Chapter 2 Not Playing Along Anymore

"Why are you here?" Hugo frowned, his gaze falling on Evelyn's pale face. Jane followed close behind, holding Evelyn's hand tightly and asking with concern, "Evie, you look so pale. Did you give Christina another blood transfusion? I just spoke with Hugo about whether medicine could replace it, or your body won't be able to handle it much longer…" Evelyn felt a wave of disgust at Jane's fake concern and pulled her hand away immediately, her tone cold. "No need. There won't be a next time anyway." Jane froze, looking awkward, her delicate eyes showing a hint of grievance. "What's with that attitude?" Hugo's expression darkened, disapproval clear in his eyes. "Jane is trying to look out for you." "Look out for me?" Evelyn tugged at the corners of her pale lips and said bitterly, "Mr. Grant, you might as well take your first love upstairs to see Christina. I don't need your concern." Her eyes stung, and she gave up on arguing, turning to leave. At the door, she couldn't help but pause for a moment and glance back. Hugo escorted Jane upstairs, straightening her jacket and comforting her. "It's not your fault. She just doesn't understand." Evelyn tugged at her lips, forcing a bitter smile. She vaguely remembered that when she was a child, every time she got sick, Hugo would carry her to the hospital, holding her hand and saying, "Evie, don't be afraid. I'll always be here." They had been childhood sweethearts. When she was seven, Evelyn lost the parents who had loved her dearly. Her uncle used her young age as an excuse to take over the Hart residence and claim every last bit of her parents' inheritance. Her uncle also had a violent streak, and within less than a year, Evelyn was beaten until her body was covered in bruises and wounds. Just when she was about to lose all hope, Hugo appeared and carried her frail, emaciated body back to the Grant residence. Ignoring the objections of his family, he insisted on taking her in and caring for her. From that moment on, he became like a brother and a father to her—and the only light in her life. There was once a legendary story in Dromont. Before she turned 18, Evelyn had been the apple of Hugo's eye—untouchable and off-limits to anyone else. Until that night, when Evelyn climbed into Hugo's bed and woke to find countless cameras pointed at her, turning her into a scandal that shook all of Dromont. To protect the Grant family's reputation, Hugo's grandfather, Andrew Grant, forced him to marry her. After the wedding, Hugo resented her for ruining everything. He rarely came home, and even when he did, they were little more than strangers sharing the same bed. For all these years, Evelyn had done just one thing—waited foolishly for Hugo to come home. She hoped that one day he might turn back, and maybe the empty shell of their marriage could be brought back to life. But now, it seemed that waiting had been nothing more than a cruel joke. … At 2:00 am, Evelyn drove back to the Grant residence. She went straight to her bedroom, cleaned the cuts on her leg with gauze and alcohol, and quickly took a shower. Lying in bed, she tossed and turned for what felt like hours before finally drifting off to sleep. She was woken again by the sound of her phone ringing. Evelyn picked up her phone from the nightstand and saw the caller ID before swiping to answer. "Evie, did you see the news?" "That damn Hugo… How dare he? How dare he pose for pictures with his mistress in public? Does he have no shame at all?" Her friend, Liana Sage's angry voice blasted through the phone, nearly deafening her. Evelyn held the phone away and opened Twitter. There it was—a news headline glaring at her from the trending feed. "Grant Group CEO Spotted on a Late-Night Date, Openly Announcing He Will Hand Over Subsidiary Management to His Girlfriend and Invest 100 Million Dollars to Open a Lab, Fully Supporting Her Pursuit of a Career in AI Technology!" Evelyn scrolled through the photos. Hugo was first seen arriving alone at a villa late at night, and soon after, he was hugging a woman as they got into a car together. Although the woman wore sunglasses, it was clear she was Jane. The comments below were filled with oblivious fans, gushing over how perfect they looked together and calling them a sweet match. Liana was still yelling angrily on the phone, but Evelyn calmly closed the webpage. "Pursuit? What a joke! Does Jane really think she can compete with you with her so-called skills?" Liana spat. "Evie, you've always been too low-key. Back in school, that bitch couldn't compare to you academically. If she knew you were the champion of the international AI competition, with the highest global citation rate coming from your papers, she'd probably explode with jealousy." "Hugo just likes women who play innocent. There's nothing I can do about it," Evelyn said coldly. Her heart had long since gone numb from the pain, though her expression softened slightly at the mention of academics. Once, she had been regarded as a prodigy, a genius in everyone's eyes. In academics, she had skipped four grades and was the proudest mentee of Jude Miles, the world-renowned AI expert. Unfortunately, just as her career was taking off, she chose to get married, gradually burying her own talent. "But that damn Hugo is really generous, actually giving a subsidiary to Jane!" Liana clenched her teeth in frustration. It was no wonder she was so angry. Grant Group, one of the most influential business empires in the country, spanned real estate, finance, technology, and more, and any one of its subsidiaries alone was worth billions. And Evelyn, after working with him for five years, was still just a secretary. Thinking of this, Liana grew even more worried about Evelyn's state of mind and asked gently, "Evie, are you okay? I know you're angry, but it's really not worth wrecking yourself over that scumbag and his mistress…" "I'm fine. I just won't play along with them anymore," Evelyn replied calmly. "Not play along… What do you mean?" Evelyn gave a faint smile and slowly slipped the wedding ring from her finger. She had worn it for so long that a pale mark remained around her knuckle, stark and glaring. After a long moment, she spoke with quiet resolve. "I'm going to divorce Hugo. You have good connections—can you help me find a lawyer?" Liana froze, her eyes widening in shock. After years of friendship, she knew better than anyone how deeply Evelyn loved Hugo. She had once believed that even if the world ended, Evelyn would never choose divorce. For her to say this now—so firmly—meant that scumbag had hurt her beyond all measure. "Yes. Divorce. It has to happen," Liana said fiercely. "I'll contact the best lawyer immediately. There's no way we're letting that cheating bastard and his mistress walk away with your assets. This time, we'll make Hugo pay dearly." … Evelyn sat in front of the mirror and applied meticulous makeup, then packed her luggage. Hugo may have been a scumbag, but he had never been stingy with money, and she still owned plenty of rare jewelry and designer clothes at the house. But since she had decided to become independent, she only brought a few personal items and clothes, all of which fit neatly into a single small suitcase. Before leaving, she also packed the AI competition certificates from her cabinet that had long been gathering dust. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she heard Patricia's voice. "Mr. Grant, why are you back so early today?" Evelyn looked up, equally surprised. It wasn't Hugo's usual time to come home, and she couldn't believe he would leave his "first love" alone at the hospital. Hugo stood by the door, changing his shoes. When he saw her suitcase, his expression darkened. "Going on a business trip?"