Celeste Rodriguez and Trevor Fleming have been married for seven years. He treats her coldly throughout the marriage, but she faces it with a smile because she loves him deeply. She also believes she can melt his heart one day. However, all she gets is the news of him falling for another woman at first sight. He gives her all his care and concern, but Celeste stands strong. On her birthday, she flies abroad to be with Trevor and their daughter, Jordyn Fleming. To her devastation, Trevor brings Jordyn to meet his true love. They leave Celeste to spend the day alone. She finally gives up on him. She's also no longer hurt when Jordyn wants the woman to replace her as her mother. Celeste prepares a divorce agreement and gives up her custody rights. She leaves without another look back, cutting Trevor and Jordyn out of her life. All she needs to do now is wait for the divorce to be finalized. After giving up on her family and returning to the workplace, she easily makes a fortune. She shows the people who once looked down on her that she's better than they think. Celeste waits for her divorce certificate to arrive, but it never comes. She also notices that Trevor starts coming home more often when he's always refused in the past. He clings to her, too. When he learns that she wants a divorce, he drops his usual aloofness and pins her to the wall. "A divorce? That's not happening."

Chapter 1 When Celeste Rodriguez arrived at the airport in Andostan, it was already past 9:00 pm.It was her birthday that day. Therefore, she received a bunch of birthday wishes from her colleagues and friends when she turned on her phone.However, there was no message from her husband, Trevor Fleming, at all.Celeste's smile faded.By the time she reached the villa, it was already past 10:00 pm.Hannah Lynd, the housekeeper, was startled when she saw her. "Oh, Mrs. Fleming… Why have you come here?""Where are Trevor and Jo?" Celeste asked."Mr. Fleming hasn't returned yet, and Ms. Fleming is in her room, playing," Hannah replied.Celeste handed her luggage to Hannah. When she went upstairs, she found Jordyn wearing a pair of pajamas and sitting at her table, fiddling with something. She was so focused that she didn't even notice anyone entering the room."Jo?" Celeste called out.Jordyn turned her head when she heard her. In a happy tone, she greeted, "Mom!"Then, she turned back to her task.Celeste walked over and pulled Jordyn into her arms. She had just given Jordyn a kiss on the cheek before the little one pushed her away."Mom, I'm busy right now."It had been two months since Celeste last saw Jordyn. She missed her so much that no amount of kisses felt enough. She wanted to talk to Jordyn.But upon seeing how focused Jordyn was, Celeste felt like she shouldn't disrupt her enthusiasm. "Jo, are you making a seashell necklace?""Mm-hm!" When Celeste asked about that, Jordyn perked up visibly. "Wynn's birthday is in a week. This is the birthday gift Dad and I are preparing for her. We carefully polished these shells with tools. Aren't they pretty?"Celeste's throat tightened. Before she could say anything, she heard Jordyn, with her back still turned, happily say, "Dad even had a customized gift prepared for Wynn. Tomorrow—"Celeste felt a pang in her chest and couldn't hold back anymore. "Jo… Do you remember it's my birthday today?""Huh? What?" Jordyn glanced up at her, then quickly looked back down at the string of beads in her hands. She complained, "Mom, don't talk to me. You're messing up the bead order—"Celeste released her hold on Jordyn and said nothing more. She stood there for a long time, but Jordyn didn't look up at her even once. Finally, Celeste pursed her lips and left the room without a word.When Hannah saw her, she said, "I just called Mr. Fleming. He said he has something to do tonight and told you to rest first.""I see." Celeste acknowledged her words softly.As she thought about what Jordyn had just said, she paused for a bit and called Trevor.It took a long while before he answered, his tone was indifferent as usual. "I'm busy. Let's talk tomorrow—""Trevor, who's calling you so late?" It was Wynn's voice.Celeste tightened her grip on her phone."It's nothing important," Trevor responded to Wynn's question.Before Celeste could say anything, Trevor had already hung up.The two of them hadn't seen each other in two or three months, and she had finally made it to Andostan. Not only did he not rush home to see her, but he also didn't even have the patience to finish one phone call with her.After so many years of marriage, he had always been like this—cold, distant, and impatient.Celeste had gotten used to it.In the past, she would have called him again. Then, she would patiently ask where he was and whether he could come home. Perhaps she was too tired tonight. So, she suddenly didn't feel like doing so.The next morning, Celeste thought it over and decided to call Trevor again.There was a time difference of about 17 or 18 hours between Andostan and their home country. In Andostan, today was her actual birthday.She didn't come to Andostan just to see Jordyn and Trevor. She hoped their family of three could spend this special day together by having a meal.This was her birthday wish for the year.Yet, Trevor didn't answer her call.A long time later, he sent a message: "What's up?"Celeste wrote: "Do you have time at noon? Let's bring Jo along and have lunch together as a family."Trevor replied: "Okay. Let me know the address when it's decided."Celeste texted back: "Alright."After that, there was no further message from him. He hadn't remembered it was her birthday at all. Although Celeste was mentally prepared, she couldn't help feeling a pang of disappointment.She was about to head downstairs after washing up when she overheard Jordyn and Hannah talking."Aren't you happy that Mrs. Fleming is here, Ms. Fleming?" Hannah asked.Jordyn said, "Dad and I already promised to take Wynn to the beach tomorrow. If Mom comes along, it'll be so awkward. And Mom is so mean. She's always unkind to Wynn—""Ms. Fleming, Mrs. Fleming is your mother. You shouldn't say such things. You'll hurt her feelings, you know?""I know, but Dad and I like Wynn more. Can't Wynn be my mom instead?"Hannah didn't know what to say to that.Whatever she said afterward, Celeste couldn't hear it anymore.She had raised Jordyn herself. But over the past two years, the more time Jordyn spent with Trevor, the more attached she became to him. When Trevor came to Andostan to expand his business last year, Jordyn had insisted on coming along.Celeste was reluctant and had hoped Jordyn would stay by her side. But she couldn't bear to see Jordyn upset, so she agreed.She hadn't expected this.Celeste stood frozen in place, her face pale. She was unable to move for a long time. To think that she had pushed aside her work to come to Andostan with the intention of spending more time with Jordyn.Now, it seemed unnecessary.She returned to her room. Then, she repacked the gifts she had brought from home and put them back into her suitcase.Later, Hannah called to say she had taken Jordyn out to play and to contact her if anything came up.Celeste sat on the bed, feeling hollow and lost inside. She had abandoned her work and made this trip, only to find no one wanted her here.Her arrival was nothing but a joke.After a long while, she left the villa. Aimlessly, she wandered through this foreign yet familiar country.By noon, she remembered she had planned to have lunch with Trevor and Jordyn. As she recalled what she had overheard in the morning, she hesitated about whether to go home and pick up Jordyn.Then, she suddenly received a message from Trevor that read: "Something came up at noon. Lunch is canceled."Celeste stared at the message, unsurprised.She was used to this. In Trevor's world, work, friends, and everything else were more important than her, his wife. Plans made with her were always canceled at his whim without consideration for her feelings.Was she disappointed? Perhaps she would have been in the past. Now, she just felt numb and couldn't feel anything anymore.Celeste was at an utter loss. She had come all this way excitedly only to be met with indifference from both Trevor and Jordyn.Before she realized it, she had driven to a restaurant she and Trevor used to frequent. Just as she was about to go in, she saw Trevor, Wynn, and Jordyn sitting together inside.Wynn sat close to Jordyn on the same side. She chatted with Trevor while interacting with Jordyn playfully. Jordyn, with her legs swinging around happily, played with Wynn and even leaned in to eat the pastries Wynn had taken a bite out of.Trevor smiled as he served food to both of them. His gaze never left Wynn as if she were the only one he could see in his eyes.So, this was what Trevor meant when he said that something had come up. This was the daughter she had carried in her womb for ten months and nearly lost her life to bring into this world.Celeste laughed humorlessly. She stood there watching for a long time. Finally, she turned away and left.Back at the villa, Celeste prepared a divorce agreement.Trevor had been her teenage dream, but he had never truly seen or paid attention to her.If not for that accidental night and the pressure from his grandfather, Arnold Fleming, Trevor wouldn't have married her.In the past, she had naïvely believed that if she worked hard enough, he would eventually acknowledge and see her.Unfortunately, the reality was harsh and dealt a cruel blow to her.Almost seven years had passed, so it was time to wake up.After placing the divorce agreement in an envelope and instructing Hannah to hand it to Trevor, Celeste dragged her suitcase to the car and said to the driver, "To the airport."

