Chapter 2: What She Went Through

"Mom, you've been to prison and you're getting divorced? What will people think of you?"

Wells blurted it out.

Julian froze, his brows knitting together.

He had expected her to play the victim and demand compensation. After all, Sera had married into the Blackwood family with a fortune behind her.

But divorce? He had never imagined that.

Three years ago, Sera had done everything she could to stay by their side.

Now she had served three years in prison, and this was her move. It was nothing more than a tactic to make them come begging.

A flash of disgust crossed Julian's face. He said coldly, "Wells is right. Where would you go if you left the Blackwoods? Sera, if you keep making a scene, you'll only make a fool of yourself."

Sera didn't budge.

She flagged down a cab, ignoring the strange look the driver gave her.

Before getting in, she turned to look at the father and son one last time and said slowly, "I'll send over the divorce agreement when I have time. Congratulations. You're free, and now Vivienne can be your wife and Wells's mother."

Her tone was flat and cold.

Then she got in without looking back.

Watching her thin, unsteady figure, Julian felt a sudden surge of irritation.

He had come to pick her up because his grandfather and Vivienne had asked him to.

And she was asking for a divorce?

The old Sera would have been overjoyed!

He had been good to her.

Let's see what trouble this ex-convict can stir up.

In the back of the cab, a TV screen began playing an interview with Vivienne.

"Vivienne, you're one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood now. Have you thought about settling down?" the host teased.

On screen, Vivienne's gaze drifted to Julian and Wells in the audience, her cheeks flushing pink. "I'm very happy with everything I have. These past three years, I've had two men by my side, helping me through the hardest time of my life."

The director cut to the father and son. The man's eyes were soft, and the three of them exchanged smiles like one happy family.

The driver, who drove this route every day, chimed in casually. "What a lovely family."

"Family?" Sera's voice was mocking. "They're a family?"

"Sure! That's Mr. Blackwood and his boy, Vivienne Lockhart's husband and son. On her birthday, Mr. Blackwood set off fireworks over the harbor all night long. Quite a show!"

Sera lifted her eyes. Her thin frame looked lost in her oversized clothes.

She stared at Vivienne, Julian, and Wells on the screen and said nothing for a long time.

A bitter irony rose in her chest. She almost laughed.

So while she had been suffering in prison, they had been standing beside Vivienne as her career took off, watching fireworks burn with her.

She had long since gone numb to their coldness. Still, her mouth filled with a bitter taste.

The cab finally stopped in front of the apartment registered in her name.

Sera went upstairs, found some cash to pay the driver, then headed to the supermarket for basic necessities.

Her accounts had been frozen the day she was sent to prison, so for now she had just enough to get by.

After so long away from people, she felt a little out of place.

As she left the supermarket, her phone rang. It was her best friend, Annie Chen.

When Annie heard she was out, she was thrilled. "I wanted to fly back sooner, but a hurricane grounded every flight. Are you still with the Blackwoods...?"

"I'm at Lakeview Tower."

Annie frowned. "Didn't Julian come to pick you up? You're still married, so he..."

"Annie, I'm going to divorce him."

Sera's grip tightened on the phone. Her voice was soft, but a flicker of pain and numbness crossed her face.

Before the prison sentence, Annie had urged her many times to leave him.

Sera had always waited for him to change.

Her low mood tugged at Annie's heart, and she changed the subject. "After you went away, your aunt took over the little farmhouse in Vermont and even turned it into a tourist attraction. And Vivienne, she... Anyway, Sera, I'll be back soon. I'll tell you everything in person."

Sera agreed quietly.

Her father had passed away the year after her wedding.

After she was imprisoned, her mother cried until she nearly lost her sight, then fell gravely ill. From behind bars, Sera had cried and begged Julian to save her mother.

She waited and waited. The only news that came was that her mother had died.

And now even her family's property had been seized...

Sera's eyes turned icy.

Then a carefully restrained calm settled over her face.

Three years in prison was enough to turn a world upside down.

She had suffered terribly, and reclaiming what was hers would take time.

But no matter how long it took, she would collect every last thing she was owed.