even tighter. "Then I'll prepare another surprise for you, one that's yours alone. I'll never give you a chance to envy other women, babe."

Victoria didn't respond. She simply stared into the distance, her expression unreadable.

In the days that followed, Ambrose left early and returned late every day, behaving mysteriously.

Even the servants noticed, smiling as they remarked, "Mrs. Byrd, Mr. Byrd must be planning another surprise for you!"

"He loves you so much. First, the custom jewelry, now this? He truly spoils you."

Victoria listened expressionlessly, offering little reaction.

Then one day, Ambrose took her hand with a mysterious smile.

"Vicki, come with me. There's a place I want to show you—you'll love it."

Just as she was about to refuse, her phone buzzed.

It was a message from Rosemary.

"Guess, Victoria—who does Ambrose care about more, you or me?"

In the very next second, Ambrose's phone buzzed as well.

Victoria glanced over and saw the screen.

It was a photo of Rosemary's legs in black stockings, captioned, "The clock's ticking."

Ambrose's eyes darkened instantly, his Adam's apple bobbing.

A few seconds later, he put his phone away. "Vicki, there's an urgent issue with a project. I have to deal with it now.

"I'll take you another day, alright?"

She met his eyes and smiled.

For some reason, that smile unsettled him. Without a word, she stepped out of the car.

After a moment's hesitation, he started the engine and drove off quickly.

A few hours later, Rosemary sent Victoria a photo of used condoms in a trash bin.

"You lost again, Victoria. Gosh, to think he's still so horny while I'm pregnant. Just how much does he love me?"

She was obviously showing off again. Victoria looked at the photo, still not replying.

She had decided to leave, and nothing could hurt her anymore.

Ambrose didn't return for the next few days.

And she never asked.

Meanwhile, Rosemary kept texting her.

Sometimes it was a photo of meticulously sliced fruit, or a walk-in closet overflowing with luxury items, or a homemade meal Ambrose had prepared.

Everything showcased Ambrose's profound love for her.

But Victoria never replied. She was busy removing all traces of herself from the villa.

Now that she had decided to disappear, she would vanish completely.

On the first day, when Rosemary posted a photo of Ambrose peeling shrimp for her, Victoria prepared a fire pit and burned all the photos she had taken with Ambrose.

On the second day, Rosemary posted a picture of her kissing Ambrose under the sycamore tree. Victoria hired workers to uproot every cherry tree Ambrose had planted in the villa's backyard.

On the third day, Rosemary shared a compilation of Ambrose's love confessions from her livestream. Victoria found the hundreds of love letters Ambrose had written to her in the past.

The letters had yellowed with time, but the handwriting on them remained clear.

She traced the words with her fingers, then, without a hint of pity, fed every single letter into the shredder.

***

It was the morning of the day she was leaving.

Victoria had just opened her eyes when she saw Ambrose, who hadn't been home for a long time, standing by her bed.

He stood at the bedside, holding her phone. When he saw she was awake, his expression was somewhat grave.

"Vicki, your phone just got a message saying the cancellation was successful. What did you cancel?"

At his words, Victoria's heart skipped a beat.

She quickly took back her phone and turned on the screen.

It was a message confirming her identity cancellation.

Fortunately, her phone was password-protected, so Ambrose only saw a few words on the screen.

Victoria finally felt relieved and casually replied, "It's nothing. One of my social accounts was hacked, so I recovered it and then deleted it for safety."

Hearing this, Ambrose finally relaxed, pulled her into his arms, and smiled, "Babe, guess what I bought for you to eat?"

She paused for a moment before softly saying, "Glutinous rice balls from the east of the city."

"How did you know?" Ambrose's eyes were filled with surprise.

How could she not know?

Back when they were dating, every time Ambrose made her angry, he would go all the way to that shop in the east of the city to buy glutinous rice balls to apologize.

The sweet aroma would fill her nose, and her heart would instantly soften.

She didn't care for jewelry or luxury cars; all she loved was that one taste.

