Among the wealthy families, there was a common belief: while anyone else might cheat, Nathaniel Baigrie never would.

He was disciplined and reserved, distant yet noble. His heart belonged only to his wife, Adalynn Addacott, the woman he had loved since their school days.

But in the fifth year of their marriage, Adalynn found out that Nathaniel had been seeing someone else.

When she received those photos, she was completely stunned.

That was because the homewrecker wasn't some bright and bubbly 18-year-old or a successful career woman. She was just a divorced woman who ran a small coffee shop. She was pretty ordinary in every way and even three years older than Nathaniel.

Yet when Nathaniel looked at her, his eyes were brimming with love and tenderness.

Nathaniel got home at 9:00 p.m. He still looked cold and distant in his perfectly tailored suit.

Adalynn was sitting on the couch with the lights off. As he got closer, she suddenly hurled the photos at him, sending them fluttering across the floor.

"Nathaniel, explain this."

Nathaniel paused for a moment before bending down to pick up the scattered photos one by one. For someone so obsessed with cleanliness, he was carefully wiping the dust from the woman's face in those photos.

He looked up at Adalynn calmly. "There's nothing to explain. Yeah, I've fallen for her."

Adalynn felt like an invisible hand had tightened around her throat. She couldn't breathe, and her mind went completely blank.

Her voice shook with every word. "You've fallen for her? What about me? Nathaniel, when I was sixteen, under the moonlight, you told me you loved me, your ears red with shyness. You promised you'd love only me, forever—that no one else would ever matter to you!"

Nathaniel didn't seem the least bit affected by her outburst. If anything, he looked weary.

"I did say that," he replied calmly, "but Ada, loving you all these years has really worn me out.

"We dated for four years and have been married for five. I've loved you for nine whole years. In those nine years, every time you got mad, whether it was justified or not, wasn't it always me trying to make things right?

"Whenever you mentioned a limited-edition bag, I'd hop on a plane overnight just to get it for you.

"You got upset just because some women gave me a flirty glance, so I fired my secretary who'd been with me for three years.

"When you wanted desserts from the west side of the city in the middle of the night, even if I have an important meeting the next day, I still drove across town to grab them for you..."

The examples went on and on. What Adalynn once saw as moments of tenderness—his sweet gestures that showed how much he cared—now felt like proof that she'd simply been too demanding.

"I've nearly lost all my dignity and sense of self for you. I'm only human, Adalynn. I get tired, too."

He paused, staring off into space. "Three months ago, you got really mad because I forgot to grab your favorite dessert. I kept apologizing and offered to make it up to you, but you just wouldn't let it go.

"I even waited outside your door all night. The next morning, I went to get the mango pancake from that shop, but my stomach hurt so much that I ended up fainting in front of Brianna's coffee shop.

"She gave me some medicine and made warm soup to help with my stomachache. With her slightly calloused hands, she gently rubbed my aching stomach."

As he spoke, his voice softened, laced with an affection Adalynn had never heard before. "With her, I felt a warmth I'd never experienced with you. It was, in nine long years, the most comfortable and relaxed day I could remember. It was like all my exhaustion just melted away."

Adalynn shook all over, her head spinning, and was barely able to stand straight. "So... just because of some soup, you threw away our nine years together and fell for her?"

Nathaniel looked back at her with a complicated expression on his face. "Ada, you're beautiful. All these years, I've met many women, but no one is more stunning than you are.

"You're also brilliant. Your piano career is doing great. But because of that, I constantly felt I had to put you on a pedestal and handle your feelings with extreme caution.

"Brianna's just an ordinary woman. She is not exceptional or gorgeous. But she cared when my stomach hurt.

"She will make hot soup for me and give me massages when I'm tired. With her, I've found this peace and... sense of belonging that I've never had before."

A sense of belonging? Adalynn felt like her heart had been stabbed.

So, what did their nine years really mean?

"But don't worry, I'm not going to divorce you." He suddenly switched his tone, sounding more like a businessman again. "Having a beautiful, accomplished wife enhances my company's image.

"Plus, I promised your parents that I'd take care of you for life. Given how long we've been together, I won't push things too far."

