Part 7.2

I had already taken a step forward, but I stopped and turned back to her, my gaze turning cold.

“And I’ve already made it clear—I won’t take a single cent from your son, Mrs. Pierce.”

Rowena and Amelia scoffed in disbelief.

I shifted my eyes to Dominic, my expression firm. “I won’t make things difficult for you, Dom. Everything you own will remain yours—except my children. All you need to do is grant me custody in court, and I promise… you’ll have your peace.”

My voice dropped, colder than before.

“I swear, you and your new family will never be burdened by my daughters.”

With that, I turned and walked toward the door again.

“Don’t forget your things,” Amelia called out, kicking the worn suitcase I didn’t even recognize.

“I don’t need any of that,” I replied with a mocking smile.

I released Chelsea’s hand and slowly walked back toward Dominic… toward him and his mistress.

Then, without breaking my gaze, I slipped off the wedding ring still on my finger.

I reached for Diana’s left hand. She instinctively pulled back, as if afraid I might hurt her—but I caught it anyway and placed my wedding ring into her palm.

It was a simple band of gold, set with a single, tiny diamond.

“You’ve seen how they treat me,” I said with a sweet, almost gentle smile. “Sooner or later, that’s exactly how they’ll treat you too.”

Her fingers trembled slightly beneath mine.

“And if you think you’ll live comfortably—happily, surrounded by wealth—with Dominic, then you’ve chosen the wrong man.” My smile didn’t waver. “This… is all you’ll ever get from him. Maybe even less.”

I watched the color drain from her face.

Slowly, I folded her fingers over the ring, closing her hand so she had no choice but to hold it.

My wedding ring had never been extravagant. It wasn’t worth a fortune—far from it. In fact, if sold, it probably wouldn’t even cover a month’s worth of living expenses.

But it was all Dominic could afford back then.

Even after he became successful and bought me far more expensive jewelry—pieces I was certain Amelia and Rowena had already taken—I never stopped wearing that ring. To me, it had been a symbol of loyalty.

Even when I grew thinner and the ring became loose, I had wrapped a strip of plaster around the inside just to keep it from slipping off my finger.

But now…

It no longer deserved a place on my hand.

It belonged to its new owner.

And with that ring, I wanted Diana to understand one thing clearly—Dominic was not as wealthy as she believed.

And I swore to myself…

For this betrayal, I would repay him.

I would drag him back down to where he once stood—perhaps even lower.

“Thank you for these six years,” I said quietly, my voice steady despite everything. “For all the joy… and all the pain.”

My gaze shifted—from Diana, to Rowena, to Amelia… and finally, to Dominic.

“But from this moment on—don’t expect that you…” I paused, my eyes hardening, “…or any of you, will have a better life than the one you have now.”

I was about to turn away when Dominic grabbed my arm, his grip rough and unyielding.

“What do you mean by that?” he demanded, his voice caught somewhere between anger and confusion.

Diana clung to his arm, her hand tightening around him—whether to stop him from hurting me or to urge him on, I couldn’t tell.

“Don’t mind her,” Rowena cut in coldly, taking hold of Dominic’s other arm and pulling it away from me. “What could a poor, orphaned girl like her possibly do to you?”

Right then, the sharp sound of a car horn echoed from outside.

Dominic released me.

Without another word, I turned and walked to Chelsea, who was still waiting. I took her hand and led her toward the door.

Outside, a sleek, expensive SUV was parked in front of the house. The rear passenger door opened, and a beautiful, elegantly dressed woman stepped out.

It was Daisy Beaumont—my best friend, the one I already considered family.

From the front passenger seat, a handsome teenage boy climbed out, dressed in denim shorts and a sleeveless shirt. Sebastian—Daisy’s younger brother.

At first, they waved at me with bright smiles.

Then their expressions shifted the moment they saw Eva carrying Elena… and me holding Chelsea’s hand.

“What happened?” Daisy rushed over, her eyes scanning my face before flicking past me.

I turned slightly.

The Pierce family stood lined up in the doorway behind me. Diana was still clinging to Dominic’s arm, all soft and possessive, while Amelia struggled to drag that worn-out suitcase behind her.

“They threw you out?” Daisy asked, disbelief sharp in her voice.

I didn’t answer.

“You threw her out?” she repeated, her tone rising, cutting.

Before she could step forward, I wrapped my arms around her waist, stopping her from confronting them. With a small tilt of my head, I signaled Eva to get into the car. Then I gently placed Chelsea’s hand into Sebastian’s.

Chelsea followed without hesitation, climbing into the car without looking back.

“We’re getting a divorce,” I said flatly.

I could feel the heat radiating from Daisy’s body—her anger building, simmering just beneath the surface.

Knowing her…

It wouldn’t stay contained for long.

“Divorce?” Daisy echoed, disbelief hissing through her teeth as her gaze snapped toward Dominic and Diana.

She didn’t need an explanation.

Daisy had already drawn her own conclusion.

“Tch. What a shameless bastard,” she muttered under her breath.

But then—just a second later—the anger vanished from her face. She laughed.

The sound startled everyone.

Not just the Pierce family… but me as well.

Her well-manicured hands rose and gently cupped my face. “Congratulations, my love,” she said warmly, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead—like an older sister comforting someone she cherished. Then she pulled me into a tight embrace. “Finally… the moment I’ve been waiting for has come.”

Her voice rang out clearly, unapologetically, and I couldn’t help but wonder what she meant.

She loosened her hold slightly, though her hands remained on my arms. Her eyes softened as she looked at me.

There was no pity in them.

Only relief.

Only love.

The kind of gaze a mother gives her child when they finally come home.

“It’s time for you to come back,” she said, her voice catching faintly. “You don’t have to lower yourself in front of ungrateful people like them anymore. A brighter future is waiting for you, sweetheart.”

Before I could respond, she hugged me again—tighter this time.

“God, I’m so, so happy to hear this,” she exclaimed, her joy impossible to hide.

“Has she lost her mind?” I heard someone whisper behind me.

Rowena.