Eliana Hamilton went to Jared Palmer, her ex-boyfriend and a renowned lawyer, to arrange a divorce from her current husband.
In the past, after Eliana casually said she liked something, Bryson Snyder had purchased the entire brand and presented it to her on her birthday. He waited at her company entrance on rainy days to take her home, and protected her when Celia Snyder made things hard for her. To ensure she received acknowledgment from her family, he even suffered ninety-nine lashes.
Everyone believed Bryson deeply loved the orphan girl, Eliana.
Until the day his first love came back to the country, he joked with his friends.
“Everyone believes I secretly loved Eliana, false.”
“From start to finish, the only one I liked was Althea Wagner, but my mother looks down on her, thinking she’s just a young model without status.”
“So I made it seem like I had secretly loved Eliana for many years, first because her reputation was already ruined, having been involved with Jared for so long. After being together long enough, my mom might allow Althea to join the family.”
At that moment, Eliana finally understood that love could be faked.
Bryson did not love her, so she applied for divorce again and again, but was turned down repeatedly by top law firms.
Not only that, but it was even during the crucial time of her younger brother’s surgery.
Just because a dog raised by Althea had a stomach problem, Bryson pulled all the doctors out of the operating room.
While everyone gathered in the nearby consultation room to treat the dog, her younger brother, due to the missed rescue timing, died completely in the cold operating room.
When it came to feelings, she could not match Althea.
When it came to value, her younger brother’s life was not even worth a dog.
It was her younger brother’s bloody death that fully woke her up.
However, Bryson did not remember that he also had his own first love, just as Eliana did.
If Mila Palmer had not parted the lovers before, her husband now would have been Jared.
Still, on the day Jared succeeded in helping her with the divorce, he knelt before Eliana, his eyes flushed as he asked for her forgiveness.
Eliana only smiled. “You cheated, I divorced, but I reunited with my ex. Why are you crying?”
...…
Five years ago, Eliana left the reigning king of the legal world, Jared, and turned to marry Bryson, the crown prince of the city circle.
Five years later, Eliana sat across from the man and pleaded, “Jared, as long as you can help me handle this divorce case, I can pay any amount.”
Jared smiled smugly and lifted his brows as he asked, “What? You lost?”
Eliana looked down and self-mockingly smiled.
Back then, she and Jared had been close to getting married.
However, one day before the wedding, Mila threatened her through her only younger brother.
Mila strapped a bomb to her younger brother and warned.
“At the wedding tomorrow, you will publicly break things off with Jared and make sure he gives up on you. If you don’t, your younger brother will be the first to suffer. If he means nothing to you, then feel free to go through with the marriage.”
Eliana had lost both parents when she was young and relied on her younger brother to survive.
The Palmer family stood at the top of the city’s wealthy circles, and since she started seeing Jared, Mila had never respected her status.
Jared was now set on marrying her no matter what, and Mila used her final tactic.
She knew that even if she revealed the truth and Jared protected her this time, what about the second time?
So, on the wedding day, she publicly abandoned Jared.
When Bryson, the crown prince of the city circle, found out, he started chasing her relentlessly and once again used her family to threaten her.
If she refused the marriage, no one in the Hamilton family would remain alive.
Eliana was forced to accept, counting the days as she waited for Bryson to get tired and take the lead in letting her go.
Yet after the wedding, Bryson had fully changed into a different man.
Just because Eliana casually said she liked something, Bryson would acquire the entire brand and present it to her for her birthday.
On rainy days, he would show up at her office on time to pick her up after work.
When Celia made things difficult for her, he would defend her and even endure ninety-nine lashes to help her be accepted by the family.
Eliana believed that what she lost had been replaced elsewhere, and she gradually developed feelings for him.
Yet at that moment, Bryson had an affair with a young model.
When she discovered it, Eliana argued, caused a scene, and even said she would divorce him.
The night before they went to the City Hall, Bryson knelt down and admitted his fault, promising it would be the last time.
Around that time, Eliana became pregnant with Bryson’s child, and for the sake of the baby, she decided to give him another chance.