Chapter 2 At around 9:00 pm, Trevor and Jordyn returned home.Jordyn clung to the hem of Trevor's coat and got out of the car sluggishly. Because Celeste was at home, she was reluctant to return that night.But Wynn had said that Celeste came specifically to be with her and Trevor, and if they didn't return, she would be sad. Trevor also said that if they didn't go home that night, Celeste would definitely insist on joining them on their outing to the sea the next day.Reluctantly, Jordyn agreed to come home.Still worried, she muttered gloomily, "Dad, what if Mom insists on tagging along with us tomorrow?""She won't," Trevor replied confidently.In all the years they'd been married, Celeste had always tried to find ways to spend more time with him. But she was also sensible. As long as he made his stance clear, she wouldn't dare make him upset.In Jordyn's memory, Celeste always listened to Trevor. Since he said she wouldn't, she felt reassured. As a result, her mood lifted. She made her way into the villa cheerfully and told Hannah she wanted to take a bath."Sure, sure," Hannah replied to Jordyn. Then, she remembered Celeste's instructions and handed an envelope to Trevor. "Mr. Fleming, this is from Mrs. Fleming. She asked me to give it to you."Trevor took the envelope and asked casually, "Where is she?""Mrs. Fleming packed up and went back to the country this afternoon. Didn't you know?" Hannah responded.Trevor paused mid-step as he was heading upstairs. He turned back, feeling a little surprised. "Has she gone back?""Yes."Why had Celeste suddenly come to Andostan? Trevor hadn't given her a chance to tell him about it. He hadn't cared to ask either. Upon learning she'd left, he didn't dwell on it.Jordyn was a little surprised too. When she heard the news, she felt a small twinge of disappointment. She'd been thinking that even if Celeste didn't join them for the outing tomorrow, it might be nice to have her around at home in the evening.Polishing the seashells made her hands hurt—she had been counting on Celeste's help in finishing the necklace.Though it had been months since Trevor and Celeste had seen each other, she had made the effort to visit but only to leave without seeing him in person. Hannah recalled Celeste's grim expression as she left and thought that things felt a little off.She couldn't help but say, "Mr. Fleming, Mrs. Fleming looked upset when she left. She seemed angry."Hannah had assumed Celeste's sudden departure was due to an urgent matter. Upon realizing Trevor hadn't known she'd left, she began to feel something was amiss."Angry?" Trevor repeated in his mind.In his presence, Celeste had always been patient and accommodating. So, she could get angry too? This was new.Trevor smiled faintly and responded to Hannah perfunctorily before heading upstairs.Back in the bedroom, he was about to open the envelope Celeste had left when Wynn called. After answering the call, he tossed the envelope aside and walked out the door.A short while later, the envelope slipped off the bed onto the floor.That night, Trevor didn't return home.The next day, Hannah noticed the envelope on the floor when she was cleaning. Recognizing it as the one Celeste had asked her to hand over, she assumed Trevor had already seen it and placed it in a nearby drawer.…Right after getting off the plane, Celeste went home and began packing her belongings. She had accumulated quite a few things in the house since she'd been living there for six years, after all. But she only took a few sets of clothes, two sets of daily necessities, and some books that were related to her field of study back in college.After their marriage, Trevor had been depositing money for her and Jordyn into two separate accounts every month. One account was hers, and the other was Jordyn's.However, Celeste was used to spending her own money only. She had never touched the money in Jordyn's account. Because she loved Trevor, whenever she went shopping and saw clothes, shoes, cufflinks, or ties that suited him, she couldn't help but buy them.In contrast, she didn't have many expenses on a daily basis because all she did was go to work. Her heart and mind were always focused on Trevor and Jordyn. She wanted to give them the best of everything.Most of the money Trevor deposited into her bank account was spent on him and Jordyn.Given this spending pattern, there shouldn't have been much money left in Celeste's account. But over the past year, her opportunities to buy things for Trevor and Jordyn had decreased significantly because they were in Andostan.Now, there were over three million dollars in her account. That amount might not matter to Trevor, but to her, it was no small sum. And since it was her money, Celeste didn't hesitate to transfer it out.She left both cards behind, dragged her suitcase out the door, and didn't look back.Celeste had an apartment near her workplace, which was a little over 1,100 square feet. She'd bought it four years ago to support a friend who had been struggling to meet their sales targets. She had never lived there before.Now, the apartment came in handy. She had it cleaned regularly, so it wasn't dirty. After a quick tidy-up, it was ready to move in.After a long day, Celeste washed up and went to bed around 10:00 pm.…The shrill sound of an alarm jolted Celeste awake. Startled, her mind went blank for a moment.When she came to her senses, she realized that while it was 1:00 am here, it was 7:00 am in Andostan, where Trevor and Jordyn were. This was their usual breakfast time.Ever since Jordyn had gone to live with Trevor in Andostan, Celeste had developed the habit of calling her at this time every day. As she was always exhausted from work and was used to going to bed early, she had set this alarm to ensure she wouldn't miss the call.At first, Jordyn hadn't adapted well to living in Andostan and had missed her terribly. She had called Celeste constantly. But as time went on, the calls that used to be full of yearning and dependence had grown perfunctory and impatient.The alarm was no longer necessary. She just hadn't been able to let go.Smiling bitterly, Celeste deleted the alarm and turned off her phone before going back to sleep.…Meanwhile, Trevor and Jordyn were nearly done with breakfast. Though he knew Celeste usually called Jordyn at this time, he wasn't always home and hadn't paid much attention to the routine.He noticed that Celeste hadn't called that day. The fact registered in his mind, but he didn't care. After finishing breakfast, he went upstairs to change.Jordyn, finding Celeste increasingly annoying, had grown less fond of their calls. Upon realizing that Celeste hadn't called yet, she figured something must have come up.She grabbed her backpack and bolted for the door.Hannah hurried after her. "Ms. Fleming, it's still early. There's no rush!"Jordyn ignored her and ran to the car happily. She was thrilled that Celeste hadn't called on time that day. If she stayed home, she might still have to talk to Celeste later. Well, she didn't want that!…After getting married to Trevor, Celeste had joined Fleming Group for his sake. Now that she was planning to divorce him, she saw no reason to stay.The next morning, Celeste handed her resignation letter to Zeke Jackson after arriving at the office.

