At the height of her legal career, Evelyn Finchum was unstoppable. Respected. Admired.

And married—secretly—to Theodore Bensen for five years.

That night, he slid his phone across the table.

"Watch this."

On the screen was a video.

Evelyn's younger sister, Josie Finchum, appeared with bare skin and flushed cheeks, her lips being kissed by a man.

The man's mouth pressed to hers, passing her a sip of Lafite 1982 straight from his lips.

She tried to pull away, but it looked more like hesitation than refusal.

"No, please—" Her voice barely left her lips—

Then the bottle appeared, sliding in from below.

Her eyes widened. Panic.

His hand pinned her down. He pulled the bottle out, shaking it with a twisted grin.

"You're amazing, babe. The wine's gone up."

Evelyn's chest tightened. "He drugged her—"

Theodore sat across from her, sharp suit, composed expression. His fingers tapped the table lazily.

"Anyone who sees this will think she enjoyed it, not assault. You have three minutes. Hand over the evidence... or let Josie become a public scandal.

"There's only room for one top female lawyer. Samantha can't lose her future. Quit your career. I'll take care of you."

Her voice shook.

"Theodore... She's my sister, the most important person to me."

A black card slid across the table.

"Important? It's a small matter. Give her eight hundred grand—she can buy a bag, a car. She's young. People fool around."

Evelyn stared at him in disbelief.

"A small matter? She was assaulted. My family is falling apart. And you protect him?

Theodore's brow creased, clearly annoyed.

"Samantha once helped me. No one outranks her."

Evelyn trembled in anger, tears falling onto the table. She couldn't understand what had happened to Theodore.

How had he changed so much?

Back then, Evelyn was famous in the legal field, admired by everyone.

And Theodore, heir to the powerful Bensen family, had once humbled himself, kneeling before her to ask her to marry him.

He promised to be the man behind her, her constant support. He said he respected her career, that he would stay in the background, and wait until she was ready to make their relationship public. He had said she would be the happiest woman alive and that he would love only her, forever.

After being married for five years, Theodore kept his promise and treated her with the same love as always.

He cherished her like something precious, always looking out for her, handling the little things at home, accompanying her to social events, and always quietly standing behind her. When she was investigating and collecting evidence, he stood by her side without fear, even when things got dangerous. Whenever she fought for what was right, even in the middle of chaos, he would remind her of how brave and kind she was and give her the strength to keep going.

She believed Theodore was the one meant for her.

But everything changed.

Samantha Gearey ended up in charge of the case and became the lawyer defending the man who had violated her sister, putting her and Samantha on opposite sides.

Now, for Samantha Gearey, Theodore was ready to twist the facts, even if it meant destroying both her sister—and her.

Her voice was low, trembling.

"If I don't back down... would you really ruin us?"

Theodore's eyes were ice.

"Try me."

Evelyn heard the name "Samantha" for the first time during a court trial a year ago.

Samantha was the defendant's lawyer, and she went head-to-head in a heated debate before the judge.

She always acted like she was better than everyone, constantly talking about morals but barely knowing the law.

She was defending a man in his seventies who molested a young girl living nearby.

After the trial, Samantha came rushing over to Evelyn, clearly upset and full of self-righteousness.

She snapped, "Don't you have some sympathy? He is old. He only did it because he was lonely.

"Do you really have to watch him rot in prison, all alone, just to feel satisfied?"

When Theodore heard what happened, he held Evelyn tightly and said darkly, "Honey, should I take care of this ridiculous woman for you?"

But Evelyn refused.

To her surprise, six months later, Theodore hired Samantha as legal advisor for the Bensen Group.

At that time, he gently told Evelyn, "Honey, we just happened to be short on people. Besides, don't you think her personality's kind of interesting?"

As time passed, Theodore began mentioning Samantha more often. Evelyn trusted his love and didn't think Samantha was a real threat.

But now, the same man who once swore he'd rather swallow needles than break her heart was willing to ruin her entire family, just to make Samantha happy.

"Fine, I agree," Evelyn said as her heart turned numb.

She quickly signed the agreement Theodore handed her, and once she finished, she walked away without a glance.

But right after stepping out, her phone rang. It was an urgent call from her mother, Emma Macklin.

"Evelyn, get to the hospital now. Josie tried to kill herself!"

She rushed to the hospital as fast as she could, but what she saw broke her heart. Emma was holding Josie, who was still bleeding from the neck, while begging the doctors.

"Please save my daughter.

"She's still warm. I've done my best to stop the bleeding. There's still a chance to save her."

Emma kept kneeling down on one knee, her hair messy, her knee swollen and red from hitting the ground.

A few doctors stood nearby, clearly uncomfortable.

"All emergency doctors have been told by Mr. Bensen to stand by. We need to treat Ms. Gearey's pet dog."

Hearing that, Evelyn felt like her head was going to explode. She almost stumbled as she rushed forward, her eyes red, grabbing one of the doctors by the arm.

"Doctor, there are animal clinics for pets. You're here to save people. Are you really going to let my sister die?"

The doctor pulled his arm away.

