Chapter 1

"I want a divorce, Liora," said Noah Anderson.

Liora fell silent for a moment after hearing her husband's words. She hadn't expected to be divorced on the same day her parents had just died in an accident. Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. Is this real? That was the only thing running through her mind. Her husband, who had loved her so deeply and always shown her off in front of everyone, was now asking for a divorce when there was nothing wrong between them.

"Why are you just standing there? Pack your things!" Noah continued coldly.

There wasn't even a hint of pity in the man's eyes. He stared at his wife with an expressionless face. Noah stood up and threw the divorce papers at Liora's face. The papers fell to the floor.

"What did I do wrong? Why are you asking for a divorce when my parents' graves are still fresh? If I've done something wrong, I'm sorry," said Liora as she wiped her tears.

Noah turned his face away. He picked up the papers and placed them on the table. He walked over to a chair and sat down, glancing at Liora once more. His wife was indeed beautiful, with golden blonde hair and striking green eyes, but that was no longer enough for Noah—who needed a lot of money to cover the losses in his company.

The door opened. A beautiful woman with long black hair stepped inside. Liora watched her as the woman immediately kissed Noah's cheek. Liora's eyes widened. So this was one of the reasons her husband wanted a divorce. Her own best friend, Bella, was having an affair with Noah.

Bella took something out of her bag and handed a pregnancy test to Noah. The man looked pleased and didn't hesitate to kiss Bella on the lips right in front of his wife. Liora clenched her fists as her cheeks grew wetter with tears. Without thinking, she rushed toward Bella, slapped her across the face, and pulled her hair.

"Argh! What are you doing? You're insane!" Bella screamed loudly.

"I should be the one asking! What are you doing with my husband? Are you two cheating behind my back?" Liora shouted, still yanking Bella's hair.

"Liora, let go of my girlfriend! She's carrying my child!" Noah yelled, pushing Liora so hard that she fell to the floor.

Liora looked up at Noah, who was defending Bella right in front of her. The pregnancy test proved she had lost. That mistress could give Noah a child, while she could not.

"Honey, are you okay?" Noah asked Bella, his voice full of concern.

"My stomach hurts so bad," Bella replied, glancing at Liora with a mocking look.

"If anything happens to our baby, I'll never forgive you, Liora!" Noah shouted.

"I don't care if that baby dies! That would be better!" Liora said flatly.

She didn't even know what to think anymore. She was completely disappointed in Noah. All this time, she had helped him build his business. Her name had been used as collateral at the bank, and lately, she'd been terrorized by debt collectors because Noah couldn't pay his debts.

Liora moved closer again, ready to slap Bella's face once more. Noah quickly pulled Bella into his arms, shielding her.

"Bring her to me! I need to teach this shameless woman a lesson!" Liora snapped.

"Don't touch her!" Noah pushed Liora's hand away, glaring sharply at her.

Liora wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "Fine, Noah. If this is what you want—if she's your choice—then take it all. This house, this car, the business we built together. But remember, one day, you'll come crawling back to me."

Noah just scoffed, refusing to respond to Liora's words. Bella stared at Liora, her eyes glassy with tears, but her cheek still burned from the slap.

"Leave now, Liora. I'm sick of looking at you. I've already hired a lawyer and we'll finalize the divorce tomorrow," Noah said flatly.

"And what about your debts under my name?" Liora asked.

"Oh, that's your problem," Noah replied casually, as if he wasn't to blame for dragging her name into his debts.

Liora walked into their bedroom. The large wardrobe was still neatly filled with expensive dresses—all chosen by Noah, supposedly for his "prideful wife." She took only a small suitcase, packing a few clothes and some important documents. At that moment, her phone rang again—it was the bank. She wiped her face roughly. Why had she been so stupid to trust Noah? The only thing she could do now was switch off her phone, just to ease her mind a little.

She also found their old photo album from when they were in college together. She never imagined Bella would be the one to destroy her marriage, especially since that woman had her own boyfriend.

"They really have no shame!"

After packing her things, she left the bedroom and passed through the living room. There was Bella, sitting and rubbing her belly, while Noah smoked casually as if he'd just fired an unimportant employee.

With steady steps, Liora left the house—this house that would probably be repossessed by the bank soon. But that was better than letting a place full of memories of her and Noah be taken over by him and that shameless woman.

Liora held back her tears as she clutched her phone. No taxis passed through this exclusive housing complex. In the end, with just a small umbrella, she walked through the black gates on foot.

After nearly an hour of walking, an old taxi finally stopped. The driver looked at Liora in surprise—who was this glamorous-looking woman, now soaked through and hugging a suitcase on the side of the road?

"Where to, Miss?"

"To the nearest hotel," Liora replied.

The driver just nodded and took Liora to her destination. Her mind was a mess. She couldn't think straight about what to do next. She had no family left, and the money in her account would only last her a month.

When she arrived at the hotel, Liora stepped inside. From a distance, inside a sleek black car, a man watched her closely. He lowered his sunglasses, his blue eyes following her every step as she entered the hotel building.