He looked at her with a clear yet harsh gaze as he set a firm boundary. "But from now on, I won't love you anymore. And you must stop interfering in anything between Brianna and me.

"I'm sorry. I know I've broken my promise. But honestly, I can't help it. For all those years I loved you, if you're looking for someone to blame, blame me. It has nothing to do with Brianna."

After saying that, he didn't even look back at her pale face. He turned around and walked out of the house without any hesitation.

Adalynn collapsed onto the floor, watching his cold and determined back leave her behind. It felt like she had just been hit by lightning.

Nine years ago, she was the well-known campus queen—bright and outgoing. He was the cool and aloof heartthrob that everyone adored. People said they were a match made in heaven.

He fell for her at first sight and did everything he could to win her over.

But because of her parents' messy breakup and all those years of fighting, Adalynn had this instinctive fear of love and getting close to anyone.

It was he who showed up every morning with coffee without fail, climbed walls and skipped classes just to get her medicine when she was sick, and always stood up for her when others picked on her... Bit by bit, he managed to open up her tightly shut heart.

Once they got together, he still spoiled her like crazy. But the traumas from her family made it hard for her to rely on anyone. She felt like she had to handle everything alone. When she saw other girls asking him for his number, it hurt so much inside, but she'd just walk away quietly without saying a word.

Then came that summer after the SAT. A sudden car accident took both of her parents away.

The overwhelming grief was almost unbearable, but she told no one. She stubbornly took care of all the funeral plans and set up the memorial service by herself.

At that very moment, Nathaniel, who was off on a trip after graduation, somehow caught wind of what happened. He rushed back like he was on fire.

Dusty from his travels, he burst into the mourning hall. When he saw her in black—looking thin and pale like a piece of paper—his eyes instantly filled with tears.

Without saying anything, he dropped to his knees and pulled her cold body tightly into his arms. "Adalynn! Look at me! It's Nathaniel! I'm the most important person in your life! You can cry in front of me. You can let it all out! If you're jealous or upset with me, go ahead and say it! There will never be any distance between us! I'll always come back to you. I'll always comfort you! Do you hear me?"

At that moment, all the emotional walls Adalynn had built came crashing down. She leaned on his shoulder and cried out loud, letting all her sadness, helplessness, and frustrations spill over.

He was the one who had pulled her out of her tough shell and encouraged her to live like a carefree kid.

So over these nine years, she learned how to express herself, how to be a little demanding, and how to ask him for things or vent about small annoyances—just like any girl who's deeply loved... Because she truly believed in what he said, "I'll always be there for you. I'll always comfort you."

But now, nine years later, he was saying he was tired.

Tears streamed down her face. Adalynn sobbed uncontrollably, feeling like her heart was breaking from the pain.

Yet the guy who used to worry so much if she shed just one tear—the guy who would gently kiss away those tears—was gone.

He was the one who said he loved me first.

So why was he also the one who said he didn't love me anymore?

She just couldn't accept it, stubbornly thinking that Nathaniel was just going through a rough patch.

The next day, Adalynn put on some nice makeup and headed over to Brianna's coffee shop.

Seeing the ordinary woman who looked a bit plain, she slid a large check in front of her. "Ms. Ebrey, you should leave Nathaniel. This money will take care of you and your kid for life."

Brianna stared at the check, froze for a second, then her eyes got all teary, but she didn't reach for it.

"Mrs. Baigrie... I'll leave. Please... don't make things hard for Mr. Baigrie."

After saying that, she didn't even look at Adalynn again. She just turned around and quickly started packing up her stuff.

Watching her leave, Adalynn didn't feel any relief at all. Instead, her chest felt heavy with a crushing weight.

That same night, she got the news.

Brianna had been in a car accident while heading out. She was saved, but the baby inside her—who belonged to Nathaniel—was gone.

Adalynn felt like she'd been hit by lightning, completely frozen in shock.

She wasn't sure if it was because of the sudden car crash or the fact that Brianna was actually pregnant with Nathaniel's baby.

She and Nathaniel had been married for five years, always careful to avoid having kids, and yet here they were.

But how long had he and Brianna been seeing each other? How could this happen...

A week later, Nathaniel came back.