"Miss, I hope you understand.

"Mr. Bensen said it was Ms. Gearey's beloved dog. If anything happened to it, she might get upset and lose her appetite. If something went wrong with her, we'd all be blamed."

Evelyn couldn't hold the doctors back. She chased them down the hallway, shouting for help until her voice was raw and breaking.

When she finally came back, Emma was sobbing, clutching Josie's cold body.

Evelyn quietly knelt beside them. Waves of grief and pain crashed over her. She raised her hand and slapped herself, again and again.

"It's all my fault. I caused Josie's death."

But before Evelyn could hurt herself again, Emma caught her hand. Josie's blood was still on it.

Her swollen, tear-filled eyes slowly turned determined.

"Sweetheart, let's take Josie away from here.

"I'll find someone who can help us. In seven days, we'll close every account, leave the country, and never come back."

Evelyn accompanied Emma to the crematorium, carrying Josie's lifeless body.

By the end of the day, Emma looked like she had aged many years.

Watching her hunched over, quietly holding the urn, tore a deep, sharp pain through Evelyn's heart.

Just then, Theodore sent her a text.

"Go to the stylist within two hours, grab Samantha's dress, and bring it to the banquet hall. She'll send you the location."

Evelyn laughed bitterly out of anger, her tears almost falling on her phone screen.

She held back the urge to block him and simply typed back, "I'm busy."

Theodore replied right away, sending another video of Josie. It was clearly meant as a threat. Evelyn gripped her phone so hard that her knuckles turned pale.

When Emma saw the message, she broke down, her emotions spilling over.

"Josie has already passed away. What more does he want?

"Maybe I should ask him. Does he need to destroy her completely, down to her very ashes?"

Evelyn cried and hugged her tightly.

"Mom, please don't get too upset. I'll go.

"We only have these seven days. If Theodore realizes anything's wrong, we'll never make it out."

The location Samantha sent was vague, and Evelyn arrived drenched in sweat after rushing around. Someone arranged by Theodore was standing by the entrance, waiting for her.

From a distance, Evelyn could already see the outline of a man standing by the door. But the closer she got, the clearer the figure became.

In that instant, her heart felt like it dropped into a freezing abyss.

Her anger made her vision blur, and her eyes turned red. The man at the entrance was the same scumbag who had assaulted Josie, Dennis Callahan.

He noticed her too and walked toward her slowly, with a proud grin on his face.

"Ms. Finchum, Ms. Gearey told me to wait here and pick you up.

"Also, can you hurry up? I've been standing around forever because of you."

Evelyn's nails dug deep into her palms as she held back the rage and pain building in her chest.

"Were you invited by Samantha?" she asked.

Dennis smiled proudly. "Yeah, of course. She's really kind. I told her I've never been to something this fancy, and she said since I'm her client, she'd bring me along to experience it.

"Her boyfriend's a great guy, too. I heard he's the CEO of a big company. Super generous. Look, he even had this suit made just for me.

"Ms. Finchum, you should take notes from Ms. Gearey. She knows how to land someone amazing like that.

"Oh, right, it makes sense now. You and your trashy sister came from the same mother. No wonder neither of you turned out any good."

Each sentence felt like it struck Evelyn's nerves harder. Her body trembled as fury boiled over. Her eyes turned red, and without thinking, she threw the dress in her hands straight at him in a wild rage.

She snapped, "You dare mention my sister again?

"If you push me any further, I swear I'll kill you!"

Evelyn had only landed a few blows before someone pulled her away. Samantha came out, holding Theodore's hand, and showed a slight frown when she noticed the situation.

"Ms. Finchum, who gave you permission to hit my client?

"You need to apologize to him."

"Apologize?" Evelyn let out a bitter laugh, her voice cracking slightly.

"He destroyed my sister's life. Why should I apologize to him?"

Samantha's eyes turned sharp.

"You shouldn't say that. The court hasn't decided anything yet. You're making false accusations."

She then released Theodore's hand, lifted her chin with pride.

"How do you think we should handle this? It wouldn't be fair if I made that call myself."

Theodore found Samantha's stubbornness oddly attractive. His usually distant and cold gaze now looked soft and warm.

A helpless smile tugged at his lips.

"You're really something."

Then, without even looking at Evelyn, he ordered, "Get on your knees and apologize."

Evelyn's eyes shot wide open. She shouted without thinking, "Theodore, have you lost your mind? Do you even realize who he is..."

Before she could finish, Theodore made a slight hand motion.

In an instant, a bodyguard rushed forward and forced her down. Since she resisted, he pressed her down with brute force until she was forced to kneel.

Thud!

The noise was terrifying.

Evelyn's knees slammed hard against the ground, again and again, until blood began to seep through her fabric. Her vision blurred from the pain.

Theodore only signaled the bodyguard to stop once Samantha's expression began to calm.

She broke free from their grip, only to collapse onto the ground in a heap. Tears of humiliation, mingled with blood, dripped one by one into the dirt.

Theodore came closer and bent down beside her. He offered a white handkerchief, speaking softly, though his eyes remained cold and empty.

