Chapter 5

The rain fell without mercy.

Cold droplets pelted Sophia's face one after another, soaking her hair until it clung to her cheeks. Her silver gown, once elegant beneath the ballroom lights, now hung heavily against her body, the fabric dragging with every step she took.

She didn't know where she was going. She only knew she couldn't stay there.

The city around her remained alive despite the storm. Cars sped past, their headlights slicing through the curtain of rain. People hurried beneath umbrellas, laughing as they rushed into restaurants and cafés to escape the weather.

Life continued… as though her world hadn't just fallen apart. Sophia walked slowly along the deserted sidewalk, her heels clicking weakly against the wet pavement.

For the first time in five years… She had nowhere to go. The villa she had called home no longer belonged to her. The company she had devoted half a decade to had erased her existence within a single night.

Even the man she had loved had become someone else's.

She laughed softly. The sound disappeared beneath the roar of the rain.

"What a fool..." She whispered to herself. "I really believed we'd grow old together."

Her memories refused to leave her alone.

She remembered the first day she had met Damien. Back then, he wasn't the famous CEO everyone admired today. He was just a young entrepreneur with impossible dreams and an empty bank account.

He had been standing outside a small coffee shop, arguing with an investor over the phone. “I don't need your pity, I only need one chance!”

The call had ended with rejection, but he smiled anyway. That stubborn smile had caught Sophia's attention. She had walked over and offered him the only umbrella she owned.

"You'll catch a cold."

He had stared at her in surprise before smiling. "If I take your umbrella..."

"What about you?"

She laughed. "I'll survive."

Neither of them had imagined that a single umbrella would change both of their lives.

Another memory surfaced. Their tiny apartment, the peeling wallpaper, the broken heater that barely worked during winter, the cheap instant noodles they ate almost every night because they couldn't afford anything else.

Damien would always apologize. "I'm sorry."

"I'll make your life better… I promise."

She smiled every single time. "I don't need luxury. I only need you."

Back then, she meant every word. A tear slipped down her cheek before disappearing into the rain.

Another memory followed. The day he proposed, he couldn't afford a diamond ring. Instead, he had nervously held out a simple silver band.

"I know this isn't much, but one day… When Carter Group becomes the biggest company in the country, I'll buy you the most beautiful ring in the world."

Sophia hadn't even looked at the ring. She had thrown her arms around him and said yes before he finished speaking.

She had believed his promises.

Every single one.

But tonight, Carter Group had indeed become number one, but the woman standing beside him wasn't her. Her phone suddenly vibrated inside her handbag.

The unexpected sound pulled her back to reality. She stared blankly at the screen.

Emily is calling.

Emily Harper.

Her best friend since university.

Sophia hesitated for several seconds before answering.

"Hello?"

Emily's cheerful voice immediately burst through the speaker.

"Sophia! Oh my goodness! Congratulations! I just saw the live broadcast! Carter Group is officially number one! I knew you and Damien would do it! So where are you two celebrating? Don't tell me you forgot about me!"

Sophia closed her eyes. She tried to answer, but nothing came out.

Emily laughed on the other end. "Hey? Why are you so quiet? Are you crying because you're happy?"

The question broke something inside Sophia. Her lips trembled, but she forced herself to breathe. When she finally spoke, her voice was so quiet it was almost swallowed by the rain.

"...Emily."

"Yes?"

"...I'm divorced."

Silence.

Even through the phone, Sophia could hear Emily's breathing stop.

Several long seconds passed.

Then...

"What... Did you just say?"

Sophia lowered her head. "He divorced me."

"Tonight… At the celebration banquet."

Another painful silence followed.

Emily finally found her voice. "Where are you? I'm coming right now."

"No." Sophia shook her head even though Emily couldn't see her. "I just… I need to be alone."

"Sophia, listen to me…"

"I'll call you later."

Before Emily could say another word, Sophia gently ended the call. She held the phone tightly against her chest.

Her vision blurred once more.

Even now, she couldn't bring herself to explain everything aloud. It felt too unreal. She continued walking until she reached a quiet bus stop.

There wasn't another person in sight. Only the endless rain. She slowly sat down on the cold metal bench.

The silence surrounding her felt strangely comforting. Her fingers absentmindedly searched through her handbag for a tissue.

Instead, they brushed against a thick document folder.

Sophia frowned, and slowly pulled it out. The familiar blue folder stared back at her. For several seconds, she simply looked at it… then she opened it.

Inside were hundreds of pages, charts, financial forecasts, international expansion strategies, acquisition plans… Every page carried neat handwritten notes in the margins.

Every correction, every calculation, every signature… it had been written by one person.

Sophia Bennett.

She gently traced her fingertips across the first page.

A bitter smile tugged at her lips. "So this is how it ends..."

Five years ago, Damien had walked into their apartment with tears of excitement in his eyes. "They finally approved our proposal!"

He hugged her tightly. "You did it, Sophia!"

"No..." She corrected him with a smile. "We did it."

From that day onward… Every important business plan had passed through her hands before reaching Damien's desk.

Every major negotiation, every overseas merger, every emergency… She had solved them all quietly.

No one knew.

Because Damien had once held her hands and said. "You're my greatest strength. If people discover how brilliant you are, they'll try to steal you away from me. So stay behind me, and I'll protect you."

She smiled and agreed. Not because she wanted to hide, but because she trusted him completely.

Sophia slowly closed the folder. A lonely laugh escaped her lips.

"I built your empire..." She whispered into the empty night. “And you thanked me with divorce papers."

The rain continued falling.

Unaware that somewhere in the darkness beyond the bus stop, a pair of unseen eyes had been quietly watching her ever since she walked out of the ballroom.