He didn't say a word—no questions, no yelling—just looked at her with this intense stare that Adalynn couldn't figure out for what felt like forever.

Then he grabbed her and started ripping at her clothes almost violently.

"Nathaniel! What are you doing?" Adalynn panicked and struggled against him.

But he ignored her completely, pinning her down on the bed with a wild desperation in his movements.

From that night on, for a whole month, Nathaniel seemed like a totally different guy.

He stopped going to work and completely ignored Brianna. All he did was cling to Adalynn day and night, constantly asking for sex.

It felt like he was torturing himself with how often he needed her. It was almost punishing in a way.

Adalynn's body couldn't take it anymore, and she felt so embarrassed inside. But still, a tiny bit of hope started to grow in her heart.

Maybe he was just hurting too much. Maybe this was his way of trying to forget Brianna and get back to the way things used to be with her?

So she kept quiet about it all and even went along with him.

But one day, she suddenly got hit by a wave of nausea and ended up throwing up violently. A strange feeling crept over her, so she secretly went to the hospital for a check-up. The result? She found out that she was pregnant.

Adalynn gently rubbed her still flat lower belly, a spark of hope lighting up in her heart. Maybe this baby could save their marriage.

But she never expected that when she told him, the joy she was waiting for didn't come. Nathaniel just stared at the paper, his expression disturbingly calm.

After a moment, he glanced at the bodyguard. He spoke slowly and clearly, "Throw her off the fifth floor."

Adalynn's eyes went wide in disbelief. "Nathaniel, you... What are you talking about? Don't you realize I'm carrying your child?"

Nathaniel looked at her, and his eyes were no longer filled with love like before. Instead, they were full of anger and sadness, "Well, do you know that Brianna was also pregnant with my child back then? You're the one who ruined everything between us! So now it's only fair that you carry one to make up for it!"

At that moment, Adalynn felt like she'd been hit by a lightning bolt. She finally got why he had been acting so weird for the past month.

It turned out that since Brianna lost her baby, he made her pregnant too, just to have her miscarry as some sort of twisted payback.

He really loved Brianna this much.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something. She wanted to ask questions, to scream. But it felt like her throat was blocked with cement. No sound escaped her lips.

Then suddenly, two tall bodyguards came over with blank faces and grabbed both of her arms.

"No! Nathaniel! You can't do this!" She struggled and cried out in despair.

But Nathaniel just turned away without even looking at her again.

The bodyguards showed no mercy as they dragged her to the fifth floor and hurled her down.

"Ah!"

Adalynn felt like every bone in her body had broken. Warm liquid spread beneath her, staining her dress red.

It was painful.

It hurt so much.

Right before she completely lost consciousness, she remembered that when she was 16, Nathaniel had confessed his feelings under the moonlight, his ears all red. "Adalynn, I'll love you for the rest of my life."

A tear rolled down from the corner of her eye.

She finally accepted it, utterly hopeless. The truth struck hard.

The Nathaniel who had loved her for nine whole years?

He really didn't love her anymore.

When Adalynn woke up again, she found herself in a hospital bed.

Her lower abdomen felt flat. Clearly, the baby was already gone.

She didn't cry or make a scene. It felt like there was this huge hole in her chest, just leaving behind a cold emptiness.

She pulled out her phone and called the maid at the villa, keeping her voice steady. "Can you bring me the sandalwood box from my study drawer?"

The maid showed up pretty quickly with the box.

When she opened it, there was just a blank piece of paper inside with Nathaniel's signature on it.

It was a birthday gift he had given her when she turned 18.

He'd written his name and promised that no matter what she wanted in the future, he would make it happen for her.

At one point, she had treasured that piece of paper like gold, not wanting to use even one wish.

Now, she was finally going to use it to close this nine-year chapter of love.

She wasn't so desperate—she would be just fine without him.

The baby was gone, and with it, all hope in him had vanished.

She would become the independent, level-headed woman she had been before meeting him.

Adalynn signed her name on the paper and then called in the lawyer.

"Can you draw up a divorce agreement?" Her voice was eerily calm.

The lawyer nodded. "Sure thing, Mrs. Baigrie. We'll prepare the agreement, and then a one-month cooling-off period for the divorce begins. If both of you still agree to the terms after that month, the court will make it final."

