Adrian thought I was bluffing.

That was the first mistake he made.

The second was believing that the woman who had spent five years supporting him was the same woman who would always forgive him.

I left that apartment with a shaved head, a ridiculous drawing on my forehead, and a heart that was strangely calm.

Not because I wasn’t hurt.

But because something inside me had finally died.

For years, I had protected Adrian Zhou’s pride.

When his company had financial problems, I secretly transferred money to help him.

When investors doubted him, I used my connections to introduce him to important partners.

When people praised him for building his empire from nothing, I smiled and stayed silent.

Because I loved him.

Because I thought a marriage was about standing behind each other.

But that night, I realized something.

I wasn’t standing behind him.

I was being hidden behind him.

The next morning, Adrian woke up expecting me to return.

He probably thought I would cry all night.

He probably thought I would call him and apologize.

But instead, his assistant received a message.

“All investments under Elena Lin’s name are withdrawn immediately.”

The assistant froze.

Because everyone in the company knew one thing.

Without Elena’s investment, Adrian’s company could not survive the expansion it had made in the last three years.

Adrian laughed when he heard the news.

—She’s just angry.

—She’ll come back.

But thirty minutes later, the legal department sent him another notification.

The ownership structure had been reviewed.

The original investment agreements were being activated.

The shares that Adrian believed belonged to him…

Were never his.

They belonged to Elena.

His wife.

The woman he had just humiliated.

For the first time, Adrian’s expression changed.

—Impossible.

He grabbed the documents.

Every signature.

Every contract.

Every transfer.

Everything was clear.

Elena Lin had not married into his world.

He had been living inside hers.

Meanwhile, Camila Jiang was still smiling.

She didn’t understand.

She only saw Adrian becoming successful.

She only saw the luxury apartment.

The expensive clothes.

The attention.

She never knew who had paid for all of it.

Until the bank cards connected to the company stopped working.

Until the apartment manager called.

Until the car dealership requested confirmation.

Her confidence disappeared.

—Adrian…

She looked at him nervously.

—What’s happening?

Adrian didn’t answer.

Because he also didn’t know how to explain that the woman they laughed at was the person who could destroy everything.

That afternoon, Adrian came to find me.

He arrived at my father’s house.

The same house he had never visited because he thought my family was ordinary.

When the security gate opened, his face changed.

The guards greeted me respectfully.

The employees bowed.

And I walked out wearing a black suit.

My hair was still short.

The mark on my forehead was gone.

But my eyes were different.

Adrian stared at me.

For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something.

Then he whispered:

—Elena…

I interrupted.

—Mr. Zhou.

That simple title made him stop.

Five years together.

And now I called him like a stranger.

—Can we talk?

I looked at him calmly.

—About what?

His throat moved.

—About what happened.

I almost laughed.

—The joke?

His face turned pale.

—It wasn’t supposed to go that far.

—Really?

I stepped closer.

—You drugged me.

—You allowed someone else to humiliate me.

—You watched while she treated my dignity like entertainment.

My voice remained calm.

—And now you only regret it because you discovered who I am.

Adrian lowered his eyes.

For once, he had no excuse.

No explanation.

No confidence.

Only silence.

Then he said:

—I love you.

I looked at him for several seconds.

Then I answered:

—No, Adrian.

—You loved the version of me that never left.

The words hit harder than any slap.

I turned away.

Behind me, Adrian stood frozen.

Because he finally understood.

The woman who once begged him to look at her…

Was now the woman he could no longer reach.

And the biggest punishment wasn’t losing his company.

It wasn’t losing his money.

It wasn’t losing his reputation.

It was knowing that the person who loved him the most…

Had finally learned how to live without him.