Chapter 3 Zeke was one of Trevor's personal secretaries. When he saw Celeste's resignation letter, he was extremely surprised.He was one of the few in the company who knew about the relationship between Celeste and Trevor.Anyone familiar with Trevor knew that he didn't love Celeste. So, he had been cold to her and rarely went home after their marriage.To get closer to and win over Trevor, Celeste had chosen to work at Fleming Group.Her initial goal was to become his personal secretary, but Trevor refused vehemently. Even when Arnold stepped in, he couldn't get Trevor to agree. In the end, Celeste had to settle for a position in the secretarial team, becoming one of Trevor's many ordinary secretaries.At first, Zeke had worried that Celeste's presence in the secretarial team would create chaos. But to his surprise, she didn't bring them any trouble. Although Celeste used her position to get closer to Trevor, she was mindful of her timing and never overstepped her boundaries.On the contrary, she worked diligently and performed exceptionally well, hoping to gain Trevor's respect. Whether during her pregnancy, childbirth, or any other time, she strictly adhered to company policies and never sought special treatment.Over the years, Celeste rose to become the head of the secretarial team. Zeke had observed her feelings for Trevor from the sidelines all the while. To be honest, he had never imagined she would resign one day. He felt skeptical about her willingly giving up her position.Something must have happened between Celeste and Trevor for her to resign now. Zeke understood that this was something he wasn't privy to—it must be something significant enough for Trevor to have ordered her to resign.While he found it a pity, Zeke maintained a professional tone. "I acknowledge that I've received your resignation letter. I'll arrange for someone to take over your duties as soon as possible.""Alright." Celeste nodded and returned to her workstation.After working for a while, Zeke started an online meeting with Trevor to report on company matters. As the conversation neared its end, he suddenly remembered Celeste's resignation."Oh, Mr. Fleming, there's one more thing—"Although Zeke had told Celeste he would quickly arrange for someone to take over her position, he wanted to gauge Trevor's thoughts on the matter first. If Trevor wanted Celeste out immediately, he would make the arrangements right away.But as the words left his mouth, he remembered that when Celeste first joined the company, Trevor had explicitly stated that all matters regarding her employment should be handled per company regulations. He made it clear that there was no need to report anything to him since he wouldn't concern himself with her.And indeed, over the years, Trevor had never actively inquired about Celeste's work at the company.Even when he encountered her at work, he treated her like she was a complete stranger.When Celeste was set to be promoted a couple of years ago, the team had hesitated. Everyone was aware of Trevor's dislike for her. They had even brought it up with him to gauge his opinion back then.Trevor had frowned in annoyance and reiterated that he wouldn't interfere and that they should handle it according to company policy. He had emphasized that they shouldn't bring up Celeste's matters with him again.Seeing Zeke's hesitation, Trevor frowned. "What is it?"Zeke snapped out of his thoughts and quickly replied, "Oh, it's nothing."Since Trevor was already aware of Celeste's resignation but hadn't brought it up, it was clear that this matter wasn't important to him. So, Zeke decided to proceed as usual and handle the matter according to company regulations.With that resolved, Trevor ended the call.…"What are you thinking about?" At noon, a colleague patted Celeste on the shoulder.Celeste came back to her senses and smiled, shaking her head. "Nothing.""Don't you need to call your daughter today?""No, not today."Typically, she called Jordyn twice a day—once at 1:00 am and once at around 12:00 pm.Her colleagues at work were aware of this habit. What they didn't know was her daughter was the child she had with the company's CEO.After work, Celeste went to the supermarket. She bought some groceries and a few potted plants before heading home.After dinner, she browsed online for information about the upcoming technology exhibition.After that, she made a call. "Please reserve a ticket for next month's tech exhibition for me.""Are you sure?" the person on the other end replied coolly. "The last two times you asked me to reserve tickets, you didn't show up. Do you know how many people's lifelong dream is to get one of those tickets? You wasted them thoughtlessly."The annual tech exhibition was a major event in the industry, and tickets were not easily obtainable.Their company had a limited number of slots, and many IT elites working for them eagerly vied for the opportunity to attend it."If I don't show up to the exhibition this time, I will never ask you to reserve a ticket for me ever again," Celeste promised.There was silence on the other end before the line disconnected.Celeste knew that he'd agreed. The corners of her mouth tugged upward into a smile. What she hadn't said was that she wanted to return to the company.Though she was one of the partners of her tech firm, she had stepped back during its early days to focus on marriage and family. Her decision had disrupted their development plans and cost them many opportunities.Her colleagues had been both angry and frustrated with her. Over the years, they had rarely been in contact.While Celeste was eager to return, she knew she had been out of the industry for too long. If she went back unprepared, she was worried she wouldn't be able to keep up with the company's current pace.So, she planned to spend some time familiarizing herself with the industry's latest developments before making a concrete decision.For the next few days, Celeste focused on her work during office hours and spent her evenings tending to her own matters. She didn't reach out to Jordyn or Trevor, and they didn't contact her either.Celeste wasn't surprised. For over half a year, her communication with them had been one-sided. They had only passively responded to her efforts.…Meanwhile, in Andostan, Jordyn had developed the habit of calling Wynn first thing every morning.That day, she called Wynn right after waking up as usual. However, the call didn't last long before she burst into tears.Wynn had told her some bad news. "I'm going back to the country soon."Devastated, Jordyn finished the call and immediately phoned Trevor. "Dad, did you know about this?"At his office, Trevor flipped through some documents. "Yes.""When did you find out?""It's been a while.""Dad, you're so mean…" Jordyn hugged her pink stuffed pig and cried loudly. "I don't want Wynn to leave. If she's not here, I don't want to go to school here anymore. I want to go back too!"Trevor's tone remained even. "It's already being arranged."Jordyn didn't understand. "W-What do you mean?""We're going back next week."

Chapter 4 Jordyn jumped out of bed in excitement. "Really?""Yes, really," Trevor replied."Then why didn't Wynn tell me just now?""It was just finalized. She doesn't know yet."Jordyn was ecstatic. "Dad, let's keep this a secret from Wynn. We'll surprise her when we go back to the country, okay?""Alright.""You're the best, Dad! I love you so much!"After hanging up, Jordyn was still overjoyed. She sang and danced on her bed.After a while, she suddenly thought of Celeste. For the past few days, she had been in a great mood because Celeste hadn't called her. In fact, to avoid talking to Celeste, she had deliberately left home early and even turned off her phone or kept it far away from her after school.But after two days, she was worried that Celeste might get angry if she found out. So, she stopped doing that. To her surprise, Celeste hadn't called at all in the days that followed.At first, she thought Celeste had discovered that she was deliberately avoiding her calls. But then she remembered that based on past experiences, that wasn't very likely. If Celeste knew she had done something wrong, she would immediately ask Jordyn to correct her wrongdoing instead of sulking and not calling.After all, she was the most important person to Celeste. Jordyn knew that Celeste loved her the most, so she didn't think that Celeste would purposely refrain from calling her simply because she was upset.As Jordyn thought about this, she suddenly missed Celeste. It was the first time in days she had thought about Celeste, and she couldn't resist dialing Celeste's number.But just as the call connected, she remembered that while she would get to see Wynn after returning to the country, Celeste would undoubtedly try every possible way to prevent her from meeting Wynn. She wouldn't be able to see Wynn whenever she wanted like she could now.This thought dampened Jordyn's mood.It was midnight in Celeste's time zone. She was already asleep when she was woken by the call. Upon seeing Jordyn's name on the screen, she was about to answer when the call abruptly disconnected.Although Celeste had written in her divorce agreement that she would relinquish custody of Jordyn, she still felt a sense of responsibility as her mother. Worried that something might have happened, Celeste immediately called back.When Jordyn saw the incoming call, she turned her head away and refused to answer.Celeste became more concerned and quickly called the landline at the villa.Hannah answered promptly. After hearing Celeste's concerns, she reassured her, "Ms. Fleming should be fine. She went to bed late last night and woke up late today. When I checked earlier, she was still asleep. I'll go upstairs to take a look and call you back."Feeling relieved, Celeste replied, "Thank you."When Hannah went upstairs, Jordyn was already in the bathroom brushing her teeth.After Hannah relayed Celeste being worried about her, Jordyn lowered her head and lied, "I accidentally hit the call button."Hannah believed her and didn't doubt what she said. Seeing that Jordyn was still brushing her teeth, she went back downstairs to update Celeste that Jordyn was fine.Jordyn watched as Hannah left. She huffed and finally felt a bit better.After hearing Hannah's reassurance, Celeste felt relieved too. Still, having been abruptly woken, she struggled to fall back asleep. She wasn't in great shape the next morning at work.The envelope containing the divorce agreement was completely forgotten by Trevor after the phone call with Wynn.On the day they returned to the country, Trevor packed the last document into his briefcase and ensured that nothing was left behind before heading downstairs."All set. Let's go."The Lincoln stretch limousine departed from the villa and headed to the airport.…Celeste had no idea that Trevor and Jordyn had returned to the country. No one had told her.Half a month had passed since she moved out of the villa. During that time, she had gradually grown used to and even fond of the peace and leisure of living alone.It was the weekend, and she woke up late. After freshening up, she opened the curtains to a sunny day. She stretched lazily, watered her plants, and was about to make herself a simple breakfast when the doorbell rang.It was her neighbor, Tilda Emery, who lived across from her."Ms. Rodriguez, I hope I'm not intruding," Tilda said apologetically.Celeste replied warmly, "Not at all, I was already up.""That's good," Tilda said enthusiastically. "These buns and pastries are fresh out of the oven. I just made them this morning, and I brought some over for you to try.""Thank you. It's so kind of you to do this, Mrs. Golden," Celeste said."It's the least we could do. If it weren't for you saving Sylvia from that rabid dog the other day, who knows how badly hurt she might have been? My husband and I have been wanting to thank you properly for saving our girl, but work has kept us busy. We felt so bad about it.""It was nothing, Mrs. Golden. Don't mention it."After a few more pleasantries, Tilda left.Back inside, Celeste ate breakfast while studying the algorithm of an AI she had been researching.Later that day, a news notification about Trellis College's centennial celebration popped up on her phone. Celeste paused to check the date and realized that it was indeed Trellis College's 100th-year anniversary.She browsed the news online and saw several trending hashtags about the event. The celebration was receiving high attention, not only because Trellis College was the top educational institute in the country but also because this was its first centennial celebration.Many distinguished alumni had been invited back to the alma mater for the event. Those honorary alumni were highly regarded figures in various fields.Celeste stared at the screen for a while. When she saw several familiar faces in the photos, her hand trembled slightly. Memories of her time at college flooded her mind. Her heart became unsettled.If she hadn't gotten married right after graduating with her bachelor's degree, she might have been among those honored alumni invited back for this event.Celeste closed her laptop and hesitated briefly before driving to Trellis College.It was already late in the evening when she arrived. Many of the high-profile attendees had already left, but the campus was still bustling.Celeste wandered aimlessly and eventually found herself near the familiar lab building.A familiar voice called out to her. "Cel?"…20 minutes later, at a cafe outside Trellis College, Matthias Yoder poured her a cup of coffee."How have you been lately?" he asked.Holding the cup, Celeste smiled faintly with her gaze lowered. "I'm doing well. It's just that… I'm currently preparing for a divorce."Matthias hadn't expected such a response. He paused for a while before saying, "I'm sorry to hear that.""It's alright.""What's next? Are you planning to return to the company?""I am, but…"Matthias couldn't understand why she was hesitating. He said earnestly. "Cel, the company needs you. You're a part of it, so I hope you'll come back to take charge.""But I… I…" Celeste felt conflicted when she saw his serious expression.It wasn't that she didn't want to return. The AI field had advanced rapidly, and she had been out of the industry for six years. Even if she went back now, she feared she wouldn't be able to keep up with the times, let alone lead the company and be at the forefront of the industry as she once had.