"Got it," Adalynn replied flatly. "Please have it done as soon as possible."

After the lawyer left, Adalynn found herself alone in the ward.

She closed her eyes but didn't shed a single tear.

Her heart felt empty, and even feeling sad seemed like too much effort.

At that moment, the ward door was gently pushed open.

Adalynn thought it was her lawyer coming back, so she opened her eyes, only to see the last person she wanted to see right now, Brianna.

She never expected Brianna would actually come looking for her.

"What are you doing here?" Adalynn asked hoarsely.

"Mrs. Baigrie," Brianna said in that same soft, shy way of hers, holding a thermal container in her hand. "I know what Nathaniel did to you. I really wish I had been there. If I had been, I would've done everything I could to stop him..."

Adalynn gave her a cold look, unwilling to hear another insincere word.

But Brianna kept going, her voice breaking. "But you have to see it from his side too. When we lost our baby, Nathaniel was so heartbroken. He held me and cried like a kid, saying that was the essence of our love. He didn't eat or drink for days. He just stayed by my hospital bed."

Every word felt like a sharp knife, cutting deeper into Adalynn's already broken heart.

"If that's all you've got to say," Adalynn interrupted, her voice rough and icy, "then you can leave. You're not welcome here."

Brianna looked taken aback for a moment, but then lifted the thermal container she was holding. "I... I won't bring it up again. Mrs. Baigrie, I made some soup for you to help you feel better. You had a miscarriage and need to regain your strength..."

"I'm not drinking it. Just take it away." Adalynn turned her face in disgust.

The nervous look on Brianna's face disappeared in a flash, replaced by stubbornness and an icy glare. "This... isn't up to you."

She suddenly stepped forward, gripping Adalynn's chin with surprising strength and trying to force the container toward her mouth.

"Let go of me! Brianna, what are you doing?" Adalynn weakly struggled but couldn't match her strength.

When Brianna finally let go, Adalynn collapsed next to the bed, coughing hard as her stomach churned like crazy.

Brianna watched her in that messy state, slowly wiping her hands with a tearful smile creeping onto her lips. "So, how does it taste?"

Adalynn shot up suddenly, a terrible feeling of dread washing over her. "This isn't nourishing soup at all... What the hell is this?"

Brianna's eyes turned red instantly, and tears started flowing down. But still, she looked as cold as ever. She spoke clearly and slowly, "Can't you figure it out? It's the flesh and blood of your child who never got to be born."

Adalynn's mind felt like it had been hit by a lightning bolt. Everything just went blank.

A wave of nausea and horror washed over her like a tsunami. She collapsed next to the bed, desperately clawing at her throat, gagging painfully as if she wanted to throw up all her insides.

"Ugh...ugh..."

Brianna stood there, tears streaming down her face, watching Adalynn suffer with a twisted satisfaction. "Does it hurt? That's how much I hurt when I lost my baby. It hurt even more than this! If you hadn't forced me out, how would I have ended up in that car accident? How would my child have died? Nathaniel doesn't love you anymore, so what gives you the right to act like a proper wife and push me away?"

She stepped closer, eyes filled with venom. "Everyone gets what they deserve! This baby of yours is your punishment! It's payback for killing my child!"

"Ah!"

Adalynn couldn't take it anymore. All the anger, humiliation, and grief she'd bottled up exploded at that moment!

With every ounce of strength she had left, she raised her hand and slapped Brianna hard across the face.

Just then, the door to the room swung open with a bang.

Nathaniel stood by the door and saw Adalynn smack Brianna right then.

His expression darkened immediately. He marched in and pushed Adalynn away hard.

Adalynn, feeling weak, stumbled back a few steps from the shove. She hit the cold wall with a loud thud, letting out a muffled groan of pain.

"Adalynn! What do you think you're doing?" Nathaniel stepped in front of Brianna protectively, his eyes blazing as he shot her an intense look that could almost eat her alive.

Brianna quickly snuggled into his arms, crying softly as she twisted the truth. "Nathaniel, please don't blame Mrs. Baigrie. It's my fault. I shouldn't have come..."

