Evelyn thought she must have misheard and asked Tyler urgently, “Who tried to commit suicide?”

“Miss Brooks,” Tyler’s brow tightened slightly. “Thankfully, she was discovered early and rushed to the hospital in time. She’s stable now. Mr. Stark wants you to come with me to the hospital.”

“What for?” Jean interjected with disdain. “Does Evelyn have to apologize to her?”

“That’s precisely what Mr. Stark intends,” Tyler replied, gesturing for Evelyn to follow. “The car is ready outside, madam.”

Half-sober by now, Evelyn was taken aback. An argument and a splash of soy milk, and now Cecilia was resorting to suicide? She couldn't believe someone would be so foolish. Cecilia had always struck her as shameless, the type to withstand any minor setback without flinching. After a moment of thought, Evelyn decided to go with Tyler, if only to see what kind of spectacle Cecilia was creating this time.

Jean, worried Evelyn might be at a disadvantage, insisted on accompanying her, but Evelyn pulled her aside. “Don’t get involved. Jason will already be furious if he sees you. If he presses charges, it’ll be even worse. Take a cab home and wait for me.”

“If he crosses the line, you’d better call me. I’d rather risk losing my medical license than let you suffer this humiliation!” Jean vowed.

Evelyn rode with Tyler to a private hospital. As she stepped out, still slightly dizzy, a cold northern wind hit her, making her head throb even harder. In the elevator, her balance wavered, and Tyler had to catch her.

The elevator doors opened on the floor of the VIP ward, and Jason stood by the stairwell, his face drawn tight. Evelyn took a sharp breath, straightened herself, and walked out.

“Mr. Stark will take you from here, madam. I have other matters to attend to,” Tyler said, nodding to them both before leaving.

With the alcohol churning in her stomach, Evelyn took a steadying breath and glanced at Jason. “Which room is Cecilia in?”

“Cecilia’s just been sedated and is asleep.” Jason’s voice was cold as he grabbed her roughly, dragging her into an empty stairwell. His grip threw her against the handrail, slamming her chest and abdomen painfully. She winced as tears pricked her eyes, her pained expression fully captured in Jason’s gaze.

Holding her wrist in a vice grip, Jason showed no hint of tenderness. “If you’d apologized to her sooner, maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Your Cecilia, with her thick skin, would slit her wrists over a splash of soy milk? If she had even a shred of shame, she wouldn’t be entangled with a married man like you,” she retorted, pressing her forehead and smirking bitterly.

“Evelyn, does someone have to die before you’ll relent?” Jason pinned her hands above her head, his voice harsh.

Thinking of Jean, she forced herself to say what he wanted to hear, though it went against every fiber of her being. “I’m here to apologize, aren’t I? What more do you want?”

“Your apology is meaningless. Seeing you would only aggravate Cecilia. Leave. Now.” The word “leave” tore at what little pride Evelyn had left.

“Jason, as long as you agree to a divorce, I’ll leave without a second thought. I’ll even quit my job, go to another city, and start fresh. I’d do it gladly.” The anguish in her voice made her words catch, almost breaking.

“No more pretense?” He sneered, gripping her chin and laughing darkly. “Not pretending you want a happy life with me anymore?”

“You’re not worth it.” She bit her lip, fighting back the tears.

“Oh, I’m not worth it? Then who is?” Jason leaned down, brushing his lips across her forehead.

She sank into a hopeless silence.

“I can’t keep you here, nor can that high-profile job of yours. This three-year marriage was nothing but a nightmare to you, wasn’t it? You’ve been planning to escape every chance you get,” he accused.

In truth, that had been her mindset for the first two years. This year, her feelings had changed, but Jason never believed her.

Fine, if he didn’t believe her, she wasn’t going to try anymore.

“There’s no point dragging this out. Why don’t we end things on good terms?” she said softly, her gaze dim, carefully couching her desire for a divorce in gentler words.

This was her second time asking Jason for a divorce, yet an uncontrollable ache tightened around her heart.

After all, she had once held out hope for this marriage. She had tried, she had fought for it, but each attempt only led to more despair.

Barely twenty-five, she already had a nodule in her left breast—a reminder that her health was sounding an alarm. Compared to the illusion of love, just staying alive seemed like the greatest blessing.

“Divorce?” Jason sneered. “Fine. Have Victor return every penny of the Stark Group's investment in Riverton,” he murmured, his lips brushing against her neck. “Can’t manage that, can you?”

Her gaze dropped, her breathing cautious. She didn’t dare meet his eyes.

“I’m a businessman, Evelyn. Profit and loss—it’s second nature to me. The Stark Group's billion-dollar investment in Lycheeville could go up in smoke, or I could grant you freedom. But, Evelyn”—Jason’s face darkened as he paused—“I have conditions. You’ll need to give me a child, as a conclusion to our three-year marriage.”

Her heart plummeted. Jason always had a way of finding reasons to avoid divorce and yet leave her shattered.

“Once you’ve had my child, we can discuss divorce.” With that, Jason sank his teeth sharply into her neck. She cried out in pain, trying to push him away, but he had already left the stairwell. Touching the spot he bit, she was relieved it hadn’t drawn blood.

Evelyn slumped onto the stairs, lost in thought before regaining her composure and heading downstairs. As long as Jason refused to let go, any resistance would be futile.

There was no denying it—Jason was incorrigible. From now on, she would no longer see him as her husband. Let him do as he pleased. Even if he bought Cecilia a property in 9Bliss Garden, she wouldn’t bat an eye. Initially, she felt a trace of defiance, but as she thought about it, she felt an unexpected calm.

Her Sunday ruined, Evelyn took a ride back to 9Bliss Garden, showered, brewed some fruit tea, and opened her laptop to dive into her tasks for the upcoming week.

By evening, Director Logan posted an announcement in the work group chat: early next year, the station planned to launch a local travel show in Riverton. The hosting and production team positions would be open for competition, with no pre-assigned roles.

The idea sparked Evelyn’s interest. Riverton was surrounded by mountains to the north and bordered by the sea to the east, a place of vast beauty. As a travel show host, she’d be constantly on the go in Riverton—a legitimate way to avoid seeing Jason and save herself the aggravation.

Energized by this idea, she eagerly prepared a ten-page proposal for her audition.

It was already dark, and Jason hadn’t come home. She’d finished three pots of fruit tea, her stomach feeling tight, appetite gone. She closed her laptop and lay down to sleep.

Just as she closed her eyes, Jean called. Putting it on speaker, Evelyn lay there and said weakly, “I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“Grandpa just got back. He looked over that lovely herbal concoction your precious mother-in-law prepared for you. Want to guess what it’s meant for?”

Even though she was mentally prepared, Jean’s tone still made Evelyn’s nerves tense.

“Just say it.”

“It’s loaded with blood-moving herbs,” Jean said, anger rising in her voice. “Grandpa says the effect is intense, the dosage heavy. Ten days of this and it’s not just the fetus that would die; it could cause severe contractions and dangerous hemorrhaging for the mother as well.”