Chapter 6

Winter's eyes widened in surprise. For five years, she'd planned Joshua's birthdays meticulously, starting a month or two in advance. She would carefully select gifts and hide them deep in the wardrobe for a surprise.

Hand-polished tie clips, hand-stitched suits, custom-blended fragrances… But he would barely spare the gifts a glance before stashing them away.

Instead, he carried the fountain pen Jessica had given him everywhere—it was engraved with "JSJL", their initials intertwined. He fiddled with it constantly.

And in those five years, Winter had never received a single gift from Joshua. Now, on the verge of divorcing him, he'd suddenly changed.

Winter stared at the box in her palm, her fingers curling slightly as her long lashes fluttered.

Joshua lowered his gaze, looking down at her imperiously. His thin lips curled slightly when he saw the emotion flicker across her delicate face.

Women were all the same, after all—especially someone like Winter, who hadn't seen much of the world. She was easily swayed and easily pleased.

Winter opened the box with Joshua watching. Inside was a pair of teardrop earrings made of tiny scattered diamonds. They weren't bad at first glance, but not a single diamond exceeded one carat in size. To someone from their elite circles, the earrings were just cheap scraps that were unworthy of notice.

But what truly pierced Winter's heart was that she recognized the earrings instantly—they were free gifts that had come with the ruby pendant necklace Joshua had given Jessica for her birthday.

Their birthdays were just one day apart.

Ever since Steven had brought Jessica home, Winter had never celebrated her own birthday. She'd always tagged along with Jessica, sharing her cake and gifts, never having one of her own.

Just like these earrings—they were mere accessories to the ruby pendant. They were an afterthought.

Jessica had stolen the life that should've been Winter's, and now, Joshua was grinding her dignity into the dirt and trampling all over it.

"Ha. How pointless." Winter casually tossed the jewelry box into a nearby trash can.

"Winter Everhart, how dare you!" Joshua's eyes widened in shock.

"You could've just cursed me out directly, yet you chose to give me someone else's castoffs. Should I be overjoyed and weep at your feet in gratitude?" Winter looked right into his blazing eyes, her voice icy. "If you want to keep things smooth on the side, you should learn to appease me. You should've given me the ruby necklace you gave to Jessica instead."

Joshua was stunned. He pressed his lips together.

Winter snapped her suitcase shut. "But even if you did give it to me, I wouldn't want it. It's tainted."

Joshua's expression darkened to an extreme, his usually smooth voice turning hoarse. "Have I not expressed myself clearly, or are you just refusing to listen? I told you that I only see Jessica as a sister—there's nothing between us! If you're paranoid, I'll get you a doctor. Don't turn this on me or throw shade at me!"

"Let's get divorced, Joshua." Winter picked up the divorce agreement she'd placed on the bed and calmly held it out to him. "I'm sick of hearing you claim that you're innocent, even if you're not sick of saying it. I know you and Jessica are in love.

"I'm willing to step aside now and let you 'siblings' become husband and wife. You can stop hiding behind business trips for your dates. It's too degrading for your precious 'sister.'"

"Divorce? You've got some nerve, saying that." Joshua's temper flared.

He turned a blind eye to Winter's suffering, latching onto the word "divorce" like it was a personal affront. He stalked toward her, enveloping her in his overpowering presence. "The new marriage law is out—marital assets are divided clearly. Divorce means you leave with nothing, so don't even think of taking a single cent from me."

"I'm not disabled. Why would I want your money?" Winter's gaze was resolute and cold. "Don't worry. I entered this marriage with nothing, and I'll leave the same. I won't touch things that aren't mine."

Joshua's eyes blazed with fury. She had always been meek, yet she was suddenly so unyielding. She was talentless and sidelined by her own family. What gave her the confidence to demand a divorce?

"What about Terry? You don't want him, either?" His breathing grew heavy, and he used Terence to corner her. "You think you can fight me for custody?"

"There's nothing to fight when I don't want it." Winter didn't even flinch. "Terence is yours."

Joshua's eyes widened sharply. Was this the same Winter who'd stayed up nights by Terence's bedside when he'd been taken to the hospital during emergencies? Was she the same woman who kneeled and prayed in churches for Terence's safety?

Terence was her entire world, her flesh and blood. How could she just walk away?

A chill emanated from Joshua, and his chest heaved. "I've overestimated you. You're just as selfish and heartless as your father said. I thought you loved Terry with all your heart, but it now seems you were just playing the devoted wife to manipulate me."

Winter snorted. But deep down, a sharp pang shot through her. Steven had always favored Jessica over her, belittling her to make the former look better, both at home and in public.

In truth, she didn't care about that. She'd lost her father the moment her mother died.

But she and Joshua had been married for five years. They'd shared a bed and a child, and she'd managed the household for him. Perhaps others would misunderstand and slander her, but how could he dismiss all her efforts and sacrifices so easily?

"Yeah, I've been acting for five years. I'm done." Winter looked into Joshua's cold, ruthless eyes, which had once captivated her. She finally asked the question buried in her heart for half a decade. "Do you regret it now? Regret that you didn't marry Jessica instead?"

The long silence that followed was heavy and suffocating.

"Looking back, choosing Jessica would definitely have been better than choosing you." Joshua curled his lips in mockery. "At least she wouldn't say something ridiculous like abandoning her son. No woman would!"

Winter smiled again. This time, it had a bitter edge, but it was still beautiful. "Sign the divorce papers as soon as possible."

She grabbed her suitcase and walked away, her figure cool and detached.

Joshua remained rooted to the spot, his fists clenched as he tried to suppress his rage. He didn't know whether Winter was playing hard to get or if she meant it, but there was no way he would chase after her. His status and pride wouldn't allow it.

Besides, he didn't believe she'd really go through with it. She didn't have the guts. Without him, she wouldn't survive in Jeston!

Just then, his phone rang. It was a call from Sean.

"Mr. Stroud, I contacted the jeweler who supplies the Stroud family. He said he doesn't have anything good in stock now; the latest batch won't arrive until next week at the earliest. Looks like the birthday gift you've asked to prepare for Mrs. Stroud's birthday will be delayed. I'll push them, though."

"Don't bother. I'm not giving her anything anymore." Joshua hung up.

Originally, he'd planned to give Winter a small token first before making up for it with something proper later. Now, it was clear she was ungrateful and unworthy of his effort.

Joshua sat on the couch, seething. He crossed his legs and grabbed the envelope Winter had given him, pulling out the divorce agreement.

There, neatly signed, was her name. The contrast of the black ink against the white paper stung his eyes.

The next second, her wedding ring fell out of the envelope, landing on the floor with a clink. It glinted faintly under the lights.

"She's so immature!" Joshua pressed his tongue against his cheek and tore the agreement to shreds. He curled his lip as he growled, "Playing hard to get, Winter? You think I'll fall for this?"

…

Winter had just reached the living room when she heard Terence's excited voice.

"Goodnight, Aunt Jessie! Wear the birthday gift I gave you even when you sleep, okay?"

"Goodnight, Terry!" Jessica's voice was soft and sweet, the kind that made kids feel warm and men feel a stir. "By the way, today's your mom's birthday. Did you prepare a gift for her?"

"Going to kindergarten every day is tiring enough—I don't have time for anything else. Besides, I'm not giving her anything, not after how she bullied you today!"

Just then, Terence heard footsteps behind him. He turned and saw Winter hurry past without so much as a glance at him, pulling her suitcase behind her.