Looking at the clear fingerprint on her face, Nathaniel felt a wave of heartache. When he turned back to Adalynn, the anger in his eyes burned even hotter. "Adalynn! I can't believe you could be so cruel! Anna came to see you out of kindness, and you actually hit her?"

Fuming with rage, he coldly ordered the bodyguards by the door. "Someone, slap her a hundred times! She needs to pay tenfold for what she did to Anna!"

Brianna tried to intervene. "No, Nathaniel! Mrs. Baigrie just had a miscarriage. She can't handle this..."

But Nathaniel pulled her tightly into his arms, his voice filled with both pity and fury. "You're way too nice! That's why she keeps picking on you! She has to learn a lesson today! Do it!"

The bodyguards stepped forward obediently, their tall shadows looming over Adalynn.

Adalynn stared at the man she had loved for nine years, feeling like she'd been hit by lightning—watching how he carefully cared for another woman, and seeing how cold and ruthless he was to her.

He used to protect her like this, too.

Just as the bodyguard's slap was about to land, she gathered all her strength and screamed, her heart shattered. "Nathaniel! Do you even remember? What did you say when you knelt in front of my parents' grave? You promised you'd always protect me and never let me suffer even a little bit! You said I was your whole life! Have you really forgotten all that?"

Nathaniel suddenly froze, his arm tightening slightly around Brianna.

There seemed to be some intense emotions swirling deep in his eyes. But in the end, it all got overshadowed by his concern for Brianna.

He turned to look at her with a gaze that felt cold, tired, and completely final.

"I remember." He paused, and each word hit Adalynn's heart like a heavy hammer. "Adalynn, I really did love you.

"But the truth is, I don't love you anymore.

"Now it's Anna who has my heart. You hurt her, and now you've got to face the consequences!"

With that, he turned away from her desperate, empty gaze and wrapped his arms around Brianna before walking out of the room.

The heavy door closed behind him, taking with it the last trace of light in Adalynn's life.

The first hard slap landed on her face, burning with pain.

Then came another one... and another...

She stopped fighting back, stopped asking questions—like a broken doll just taking this humiliating punishment.

A hundred slaps shattered nine years of love, destroyed her dreams, and erased her final faith in love.

When it was finally over, she fell to the ground and suddenly coughed up a mouthful of bright red blood.

Staring at that shocking red, she let out a low laugh that was sharp and full of despair.

She thought, "Nathaniel, oh Nathaniel.

"Those who betray a true heart will end up feeling like they've swallowed a thousand needles!"

Adalynn spent another week in the hospital.

During that time, she felt like a lifeless puppet—eating, taking her meds, and getting treatment without any fuss.

No tears, no complaints, not even much chatting.

When the nurse came to change her dressings, she just lay there quietly. When the aide brought her meals, she mechanically shoved them into her mouth without tasting a thing. It was like the emptiness in her chest had been filled with cold numbness.

On the day she was finally discharged, the sky was gloomy and heavy with dark clouds that made it hard to breathe.

Adalynn handled all the discharge paperwork by herself. As she stood at the hospital entrance, ready to call a taxi, a familiar black Rolls-Royce slowly pulled up right in front of her.

The window rolled down to reveal Nathaniel's cool and dignified face. And sitting next to him in the passenger seat was Brianna.

Adalynn stopped in her tracks, and it felt like her blood just froze.

Nathaniel glanced over at Adalynn's pale, thin face. For a second, his brows knitted together slightly, but then he went back to looking indifferent.

Without thinking, he pulled Brianna closer to him, a clear sign that he wanted to protect her.

"Get in the car," he said flatly, his tone as cold as the weather outside.

Adalynn stood there frozen, her nails digging into her palm hard enough to hurt.

Brianna said softly, "Mrs. Baigrie, please get in the car quickly. It's really windy out here. I asked Nathaniel to come pick you up because I know... things have been rough between you two before. I hope you won't hold it against him."

Upon hearing this, Nathaniel glanced at Brianna, his expression softening a bit. But when he turned back to Adalynn, that icy look came right back. "If it weren't for Anna begging me over and over, I wouldn't even be here. Adalynn, you know how Anna treats you and how you've treated her. I've said it before, she's my priority. Stop trying to hurt her."

Be a decent Mrs. Baigrie to him?

