Chapter 1: Cast Out Without Mercy

The living room of the luxurious mansion suddenly became suffocating. Tonight, a lie had just been carefully crafted to destroy my life.

"Are you still going to deny it, Cyara?!" Sheina's shrill voice—my sister-in-law's—shattered the heavy silence.

She held up an open red velvet jewelry box. Inside, the priceless pearl necklace that had belonged to the Wilson family gleamed brilliantly beneath the lights. Beside her, Emma—my mother-in-law—kept dragging me forward while hurling insult after insult, cornering me as though I were the most despicable criminal on earth.

The commotion drew footsteps from the study. Gavin stepped out, his brows knitted together as he looked at the three of us standing in the middle of the room.

The moment Sheina saw her younger brother, she hurried over and wasted no time poisoning his mind.

"Gavin, look at this! Your wife tried to steal Father's heirloom pearl necklace! She was going to sell our family's jewelry worth millions of dollars!"

Gavin looked at the necklace before shifting his gaze to me. His eyes were filled with disbelief, and his jaw tightened.

"Are you really that desperate for money, Cyara?" he asked, his voice low and heavy with disappointment. "Desperate enough to sell my family's heirloom pearl necklace?"

"Gavin, I swear to God, I didn't—"

"How could you do something like this?!" Gavin cut me off, his anger beginning to erupt. "Hasn't the Wilson family taken care of you for the past five years after both of your parents passed away?!"

Tears streamed down my cheeks. The pain pierced straight through my heart. My voice trembled as I tried to explain that I had never committed the vile act Sheina and her mother were accusing me of.

Instead, Gavin's fury only grew stronger.

"So now you're saying my mother and my sister are lying?"

"That's not what I meant, Gavin. Please, you have to listen to my explanation first," I pleaded softly, still desperately hoping for justice.

But Gavin refused to give me even the slightest chance.

"I've given you more than enough monthly allowance. Is this how you repay my family?!" he shouted.

A bitter laugh almost escaped my lips.

Monthly allowance?

Not a single dollar Gavin was talking about had ever reached me. Every month, Sheina forced me to transfer every cent into her personal account, threatening me if I refused. But I had never been able to fight back. No matter what I said about his family, Gavin would never believe me.

Just like this pearl necklace.

I was the one who had seen it at an auction house several weeks ago. Sheina had secretly sold it herself. But after realizing I had seen it, she bought it back. And now, she had shamelessly twisted the truth and accused me of being the thief.

"Cyara has gone too far against the Wilson family. She doesn't even respect you as her husband anymore. She deserves a divorce, Gavin!" Emma declared coldly as she handed him a thick folder containing divorce papers that had already been prepared.

Gavin took the folder from his mother's hand before throwing it straight against my chest.

"You're an ungrateful woman. Sign those divorce papers. Now," he ordered without the slightest hesitation.

Cruel.

Gavin was truly cruel enough to do this to me.

For five years of marriage, I had devoted myself completely to him and his family. I swallowed every humiliation and every ounce of pain just to protect this marriage. Yet all I received tonight was betrayal.

Gavin stared at me with his cold, hawk-like eyes as he held out a gold fountain pen.

I looked at the pen before lifting my gaze to the three people standing before me.

There were no more pleading tears left.

I would not beg anymore, as I always had every time Emma and Sheina framed me. This time, I had reached the end of my patience.

Without a trace of hesitation, I snatched the pen from Gavin's hand, signed my name across the divorce papers, then hurled the documents back against his chest.

Just then, the head housekeeper walked in carrying a small suitcase containing my clothes. Without the slightest respect, he threw it onto the floor beside my feet.

"You're no longer a member of the Wilson family! Get out of here!" Emma barked mercilessly.

Growing even more impatient, Gavin strode toward me. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me roughly toward the front door. I winced in pain as his iron grip dug into my skin, bruising my wrist.

"Get out!"

With a powerful shove, Gavin pushed me outside.

I crashed onto the cold marble floor of the grand mansion's front terrace. A sharp sting shot through my knees and scraped palms as they slammed against the hard surface.

At the same moment, my suitcase was carelessly thrown after me, tumbling down the front steps. The magnificent front door was immediately slammed shut and locked from the inside.

The cold New York rain began soaking my body as I sat frozen on the marble floor. I wiped away the remaining tears from my cheeks and stared at the door of the home that had just thrown me away like garbage.

The agony and heartbreak inside my chest slowly transformed into a blazing fire of hatred.

Alone in the darkness of the night, carrying nothing and with nowhere to go, I slowly rose to my feet.

I looked at the door one last time and whispered to myself with unwavering determination.

I will never come back to you again, Gavin.