"Evelyn, didn't I say this case was over?

"Why do you keep clinging to it? Are you trying to ruin Samantha's life forever?

"You're so cruel."

Evelyn forced herself up and slapped the handkerchief out of his hand.

"Think what you want," she whispered with a raspy voice, forcing herself to stand.

Theodore glanced at the handkerchief lying on the ground. His expression turned cold for a second before he walked back to Samantha and put his arm around her waist.

"Let's go back to River Oaks Estate."

Samantha glanced meaningfully at the fragile and defeated Evelyn, then spoke louder on purpose.

"Weren't you going to drive me home?"

He tightened his arm around her waist and kissed her deeply.

"Not your place tonight. You're coming home with me."

Even though Evelyn tried to block out their voices, the words felt like a thousand sharp pins stabbing into her heart. The pain hit her so hard that she could barely breathe.

As the sound of the car faded into the distance, Evelyn's once-strong posture slowly crumbled under the weight of shame and sorrow.

Theodore hadn't left a car for her. By the time Evelyn made it back to River Oaks Estate, it was late at night. Just as she reached for the door, she heard a series of moans coming from inside.

The horrible sounds felt like harsh slaps across her face, again and again. Her face went pale, and her hand shook on the doorknob. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to open the door.

Evelyn waited outside the doorway for nearly an hour. The late autumn wind in Houston was bitterly cold, but not colder than her heart.

She didn't open the door until the noise from inside had completely stopped.

Pieces of ripped clothing lay scattered on the rug she had picked out herself. Theodore, clearly in a rush, had left behind signs of his passion for Samantha in the same place where he once showed love to her.

Evelyn was too ashamed to lift her head, afraid she might witness something even worse. She quickly moved toward the stairs, but Samantha, dressed in nothing but a towel, stepped in her way.

Though her cheeks were red, she still acted proud and composed.

"No need to look so wronged, Ms. Finchum. Just so you know, I wasn't the one who came between you two."

Evelyn gritted her teeth and tried to speak steadily.

"If you say you're not, then so be it.

"I don't have the patience to listen to your self-righteous talk."

Hearing that, Samantha looked irritated. She grabbed Evelyn's wrist and dragged her toward Theodore's study room.

She easily opened his safe—the same one that had always been locked to Evelyn—and pulled out a document. She tossed it toward her with a cold expression.

"Ms. Finchum, take a good look.

"You and Theodore have already divorced.

"It's all written here. That's your signature at the bottom, isn't it? Even if you signed it without fully knowing what it was.

"But since both of us are lawyers, you should understand that the agreement holds up. Your marriage is officially over.

"Yes, he divorced you because I couldn't accept being part of a love triangle.

"I'm saying this directly so you won't come looking for us again.

"Technically, you don't have the right to be here anymore, but I'll give you a little time to pack up and leave."

Evelyn carefully looked through the divorce papers. She could tell Samantha was telling the truth. Theodore was always precise and never made errors when it came to legal paperwork.

Before, she had been unsure how to break things off with him. Now, it turned out she didn't have to worry at all. A part of her felt relief. But the bitterness ran deeper.

After all, they had been married for five years and had gone through all the ups and downs. And yet, this was how it ended, quietly, awkwardly, and without an ounce of dignity left. It was impossible for her not to feel heartbroken.

Evelyn didn't respond to Samantha, who was clearly enjoying the situation. She quietly picked up the divorce papers, her face showing no emotion.

"Well then, I hope you both enjoy your life together," she said, forcing out the last few words through clenched teeth.

That night, Evelyn barely slept. As soon as the sun came up, she started packing all her belongings. The next day, she realized Theodore and Samantha weren't around, so she arranged for someone to help move her stuff.

When the courier showed up and saw the piles of expensive dresses and sparkling jewelry, he looked at her in disbelief.

"Miss, are you sure this is the right address? You wrote down the city's landfill?"

Evelyn lifted the last box and pushed it toward him expressionlessly.

"Yeah, I filled it out right," she replied, handing the courier a few more tips. "Please throw everything into the landfill for me. I don't want any of it."

All the items were from Theodore. Now that the man behind them meant nothing to her, the gifts themselves were no better than trash.

Right after she finished packing, Evelyn got a call from Emma. There was a lot of shouting, and after a long pause, came Emma's broken sobs.

"Evelyn, someone's trying to take Josie's grave.

"My poor girl, even after she passed away, she still can't rest peacefully.

"This is all my fault. I'm so useless."

Evelyn tried to calm her down, then rushed over there as fast as she could.

When she arrived, she saw several bodyguards shoving Emma aside.

Emma lost her footing and fell, but she clutched the urn tightly in her arms. She was injured and took a while to get up again. Her tired, cloudy eyes looked filled with sadness and shame.

Evelyn hurried to her and helped her up, her own eyes burning with rage.

"Who did this?"

Emma seemed to regain her strength, pointing at a woman up ahead whom Evelyn instantly recognized.

"It was her.

"She claimed her pet dog died and forced her way into the grave I had reserved for Josie."