Chapter 9: A New Beginning

Night slowly settled over the quiet suburban neighborhood.

Sienna sat on the edge of the wooden bed in her bedroom, gently rubbing her sore neck after spending the entire day cleaning the house.

She had changed out of her casual clothes into a loose T-shirt and a pair of comfortable cotton pants.

The sound of her growling stomach broke the silence of the room.

Sienna smiled faintly and reached into her pocket to take out her new phone.

"I'll just order some food online tonight," Sienna murmured softly.

However, her hand suddenly froze.

Her thoughts drifted back to the days before—to the evenings when she always prepared dinner for Damian, when she faithfully played the role of an obedient wife without ever complaining.

Sienna quickly closed her eyes and shook her head.

She didn't want to think about Damian anymore.

She was free now, just as they had agreed.

She no longer owed Damian anything.

"Stop thinking about that house, Sienna. It was only a temporary place for you, and now you have no obligation to remember everything you did there."

Sienna nodded firmly after reminding herself to let go of all the memories tied to the Blackwell mansion.

She turned her attention back to her phone.

Her fingers had just begun to swipe across the screen when a knock on the front door echoed through the old house, breaking the silence.

Sienna frowned in confusion.

No one knew she had moved into this house today except Edward—the lawyer handling her divorce from Damian.

There was no way her lawyer would reveal her whereabouts to Damian.

Besides, why would Damian come looking for her?

Sienna gave a bitter smile.

How could she still be thinking about that man?

The man who, throughout the past year, had seen her as nothing more than a servant, an assistant, and a trophy wife.

She let out a quiet sigh, pushing the thought away once again.

Sienna rose from the bed and slowly walked downstairs toward the front door.

She peeked through a small gap in the curtain before turning the doorknob.

"Who—"

Her words stopped the instant she saw the person standing outside.

A short-haired woman dressed in casual clothes rushed inside and wrapped Sienna in a tight embrace.

The familiar scent of vanilla perfume instantly filled Sienna's senses.

"Sienna! Oh my God, you're really here!" the woman exclaimed, her voice trembling.

"Naomi?"

Sienna was startled, but a second later she returned her friend's warm embrace.

"I was so worried about you, Sienna. Your phone was unreachable, and you didn't contact me at all."

Naomi's voice trembled as though she were about to cry.

Hearing her friend's complaint, Sienna smiled gently.

"I know. I'm sorry."

Naomi slowly released her embrace and held Sienna by both shoulders.

Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked Sienna over from head to toe.

"Mr. Edward told me you officially finished your contract this morning," Naomi said, still slightly out of breath. "I immediately asked my staff to find your mother's address. Sienna... I'm so happy you finally got out of that toxic house."

Sienna smiled softly and gently patted Naomi's hands resting on her shoulders.

"Come inside first, Naomi. Let's talk."

Sienna led Naomi into the living room, which was now clean and neatly arranged.

Naomi sat down on the sofa, her eyes wandering around every corner of the room with visible relief.

"I brought you dinner," Naomi said as she placed a warm takeout bag on the wooden table. "I bought it on my way here. I knew you probably hadn't had time to cook or buy anything to eat."

Sienna laughed quietly as warmth slowly spread through her chest.

"You always know exactly what I need. Thank you, Naomi."

Sienna went into the kitchen to get two plates and two glasses of water before returning to sit beside Naomi.

The two of them ate together in comfortable silence for several minutes before Naomi finally put down her spoon.

She looked at Sienna with a serious expression.

"How do you feel now that you've left the Blackwell mansion? Especially now that you're finally free from Damian's cold attitude and the way his family treated you."

Sienna gently set down her spoon.

She looked at the glass of water in front of her before offering a sincere smile.

"I'm fine, Naomi. I'm much more at peace now," Sienna replied softly.

"But Damian and his family were absolutely cruel!" Naomi interrupted angrily, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to contain her emotions. "They treated you like a decoration without feelings! Elena kept ordering you around, Beatrice never stopped putting you down, and Damian pretended not to see any of it! It makes me furious every time I think about everything you've told me!"

Sienna slowly shook her head.

A bittersweet smile crossed her face, concealing the pain she still carried.

"Don't say that, Naomi," Sienna replied calmly, looking at her friend with gentle eyes. "No matter what, even though they sometimes treated me badly, the Blackwell family was also good to me in many ways. Without Damian's financial help and legal influence a year ago, my mother's house would have been auctioned off because of my father and stepmother."

Naomi stared at Sienna in disbelief.

After everything Sienna had gone through, how could she still defend the Blackwell family?

"Sienna... what are you made of? They trampled all over your dignity, and you're still defending them?" Naomi let out a frustrated sigh.

Sienna smiled faintly.

"I'm not defending them. I'm simply looking at everything fairly," Sienna answered with unwavering calm. "Our marriage was a business transaction. Damian gave me what I needed, and I gave him what he needed—a trophy wife. Our responsibilities are over, and each of us received what we wanted. I have no reason to hate them or speak badly of them."

Naomi let out a long sigh and rubbed her face in frustration.

When she looked at Sienna again, she said, "You're too kind, Sienna. Your heart is far too gentle for people as cold as they are."

Sienna only smiled softly without replying.

Naomi adjusted her sitting position, her expression becoming more anxious as she remembered something important.

"What about our foundation?" Naomi asked quietly, looking at Sienna with concern. "This afternoon, a representative from Beatrice Blackwell came to the foundation. They've officially withdrawn all of their sponsorship funding and removed our foundation from the list of partners for the Blackwell family's annual charity event."

Sienna listened calmly.

There wasn't the slightest trace of surprise or panic on her face.

"Sienna, the Blackwell family has been our biggest donor for the past eight months," Naomi continued anxiously. "Without their funding, how are we supposed to cover the operating costs for our reading center and support the orphanage next month? We don't have anyone backing us anymore."