Chapter 5 Over the years, Matthias and Celeste had rarely seen each other. Yet, even from just a few encounters, Matthias could tell that she was no longer the confident and spirited person she had once been.Matthias thought back to the Celeste he knew from the past. He could never have associated the word "insecure" with that individual. He didn't know much about Celeste's marriage to Trevor, but he was completely clueless about her sorry state which was essentially an open secret.He had his suspicions but didn't voice them. Instead, he sincerely encouraged, "Falling behind for a time doesn't matter. Your ability and talent surpass that of most geniuses. As long as you're still passionate about this field, it's never too late to start again."Don't forget that you were our teacher's favorite student throughout his entire career."Celeste smiled as she listened to him. "If he heard that, he'd probably scoff and say that he didn't have much of a choice and could only settle on the least bad one."As she thought of her wise but sharp-tongued mentor, Celeste's smile faltered. "I saw on the news earlier that he also came back for the celebration. How has he been?""He's doing well, though he's often annoyed by us—his ever-disappointing students—popping up in front of him from time to time," Matthias replied.Celeste chuckled, her mind wandering back to the days when she toiled away working on thesis papers under her mentor every day."Come back, Cel," Matthias urged.Celeste gripped her cup tightly. After taking a deep breath, she nodded and said, "Alright."She had been passionate about artificial intelligence since she was a child, and she loved anything related to this field. But because of her love for Trevor, she had put her dream on hold for seven years.It would take time to catch up after such a long absence. But she believed that with hard work, it wasn't too late for her.Matthias asked, "When do you think you'll return?""I still need to transition out of my current job. It might take a while," Celeste explained."That's fine. There's no rush."As long as she was coming back, a little more time wouldn't matter.They talked for a while longer before Matthias checked the time. "I'm meeting someone who's supposedly a genius in algorithms. They just returned to the country recently. Since we bumped into each other, why don't you come along and meet them?"Celeste shook her head. "I don't know your team well. Maybe next time.""Alright."As Matthias left, Celeste saw Trevor's sister, Teagan Fleming, walking toward her. She had seen Teagen in the news but hadn't expected to run into her here.Celeste greeted, "Hello, Teagan."Teagan didn't respond to her polite greeting. She frowned hard instead. "What are you doing here?""It's Trellis College's 100th anniversary today. So, I came to visit."If Celeste hadn't brought this up, Teagan would have forgotten that she graduated from Trellis College too. But aside from current students and staff, the attendees today were mostly honorary alumni invited by the school.What was an unknown nobody like Celeste doing here?Still, as long as she didn't embarrass the Fleming family, Teagan couldn't be bothered to say much.Getting straight to the point, she said, "Nicholas says he misses your cooking. I'll have someone send him over to you and Trevor later."Nicholas was Teagan's son, and he was a year or two older than Jordyn. With her strained marriage and demanding career, Teagan had rarely been involved in her son's life. Over the years, his rebelliousness had only grown, making it even harder for her to manage him now.Upon learning that Nicholas liked Celeste's cooking, Teagan had frequently sent him over to Celeste and Trevor's place over the past two years.Aside from Martha, the Fleming family didn't take Celeste seriously. Even Nicholas looked down on her and treated her like a maid despite liking her cooking.In the past, Celeste had tolerated this for Trevor's sake. She did her best to care for Nicholas and didn't chastise or correct him whenever he was disrespectful.But now, as she and Trevor were preparing for divorce, she no longer felt the need to endure it. She rejected Teagan without hesitation. "I'm sorry, Teagan. I'm not available tomorrow."As she planned to return to the AI field, she intended to dedicate her time to meaningful pursuits. After the divorce, she would have no ties to Trevor or his family. She wouldn't waste her time on them anymore.Teagan hadn't expected Celeste to refuse her. After all, Celeste had often humbled herself to please the Fleming family for Trevor's sake.Nevertheless, Teagan didn't dwell on it. She assumed Celeste must have something important going on. Otherwise, she wouldn't have passed up the chance to curry favor.Even so, she felt annoyed. "What could possibly be so important? Trevor and Jordyn aren't even with you now."Upon hearing this, Celeste couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself. For years, she had abandoned her own identity and centered her life around them. And now, this was how Teagan viewed her.It wasn't undeserved, but Celeste wouldn't live that way anymore.Just as she was about to respond, a group of people approached them. "Ms. Fleming!"They were clearly there for Teagan.When they saw Celeste standing beside her, they looked her over before asking, "Ms. Fleming, who is this?"Teagan, of course, didn't tell them that Celeste was her sister-in-law. She replied indifferently, "A friend.""Oh, a friend…" These people, all prominent figures attending Trellis College's celebration, had assumed Celeste must be someone important upon seeing her with Teagan.But Teagan's dismissive attitude dispelled that impression. Aside from one or two people admiring Celeste's striking looks and slender legs, the rest paid her no attention. They quickly resumed their focus on Teagan and moved on.In the past, Teagan's refusal to acknowledge her would have hurt Celeste deeply. But now, she didn't care anymore.After Teagan left, Celeste picked up her bag and walked away.…That night, at around 10:00 pm, the plane carrying Trevor and Jordyn landed on time. By the time they got home, it was nearly midnight.Jordyn had fallen asleep before they arrived. When Trevor carried her upstairs, he passed the master bedroom and noticed the door was open, but the room was pitch black.After putting Jordyn on her bed and tucking her in, he returned to the master bedroom and turned on the light. Then, he glanced at the bed and found that it was empty—Celeste wasn't there.Just then, the butler, Peter Hawk, came upstairs with his luggage.Loosening his tie, Trevor asked, "Where is she?"Peter replied, "Mrs. Fleming is on a business trip."Half a month ago, Peter hadn't been around when Celeste had left with her suitcase. The other maids told him that Celeste left with a suitcase, so he had assumed she was traveling for work.Now that he thought about it, this was unusual. Celeste rarely went on business trips. Even when she did, they typically lasted only two or three days.This time, she had been gone for over two weeks."Alright," Trevor responded indifferently, asking no further questions.

