Chapter 3.

The cold floor of the Civil Registry Office seemed to tremble beneath my feet. The image of the computer screen displaying Merry Dacko as the lawful wife of Kael Gostav refused to leave my mind, burning away the last fragments of my composure. The five-year marriage I had cherished so dearly had turned out to be nothing more than a cheap performance, with me cast as the most foolish leading character of all.

I thought that woman was Kael's mistress... but it turns out I was the mistress. I was the other woman, I screamed inwardly.

My hands clenched into tight fists, barely containing the rage threatening to erupt.

The marriage certificate I had carefully kept locked away all these years—the document I had once looked upon with nothing but happiness—was nothing more than a worthless piece of paper. A sweet lie Kael had meticulously crafted to use me, keeping me by his side without any legal bond whatsoever.

My hands trembled violently as I pulled the fake marriage certificate from the folder I had brought with me. I stared at Kael Gostav's name and my own, neatly printed across the page—a symbol of the deception I had endured for half a decade.

Rip!

The sharp sound of paper tearing echoed through the room.

Without hesitation, I tore it again.

And again.

Until it became nothing more than tiny, meaningless scraps.

At the same time, my fingers reached for the cool pearl necklace around my neck—the one Kael had fastened there that very morning with such convincing affection. I yanked it off with enough force to snap the clasp, then threw the expensive necklace into the trash along with the shredded remains of the fake marriage certificate.

"Miss? Are you alright?"

The male clerk's voice sounded distant as it broke through the silence.

I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. My chest felt as though a massive boulder were crushing it, yet I forced myself to remain standing.

I refused to fall apart in front of a stranger.

"May I have a sheet of paper and a pen, sir?" I asked, my voice hoarse as I struggled to keep my trembling body under control. "I want to leave a message for that man."

The clerk looked at me with sympathy.

Without asking another question, he nodded.

"Of course."

He handed me a blank notepad and a black pen.

My fingers gripped the pen so tightly that my knuckles turned white. On the blank sheet of paper, every ounce of anger, disappointment, and humiliation raging inside me poured out in strokes of black ink.

Kael, I never believed you could be this cruel. The man I loved with all my heart has given me the deepest wound imaginable. If I hadn't found the receipt for that extravagant birthday celebration in your suit pocket, your lies would probably have continued to this very day. You should know that I went to Isabella's birthday party last night. I saw you standing beside Merry with the happiest smile on your face.

I thought that was the extent of your secret.

But when I came to the Civil Registry Office to file for divorce, I discovered an even more horrifying truth—my name has never existed in the country's official records. And do you know who your legal wife is? Merry Dacko.

Your performance is over, Mr. Gostav.

For five years, you betrayed me. You truly succeeded in deceiving me and trampling on my sincerity. The two of you built your happiness on top of my suffering.

Today, I take back every bit of love I ever gave you. I am not some pathetic woman for the two of you to walk all over.

Our relationship ends here.

And thank you... for the fake marriage that lasted five years.

I finished writing with ragged breaths.

Slowly, I slipped the gold band from the ring finger of my left hand. For years, I had believed it symbolized sacred love.

Now I knew it was just as fake as the man who had placed it there.

I folded the letter neatly and placed the counterfeit wedding ring inside before sealing it.

"Please keep this," I said, handing the folded letter to the clerk. "Could you contact Kael Gostav this afternoon and ask him to come here personally to collect it?"

The clerk accepted both the letter and the ring before nodding sympathetically.

"Certainly, Miss. I'll make sure he receives your message."

"Thank you."

I turned and walked out of the office.

Every step felt unbearably heavy.

The chilly afternoon air filled my lungs as I descended the building's staircase.

"You bastard, Kael," I whispered.

My voice was swallowed by the roar of the city's traffic as the pain in my heart flared up once again.

The agony struck without warning, so sharp that it forced me to bend over beside my car. I gripped the car door tightly, struggling to suppress the cry of pain lodged in my throat. My pulse raced wildly out of rhythm.

With the little strength I had left, I opened the driver's door and collapsed into the seat. Reaching into my handbag, I took out my heart medication and swallowed two pills without water.

Closing my eyes, I rested my forehead against the steering wheel, waiting for my ragged breathing to gradually return to normal.

When my heartbeat finally steadied, I opened my eyes.

There were no tears left.

The only thing that remained inside me was a cold, dangerous desire for revenge.

I picked up my phone from my bag.

Without the slightest hesitation, I removed the SIM card that contained every contact connected to my old life with Kael and his family.

Without a second thought, I rolled down the window and tossed the tiny chip onto the grounds outside the Civil Registry Office.

Kael no longer had any way to reach me.

From this moment on, the obedient, foolish Aluna was dead.

Taking a long, steady breath, I fixed my eyes on the road ahead.

I shut the car door firmly, turned the ignition key, and pressed down on the accelerator.

The car slowly pulled away, leaving behind the place that had witnessed the complete destruction of my dignity.

"I swear," I whispered to my reflection in the rearview mirror, "those two traitors will pay dearly for what they've done to me. Every tear I've shed... every ounce of pain I've endured... I'll make them repay it a hundredfold."