Chapter 3

That night, I found a nearby hotel and stored our luggage there.

The next morning, I arrived at the courthouse a few minutes early.

Wade was already there, sitting in his car. In the passenger seat was a woman, completely covered up in disguise.

Looks like he was afraid I would make a scene and refuse to divorce him.

After all, he was a department supervisor then.

The moment he saw me arrive, he rushed over impatiently, dragged me out of the car, and pulled me inside to finalize the divorce.

By the time we walked out with the divorce certificate in hand, the woman in the passenger seat finally opened the door and stepped out.

Even though she was wearing a loose dress, I could still see the slight curve of her belly.

Just as Linda had said, Wade already had another woman, and even a child.

As if worried I might lose control, Wade quickly stepped in front of her, shielding her protectively.

I did not even bother with them. Instead, feeling lighter than I had in years, I waved down a cab and headed straight to claim my lottery prize.

I split the eighty million, after taxes, across four different bank accounts. Then I went straight to the city center and bought the luxury villa I had dreamed about for so long. After that, I picked up a brand new Porsche without hesitation.

Next, I went to the hospital and transferred another one million into my daughter's account.

The doctor said the surgery could be scheduled within a week. I upgraded her to a private luxury room immediately.

"Just focus on the operation," I told them. "Money isn't an issue."

After everything was taken care of, I checked my balance and saw that there was still over seventy million left. At that point, I could barely even remember who Wade was.

However, there was no way I was letting him off that easily.

Money was not a problem then, so I hired a private investigator at a high price to dig into the truth about his affair.

After that, I stayed at the hospital, taking care of Thora day and night.

Not until she came out of surgery safely and steadily did I finally feel my heart settle.

Once I knew she could live a normal life again, I brought her home to our new villa in the city center.

She already knew about my divorce from Wade. Always mature beyond her years, she gave me a small smile, dimples showing, her little tiger teeth peeking out.

"Dad probably has no idea what he just lost."

We looked at each other and smiled.

The moment we finished settling in, there was a knock on the door. It was the property management staff.

"Ms. Carter, we noticed your birthday is coming up. Tomorrow at three in the afternoon, we will be hosting a birthday gathering for you. All residents have been invited. We won't disturb you any further."

I had not expected the service there to be that thoughtful.

Still, thinking about future social connections, I took my daughter out again and bought several expensive dresses. After all, she would be attending a nearby school in the future. Getting to know the neighbors early would not hurt.

After shopping, my daughter said she wanted to eat the egg tarts I used to make.

So I baked a batch. I even packed some up and brought them to the neighbor across the hall.

When the door opened, I froze for a second.

It was Wade's direct boss, Franklin Jones.

I had seen him once before when I went to pick up a drunk Wade.

He did not recognize me, but I recognized his wife. Back when I worked at the same company, she had been one of my favorite clients.

We quickly fell into easy conversation, as if no time had passed at all. Before long, we even made plans to get our hair and makeup done together the next afternoon.

Time flew by, and soon it was the next day.

I had arranged for a professional makeup artist to come to the house, but she could not find the entrance.

Left with no choice, I threw on a simple T-shirt and went downstairs barefaced to meet her.

That was when I saw Wade. He was standing outside, dressed in a formal suit, delivering documents to his boss.

The sun was blazing. The back of his shirt was soaked with sweat, yet he only stood there obediently near the entrance, waiting.

I walked past him as if he did not exist, but somehow he still noticed me. In the next second, his expression darkened as he rushed over, glaring at me.

"Yoana, what is wrong with you?" he snapped harshly. "Following me around like this, do you think that's funny?"