“What?” Hendrix said coldly, anger flickering in his eyes. “I spent a few hundred thousand on her. Do I need your permission for that? When your Johnson Family took billions from me, I didn’t see you keeping track of every cent.”

Their marriage had been kept secret, but Lilith was well aware that her family had taken advantage of Hendrix, securing resources whenever they could. Still, she couldn't accept it.

“That’s different! We’re husband and wife. How can she compare to me?”

“No, you can’t compare to her.” His words were sharp, like a dagger twisting into her heart, leaving her bleeding and broken. “The money I spent on her is nothing. It’s just a fraction of her achievements. How do you even compare?”

Lilith's heart crumbled. The coldness in his gaze was unfamiliar, far removed from the man who had once whispered sweet words to her in bed.

“If you think so highly of her, why didn’t you marry her? Why marry me?” Her voice trembled, tears threatening to fall. “Didn’t you marry me because you loved me?”

Her vision blurred with tears, but she could still make out his indifferent face, his expression mocking her naivety.

“Are you done?” Hendrix asked impatiently. He brushed past her, heading upstairs, unwilling to argue.

His refusal to address the issue was the last straw.

“Let’s get divorced,” Lilith whispered, closing her eyes briefly, summoning the strength to say the words.

She couldn’t endure a loveless marriage anymore.

There was no need to show him the video, since the beginning Hendrix had kept Xenia out of it and put all the fault on her for being irrational. Hendrix wouldn’t admit to anything, and she'd only end up humiliated.

“Five hundred thousand a month in allowance, and all you have to do is water the plants, stay home, and sleep with me. Isn’t that a good deal?” Hendrix stopped halfway up the stairs, frowning in irritation. “Why are you making a fuss?”

To him, Lilith's pain was just unreasonable complaining.

“A good deal?” Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she stared into his cold, emotionless eyes. “Are you looking for a wife or just a toy?”

Having money, sleeping with a man—was that what marriage meant? What difference was there between this and selling herself? The only difference was a piece of paper. Was that how Hendrix saw marriage?

No.

The birthday party tonight, the grand celebration designed to impress everyone, made her realize that in Hendrix’s eyes, this was all she was worth.

A sneer twisted his lips. His dark, piercing gaze held nothing but disdain.

“Am I wrong? If we divorce, do you think your family will welcome you back with open arms? Don’t be naive, Lilith. Be smart.”

“I can take care of myself. I don’t need to go back to the Johnson Family.” Wiping away her tears, Lilith turned and marched upstairs. She dragged a white suitcase out of the corner of the closet and started packing her clothes.

That cold, loveless family—she was done with them, too.

Hendrix followed her up the stairs, his expression tight and unreadable. But he didn’t stop her. He simply stood there, watching in silence as she packed her things.

At 4 a.m., the room was brightly lit, while the world outside remained shrouded in darkness. Lilith’s face was pale as she zipped up her suitcase and stepped out of the walk-in closet.

Hendrix stood by the door. As they brushed past each other, he said flatly, “Lilith, I don’t have the patience. Don’t expect me to ask you to come back.”

“See you at the Superior Court at 9 a.m.,” Lilith replied, her heart sinking at the frustration, anger, and disgust lacing his voice.

“I’ve got a tight schedule,” he added coldly. “If you really want a divorce, book an appointment through my assistant. But if you change your mind before that, I’ll pretend tonight never happened.”

Hendrix glanced back at her suitcase, packed to the brim. Even the photo frames and two little stuffed toys on the nightstand were gone.

A sense of irritation washed over him—like watching a valued employee quit without warning. He couldn't understand why she was acting this way. What could Lilith possibly want that he hadn’t given her? For two years, she’d had unlimited access to his money and managed the household freely.

In his mind, there was no way she’d go through with this. Her family wouldn’t allow it. The Johnsons would send her back, humiliated and scolded. As for her claim that she could live independently, Hendrix dismissed it outright.

Could Lilith—spoiled and pampered her whole life—endure the daily grind of a nine-to-five job? Not a chance.

But as he stood there, watching her determinedly leave, a shadow of unease crept into his heart.

Hendrix followed her to the second-floor railing and saw her pull a set of car keys from the hook near the entrance. “That car is mine,” he reminded her, his voice low and stern.

The car wasn’t expensive—just over $20,000—but it had been a gift from him. Since Lilith had only recently learned to drive, she insisted on choosing a cheaper car, afraid she’d damage a nicer one. He had paid for it without complaint.

Yet, even though he could splurge on extravagant gifts for Xenia, something as small as this car now felt begrudged.

Outside, the autumn wind howled, scattering brittle leaves across the cold ground. Lilith’s heart sank further. She gripped the car keys tighter, steadying her breath. Then, with a decisive flick of her wrist, she tossed them onto the hook and carried her suitcase out into the night.

The chilly wind swept through her dark hair as her slender figure was swallowed by the dimly lit streets.

Hendrix watched her leave, his eyes trailing her until the door slammed shut behind her with a heavy thud. A flicker of hesitation crossed his gaze as he returned to the bedroom, standing by the window. From there, he watched her solitary figure walk down the path illuminated by streetlights.

The villa was in the suburbs, at least an hour’s drive from the city center. With no car and no public transportation nearby, she couldn’t make it far.

That thought felt reassuring at first—solid and unyielding. But as the minutes ticked by, cracks began to form in his confidence. And then those cracks shattered completely.

Lilith, dragging her suitcase through the cold wind, grew smaller and smaller in the distance, until she disappeared from view entirely.

A bitter sneer curled Hendrix’s lips. Stubborn fool. Another label added to his growing list of grievances against her.

—

Once Lilith left the villa’s gated community, she finally made a call to her best friend, Yara Stevenson.

By the time Yara arrived, Lilith had already been walking through the freezing wind for an hour. Frost clung to her lashes, and her hands—raw and red from the cold—were stiff and dry.

Yara jumped out of her car, quickly ushering Lilith into the warmth of the vehicle before tossing her suitcase into the trunk.

Over the phone, Lilith had only mentioned that she was divorcing Hendrix. Yara had a hundred questions ready, but as soon as she saw Lilith’s dazed, broken expression, she didn’t know where to begin.

The car’s heater was on full blast, and the warmth soon melted the frost on Lilith’s lashes and brows.

The misty heat clung to her skin, and the walls she had built around her heart suddenly gave way. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, falling in heavy drops onto her frostbitten hands.

Each tear burned hot against her icy skin, as though trying to sear away the pain she carried.