Four peaceful years made her believe he had truly changed.
But half a month ago, when she went to the company to find Bryson, she discovered the truth.
That day, the rain poured heavily. Eliana was soaked to the bone, but it was nothing compared to the pain caused by Bryson’s cruel words.
Bryson said, “Everyone assumed I secretly loved Eliana, wrong.”
“From start to finish, the only person I liked was Althea, but my mother looked down on her, thinking she was just a young model and not from a high status.”
“So I acted as if I had quietly loved Eliana for years, partly because her situation was already messy, having been with Jared for so many years. After staying together long enough, my mother might have agreed to let Althea join the family.”
Inside the room, everyone laughed, and someone asked, “Bryson, aren’t you worried that one day your wife will find out and make a scene by asking for a divorce?”
Bryson laughed openly and replied with confidence, “In the capital, there isn’t a lawyer brave enough to handle my case. In this lifetime, I’m the only one who can walk away from her. Eliana has no right to say it’s finished.”
After that, Eliana had searched for every possible way to divorce, checking all the law firms in the capital.
Yet as soon as they found out it was Bryson’s divorce case, they all declined her request.
Worse still, during the critical moment of her younger brother’s surgery.
Simply because Althea’s dog had stomach pain, Bryson pulled all the doctors out of the operating room.
As everyone stayed in the next consultation room to care for the dog, her younger brother, due to the missed critical rescue time, passed away in the cold operating room.
In terms of affection, she could not match Althea.
When it came to value, her younger brother’s life was less than that of a dog.
It turned out that a man’s concern and love could be pretended.
It was her younger brother’s bloodied life that completely woke her up.
The love from before had faded like smoke and clouds, all unreal, leaving behind only endless lies.
So no matter what, she had to take the child and completely get away from Bryson.
The Snyder family in the city held overwhelming power, and ordinary people truly did not dare to oppose them.
But the Palmer family stood against the Snyders, and in the whole city, the only one who dared to take this case was Jared.
So even though she knew Jared hated her, she still had no choice but to go to him.
Coming back to her senses, Eliana looked at him and spoke clearly, word by word.
“Yes, back then I couldn’t tell the difference between a person and a dog, so will you take this case?”
Even in this hopeless situation, Eliana kept her back straight.
Jared lit a cigarette. The smoke drifted around his face, making his expression hard to read and impossible to guess to Eliana.
“Eliana, you were the one who left me back then. The fact that I’m not making things worse for you now is already kindness. What makes you think I’d help you?”
“With the small amount of money you have, it isn’t even enough to cover my appearance fee.”
Eliana fixed her gaze on him.
Unlike five years ago, the innocence on her face had faded, replaced by calmness and coldness.
She should have realized it earlier. After five years of experience, Jared had already changed.
“Then why did you still come to the meeting, to see how miserable I am and then laugh at me?”
Jared did not reply, only smiled and made a soft sound, which was taken as agreement.
Eliana’s pride was trampled under the man’s feet, yet she did not give up and instead continued to bargain.
“Jared, as long as you agree to help me handle this divorce case, I will stay with you.”
Across from her, Jared’s fingers gripping the cigarette tightened slightly without reason.
Some brief gentleness flashed in his eyes, but his words remained cold until the end.
“Five years, what made you think I still wanted you?”
Eliana gestured toward the necklace on his neck. “Because you are still wearing the necklace I gave you.”
“This necklace was something I bought with my own earnings back then, a little more than one hundred dollars. Attorney Palmer’s status has gone up. Could it be you can’t even buy a necklace?”
“Help me get a divorce, and I will give you a big gift.”
Jared curled his lips and lifted his brows with a smile. “What kind of gift?”
“I hold all the Snyder family’s illegal business operations over the years, enough to make them fall.”
“I only have one requirement. When the time comes, I want eighty percent of the Snyder family’s assets.”
Jared suddenly put out the cigarette in front of him. “Miss Hamilton, you have quite a strong appetite.”
“But I accept this cooperation.”
