Victor waited downstairs at Amelia's apartment building. He was even holding a velvet box. 

He opened it and looked at the diamond necklace Emily helped him pick. Today, the sun was shining brightly, making the diamond pendant sparkle in the light. 

Victor stared at the pendant for a few seconds. He suddenly recalled saying "I know you don't like these, but I thought I'd ask you to help me try them on" to Emily. 

The hope in Emily's eyes had faded into disappointment and indifference at his words.

Victor gripped the box tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white. Once he was home, he would buy another necklace for Emily. 

Victor rang the doorbell. As soon as Amelia opened the door, her eyes lit up at the sight of him. She smiled radiantly as if she had been expecting him. 

Amelia wore a light-colored dress and tied her hair in a loose ponytail. She looked gentle and innocent.

"V

On the first day Emily arrived in Glenside, she immediately headed for her previous workplace—Liberty Legal. 

As soon as she opened the door, everyone turned to look at her. Those who used to work with her all stared at her in belief. Someone even accidentally knocked over a coffee mug.

"Van… Vanessa?" Paul was practically running toward her. His voice trembled as he asked, "Are you really back? After our previous conversation, you never did call me back. I thought I'd dreamed about our call!"

Emily smiled at him. Her gaze was calm yet sharp. "It's been three years of silence. Indeed, it's time for me to return."

Without giving herself time to ease into things, she took on a tricky case on the same day. It was an international corporate dispute. 

An international corporation had completed a hostile takeover of a domestic tech company, and assets worth billions of dollars were at sta

A group of fans crowded before Emily and started dragging her toward them. Soon, they managed to pull off her hat, mask, and sunglasses. 

Once they realized it wasn't Amelia, their initial excitement quickly turned into fury at being deceived. In a fit of rage, they shoved Emily to the ground and started cursing at her. 

The fans started trampling and kicking at Emily, leaving her covered with nasty bruises. In the chaos, she barely managed to protect her vital parts. Her entire body was in searing pain.

As the fans rained a flurry of kicks on Emily, she felt herself running out of breath. She was about to suffocate when she heard someone scream indignantly in the distance. 

"Amelia left half an hour ago in a car! We waited here for nothing!" Once the frenzied fans realized that Amelia was no longer in the vicinity, they immediately scattered.

Only Emily was left behind in a disheveled state. She felt numb on the inside as she struggled to her feet. She endured the pain and hurried to the hospital to get her wounds tended to. 

The whole time, the only thing on her mind was she had to leave Hillside. She wanted to end things with Victor for good. 

Once Emily arrived home, she immediately booked a flight ticket for Glenside. When the airport called to confirm her booking, she answered the call. 

"Yes, I bought a 10:00 am flight ticket for Glenside." 

Victor entered the room. Upon hearing her conversation, he asked, "10:00 am? Where are you going?"

Emily's gaze froze. After ending the call, she answered calmly, "I'm going to meet a few old friends."

Friends?

Victor nodded nonchalantly and did not ask any further. After taking off his blazer, he looked up and was stunned at the sight of wounds all over her body.

"Oh, you got injured? I'm sorry. I didn't think those fans would be so crazy."

Victor didn't think of that? Was that so, or he simply didn't care?

Emily smiled without a word. Since she remained silent, Victor changed the topic. "But come to think of it, you spend too much time at home. You should meet your friends whenever you can. It's good to see more of the world."

As soon as Victor finished speaking, Amelia's message came in. He entered his study with his phone in hand. 

As the door slowly shut, Emily nodded slightly. From tomorrow onward, she would definitely be seeing more of the world. She would no longer hold herself back. 

The next day, Emily got up very early. She brought the divorce agreement to the courthouse so she could pick up the divorce certificate. 

As soon as she got home, she ran into Victor, who was about to leave the house. She wanted to be upfront about their divorce, so she called out to him.

"Are you free? I have something very important to tell you."

Victor checked his watch before speaking in a rushed tone. "If you have something to discuss, let's do it once I get back tonight. I have something to handle, so I need to go out now."

"If so, there's no need to discuss it. I want to give this to you," Emily said while handing Victor the divorce certificate.

At that moment, Victor was looking down at his phone, responding to Amelia's message. He casually took the certificate from Emily and tossed it into one of the drawers by the entrance without even looking at it.

Victor picked up his car keys and turned to leave immediately. He merely said, "Got it. Aren't you meeting with your friends? Have fun. Come back early."

She silently thought to herself that she would never return. She watched him leave for the last time.

Once he was gone, she headed to the bedroom. She took her luggage and walked out of the villa. As soon as she closed the door, she took a deep breath.

The burden Emily had carried for three years was finally gone. 

Goodbye, Victor. The next time they met, Emily would no longer be his wife. Instead, she would be his nemesis, Vanessa.


Victor waited downstairs at Amelia's apartment building. He was even holding a velvet box. 

He opened it and looked at the diamond necklace Emily helped him pick. Today, the sun was shining brightly, making the diamond pendant sparkle in the light. 

Victor stared at the pendant for a few seconds. He suddenly recalled saying "I know you don't like these, but I thought I'd ask you to help me try them on" to Emily. 

The hope in Emily's eyes had faded into disappointment and indifference at his words.

Victor gripped the box tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white. Once he was home, he would buy another necklace for Emily. 

Victor rang the doorbell. As soon as Amelia opened the door, her eyes lit up at the sight of him. She smiled radiantly as if she had been expecting him. 

Amelia wore a light-colored dress and tied her hair in a loose ponytail. She looked gentle and innocent.

"Victor?" She blinked a few times. "What brings you here?"

Victor went silent for a moment before fin

Chapter 9