Adalynn let out a bitter laugh.

She had nothing more to say and didn't want anything to do with this guy anymore. She walked around the front of the car, planning to leave.

"Adalynn!" Nathaniel flung open the car door, got out, and grabbed her wrist so tightly it made her wince. "Are you done throwing your little fit? Get in the car!"

His tone was impatient, as if all her resistance was just silly drama.

Adalynn struggled a bit, but his grip was too strong. Freshly discharged from the hospital, she felt weak and couldn't break free at all.

In the end, she found herself forced into the back seat.

The car was cruising along smoothly. Adalynn turned her head to check out the street scenes zooming by outside the window, trying hard to ignore the awkward closeness happening in the front seat.

Brianna spoke softly to Nathaniel, her voice gentle and a bit needy. "Nathaniel, I think I caught a chill last night. My head feels kinda dizzy."

Nathaniel instantly reached over to feel her forehead, his tone filled with a warmth that Adalynn hadn't heard in ages. "Why didn't you say something earlier? I'll get the private doctor to check you out when we get back."

"It's nothing, maybe I just didn't sleep well," Brianna said as she leaned her head on his arm comfortably.

Nathaniel didn't push her away. Instead, he shifted a bit so she could settle in better.

Adalynn felt like her heart was being poked by tiny needles over and over again. The pain almost made her want to curl up.

Once upon a time, even if she just coughed lightly, he would freak out and stay by her side all night long, personally making sure she took her medicine.

Now, all his nerves and sweet feelings were saved for someone else.

Just then, Brianna suddenly gasped softly and glanced out the window. "Whoa, it just started pouring! Nathaniel, I forgot to grab the clothes I hung on the balcony this morning! Those are my favorite pajamas..."

Raindrops began to hammer against the car windows, quickly turning into a solid wall of rain.

Without thinking twice, Nathaniel flicked on his turn signal and pulled over to the side of the elevated highway.

He turned around to look at Adalynn in the back seat. Her face was deathly pale. "You can take a taxi home by yourself. I'm gonna take Anna back to get her stuff."

Adalynn shot up with wide eyes, staring at him like he was crazy. On an elevated highway? In this downpour? Telling her to go alone?

Nathaniel didn't seem to think he'd done anything wrong. When he noticed she wasn't moving, he frowned and said, "Did you hear me?"

Brianna turned around too, a sheepish smile on her face, but there was a tiny spark of pride in her eyes. "Mrs. Baigrie, I'm really sorry... Tomorrow's my birthday. Nathaniel booked a table at Nine Orchard for just the three of us. It will be just a simple dinner. Let's call it a way to make up for what happened last time. You have to come."

Adalynn didn't say anything back. She slammed the car door shut with frustration.

The black sedan didn't hesitate. It merged into traffic and quickly disappeared into the rain.

Adalynn stood on the high bridge, rain making everything blurry around her.

She tried waving down a taxi, but no car stopped for her.

The cold rain soaked through her clothes, chilling her to the bone.

With no other choice, she slowly made her way along the edge of the bridge toward home step by step.

By the time she finally dragged herself back to the villa, she was completely drenched and shivering so hard that her teeth were chattering.

That night, she came down with a high fever and felt all fuzzy-headed.

The maid was in a panic, pacing back and forth and calling out for Nathaniel over and over. But the phone just kept ringing without an answer.

Adalynn struggled to open her heavy eyelids, her voice weak and raspy. "Stop calling... He's not gonna pick up."

She forced a faint smile that looked more like a grimace. "He's... with Brianna celebrating her birthday right now."

The maid let out a sigh, didn't say anything else in the end, and quietly went to get some fever medicine, carefully giving it to Adalynn.

After taking the medicine, Adalynn drifted off into a sleepy haze. It wasn't until evening that she was jolted awake by the loud sound of the door being flung open.

Nathaniel burst in, smelling strongly of alcohol and the cold air from outside, his face looking dark and menacing.

"Adalynn!" He strode to the bed and gripped her wrist so tightly it felt like he might break her bones. "Why didn't you come? Anna waited for you all night! Her eyes are puffy from crying! I can't stand seeing her upset like this, and yet you just had to make it worse!"

