All Chapters of The Last Leaf of Devotion: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

That night, Ansel never returned.Odessa lay in the bathtub, scrubbing endlessly at the dirt and shame embedded in her skin. But no matter how fiercely she scrubbed, the painful memories of last night clung stubbornly.She wept until exhaustion took her, and in the fog of unconsciousness, she felt a pair of warm hands lifting her."Odessa!" a familiar voice echoed urgently.As she fought to open her eyes, she saw Ansel standing above her, his usually cold expression replaced by unmistakable panic."Odessa, stay with me! I'm taking you to the hospital!"She looked at him through the haze clouding her mind, and for a brief moment, the past came rushing back.When she was 17, a devastating earthquake had shaken Brightmoor. Just before a classroom beam came crashing down, Ansel had thrown himself over her, using his body as a shield.They were trapped beneath the rubble for five harrowing days. Without food or water, Odessa's grip on reality began to slip, and her will to survive s

As Ansel took in the wreckage around him, his expression darkened instantly. His eyes burned with fury as he shouted, "Odessa! What the heck are you doing? When is this going to stop?"These were the things we promised to cherish for the rest of our lives. Why would you destroy them like this?"Odessa lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. "When love turns ugly, holding on to the remnants only brings more pain. It's better to let it all go."She swallowed hard, forcing back a sob. "Let's get a divorce.""Odessa, how many times have you said that in the past two days?" Ansel snapped. "I rushed back the moment I saw your message. Can you stop overreacting?"I've already told you—what I have with Sydney is just a fling. Why are you being so petty and jealous over her?"Odessa shook her head. "It's not that I can't tolerate her... It's that she can't tolerate me."Ansel's expression stiffened as he roughly pulled her to her feet. "Look, your entire family's gone. Withou

Odessa's voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to bring the entire lobby to a standstill.One by one, curious faces emerged, all eyes drawn to the tense moment unfolding. Every gaze settled firmly on Odessa.She tightened her grip on the divorce papers, but her eyes remained unwavering and determined.Ansel's expression hardened. His fists clenched tightly as he spat, "Odessa, must you really do this?"She held his stare, wiping away a tear. "No matter how many times you ask, my answer won't change. Just sign the papers. Let's finally be done with each other."Ansel said nothing. His cold eyes bore into her, the air around him thickening with tension.From the sidelines, Sydney's heart soared, bursting like fireworks lighting up the night sky.She didn't hesitate to stoke the fire. Gripping Ansel's collar, she looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. "Ansel, please… put me down. This is all my fault. Don't fight with Odessa because of me."Sydney's sobs scraped at Odessa'

Ansel's promise still lingered in Odessa's ears, as if spoken just yesterday. And yet, the ring that once held the weight of their love now graced Sydney's finger.Odessa stared blankly at the screen, tears streaming down her face without her even realizing it."Miss, are you alright?"The two women looked at her in surprise and quickly handed her a tissue. But when they took a closer look, their eyes widened in disbelief."Aren't you… the wife of Halberg Group's CEO?"Odessa accepted the tissue with a word of thanks. At their question, she offered a bitter smile and shook her head."Not anymore. There's no such thing as eternal love. Maybe the journey is beautiful… but the ending is always the same."With that, she turned and walked away, her steps faltering.The two women exchanged uneasy glances as they watched her silhouette disappear into the distance.By the time Odessa returned home, a fever had already set in.She sank onto the couch, her body weighed down by exhausti

"Just wait for me. I'll be right back," Ansel reassured Sydney. Without another word, he grabbed Odessa by the wrist and pulled her out of the venue.She didn't resist, letting him lead her into a quiet study.A heavy silence hung between them.Ansel's eyes remained fixed on Odessa. After a long, tense pause, he finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse. "What if we don't go through with the divorce? I'll end things with Sydney."Odessa let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. "If you were truly capable of letting her go, you wouldn't have needed to drag me in here to say it. Maybe you haven't realized it yet… but you've already fallen for her."Besides, Sydney was only the beginning. Even if she vanished, there would always be someone else waiting to take her place.Ansel clenched his fists, still refusing to back down. "What if I sent her overseas? You'd be in separate cities, living separate lives. Would that finally satisfy you?"A sharp ache tightened in Odessa's chest. Too