Five days later, Clara finally stirred.
Her lashes trembled as she forced her heavy eyelids open, the ceiling white and unfamiliar. Turning her head, she saw Jonathan seated on the sofa beside her bed, documents spread neatly before him.
The moment her eyes met his, his pen stilled.
“You’re awake?”
He set the papers aside and was at her side in seconds. His palm brushed her forehead with deliberate care before he let out a quiet breath of relief.
“The fever’s broken. How do you feel?”
Her lips parted, but her throat was so parched that not a sound emerged. Jonathan immediately lifted a sippy cup, tilting it gently to her lips. Warm water slid down her throat, easing the dryness.
On the bedside table, the phone he had prepared for her buzzed. Caller ID: Lawyer Bennett.
“Ms. Winter, I’m glad you’re finally awake.” The lawyer’s voice carried both fatigue and relief. “According to procedure, the seven-day consideration period has expired. Since you haven’t withdrawn the agreement, the divorce will officially take effect tomorrow. Would you like me to send the certificate and related documents to the Cole family?”
Clara’s chest tightened, as if invisible hands had clenched around her heart—only to slowly, finally release.
She closed her eyes. Memories rushed past like shards of glass: their first meeting, the lean years of building a business together, the promises whispered in the dark. Then—the indifference in his study, the humiliation in the villa, Snowball hanging from a rope, Vanessa’s vicious laughter.
When she opened her eyes again, her voice was steady.
“Send it back.”
After hanging up, she instinctively opened the news app.
Negative headlines about the Cole Corporation exploded across the screen without her even searching:
Cole Corporation’s stock plummets, market value evaporates by nearly 10 billion!
Investor confidence collapses amid CEO Adrian’s scandalous affair!
Adrian’s mistress exposed: suspected ties to underground circles!
Cole Corporation’s PR fails to stop public outrage!
Some articles even included grainy photos—Vanessa, cornered and shouting at a swarm of reporters.
As Clara scrolled, her phone began to vibrate wildly, bombarded by messages from unknown numbers. Most were slurs, vicious texts dripping with venom. She frowned just as another call came through.
She answered without speaking.
“Clara!” Adrian’s furious roar cracked through the line. “You vile woman! Was this your doing? Did you sell our private matters to the press?”
His voice was shaking with rage. “I misjudged you. Pretending to be kind and dignified, but in truth you’re rotten to the core! Are you so jealous of me? So desperate to ruin Vanessa?”
Her chest tightened, then went numb. She drew a slow breath and answered evenly, “It wasn’t me. I didn’t do anything.”
“Who else if not you? Vanessa already told me—you’re eaten up with jealousy, scheming for revenge!”
His tone was harsh, thick with loathing. “Do you even know what’s happening? Vanessa is being torn apart online! She can’t even go outside! If anything happens to her, I swear, I’ll never let you go!”
The irony carved cold lines in her heart.
Adrian’s curses spilled until he abruptly shifted tone, sharp with suspicion.
“Where have you been these past few days? You had nothing—not a cent on you. I sent men everywhere, from shelters to filthy motels, but you vanished. Tell me, where are you hiding?”
Clara pressed her pale lips together and said nothing.
Her silence only fed his frenzy. He sneered, his voice dripping with scorn:
“Mute now? Or is it guilt? Tell me—did you already find a man to keep you? Huh? Did you crawl into another owner’s bed the second I threw you out?”
A mocking female laugh filtered through the line. Vanessa’s voice, sharp as glass:
“Adrian, do you even need to ask? It’s obvious. I told you—she’s no good. Acts all innocent, but she’s just a slut. A woman like her can’t survive without a man to pay her bills.”
Her voice grew shriller with pride.
“I’ve been in the nightlife long enough to recognize it. I guarantee she’s already being kept by some old rich man. Don’t be fooled—she’s filthier than anyone!”
“Shut up!”
Clara’s voice cracked out before she could stop herself, raw with fury. She couldn’t endure another word of their venom.
With trembling hands, she ended the call. Then, without hesitation, she blocked Adrian’s number forever.
