　　Lillian was in disbelief as she stared at Jeffrey, her eyes welling up with tears.
　　"We've been together for ten years. Do you really have to be so cruel?"
　　"You can choose not to divorce."
　　Jeffrey said, "I promise you'll never see her again. Our lives can still go back to the way they were before."
　　Lillian widened her eyes, hardly believing that those words had come out of Jeffrey's mouth.
　　"I can't."
　　She said, trembling, and went to the bedroom, bringing out their documents. "Let's go through the divorce proceedings tomorrow."
　　Jeffrey glanced at the documents, his gaze cooling. "Sometimes I wonder if you have any feelings for me."
　　She gave a cold, inward sneer.
　　Her feelings for Jeffrey were shattered by him, and nothing left.
　　Lillian gave a bitter scoff, unwilling to waste time arguing, and left.
　　***
　　The divorce was quick.
　　Lillian and Jeffrey took seven years t

　　How did it come to this?
　　Lillian couldn't believe it. She thought about all the events from start to finish.
　　After she posted on Twitter yesterday, people noticed something was wrong.
　　"Glory Studio has won so many awards. They absolutely didn't need to plagiarize."
　　"Why did Irides Studio, a new company, outshine Glory Studio to get chosen by the Larsen Group? It's strange."
　　Soon, people uncovered more information. They discovered photos of Ashley and Jeffrey together, photos of Lillian and Jeffrey at the courthouse for their divorce, and photos of Ashley and Jeffrey at the maternity clinic.
　　While Lillian wasn't aware, public opinion changed completely.
　　Lillian didn't expect this chain reaction, but it didn't involve her much anymore.
　　She called a moving company and went to the Larsen family's place to pack her things.
　　Unexpectedly, when she opened the door, she saw Je

　　Like a bolt from the blue, Lillian's mind went blank in an instant.
　　With a sneer, Ashley hung up the phone, leaving her standing there in a daze.
　　After a while, she finally came to her senses and called back, but there was no answer.
　　Lillian stood in the snow, making phone calls over and over again.
　　The biting wind stung her eyes red, yet the phone kept ringing unanswered.
　　Lillian felt like her heart was torn open, the cold wind like knives constantly digging into it.
　　Staring into the snowfall, her thoughts blurred. Memories flickered between the boy she once knew and the man from yesterday.
　　But what burned brightest were those photos of Jeffrey and Ashley, their happiness searing her vision.
　　He deceived her again...
　　Lillian stiffly lifted her leg and then abruptly fell in the snow.
　　Waking up again, she was already in the hospital.
　　The nurse swapped her IV bag. "You had a fever of 39°C yesterday. Your assistant brought you in. You're free to go after this last drip."
　　Lillian closed her eyes and said, "Thank you."
　　She took her phone from the bedside table and found a total of thirty-eight missed calls. However, Jeffrey only replied, "On a business trip."
　　Lillian stiffened. There in her social feed glowed Ashley's post, her name tagged.
　　Ashley snapped a photo of Jeffrey's back as he tied an apron in the kitchen. The caption flaunted: "740 days together, and he finally cooked me his first meal."
　　Lillian's face instantly lost its color.
　　She remembered the first time Jeffrey cooked for her... She asked him if he was so skilled because he had cooked for someone else before.
　　Jeffrey said he only cooked for his wife.
　　***
　　Tears fell on the screen, splashing.
　　Lillian looked at the post for a long time and then made a phone call to Jeffrey.
　　The call was quickly connected, and Jeffrey's voice sounded as usual. "What's wrong?"
　　Lillian choked back tears and said, "Jeffrey, I miss Grandma and Grandpa."
　　Jeffrey remained silent for a moment and said, "I'll go back with you in a few days. I've been on a business trip these past few days."
　　What a liar!
　　Lillian hung up the phone and let tears streaming down her face.
　　The nurse changing her IV bag paused. "You're pale. Any other symptoms?"
　　Lillian just shook her head.
　　As soon as the nurse left, she pulled the needle and prepared to go home.
　　Walking out of the emergency room, she suddenly froze in the corner.
　　She saw Ashley holding hands with Jeffrey in the corridor, and the department they were in was the Obstetrics and Gynecology department.
　　Lillian could hardly believe her eyes.
　　The next second, Jeffrey and Ashley also saw her.
　　Lillian couldn't see Jeffrey's expression from a distance.
　　She could only see the proud smile on Ashley's face.
　　Ashley provocatively touched her stomach, and her words "I won't lose" suddenly appeared in Lillian's mind.
　　Lillian took a step towards Jeffrey with a dazed expression.
　　But suddenly, Jeffrey turned around and took Ashley into the office.
　　Lillian stood frozen in place, her whole body cold.
　　Sure enough... She lost, and she lost miserably.
　　Back home, Lillian sat motionless on the couch, her eyes vacant, until the click of a key in the door snapped through the silence.
　　Jeffrey sat beside Lillian and remained silent.
　　In the suffocating silence, Lillian said in a hoarse voice, "We have been together for ten years."
　　They'd survived the three-year rough patch and weathered the seven-year itch, only to trip over what should've been their decade milestone.
　　Jeffrey remained silent.
　　"I thought we would be together for longer..." Lillian choked for a moment, unable to continue speaking.
　　The marriage vows were clearly "till death do us part".
　　She asked a meaningless question, "Why? What makes her better than me?"
　　To her surprise, Jeffrey answered, "Her last name is Stone."
　　Lillian's mind went blank with a sudden ringing.
　　She stared blankly, and Jeffrey's face remained calm. "That's all."
　　Lillian suddenly burst into laughter.
　　She remembered Chloe's words and felt as if her heart had been stabbed by a knife, causing her to gasp for breath in pain.
　　After a long time, she finally said, "Jeffrey, I told you I don't play desperate games."
　　Jeffrey looked at her, and she was also looking at him. "I wish you a bright future.
　　"Let's divorce."
　　Jeffrey, however, said, "Okay, but you must leave with nothing."

　　Lillian was in disbelief as she stared at Jeffrey, her eyes welling up with tears.
　　"We've been together for ten years. Do you really have to be so cruel?"
　　"You can choose not to divorce."
　　Jeffrey said, "I promise you'll never see her again. Our lives can still go back to the way they were before."
　　Lillian widened her eyes, hardly believing that those words had come out of Jeffrey's mouth.
　　"I can't."
　　She said, trembling, and went to the bedroom, bringing out their documents. "Let's go through the divorce proceedings tomorrow."
　　Jeffrey glanced at the documents, his gaze cooling. "Sometimes I wonder if you have any feelings for me."
　　She gave a cold, inward sneer.
　　Her feelings for Jeffrey were shattered by him, and nothing left.
　　Lillian gave a bitter scoff, unwilling to waste time arguing, and left.
　　***
　　The divorce was quick.
　　Lillian and Jeffrey took seven years to go from dating to marriage, but it only took seven seconds to stamp the paper for the divorce.
　　J

Chapter 7