Chapter 6 The next day, Celeste unexpectedly ran into Trevor at the company. She hadn't known that Trevor and Jordyn had returned to the country. Caught off guard by their sudden encounter, Celeste froze mid-step.Trevor also seemed slightly surprised to see her, but he assumed she had just returned from the business trip and didn't think much of it.He passed by her coldly, his face expressionless. As usual, he treated her like she was a stranger and turned to enter the building.In the past, if Celeste had found out that he'd suddenly come back, she would have been overjoyed. Even if she couldn't throw herself into his arms in such a scenario, she would have been very happy and excited. Her eyes would light up as she greeted him.Even if Trevor remained indifferent, she would have smiled and wished him good morning enthusiastically.But now, Celeste merely glanced at his handsome face before lowering her eyes. There was no longer any trace of the joy and excitement she once felt.Trevor didn't notice any of this and was already walking away.Watching his tall and composed figure disappear into the building, Celeste wondered when he had returned. Since he was back, perhaps the matter of their divorce could soon be addressed.Having resolved to go through with the divorce, Celeste didn't dwell on him further. After she returned to her workstation, she quickly immersed herself in her work.Half an hour later, Zeke called her and instructed her to do something. "Prepare two cups of coffee and take them to Mr. Fleming's office."In the early days of her marriage, Celeste had learned that Trevor enjoyed coffee. In hopes of winning his favor, she had spent a great deal of effort studying how to brew it perfectly. Her efforts had paid off. After tasting her coffee, Trevor began to specifically request it, both at home and at the office.When she first realized he genuinely liked the coffee she made, Celeste had been thrilled. She naively believed it was the first step toward gaining his approval.But she had underestimated his dislike and wariness of her. While he liked her coffee, that was all he liked. His attitude toward her remained cold and distant.Even when he wanted her coffee, he would have Zeke reach out to her. Once the coffee was prepared, someone else would pick it up for him. He never gave her the opportunity to approach him herself.Only on rare occasions when no one else was available did she get the chance to deliver it to his office personally.This time, it seemed she was to take the coffee directly to Trevor herself from Zeke's tone. After brewing the coffee, Celeste placed the cups on a tray and carried them to his office.The door to his office was ajar.As she approached and was about to knock on the door politely, she saw Wynn sitting on Trevor's lap. The two of them seemed to be locked in a passionate kiss.Celeste stopped in her tracks, her face turning pale.Upon seeing her, Wynn shot up from Trevor's lap, looking flustered.Trevor's expression darkened, and he questioned in an icy tone, "Who allowed you to come in?"Celeste tightened her grip on the tray. "I came to bring you your coffee—""That's enough, Ms. Rodriguez." Just then, another one of Trevor's personal secretaries, Jacob Collins, came in. He was aware of Celeste's relationship with Trevor."What's the point of doing this?" Jacob remarked coldly.Though Jacob didn't say it outright, Celeste immediately understood the underlying implication of his words. He thought she had learned about Wynn's presence at the office and had deliberately used the coffee delivery as an excuse to disrupt them.Judging by Trevor's expression, he seemed to think the same.In the past, Celeste might have done such a thing. But now, she was preparing to divorce Trevor. There was no way she would stoop to such behavior.Still, they didn't give her any chance to explain."Please leave immediately," Jacob ordered coldly.Celeste's eyes reddened. Her hands, which were holding the tray, trembled slightly. Some coffee spilled from the cups, scalding her fingers. She winced but said nothing and turned to leave.After Celeste took only a few steps, Trevor's voice rang out from the office. "If this happens again, you will be dismissed."But she had already resigned. Even without this incident, she would be leaving as soon as her replacement was found. Still, she knew no one cared about her departure. Hence, there was no point in explaining anything.Keeping mum, Celeste walked away with the tray.As she left, she heard Wynn soothing Trevor with a gentle voice. "It's alright, Trevor. I don't think she meant to upset you. Don't be angry."Celeste poured the coffee down the drain and rinsed her scalded fingers under the cold tap water. Then, she took out some ointment from her bag and carefully treated the burn.Although her cooking and coffee-making skills were now exceptional, she didn't really know how to do any of these things before marrying Trevor. She hadn't even tasted coffee before their marriage.For the sake of Trevor and Jordyn, she had learned everything later on. The process had been grueling, and it took countless hours to achieve the perfection she now displayed. Only she knew the hardships she had endured.As for the ointment in her bag—any mother who cared for her child personally would instinctively carry such items. Since Jordyn had gone to Andostan with Trevor, the ointment had rarely been used. Fortunately, it hadn't expired yet.After treating her wound, Celeste suppressed the stabbing pain in her heart and returned to her desk to continue working.Just as she finished organizing some files, she overheard two colleagues chatting."Did you hear? Mr. Fleming's girlfriend came to the office!""Girlfriend? Does Mr. Fleming have a girlfriend? Who is she? Is she pretty?""I have no idea about her family background, but reception said she's from a wealthy family. On top of that, she's super gorgeous and very elegant."Upon noticing Celeste getting up, the gossiping colleagues remembered they had to attend a meeting with her and stopped their idle chatting."Let's focus on work. We can chat later."Celeste knew the girlfriend they mentioned was Wynn, but her expression remained unchanged. She followed them into the elevator and headed to the meeting room.Just as they exited the elevator, they saw Wynn approaching with four senior managers. They surrounded Wynn with ingratiating and deferential expressions.Wynn smiled. "Thank you all for showing me around the company. I'm sorry for the trouble."Dressed in designer clothes, Wynn exuded the elegance of a wealthy heiress. Her tone was polite but carried a hint of aloofness, as though she already considered herself the wife of the company's CEO.The managers laughed obsequiously. "It's our duty, Ms. Locket, given your relationship with Mr. Fleming.""Exactly! That is absolutely right."Spotting Celeste and her colleagues exiting the elevator, the managers frowned with displeasure even though they had already stepped aside to make way."Watch where you're going! Be careful not to bump into Ms. Locket. Have you got no manners?"

