Evelyn thought to herself that considering the two million in annual advertising fees, she could initially overlook the two grand red envelope. But when she learned that Jason had terminated all cooperation with the TV station, her disappointment was complete.

This stifling and desperate marriage was finally at its end. She found a lawyer specializing in divorce cases named West—forty-something, talkative yet composed. After listening to Evelyn's demands, he completed the divorce petition in less than an hour.

Evelyn then discussed the subsequent legal procedures with West. After leaving the law firm, she went to the hospital to meet Jean and received the forged malignancy notice for the nodule biopsy. Unfortunately, Jean couldn’t join her for dinner due to a training session at the hospital, so their plans fell through.

Instead, Jean handed Evelyn a birthday gift she had prepared—a brooch from France. The piece was a simple yet elegant white camellia adorned with small diamonds, perfectly suited to Evelyn's taste.

“Happy twenty-fifth birthday, Eve! I hope you can soon free yourself from that scum and start anew,” Jean said, embracing her with a hint of melancholy.

Evelyn’s eyes turned red as she leaned her face against Jean's shoulder, murmuring, “It will get better.”

Today was her birthday, and up to this point, this was the first blessing she had received—likely the only one for this year.

After finishing the recording for her interview show that afternoon, Evelyn visited two small apartments. Both had a one-bedroom layout with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. After careful consideration, she chose one near West Lake.

On the seventh floor, facing south, the 56-square-meter space was more than enough for her alone. The community mainly consisted of villas and large apartments, housing affluent residents. The greenery was lush, and security was solid; the rent was about fifty percent higher than regular apartments.

The two apartment buildings were located at the east and west corners of the community. She selected one adjacent to the east gate, making commuting very convenient.

After paying a year’s rent and receiving the keys and access card to the community, Evelyn suddenly felt a fleeting desire to buy a house. But as she thought about the balances in her various bank accounts, that thought quickly vanished. At least she now had a place to call home.

She began to strategize how to get Jason to sign the divorce papers smoothly. Meanwhile, Jason had just concluded a three-hour executive meeting.

As he walked into his office, he noticed a glass vase on his desk filled with several budding lilies.

“Do you like them?” Cecilia asked, placing a cup of freshly brewed Blue Mountain coffee in front of him. “You’ve been having trouble sleeping; lilies can help calm your nerves.”

“Take them away,” Jason replied curtly, opening a thick stack of documents and busying himself with signatures, his voice devoid of warmth.

Cecilia’s expression faltered momentarily, but she quickly grasped the situation and removed the vase without another word.

When she returned, Jason didn’t even look up before issuing a dismissal.

Cecilia stood her ground, a faint smile creeping onto her lips. “You don’t actually trust me at all, do you? Evelyn said the dead money was placed by me, and you just accepted that. Last night was merely to save face.”

“Get out,” Jason snapped, his voice rising a few pitches higher than usual.

Cecilia was skilled at reading the room; she knew pushing further would only worsen the situation. With a gentle yet restrained tone, she replied, “I’ll go take care of other things. Don’t forget to drink your coffee; it won’t taste as good when it cools down.”

The sound of her crisp high heels echoed as she walked away. Jason threw his pen and documents aside, moving to the floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze fixed on the southwest.

Riverton City TV Station was over there, barely visible from his angle, where the towering transmission tower loomed. He was waiting for a call—a woman’s soft and soothing words.

In that moment of anxious waiting, he found himself willing to lower his standards. If her call came in, regardless of whether he felt angry or not, he would immediately instruct the finance department to transfer the two million advertising fees to the station’s public account.

However, from the morning until now, he had received nothing.

He opened a box of cigarettes, pulled one out, and lit it. As the white smoke curled around him, his phone rang sharply. The name on the screen caused a fleeting look of surprise to cross his face. He opened the message to hear Tyler’s respectful voice on the line.

"Sir, Adrian Johnson's flight arrives in Riverton at three in the afternoon. He didn't go to the TV station; he's been at West Lake."

Jason pressed his fingers against his brow, letting out a quiet "hm."

"An hour ago, ma'am also went—" Tyler suddenly fell silent at this point.

Jason paused, his voice slightly hoarse, "West Lake?"

"Yes, ma'am went to West Lake as well." The last three words came from Tyler's mouth with utmost caution.

Tyler waited a full minute, but Jason remained silent. He cautiously broke the silence. “The pink diamond bracelet customized for your wife last month has been delivered by a special courier.”

“Return it,” Jason replied, his tone as cold as ice. “Cover any financial losses from the customization.”

“Understood,” Tyler responded.

Jason ended the call, gripping his phone with one hand as he stood by the floor-to-ceiling window for a long while.

On her way back to 9Bliss Garden, Evelyn stopped at a bakery and bought a cake. Even though the status of the lump in her left breast was still uncertain, she wanted to embrace each day with hope.

She had eaten half the cake when Jason returned, the smell of smoke heavy on him.

Setting down her utensils, she took the biopsy notification from her handbag and glanced at Jason. “The results will be out this afternoon. If it’s malignant, let’s go through with the divorce tomorrow.”

Jason’s coat and car keys dropped with a loud thud onto the floor.

After a brief silence, he bent down to pick up the paper, staring at the densely packed text for a long time. “I’ll book a flight immediately. I’m going to Capital City for a second examination tomorrow morning.”

Evelyn thought Jason would agree to the divorce right away, but he wanted to go through the hassle of another examination instead. “I asked Jean; regardless of the hospital, the cell biopsy is done using equipment, and the chance of error is very low.”

“That's settled then,” Jason said, taking the biopsy report into the study.

As Evelyn turned her gaze away, she noticed his hand trembling as he held the paper. He had told her before that he would divorce her immediately if she fell ill. Now that the report was out, they should finalize the divorce right away!

Confused by Jason's behavior, she knocked on the slightly ajar door of the study. Before he could respond, she pushed it open.

Jason was lost in thought, staring at the biopsy report.

“There’s no need for a second examination in Capital City. After the results came out, I thought for a long time. Whether there’s a chance of recovery or not, I can’t hold you back.” She framed her desire for a divorce in a way that preserved Jason’s dignity.

“So?” Jason’s gaze dimmed, lacking any spark.

“Let’s get divorced as soon as possible. I’ll manage on my own.” Saying this, a strange pang hit her heart.

Jason's lips parted, and he gave a self-deprecating smile. “The results come out this afternoon, and you didn’t tell me immediately. Instead, you went to West Lake to meet Adrian—”

Evelyn's mind exploded at that.