Chapter 4

I found this strange. Ever since Willow came into the picture, this was the first time Yale had shown any concern for me.

Back in the empty villa, I washed up and went to bed early.

At one in the morning, Yale woke me from a deep sleep. Before I could even process what was happening, he yanked me out of bed.

I rubbed my eyes and forced myself awake. Still groggy, I instinctively asked, "Aren't you staying with Ms. Leeds?"

That question infuriated Yale, and the anger on his face instantly intensified. "Sarah, I thought you'd really changed. You're still the exact same person as before—consumed by jealousy and willing to do anything to get what you want!"

His words were harsh, but all I did was let out a quiet sigh. After all, he was the boss signing my paychecks now.

I grabbed his hand and asked softly, "What happened?"

"You have the nerve to ask me that?" Yale shoved my hand away violently.

Stumbling off balance, my forehead slammed hard against the edge of the bed. Blood began to gush from the wound.

Suppressing the throbbing pain, I looked up at him. "Yale, I don't know what's going on."

"Just drop the act!" Yale snapped.

He bent down, grabbed a bottle of perfume, and smashed it against the floor. The strong, heavy scent of roses filled the room, making me cough uncontrollably.

"You knew Willow was pregnant, yet you still gave her a bottle of rose perfume, knowing full well that she's allergic to it!"

He glared at me, his eyes full of accusation. He asked further, "What exactly are you up to? Why can't you stand seeing her happy?"

My mind went completely blank. I stared at the broken pieces on the floor in a daze.

I had never seen that bottle of perfume before, let alone given it to Willow as a gift. I had never even bought perfume in my life.

Yale knew perfectly well that I was allergic to perfume. The moment I caught a whiff of any strong fragrance, I'd start sneezing uncontrollably, and my skin would break out in rashes.

If he had just calmed down and thought about it for a second, he would have known it wasn't me.

But Willow was carrying his child. Blinded by concern, he would never suspect the woman he cherished most.

As a wife paid to play a role, I couldn't expect Yale to remain rational at all times. After all, the boss was always right.

So, I remained silent. A wife who wanted to please Yale would never talk back or pick a fight with him.

Lowering my gaze, I got out of bed submissively and knelt on the floor covered in sharp glass shards.

Blood kept pouring from my forehead, staining the carpet red.

"Yale…"

Yale's pupils shrank in horror. He lunged forward, scooped me up, and placed me on the bed.

"Are you crazy? The floor is covered in glass!" Yale shouted.

I froze, thinking that I must have misheard him. Why did I hear a tremor in his voice?

I reached for his hands again. "Yale, I'm sorry. I'll apologize to Ms. Leeds. Please don't be mad at me, okay?" I pleaded.

The forgiveness or scolding I had expected never came. Instead, Yale went still. He fell silent for a long time before finally lifting his eyes to look at me.

There was confusion and doubt in his gaze. Slowly, it turned into something I couldn't quite wrap my head around—panic.

He probably couldn't understand why the woman who used to pick fights, scream at him, and demand answers had suddenly become so understanding—to the point she felt like a stranger to him.

He just stared at me in silence, the panic in his eyes growing stronger by the second, as if he felt he were about to lose something precious.

I couldn't figure out what Yale was thinking, nor did I know what I was supposed to do. The thought of him getting angry and taking back what he'd given me terrified me. I couldn't bear the idea of falling back into those dark, miserable days.

I gritted my teeth. He already spent the money anyway. There was no way he could take it back, so I might as well end things right here and now.

With that thought, I pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared long ago and held them out to him.

With Yale staring at me in panic, I said, "Yale, I'm willing to divorce you. Just please don't take back the money you gave me."