Chapter 7 The two colleagues beside Celeste stole glances at Wynn and hurriedly stepped back, pressing themselves against the wall.Wynn noticed Celeste too but quickly looked away. Her expression was indifferent, and she acted as if Celeste didn't exist. She stepped into the elevator with the managers surrounding her.As the elevator doors closed, Celeste's two colleagues breathed a sigh of relief before resuming their excited gossip."That must've been Mr. Fleming's girlfriend, right? Wow, she's stunning! Look at all those designer labels—what she's wearing must cost a fortune! As expected of someone from an affluent family. She's so confident and poised. Compared to us ordinary people, she's on a different level!""Exactly!"They turned to Celeste and asked quietly, "What do you think, Celeste?"Lowering her eyes, Celeste answered lightly, "Yeah, you're right."Wynn was, in fact, the illegitimate daughter of Harvey Locket, Celeste's birth father.Well, the term "illegitimate" wasn't entirely accurate after some changes took place.When Celeste was eight, Harvey was unwilling to let Wynn and her mother suffer any longer. He had insisted on divorcing Celeste's mother, Isabelle Rodriguez, to marry Wynn's mother.After the divorce, Celeste lived with the mentally unstable Isabelle. They stayed with her grandmother, Betty Klein, and her uncle, Ivan Rodriguez.Over the years, Ivan's company declined while the Locket family's business flourished.It was said that to make up for Wynn's childhood hardships, Harvey spared no expense in ensuring she had the best of everything. Thus, he invested heavily in her upbringing.And Wynn didn't end up becoming a disappointment. In fact, she'd excelled.The once-illegitimate Wynn became a legitimate heiress. She radiated an air of wealth and sophistication that surpassed even Celeste's when she was the rightful heiress.Celeste had thought that this would be her only encounter with Wynn, and they wouldn't cross paths again. Yet, fate seemed to favor Wynn.Celeste and Trevor had grown up together. But no matter how hard she tried, he never saw her. From the moment he met Wynn, he had fallen for her completely."Are you okay, Celeste?"Her colleagues noticed her pale face and felt worried.Snapping back to reality, Celeste replied, "I'm fine."She and Trevor would soon be divorced. Whom he loved was no longer her concern.That day, Celeste didn't dwell on Trevor or Wynn.She worked overtime until it was nearly 9:00 pm. Just as she was finishing up her tasks, her phone rang. Her best friend, Lottie Cruz, called to say she was drunk and needed Celeste to pick her up from a restaurant.Celeste wrapped up her work, grabbed her car keys, and left the office.20 minutes later, she arrived at the restaurant.As she walked toward the entrance, she saw a little girl emerge from the parking lot. The child's side profile made her stop in her tracks—it was Jordyn!Celeste thought, "Why is she back here? She should be attending school in Andostan. Could it be that she had returned to the country with Trevor?"Although she didn't have access to confidential company documents, she knew Trevor's work in Andostan was still ongoing and would take time to conclude. She had assumed his return was a brief trip to handle some matters.So, she hadn't expected Jordyn to have come back as well.Judging from the fact that she had seen Trevor earlier that day, they must have returned at least a day ago. However, Jordyn hadn't called to tell her that they were back.Clutching her bag tightly, Celeste watched Jordyn's cheerful, skipping figure and followed her quietly.As they reached a corner in the lobby, Wynn appeared at the end of the hallway, accompanied by a few of Trevor's friends. Celeste quickly stepped aside to avoid being seen.From her hiding spot, she heard Jordyn cry out Wynn's name happily and ran toward her. She threw herself into Wynn's arms excitedly.Celeste sat down on a nearby couch, positioning herself behind a plant and the chair's backrest to remain out of sight."Oh my! I didn't know you were back in the country too," Wynn exclaimed."Of course! Dad and I missed you so much, Wynn. Dad finished his work early just to bring me back. We came back the day before your birthday, so we wouldn't miss it. This is the necklace Dad and I made for you. Happy birthday, Wynn!" Jordyn replied jubilantly."Wow, you and Trevor made this? It must have been so much work. You're amazing, Jo. I love it so much. Thank you!" Wynn responded appreciatively."What's important is that you like it." Jo snuggled against Wynn, her tone affectionate. "It's been a whole week since I saw you, Wynn. I missed you so much. If I hadn't called you every day, I wouldn't have lasted in Andostan…""I missed you too, Jo."Just then, footsteps approached from the side.Celeste froze because she knew it was Trevor. Even without seeing him, she could tell from the sound of his measured steps.After close to seven years of being married to him, during which she had waited for him daily, she could recognize his footsteps anywhere. They were steady and unhurried, much like his demeanor.Even with close family, Trevor maintained his calm and aloof composure as though nothing could ever rattle him. At least, that was what she had once believed—until Wynn came into the picture.Snapping out of her thoughts, Celeste heard Jordyn call out, "Dad!"Trevor's friends greeted him as well.He acknowledged them briefly before turning to Wynn and saying, "Happy birthday."Wynn smiled and replied, "Thank you.""Dad, didn't you prepare another birthday gift for Wynn? Give it to her already!" Jordyn urged.The group fell silent before one of Trevor's friends chuckled and pinched Jordyn's cheek. "That's your dad's special gift for Wynn. He'll probably give it to her later in private. Let's not get involved."The others laughed knowingly.Trevor said, "I already gave it to her.""Huh? When?" Jordyn asked, then she pouted. "You went to see Wynn without me again, didn't you? Hmph!"The group laughed again, while Celeste recalled Wynn's visit to Fleming Group earlier that day. That must have been when he gave her the gift.Wynn smiled bashfully and said, "Let's stop standing around and head upstairs."As their footsteps faded, Celeste sat frozen, her mind blank. Her chest ached like it was pricked by a thousand needles. Still, she eventually composed herself and silently entered the elevator to pick up Lottie.The private room Lottie was in happened to be on the same floor as the private room where Wynn and Trevor gathered with his friends.As Celeste helped Lottie into the elevator, one of Trevor's friends, Miles Quinton, stopped in his tracks.

