So that was how he saw her.

And me?

A schemer.

A manipulator.

Someone capable of tearing down Lilian out of jealousy.

We had been married for years, yet in a single moment... he had erased all of it.

My throat tightened painfully.

I had done nothing wrong.

And still, he didn’t stand by me.

Still, he didn’t even question it.

The pressure in my chest grew until breathing felt difficult.

My lips trembled, but no words came.

I swallowed hard, forcing the tears back down where they belonged.

Then I smiled.

A broken, fragile thing.

"Is this really what you think of me?"

My voice came out softer than I intended.

"When you promised Nana you would take care of me... did you already know it would come to this?"

His brows tightened slightly.

I didn’t stop.

"If you never forgot her, why did you marry me?"

The words finally spilled out, unstoppable now.

"And if you knew you would treat me like this when she came back... why didn’t you tell me from the beginning?"

For a brief moment, something flickered in his expression.

Regret.

Or discomfort.

"I’m sorry," he said at last. "I was too hasty."

Sorry.

Just like that.

A single word to erase everything.

"If you have an issue," he added more quietly, "come to me directly. Don’t drag Lilian into it."

There it was again.

Her name.

Always her name.

An apology wrapped carefully around her safety.

My fingers curled at my sides.

"So ’sorry’ is all you have to say?" I whispered. "After stepping on me like I don’t feel anything at all?"

Silence.

He didn’t answer.

That silence hurt more than anything he could have said.

I lifted my gaze and looked at him properly.

"One question," I said slowly.

"If we had a child... would you still treat me this way? Would you still go ahead with the divorce?"

His eyes darkened slightly.

"There are no ’what ifs,’ Alicia," he said flatly.

A pause.

"And even if there were... I wouldn’t let a child be dragged into this mess."

That was it.

Something inside me finally cracked open completely.

Not loudly.

Not dramatically.

Just... quietly breaking apart.

I gave a small nod.

"Fine," I said.

My voice was calm now.

Too calm.

"Do whatever you want. I don’t care anymore."

I turned and walked out before he could say anything else.

No hesitation.

No looking back.

Back in my office, the silence felt heavier than ever.

I opened the drawer and took out the Divorce Settlement Agreement.

The same document I had avoided looking at for days.

Now I stared at it without blinking.

Two years.

Two years of marriage.

Reduced to paper and numbers.

My hand didn’t shake as I picked up the pen.

Stroke by stroke, I signed my name.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Final.

When I was done, I just sat there for a moment.

Alexander Blackwood had never truly been mine.

And perhaps... he never would be.

I placed the pen down.

Then picked up my phone.

"Send this document to CEO Blackwood’s office," I said quietly.

Third-Person POV

Vicki James didn’t hesitate.

She took the file and headed straight for the CEO’s office.

To her, it was routine. Director Alicia was the chairman’s granddaughter and the CEO’s adopted sister—delivering documents to Alexander Blackwood was normal.

"Are those for the CEO?" Jane Smith asked from the front desk.

"Yes. From Director Alicia."

"I’ll pass it to him," Jane replied, taking the file.

Inside the office, she placed it neatly on Alexander’s desk.

He didn’t look up.

"What is this?" he asked.

"I’m not sure. Director Alicia’s assistant delivered it. Said it was for you."

Jane left.

Silence filled the room.

Alexander stared at the folder for a long time before opening it.

The title hit him first.

DIVORCE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

His expression darkened.

Slowly, he turned the pages.

Then he saw it.

Her signature.

Neat.

Precise.

Unmistakable.

Alicia.

He stared at it longer than he should have.

Finally, he closed the file and leaned back in his chair.

The image of her face returned to him uninvited.

Her eyes.

The way they had looked at him earlier.

Like she no longer recognized him.

His phone vibrated.

He answered without checking the screen.

"Alexander," Lilian’s soft voice came through, trembling slightly. "You saw the trending topics, right? I’m sorry... if I had been more careful, this wouldn’t have happened."

He didn’t answer immediately.

"Alexander?"

He closed his eyes briefly.

Then forced his voice steady.

"It’s fine. I’ve handled it. It won’t affect you."

"Really?" she softened instantly. "Thank you... you’re always so good to me."