Back then, he would laugh and say, "My Vicki is just too easy to please."

She would only poke his forehead a few times and say, "It's not that I'm easy to please, it's that I still love you. That's why I'm willing to forgive you no matter what you do."

"If one day I stop loving you, even if you kill yourself in front of me, it won't matter."

As the memories drifted away, Ambrose took out the box of glutinous rice balls from behind him and smiled dotingly, "As expected, I can't hide anything from you."

Victoria smiled at his words, replying slowly and clearly, "Yes, you can't hide anything from me."

For some reason, Ambrose's heart skipped half a beat, and he murmured, "Vicki..."

Victoria said nothing, just got out of bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

When she came out after washing up, she saw Ambrose hurrying out the door.

Victoria was silent for only two seconds before following him outside.

But as soon as she reached the doorway, she stopped abruptly, because she saw Rosemary standing not far away.

How could she be so brazen now, even coming to the villa?

Of all those present, Ambrose was the one whose emotions fluctuated the most.

He strode over, his face dark, grabbing her hand, "Are you crazy? Why did you come here! I told you, when Vicki is here, you are not allowed to show up!"

At his shout, Rosemary trembled all over, her eyes instantly reddening as she pitifully tugged at his sleeve, "I can't be away from you for even a moment! The baby can't either."

As she spoke, she took his hand and placed it on her belly.

But he pulled his hand away coldly, "Stop making a scene. I'll have my assistant take you home. In a few days, I'll come to be with you and the child."

Rosemary refused to leave, clinging to his hand and whining, "No, I don't want to go with the assistant. I want you to stay with me!"

With that, she stood on tiptoe, grabbed Ambrose's tie, and kissed his lips.

Ambrose frowned, trying to push her away, but after she clung to him for a few seconds, he gripped her tightly and began to kiss her deeply.

The two stood in the garden, their kiss growing more and more passionate.

The moment his fingers slipped under her clothes and things were about to get out of hand, he stopped himself in time and pushed her away, "You should go now."

Rosemary's eyes glistened with tears as she leaned into his arms and whispered something in his ear.

Ambrose's expression changed slightly.

At last, he relented, "Fine, I'll stay with you today. Get in the car first, I'll be there soon."

Rosemary got what she wanted, her eyes squinting with joy as she stroked her belly and got into the car.

Seeing Ambrose about to return, Victoria suddenly turned around.

Soon, Ambrose came in, and the first thing he said was, "Vicki, I wanted to spend the day with you, but I just got a call—there's an emergency at the company, so I have to go out. Be good and stay home. Once I finish this, I'll spend the whole day with you, okay?"

He waited anxiously for her reply, but Victoria only glanced up at him.

Just one look, and he was stunned.

When had his Vicki lost all the light in her eyes?

His Adam's apple bobbed as he unconsciously called her name, "Vicki..."

He wanted to say more, but Victoria spoke first, curling her lips in a faint, gentle voice, "Go ahead, take care of your business."

Her tone was as gentle as ever, showing no sign of anything unusual.

At last, his heart was completely at ease.

He stopped worrying, ruffled her hair, and turned to leave.

Soon, the sound of a car horn came from outside, then faded into the distance until it disappeared completely.

The smile on Victoria's face vanished, replaced by two streams of tears.

She quietly wiped them away, threw all the glutinous rice balls on the table into the trash, then went inside, took out the suitcase she had packed long ago, and after one last look at the house, sent Ambrose a final message.

"Half a month has passed. You can open the wedding anniversary gift I gave you before."

He replied almost instantly.

"Babe, I'll be back soon. Let's open it together then."

Victoria smiled.

Together?

Ambrose, it's only you.

For the rest of your life, it will only be you.

She forwarded all the messages Rosemary had sent her to Ambrose, then, without hesitation, broke her SIM card.

Finally, she picked up her suitcase and walked out the door.

Outside, the morning sun blazed, and the day was beautiful.

From now on, no matter heaven or earth, no one will ever find Victoria...