Chapter 8 One of Miles' companions asked, "What's wrong?""I think I saw someone I know," Miles replied.He and the others had grown up with Trevor and knew about Celeste's affection for him.To be frank, Celeste was beautiful in her own right. But her reserved nature made her unremarkable. Hence, she was just not Trevor's type.Because Trevor kept his distance from her, they too looked down on her. They hadn't seen Celeste many times, and even when they did, they rarely greeted her.In truth, Miles couldn't quite remember what Celeste looked like. He wasn't even sure if he had indeed seen her. But even if it had been her, it didn't matter to him.He said nothing more and returned to the private room.…Celeste didn't notice Miles.After leaving the restaurant, she took Lottie home and stayed over to take care of her.When Lottie woke up and saw Celeste, she hugged her gratefully. "Thanks for last night. I owe you dinner!"Celeste had already prepared breakfast. She patted Lottie's head and said, "Go wash up before the food gets cold."Lottie clung to her, burying her face in Celeste's waist. "Cel, you're so soft and smell so nice. Hugging you feels amazing!"Celeste was at a loss for words.After freshening up, Lottie came to the table and saw the delicious breakfast Celeste had made. She felt incredibly lucky, thinking that whoever married Celeste would have hit the jackpot.But upon remembering Celeste's marriage to Trevor, she worried about hurting her feelings and kept her thoughts to herself.Lottie sat down and started eating her breakfast while scrolling through her phone.Moments later, her expression changed. She looked up at Celeste. "Is Trevor back in the country?""Yes," Celeste replied.Lottie handed her the phone. It showed a post from Miles' social media feed, featuring several photos from their gathering the night before.The caption read: "Happy birthday to the beautiful Wynn!"Though the post was about Wynn's birthday celebration, four or five of the nine pictures featured her and Trevor together. In one particularly striking photo, they were cutting the cake together, both holding the same crystal knife.As for Jordyn, she was absent from all the photos. This was likely to prevent Trevor's grandmother, Martha Daniels, from finding out about the gathering. After all, Martha, who was close to Betty, had never approved of Wynn because of what happened between Isabelle and Wynn's mother.If Martha discovered that Jordyn was close to Wynn, she would undoubtedly be furious.To an outsider viewing the photos, it would seem like Trevor and Wynn were a couple. It was clear that the birthday party had been meticulously arranged by Trevor for Wynn.Recalling the cold treatment she had received on her own birthday just weeks earlier, Celeste averted her gaze.Lottie looked at her worriedly. "Cel—""It's fine. What happens between them has nothing to do with me anymore," Celeste said, handing the phone back to Lottie. "I've already asked Trevor for a divorce.""What?" Lottie was flabbergasted. "You… You initiated the divorce?""Yes."Lottie had never despised Trevor. On the contrary, she used to admire him and even harbored a small crush on him. It wasn't surprising, as Trevor was extraordinarily accomplished.Celeste had graduated from Trellis College when she'd just turned 18 after skipping three grades. She had quickly founded a tech company and earned several patents. These were achievements that seemed almost superhuman to Lottie.But Trevor had reportedly graduated from college at 13. He then pursued further studies abroad, during which he founded several companies, all of which became publicly listed. All of these were achieved before he even turned 20.His companies spanned industries like technology, medicine, entertainment, and tourism. Later, while founding more companies, he took over Fleming Group and elevated it to even greater heights with apparent ease.In their social circles, Trevor was universally respected. Moreover, he had exceptional looks. So, it wasn't surprising that Celeste—a genius herself—had fallen for him. However, Trevor was merciless to those he didn't give a damn about.After Lottie reflected on how he had misunderstood and disregarded Celeste's love for him over the years, she had completely lost any admiration for him.She had always known how deeply Celeste loved Trevor and had often advised her to leave him. Yet, Celeste always shook her head without saying a word.Therefore, Lottie couldn't quite believe that Celeste would take the initiative to divorce Trevor.Pushing her breakfast aside, Lottie looked at Celeste with concern. "What happened?"For Celeste to want a divorce after loving Trevor so steadfastly for so many years, something significant must have occurred.After a moment of thought, Celeste replied, "It wasn't anything major. I think I'm just exhausted after accumulating way too many disappointments over the years. I decided it was time to let go."Lottie knew Celeste well enough to understand that once she made a decision, she wouldn't waver—even if she hadn't fully moved on from Trevor yet.She hugged Celeste and comforted her. "It's okay. Leaving him might be the best thing for you.""Yeah."After breakfast, Celeste left Lottie's place and went to work.Before moving out, she and Trevor worked at the same place but never stepped out of the villa at the same time. He had always kept his distance, and there were months when they didn't even cross paths at the office.Now that she had moved out, she coincidentally ran into him two days in a row.That day, Trevor was as poised and handsome as ever. As usual, his expression grew colder when he saw her. Just like the previous day, he glanced at her briefly before looking away.Lowering her gaze, Celeste greeted him softly, "Mr. Fleming."After he had walked away, only then did she enter the building. She didn't know if Wynn would come to the company that day, nor did she care. Instead, she immersed herself in her work.At noon, Betty called. "Cel, someone sent over a lamb from Xelora. The weather is getting colder, so come home tonight for dinner. I'll have someone prepare a whole lamb feast for you."Hearing Betty's kind voice warmed Celeste's heart. "Okay, I'll head over after work."She didn't encounter Trevor again for the rest of the day.When she was about to leave at the end of her working hours, Jacob handed her a file and said it needed to be handled right away. Celeste glanced at the contents and knew that the document wasn't exactly that urgent.In the past, she would have smiled and accepted the task. She would then promise to complete it quickly, not wanting to make exceptions for herself. But today, she no longer felt the need to strive for perfection—especially not for matters involving Trevor.Besides, she was tired. She wanted to go home and spend the evening with Betty and not work overtime.In the past, she had tried hard to maintain good relationships with Trevor's private secretaries. But now, it didn't matter anymore. Especially after Jacob's baseless accusation the day before, she wasn't inclined to be magnanimous and act as if nothing had happened.Staring back at Jacob, Celeste said coolly, "I'm not doing this now. I'm done with work for the day."

Chapter 9 Jacob's expression darkened as he accused Celeste of taking advantage of her position. "This isn't the right work attitude to have, Ms. Rodriguez. Do you think this is your home?"Celeste picked up her bag, unfazed. She retorted, "If you're dissatisfied, you're welcome to dismiss me right now.""You—" Jacob began. Although he had accompanied Trevor to Andostan, he was aware that Celeste had already submitted her resignation.Even though he had Trevor's trust, the company didn't revolve around him. He didn't have the authority to fire her on the spot.Moreover, Martha favored Celeste. If she went to Fleming Manor to complain about him, Jacob knew he wouldn't come out unscathed even if he had Trevor's support.Not bothered to get a response from Jacob, Celeste walked past him and left.Jacob's face turned purple with anger as he stormed out of the secretarial office.Zeke noticed his sour expression and asked, "What happened?"Instantly, Jacob recounted their whole exchange.Zeke was surprised. He had worked closely with Celeste and had a good understanding of her character. "This doesn't sound like something Celeste would do. Could there have been a misunderstanding?""There's no misunderstanding. That's exactly how it went down. In my opinion, Celeste is just abusing her position. She's nowhere near as good as you usually claim she is," Jacob ranted.Zeke hesitated. "Maybe she's slacking off because she's already resigned?"But Celeste had been as diligent as ever recently, and she didn't show any signs of a change in behavior.Just then, Trevor approached from a distance. "What's going on?""Ms. Rodriguez left work without finishing her tasks," Jacob reported."If you're dissatisfied, terminate her employment according to company protocols," Trevor said coldly, showing no interest in the matter.Zeke and Jacob exchanged glances and were taken aback. It wasn't that they found Trevor's indifference surprising, since he had always been detached about matters concerning Celeste.What caught their attention was his apparent lack of awareness that Celeste had already resigned. Wasn't he the one who wanted her to resign? Had they misunderstood something?Before they could say anything further, Trevor's phone rang as a call from Wynn came in.Without looking back, he walked toward the elevator while answering the call. "I'm off work now. I'll be there soon…"Zeke and Jacob watched him leave, feeling puzzled."Maybe he forgot?" Zeke suggested."That's possible," Jacob agreed.'After all, Trevor had never shown much concern for Celeste's affairs.Meanwhile, Celeste was on her way to Betty's place.Jordyn had always been close to Betty. Whenever she was home, Celeste would bring her along when she went back to the Rodriguez residence.But despite being back in the country for several days, Jordyn hadn't called her even once. Instead, she constantly called Wynn and missed her dearly after only a few days apart.Because of this, Celeste saw no need to make Jordyn go back with her. Besides, Betty would be deeply upset if she found out that Jordyn had gotten so attached to Wynn.Therefore, Celeste went back alone this time.The traffic was heavy, and by the time she arrived, it was already past 6:00 pm.Betty's face lit up when she saw Celeste. However, her expression turned somber as she reached out to touch Celeste's face. "You've lost weight, my dear."Celeste looked down as she replied, "I've been busy with work lately."Betty sighed and advised, "No matter how busy you are, you need to eat well.""I know, Granny. I'll be more mindful," Celeste replied.Celeste sat beside Betty, resting her head on her shoulder and soaking in her warmth.When the lamb stew was almost ready, Betty instructed the staff to serve Celeste a bowl of stew to warm her up. Listening to Betty's kind words, Celeste felt tears well up as she thought about everything that had happened recently.Afraid of worrying her, she quickly composed herself and asked, "Are Aunt Adeline and the others still away on a trip?""They are. They got carried away and said they'd extend it by another week," Betty replied."What about Uncle Ivan? Is he out for a business gathering again tonight?""When he heard you were coming, he canceled his plans and said he'd come back to join us for dinner. He should be here soon."Just as they finished speaking, Ivan walked in, smiling warmly. "Cel, you're here!"Then, he remarked with a frown, "You've lost weight. Haven't you been eating well?"Celeste laughed softly. "I've just been busy lately. I'll eat more tonight, I promise."Satisfied, Ivan began piling meat onto her plate once dinner was served. Though he commented on her weight loss, Celeste could see that he too looked worn out.Even though she didn't work at Rodriguez Corporation, she knew it was struggling. Ivan had been overwhelmed with work, yet he was unable to pull the business back from the brink.Over the years, several projects could have been salvaged with Trevor's help. Save for Martha's intervention on two occasions, he hadn't lifted a finger.Celeste thought bitterly that if it hadn't been for Martha, Trevor might have actively sabotaged Rodriguez Corporation, given his misconceptions about her.As this thought crossed her mind, the lamb stew in her mouth suddenly tasted bland.Ivan had never pressured her to seek help from Trevor, even when the family desperately needed it.After dinner, while Betty was dozing off, Celeste handed Ivan a bank card with seven million dollars in the account."Cel, there's no need—""It's not much use to me." She pressed the card into his hand firmly. "This is all I can do for now."Though she excelled in academics and research, she knew she wasn't cut out for business.Thankfully, her early work in AI had earned her patents, and the tech company she co-founded with Matthias provided annual dividends. Even without lifting a finger, she received tens of millions of dollars each year.Ivan looked ashamed. "You've already given me so much, yet the company…"It was barely getting by."I'm the one who's incapable here," Ivan lamented."Transitioning a business takes significant time and funds. Don't be too hard on yourself," Celeste comforted.She thought of Matthias' words from their recent meeting. He had said that the AI field was advancing rapidly. With her past capabilities and his operational skills, their company might already have been worth hundreds of billions and even be at the forefront of the industry had she not left to get married. Luckily, there was still room for growth. So, he hoped Celeste would return soon.If she could regain her former abilities and help the company thrive, she would be in a better position to support her family.…By the time Trevor returned home, it was past 10:00 pm.Jordyn rubbed her eyes sleepily. "You're finally home, Dad.""Yeah," he replied. "Go to bed if you're sleepy.""Okay. Goodnight, Dad.""Goodnight."After Jordyn went upstairs, Trevor drank the water Peter handed him and then headed upstairs himself.The master bedroom was dark, and it seemed to be empty.Trevor paused for a bit and turned on the light. As expected, no one was there.

