Chapter 4

No one spoke.

The silence that settled over the ballroom was far more oppressive than the endless whispers that had filled it moments earlier.

Sophia stood motionless, her empty ring finger curled slightly against her palm. It felt strange.

For five years, that tiny diamond had been a symbol of everything she believed in.

Love… Commitment… Family. Now, It rested in Damien's hand as though those five years had never existed.

Neither of them moved, or spoke for almost ten minutes. Olivia was the first to break the silence.

She stepped closer to Damien, gently slipping her hand into the crook of his arm once more before looking at Sophia with eyes that appeared sympathetic.

"Sophia..." Her voice was soft enough to fool anyone who didn't know better. "I truly hope you won't hate Damien." She lowered her gaze with practiced elegance. "Love has never been something people can force."

She continued. He tried… he really did, but the heart always knows where it belongs."

A few guests nodded quietly. Some even looked at Olivia with admiration. She looked graceful, understanding, and kind. Only Sophia could hear the hidden triumph beneath every carefully chosen word.

Sophia looked at her for several long seconds. She had imagined meeting Damien's first love countless times over the years. She had wondered what kind of woman had once captured his heart.

Now she knows.

Beautiful, elegant, confident, and ruthless.

Olivia offered another gentle smile. "Thank you for taking care of him while I was away. I'll take good care of him from now on."

Sophia's lashes fluttered.

Five years has been reduced to the work of a temporary caretaker.

Just someone who had watched over another woman's future husband. Damien glanced toward Sophia before picking up the black fountain pen lying beside the divorce agreement.

Without emotion, he extended it toward her. "Sign it." His voice remained calm. "There is no reason to prolong this."

Sophia stared at the pen.

How ironic.

Five years ago… That same hand had handed her a wedding certificate to sign. Today… It offered her divorce papers.

Life truly had a cruel sense of humor.

She slowly raised her eyes. "If I don't sign..." Her voice was hoarse. "...what happens?"

For the first time that evening, Damien's expression hardened slightly. "My legal team has already prepared everything."

He added. "If necessary… We'll settle it in court."

The answer landed heavily in the room. Several directors exchanged uncomfortable glances. There was no affection left or compromise. He had already planned every possible outcome.

Whether she agreed or not, she had already been erased from his future.

Sophia lowered her gaze once more. A strange calm slowly settled over her heart.

Perhaps, this was for the best. There was nothing left to save. The man she loved had disappeared long before tonight.

Only she had been too blind to notice.

She reached for the pen. Her fingers trembled so violently that she almost dropped it. The sharp scratching sound of ink against paper echoed through the silent ballroom.

Every letter of her name felt impossibly heavy.

Sophia Bennett.

The signature wasn't merely ending a marriage. It was burying five years of hope.

Five years of unconditional love.

When she finished, she quietly placed the pen on top of the document.

She stared at her signature for several seconds. Then without another word, she closed the folder. Holding it with both hands, she extended it toward Damien, and he accepted it without hesitation. Not even their fingers touched. The distance between them felt greater than the distance between strangers.

Sophia drew a slow breath.

When she finally spoke again., her voice was steady. "Congratulations..."

She paused.

The next two words caught everyone's attention. "...Mr. Carter."

Even Damien's eyes flickered slightly.

She offered a faint smile. "I hope the future you chose… never disappoints you."

Then she turned away without waiting for an answer. The crowd instinctively parted as she walked toward the ballroom doors.

One elderly shareholder removed his glasses and wiped his eyes.

He had watched Damien build the Carter Group from the beginning.

He also remembered seeing Sophia arrive at the office every morning before sunrise and leave long after everyone else had gone home.

But tonight, not one person defended her. The realization made several people feel ashamed.

Sophia continued walking. Every step echoed softly against the polished marble floor.

With each step, a memory surfaced. Her wedding day… Damien had nervously placed the ring on her finger. His promise that one day they would stand at the top together.

The tiny apartment where they had shared instant noodles because they couldn't afford proper meals. The sleepless nights spent planning Carter Group's future. The mornings she had quietly adjusted his tie before important meetings. The birthdays they celebrated alone. The anniversaries he forgot because he was busy with work.

She had forgiven everything, because she believed love required sacrifice. Now she finally understood that sacrifice only has meaning when both people are willing to make it.

She reached the enormous ballroom doors. One of the attendants hurried forward and pulled them open.

The moment the doors parted, a cold wind swept inside. Rain poured relentlessly outside, drumming against the stone steps in shimmering sheets.

Thunder rumbled across the dark sky.

Sophia stood there for only a second, then she stepped forward without an umbrella, and without looking back. The icy rain immediately soaked her hair and dress.

Within moments, she was drenched from head to toe… yet she kept walking. The rain mixed with the tears on her face until she could no longer tell them apart.

Behind her, the ballroom doors slowly closed, the music resumed, champagne glasses clinked once again, and laughter gradually returned. It was as though her existence had already been erased from the celebration.

Inside the ballroom, Damien remained standing exactly where she had left him. His gaze lingered on the closed doors for a brief, silent moment.

His fingers unconsciously tightened around the divorce agreement she had just signed. Something unfamiliar stirred deep within his chest.

It wasn't pain or regret. It was just... an odd emptiness he couldn't quite explain.

Before he could dwell on it, Olivia slipped her hand into his.

"Damien," she said with a warm smile. "Everyone is waiting to congratulate us."

He looked at her, then he nodded once.

The strange feeling disappeared as quickly as it had come. Together, they turned toward the applauding guests.

Neither of them noticed that outside, beneath the relentless storm, Sophia continued walking alone into the darkness, leaving behind not only her marriage, but the last piece of the woman she used to be.