Don't fool me, Ex. I'll never marry you (again). のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 30

The percentage crawled slowly, as if intentionally mocking my heart that thundered in my chest. Every second felt like an agonizing hour. The glow from Mike’s laptop screen reflected off my face, revealing streaks of anxiety I couldn't hide.​99%...​One more number. Just one more number toward my freedom—or my destruction.​Suddenly, the sound I feared most shattered the silence of the night. The click of the bathroom door echoed loudly. Mike’s heavy, dragging, and unstable footsteps began to approach. I could imagine his tall figure leaning against the wall, trying to hold back the upheaval in his stomach that I had ensured was disturbed by the 'secret spice' in his wine. I begged the universe, or anything that was listening, to give me a few extra seconds.​100%...​Glowed bright blue in the bottom right corner, and my hand moved like a flash of lightning.​Sret!​I pulled out the 'yellow ducky,' a ridiculous camouflage for data that could destroy Mike's business empire. I closed t

That morning, the air inside the apartment felt incredibly heavy, as if oxygen had been replaced by a suffocating suspicion. I looked at Mike, who was still lying weak in bed; the remnants of the effects of the laxatives I had given him last night were still visible on his pale face.With very careful movements, I ensured the yellow rubber duck that hid the precious secret was stored safely at the bottom of my briefcase."I’m leaving now, Mike. There’s an important meeting I can't miss," I said goodbye with a voice made as soft as possible. The man only groaned weakly, his hands still clutching his stomach.I closed the bedroom door quietly, but as soon as my feet stepped outside, my face turned as cold as ice.I sent a short message to Lucy. “Mike has been seriously ill since last night. I have to go to the office for urgent business. Could you come and watch him for a bit? I’m very worried.” I knew the bait would be taken immediately.Lucy, the "loyal best friend," certainly wouldn'

That night, the apartment felt so silent, the kind of silence that made my sense of hearing many times sharper. Mike had just sent a short text ten minutes ago, saying that he had to work overtime at the office to finish his new project report. A very tidy lie. In my past life, I would have believed it just like that and might have busied myself in the kitchen—only to find his room actually empty.​I sat on the sofa in the living room, accompanied only by the laptop in my lap. My fingers moved nimbly across the keyboard, opening the website of a luxury boutique frequented by socialites, the place where Mike often spent his money in my previous life—not on me, but on Lucy, whom he kept hidden behind my shadow.​I remembered how contrasting Mike's tastes were. To me, he always dictated that I wear pastel-colored dresses, modest and elegant; he wanted me to be a showpiece that signified his status as Mike's "respectable" fiancée. However, for Lucy, his taste changed drastically. He liked

I took a long breath, letting the oxygen slowly calm my heartbeat. Every exhale was a strained effort to stifle the panic that nearly spilled to the surface. I forced a small laugh that sounded light—a sound that was clear, crisp, and seemingly innocent, just like the Bella of the past. The naive Bella, who always viewed Mike’s interrogations and excessive curiosity as a form of sweet affection, not a deadly threat.​"You're scaring me, honey," I said softly. I intentionally made my voice slightly playful, the tone that always managed to melt Mike’s sky-high ego.​While speaking, I took off my blazer with a very calm motion, then hung it casually on the hook near the door. I must not look rushed. I turned to face him, looking directly into Mike’s pupils with the innocent gaze I had practiced repeatedly in front of the mirror. I had to be the best actress today, because this stage wasn't just a play; the stakes were my own life.​"My work at Onyx is actually quite boring, not nearly as

Two in the morning. The apartment was deathly silent, an oppressive stillness. One wrong move tonight, and it would be the end of me. I knew my life was on the line. If Mike woke up and caught me red-handed, I wouldn't see the sun rise tomorrow morning.​Inside the dimly lit bedroom, Mike was fast asleep. Tonight, the lines of frustration on his face were crystal clear—a domino effect from the heated bait I had intentionally thrown at Lucy during our dinner at Le Bistro a few hours ago. I knew for certain that the pair of traitors had just engaged in a massive argument over the phone before I arrived at the apartment and decided to head inside. Remembering how Lucy’s mask of composure had cracked at the restaurant made the corners of my mouth curl into a smirk. However, that smile vanished instantly as I remembered what I had to do.​I stepped as softly as possible, making almost no sound. I intentionally held my breath in my chest. My hands were trembling slightly.​The flash drive.