Chapter 168

“Babe, I'm leaving."

His voice was soft but final, and Lucie lay there in the dark, barely able to move. He hesitated at the door, then turned back, his words heavy in the silence.

"Take care of yourself. If you ever run into trouble... you can still come to me, anytime."

He paused, searching for the right words. "I know you hate me. Maybe in the next life, I'll try to make it up to you."

With that, he walked away. No matter how much he wanted to stay, he knew it was over. He had other debts to pay, other wounds to heal, and she was no longer part of that story.

...

It was past eight in the evening when Lucie finally woke, after what felt like days

of dreamless sleep. Her head was pounding and her whole body ached, as if she'd been run over. She groaned, forcing herself to sit up, the darkness pressing in all around her.

"Ugh... Steven, you're a monster." Her voice cracked as she tried to steady herself.

She couldn't stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks. Last night replayed in her mind, raw and real, every moment sharper than the last. He'd been ruthless, not holding back at all; she never thought a man could be so terrifying.

"I hate you," she whispered, her chest tight with grief and anger. But beneath it all, she was scared he'd played her yet again.

She dragged herself over to the light switch and flipped it on, squinting against the sudden brightness. The first thing she did was search for the divorce agreement.

Thank God-it was right there on the desk.

Heart pounding, she hurried over and picked it up. Her hands shook as she checked every detail. His signature, his seal, the lawyer's stamp it was all there. She let out a long breath she didn't realize shed been holding. At least the divorce was real. She didn't care about anything else anymore. She just wanted out.

"Thank God, thank God..." she murmured, relief and exhaustion flooding her.

Then she noticed two more documents and a locked metal box next to them.

"What's this?" she wondered aloud, picking them up.

It was two property transfer agreements. One was for 5.2 billion in cash, the other

for the title deed to a commercial complex right in the heart of the city.

Lucie stared at the stack, her heart

in her throat. She flipped open the agreement and saw the proof of transfer 5.2 billion deposited, the property title neatly tucked

underneath, and Steven's signature. right at the bottom.

She sat there for a long time, speechless. She'd only wanted a divorce. She'd

never even thought about taking his money or property.

Curious and a little numb, she opened the password box. Inside was a collection of jewelry-every single pièce he'd ever given her, including their wedding rings, Fach set was worth millions, and there were at least twenty sets in total. Every piece had marked a special day, a memory she once cherished.

Tears welled up again, falling silently onto the glittering stones. Maybe he never

loved her at all—or maybe he did. The love was real, but so was the hurt.

"Steven, if there's a next life, let's not meet again," she whispered, her voice breaking as she finally let herself sob.

Four years of marriage, from fairytale beginnings to this bitter end. It all felt like a beautiful bubble, bursting before her eyes.

The next day, Lucie handed the divorce papers to her lawyer. The court process went quickly. When the document was finally in her hands, she felt strangely empty, unable to calm the storm inside.

She's slow to love, careful with her heart, so it had taken so much to fall for someone. Even more to marry on a whim. And now, it was over. Just like that.