Chapter 10 Trevor didn't think much of it. He assumed that Celeste had gone back to the Rodriguez residence.As he entered the bathroom, he suddenly remembered that Celeste typically brought Jordyn with her whenever she visited Betty. But this time, she hadn't done so.Could she have gone somewhere else?Perhaps something urgent had happened at the Rodriguez residence. Flashes of Jacob's remarks from earlier that day crossed his mind, confirming his suspicions.Trevor paused for a moment but ultimately decided not to concern himself with it.The next morning, Trevor said to Jordyn over breakfast, "Your enrollment process is complete. You'll start school tomorrow morning.""Got it." Jordyn scrunched her nose. "Can you take me to school tomorrow, Dad?""I might not have time.""Alright then." Her eyes lit up. "I'll call Wynn later and ask her to take me to school."Before Trevor could respond, his phone rang. It was a call from Fleming Manor.When he answered, he heard Martha's voice come from the other end. "I heard you're back in the country?""Yeah.""Did Jordyn come back with you?""Yes.""I haven't seen her in so long. I miss her. Bring her and Celeste over for dinner tonight.""Sure."Martha then added, "Where's Celeste? Let me speak with her.""She's not here.""At this time of day? Where could she be?""Probably at the Rodriguez residence.""Probably? You're her husband, and you don't even know where she is?"Trevor remained silent."You—" Martha sighed deeply before falling quiet.It was only then that Trevor softened his tone slightly, though he changed the subject. "Have you eaten?""Your nonsense fills me up just fine!"Trevor chuckled lightly and continued eating his breakfast.Martha knew that Trevor had always been resolute in his decisions. The current state of his marriage to Celeste was already a significant concession on his part. Given Trevor's nature, she couldn't push him too hard, even for his own good.With a sigh, she said, "Fine. I have nothing more to say to you, you stubborn mule.""Okay. See you tonight.""You… Ugh!" Martha hung up in exasperation.Jordyn, who hadn't been paying much attention earlier, caught the tail end of the conversation and asked curiously, "Dad, who was that?""Your great-grandmother."Recalling Martha's request, Trevor added, "She wants to have dinner with us tonight."Jordyn perked up. "Great! I haven't seen Nana in so long. I miss her!"Trevor glanced at his phone and said nothing more.Meanwhile, Celeste was having breakfast at the Rodriguez residence when she noticed the incoming call from Trevor.She paused for a moment. Unlike before, she no longer felt any joy or anticipation at seeing his name on her screen.After hesitating briefly, she answered the call. "Hello?""Grandma wants us to go to Fleming Manor for dinner tonight," Trevor said."… Alright, sure," Celeste agreed.Trevor then added, "You can pick up Jordyn and bring her along."Celeste didn't want to return to his home. Besides, even if she went to pick up Jordyn, she wouldn't be thrilled to see Celeste either.Why put herself in such a thankless position?So, she replied, "Have the driver take her. I'll drive myself over after work."Since they would both be traveling during the rush hour, this was indeed the most convenient arrangement.However, Celeste had always enjoyed personally taking care of Jordyn and never found it burdensome. Upon hearing her response, Trevor was slightly taken aback.Still, he didn't dwell on it. After all, it was a minor matter."Got it," he said and hung up.This time, Jordyn knew who had been on the other end of the call. "Was that Mom?""Yeah.""So, Mom is coming with us to Nana's tonight?""Yes."Jordyn frowned instinctively, though she said nothing. It wasn't that she didn't want to see Celeste or didn't miss her. In fact, she hadn't seen Celeste in a long time, and for the first time, Celeste hadn't contacted her in over two weeks.Thinking about Celeste made her feel a pang of longing. However, Celeste's return also meant less time with Wynn.When Jordyn found out Celeste was away on a business trip after returning to the country, she had been delighted. She thought she could use those days to spend more time with Wynn.Now that Celeste was back, she wouldn't let her see Wynn often. Her mood soured as she thought about it.She had already asked Wynn to take her to school the next morning, and Wynn had agreed. What would she do now?Feeling deflated, she mumbled, "Dad.""What is it?" Trevor asked.While she could let Celeste take her to school tomorrow, she was determined to attend Wynn's racing competition tomorrow night.She clung to Trevor and said pleadingly, "Dad, you promised to take me to Wynn's race tomorrow night. But if Mom finds out, she won't let me go. Can you not tell her? If she asks, just make something up, okay?""Okay," Trevor replied.Reassured by his promise, Jordyn brightened slightly.After breakfast, Trevor left for work.…When Celeste arrived at Fleming Group that morning, she didn't encounter Trevor.At noon, Betty called and invited her to have lunch at a restaurant named "Luxe Heaven". Since the restaurant was only a short walk from Fleming Group, Celeste agreed and headed over.As she approached the corner near the entrance, she overheard a conversation."Trevor, if it weren't for your help, I probably wouldn't have secured this contract no matter how much effort I put in. I really appreciate it."The familiar voice made Celeste stop in her tracks.Peeking around the corner, she saw her father, Harvey.Just then, there came Trevor's calm voice. "Don't mention it, Mr. Locket."Celeste's hands clenched into fists. She could tell that Trevor's tone was noticeably gentler than usual. He reserved such a tone for those he valued. But she didn't think for one second that his regard for Harvey had anything to do with her.There was no way Trevor was assisting Harvey for her benefit. After all, ever since Harvey had divorced Isabelle, their relationship had been nearly nonexistent. Harvey only publicly acknowledged Wynn as his daughter now.There was no father-daughter bond left between them to speak of.Sure enough, Harvey continued, "Wynn is here by herself. Her mother and I worry about her. Please take good care of her."

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It’s been two weeks since Celeste left the villa in Andostan, the divorce agreement tucked inside an envelope on Trevor’s desk. She thought it would be the end. But now, as she sits across from her grandmother Betty, the weight of what she’s done settles in.

Her phone buzzes—Trevor’s name flashes on the screen. For years, this would have sent her heart racing. Now, she hesitates before answering.

"Grandma wants us to go to Fleming Manor for dinner tonight," he says, voice as cold as ever.

She swallows. "…Alright, sure."

"You can pick up Jordyn and bring her along."

Celeste closes her eyes. Pick up the daughter who didn’t call her for days? Who chose another woman as her mother? No.

"Have the driver take her. I’ll drive myself over after work."

A pause. Then, a faint shift in his tone—surprise, maybe. But he says nothing. Just hangs up.

Betty watches her. "You’re not going back to that house, are you?"

Celeste looks out the window. The city glitters, indifferent. "I already left. Now I just have to make sure they know it’s permanent."

But deep down, she wonders: will walking into that mansion tonight be her final act of submission—or the first step toward taking everything back?