Adalynn felt dizzy from the jolt. The numbness in her chest seemed to crack open with his words, flooding her with sharp pain.

There was a time when he couldn't stand seeing her cry either.

She lifted her heavy eyelids and looked at the face she once loved deeply—now it seemed frighteningly strange—and suddenly everything felt completely ridiculous.

"So what?" Her voice was hoarse from fever, but carried an eerie calmness that felt almost lifeless. "Are you going to kill me?"

Nathaniel scoffed, "If you made her cry, then you should cry too."

He pulled out his phone and made a call. "Get everyone connected to Adalynn. Her best friend, coworkers, cousins... basically anyone who knows her. Whoever can make Adalynn cry will get 15 million dollars from me."

Half an hour later, the villa was packed with people.

The first one to step up was Sophie Harlan, Adalynn's best friend. They used to shop together, share secrets, and support each other through tough times.

"Adalynn, just cry," Sophie said with a shaky voice. "15 million dollars is enough for me to spend for several lifetimes."

When she saw that Adalynn wasn't budging at all, Sophie suddenly slapped her. "Who are you trying to impress? Do you still think you're some high-and-mighty Mrs. Baigrie?"

Adalynn felt a sharp sting on the left side of her cheek, but she didn't let a single tear fall.

Then came her coworkers, some distant relatives, and even the nanny who had looked after her since she was little.

"Mr. Baigrie didn't want you anymore. Why are you still hanging around here so shamelessly?

"Brianna is way nicer than you. It's no surprise Mr. Baigrie moved on.

"I heard you even lost your baby? Guess that's what happens when you do so many bad things!"

Surrounded by them, Adalynn felt like a broken doll, taking in their insults, shoves, and even hits.

She bit down hard on her lower lip. The taste of blood filled her mouth, but she stubbornly held back every tear.

Her heart was already numb. What good were tears anyway?

Nathaniel was sitting on the couch, watching everything unfold with a cold stare. As he looked into Adalynn's hollow but defiant eyes, his irritation just kept building up.

Why wasn't she crying? How could she not cry?

Just when he felt like he was about to lose it, Adalynn's cousin, Pamela Addacott, spotted the beautiful photo frame on the shelf in the living room.

It was the only family picture of Adalynn with her late parents.

Pamela rushed over, snatched up the photo frame, and pulled out a lighter. "Adalynn! If you don't cry, I'm gonna burn this!"

Finally, something broke through Adalynn's numbness.

She shot her gaze up at Pamela, her voice rough. "No! Pamela! That's my only photo with my parents! Please! Don't do this!"

"Cry! If you cry, I'll give it back!" Pamela yelled as the flame from the lighter started licking at the edge of the photo frame.

"I'm begging you... please don't...We are family. Please don't do this..." Adalynn pleaded, breaking down with tears swirling in her eyes but stubbornly holding them back.

Watching her desperate plea over that photo, Nathaniel felt like his heart was being squeezed tight.

He remembered that picture; she treated it like a precious treasure.

"Burn it," he said coldly, startled by the ruthlessness in his own voice.

With that command, Pamela didn't hesitate anymore and suddenly threw the burning photo frame to the ground.

"No!"

Adalynn let out a piercing scream, throwing herself to the floor and trying to beat out the flames with her bare hands, desperately trying to save the image before it turned to ashes.

But it was too late.

The photo quickly curled up and turned black in the flames. Her parents' warm smiles faded little by little right before her eyes. In the end, all that was left was a small pile of ashes.

All she could grab with her outstretched hand was a handful of hot ash, along with the burning pain from her burns.

The tears she had been holding back came rushing out like a flood at that moment, spilling over uncontrollably.

She cried.

She sobbed so hard, so bitterly, as if she were going to cry every tear she'd ever have in her life all at once.

Nathaniel watched her huddled on the ground, shaking violently as she wept. But instead of feeling satisfied, his heart felt heavy—like something was stuck in his chest, making him feel uneasy.

He looked at her fingers. They were red and blistered from trying to put out the fire with her bare hands. He wanted to step forward without even thinking about it, but it felt like his feet were glued to the ground.

In the end, overwhelmed by grief and pain, Adalynn fainted.