Jimmy still wasn’t fully reassured even after Dorothea gave him her word.
He had someone escort her home, and guards were stationed outside the villa gates, as if he really feared she might leave him.
The moment she stepped inside, she bolted straight for the room where the old piano was kept.
What she saw made her stop cold.
The piano had been smashed to pieces, violently destroyed with what looked like a hammer. The keys were shattered across the floor like broken teeth.
Suddenly, it felt like the entire world had been muted.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the scene in front of her. A metallic sweetness gradually rose in her throat.
The next second, a mouthful of blood burst from her lips, staining the carpet beneath her.
Her vision went dark, and she collapsed to the floor.
When she regained consciousness, she was still lying in the same position. Not far from her was the ruined piano.
Pulling out her phone, she dialed Jimmy’s mother.
“Mom, back when I risked my life to save Jimmy, you said you’d grant me one request, no matter what, as compensation.”
There was a brief pause on the other end. “Right. What do you want, dear?”
“I want a divorce from Jimmy,” she said, her voice rough. “And I need you to prepare a new identity for me. I have to make sure that after the divorce, he will never be able to find me again.”
She knew Jimmy’s obsessive nature all too well. There was no way he would let her go so easily.
It wasn’t enough to just leave him. She had to make sure he could never track her down and drag her back into this gilded cage.
The only person capable of making that happen was his powerful mother.
“Alright,” Olga replied. “I’ll do it. But it will take a month to prepare everything.”
If enduring one more month meant Dorothea could escape this hell and finally break free from the web of lies Jimmy had so carefully spun, then it was worth it.
Three days later, early in the morning, Jimmy returned to the villa. One arm was wrapped around Kim while the other carried a baby cradle.
“Dorothea,” he said, “Kim’s been discharged from the hospital. She just gave birth, and she’s still in a bad condition. I’m going to have her stay here so it’ll be easier to take care of her.”
Holding her eldest daughter Chrisette by the hand, Kim gave Dorothea a soft, apologetic smile.
“Sorry to trouble you, Dorothea.”
The moment Chrisette stepped inside, her eyes lit up. She let go of her mother’s hand and immediately began exploring the villa.
Jimmy glanced at Dorothea. “Once Kim finishes her postpartum recovery, and when the second child is officially registered under the family name, she’ll formally acknowledge you in public with a toast.”
At that point, Kim would be publicly acknowledged as part of the family.
“From now on, the two of you should get along. Stay by my side together.”
‘Stay by his side together with his mistress?’
A cold, mocking smile flickered in Dorothea’s heart, but she simply nodded. “Alright. No problem.”
After all, she would be gone in a month.
A trace of surprise crossed Jimmy’s eyes. “You’re agreeing just like that? You’re not going to make a scene?”
Dorothea frowned slightly, as if confused. “Make a scene? Why would I? Didn’t you say I should behave?”
Jimmy released Kim and stepped forward, wrapping an arm around Dorothea’s waist as he led her aside.
“I know having Kim move in will make you uncomfortable.”
As he spoke, he placed a key in her palm.
“This is for a newly released villa at Bel Air. I’ve already bought it and registered it under your name. Think of it as compensation.”
Just then, Chrisette came running down the stairs.
“Daddy! While you were talking, I already picked a room for Mommy! The biggest one at the end of the hallway. The one with a view of the garden downstairs. Mommy will surely love it!”
Jimmy nodded. “Kim just gave birth. She needs proper rest. The master bedroom gets the most sunlight. It’s the most suitable.”
He turned to Dorothea, saying, “Dorothea, go move your stuff out the master bedroom for Kim.”
That was the master bedroom. The bedroom he and Dorothea once shared.
The day they first moved into the villa, Jimmy had eagerly taken her upstairs the moment they walked in.
“Dorothea, I designed this room myself. It’s all based on what you like.”
A starlit ceiling. A European-style double bed. Soft pink walls.
And now, he was asking her to give it up.
Now, it didn’t matter anymore. She was leaving soon anyway.
“Okay,” Dorothea said quietly before turning and heading upstairs.
She packed everything: her clothes, her jewelry, all of her personal belongings.
She even took down their wedding photos from the wall.
Every trace of her existence in the master bedroom was erased, as if she had never lived there at all.
She moved into a guest room on the first floor.
Sitting by the window, she placed her hands flat on the table, imagining piano keys beneath her fingers. She closed her eyes and began practicing the piece in her mind.
A quiet resolve began to take shape in her.
Once Jimmy’s mother finished arranging everything, she would return to the world of piano performance and pursue her dream of becoming a pianist.
She was completely immersed in the music in her head when the door suddenly burst open.
Jimmy stormed in, his face red with rage.
“Dorothea! I knew it! You’re not as simple as you pretend to be!”
“If you’re unhappy, take it out on me! Hit me, yell at me, whatever you want! But why would you go after my child?!”
