Chapter 4

The moment Ellie saw Lisa and Derek together, a cold dread shot up from her feet, freezing her to the core. Her entire body went numb.

So it was her. The woman Derek cherished, the one he protected with such fierce tenderness—was Lisa.

Why? Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be her? The daughter of the man who murdered her parents.

"What if I refuse?" Ellie's voice trembled, despite her best effort to steady it.

"I'll cut off your living expenses," Derek replied coldly, detached as if speaking to a stranger.

A bitter, disbelieving laugh escaped her, teetering on the edge of tears. The irony was so cruel it was almost laughable. For Lisa, there was no limit to what Derek would do.

"Let it go, Derek," Lisa cooed, snuggling deeper into his arm. "She's my cousin. She lost her parents so young, she never learned any manners. She's always had this… habit of taking what's mine. It's just a dress. Let her have her little victory."

Heather's temper snapped. "You shameless home-wrecker! First you steal her husband, now you're after her clothes? I'll rip that fake, innocent mask right off your face!"

Derek's expression darkened, his jaw tightening into a hard line.

Ellie caught Heather's arm before she could lunge. This was her battle, her storm. She wouldn't let her best friend get caught in the crossfire.

Derek's gaze felt like a weight, pressing down on her, waiting for her inevitable surrender.

Instead, she turned to the stunned sales associate and handed over her card, her voice calm and clear.

"Ring it up. I'm taking the dress."

It was a quiet, deliberate refusal. A final one.

A faint crease appeared between Derek's brows. The air crackled with his displeasure, his unchallenged authority now openly defied.

But Ellie simply took the bagged dress and walked away, not granting him a single backward glance.

His voice, low and commanding, chased after her. "This one, that one, and every new arrival for the season. Wrap them all. Deliver everything to Lisa's address."

Her step hitched for a fraction of a second.

Every new arrival. That was a purchase of several hundred thousand dollars.

Just because Lisa couldn't have the one dress, he had to buy out the entire store's new collection to console her?

The thought was a dull, numb ache. He loved her so deeply that he couldn't bear for her to feel the slightest disappointment.

Heather was muttering a stream of furious curses under her breath. "God, is he blind? How can he throw away a woman like you for that conniving little viper?!"

A sharp pain lanced through Ellie's chest, but it faded as quickly as it came.

The marriage was over. There was no point in letting her heart bleed any longer.

…

The next morning, she found herself wandering aimlessly until her feet carried her to the gates of her old university.

A job fair buzzed with activity. The air was thick with the hopeful energy of young graduates, and for a moment, Ellie's heart ached with a profound, suspended regret.

If, four years ago, she hadn't been so blindly in love—if she hadn't thrown her future away for Derek—what kind of life would she be living now?

"Ellie?"

She turned, startled. Standing behind her was Professor Adam Chasen, her former mentor.

"Professor Chasen."

He looked older, more silver in his hair, but his gaze was as sharp and discerning as ever.

"You've lost weight. You look pale. Life hasn't been kind to you, has it?"

"I…" She faltered, words failing her.

His expression was steely as he said, "I saw that husband of yours from a distance once. Knew right away he wasn't the sincere type. But you were so stubborn. You had to walk into the fire yourself to learn it burns, didn't you?"

Ellie gave a rueful smile.

"Yes. I suppose pain is the best teacher. Professor Chasen… thank you. For everything. Especially the patent."

"That was always your money," he said brusquely. "I just made sure the pipeline led back to you. Everyone needs a safety net."

Only now did Ellie truly understand his intentions.

He hadn't skipped her wedding out of spite. He'd known she was walking into a fire pit and couldn't bear to watch her burn.

…

At noon, they shared a simple lunch in the campus cafeteria.

"Found a job yet?" he asked between bites.

She shook her head. The truth was, after four years as a sheltered wife, she felt disconnected from the world, utterly lost on how to begin again.

Professor Chasen slid a business card across the table. "The director of this company is a former student of mine. They're looking for talent. You can start whenever you're ready."

She glanced down.

QuantumX Biotech.

A promising startup focused on cancer research—directly in her field. It was a small, agile team. The perfect place to rebuild her career.

But Ellie hesitated. She didn't want to use her mentor's name as a key to open doors.

That afternoon, after he left for his class, she went home, polished her résumé until it shone, and emailed it directly to QuantumX's HR department.

Within hours, her phone rang with an invitation for an interview the next morning.

While gathering her documents, she realized her university diploma was missing. It was still at the Bayshore Villa.

She went there to retrieve it.

The moment she stepped inside, she heard Mary on the phone.

"Young Master, are you sure there's no mistake with this month's transfer?"

Derek's cold voice came through the speaker. "The money is for the villa's upkeep. As of this month, all allowances for Ellie are terminated."

Mary noticed Ellie in the doorway and her face paled, a flicker of pure panic in her eyes.

Every month, Derek wired a substantial sum for Ellie's expenses through Mary. But seeing how little he cared for his wife, Mary had been pocketing the vast majority, handing Ellie only a pathetic few hundred as "pocket money."

Seeing Ellie's calm composure, Mary let out a shaky breath of relief—her secret was still safe.

She trailed after Ellie, her tone switching to its usual fake concern. "Madam, what did you do to anger the Young Master this time? You should be grateful to be Mrs. Housten. So what if he has a woman on the side? He puts a roof over your head! What more could you want?

"Take my advice. Call him. Apologize. Maybe he'll forgive you. I'm only saying this for your own good, don't be ungrateful."

Ellie stopped dead and turned, a faint, sharp smile on her lips. "For my good… or for the good of your bank account?"

Mary froze, clutching a dust rag like a lifeline. "I—I don't know what you're talking about."

Her guilty eyes betrayed her.

Ellie didn't bother to press. Whether Derek had sent a thousand or a million, it was all meaningless now.

She found her diploma in the drawer and turned to leave.

Mary's eyes landed on the divorce papers on the desk, and she turned to chase after Ellie. "You're… you're divorcing the Young Master?!" she gasped.

Ellie glanced over her shoulder. "Since you've seen them, do me a favor. Make sure Derek gets them."

Then she walked away.

Mary stood frozen in the silent foyer, utterly stunned.

Wasn't this the same woman who had once pleaded and schemed to become Mrs. Housten?

After fighting so hard for that title… was she really just letting it go?