Clifford got into the car that was waiting for him. The screen of his phone lit up before fading to black, but still, there was no reply from Lilibeth. 

The last message on the screen was his. It read, "I just landed. Got you a little something."

But Lilibeth hadn't responded. It was unlike her. 

In the past, even a single period from him would have sparked a flurry of replies within seconds. She would even end them with a cute emoji. Now, she couldn't even be bothered to send a perfunctory response. 

In the rearview mirror, Joel glanced at Clifford. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Mr. Sinclair, do you want to see Ms. Sinclair first or Ms. Quimby?"

Clifford's brow furrowed slightly. He was about to answer, but Joel beat him to it, suggesting, "Why don't you go home first? Check in on Ms. Quimby." He paused, then cautiously added, "I'm sure she's missed you. You've been abro

As soon as Clifford opened the door, he was met with silence. 

The living room was empty. Lilibeth was gone. The slippers she always wore were nowhere in sight, and even the throw blanket she loved to curl up in had been neatly folded, as if no one had ever touched it.

He furrowed his brow at that sight. Without hesitation, he headed upstairs. But there were no familiar footsteps, no cheerful voice calling him "honey" as Lilibeth ran into his arms. 

There wasn't even the sound of a slamming door—the kind Lilibeth made when she was throwing a tantrum. The entire house felt as silent as the grave.

Clifford's frown deepened. Then, he opened the bedroom door. Yet, her closet was empty, and the skincare products were gone from the vanity. Even the book she always kept on her nightstand was missing.

The room was spotless, like no one had ever lived there. 

Right then, Joel trailed in beh

Lilibeth was in the hospital for three days. On the day she was discharged, she received a call from the embassy. Her application for permanent residency for Gindara had been approved. 

It was the only good news she'd had in weeks. 

As Lilibeth stood outside the embassy, the sunlight was so blinding that it almost made her cry. 

She raised her hand to shield her eyes. She had long since removed the wedding ring on her finger, and now, all that remained was a faint mark. 

It was time to end this.

After collecting her residency permit, she went straight to a law firm. Once she had drafted and signed the divorce papers, she called Tiffany. 

"Let's meet." 

…

At the cafe, Tiffany eyed Lilibeth warily. "What exactly are you trying to pull here? Let me warn you. If Cliff comes back and finds out you've been mistreating me…"

Lilibeth didn't respond. Instead, she pulled the wedding ring out of her bag and slid it across the table, saying, "Put it on."

Tiffany glanced at her, puzzled. But almost as if compelled, she reached out and slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

She froze, then muttered, "You…"

"You've been wondering why Clifford suddenly started avoiding you, haven't you?" Lilibeth asked with a smile.

Tiffany's hands trembled slightly as Lilibeth met her gaze. 

"Alright, I'll tell you the truth. He's been avoiding you, not because he married me or because you did something wrong. It's because he's in love with you," Lilibeth explained, her words deliberate. 

She continued, "There's a life-sized doll that looks exactly like you in his meditation room. Every day, he vents his desires on it. On the night you stayed at our place, he kissed you for three minutes while you slept on the couch. 

"As for this ring, he had it custom-made to fit you. The person he wanted to marry has always been you."

As the words left Lilibeth's mouth, Tiffany's expression changed drastically. A whirlwind of emotions flickered across her eyes—shock, disbelief, shame, and joy. 

Lilibeth's gaze lingered on her. Suddenly, the situation struck her as laughable.

Clifford had been afraid to confess his feelings to Tiffany because he was terrified of losing her. So, he had chosen to live like a priest, suppressing his desires.

But he didn't know that Tiffany was in love with him too. 

Lilibeth rose before taking the signed divorce papers out of her bag. She slid them toward Tiffany, saying, "Give these to him when he comes back. Tell him I wish you both happiness."

As she turned to leave, Tiffany finally snapped back to reality. 

"Lilibeth, where are you going?" she called out.

Without looking back, Lilibeth answered, "Now that we're divorced, I'm going to live my own life. From now on, neither of you has anything to do with me.

"And Tiffany… If you ever try to hurt me again, I'll make you regret it a hundred times over."

…

At the airport, Lilibeth made her way toward the gate, dragging her suitcase behind her. 

Just before she boarded the flight, her phone buzzed. She glanced down and saw it was a message from Clifford.

He had sent a photo, along with a text that read, "I just landed. Got you a little something."

Lilibeth clicked on the photo. Immediately, an ordinary bracelet appeared on the screen. It didn't even have proper packaging. 

She smiled, knowing it was nothing more than a freebie. After all, Clifford had gone abroad to bid on the limited-edition necklace for Tiffany. As for Lilibeth, she was merely an afterthought.

Even so, she didn't feel upset. Since she no longer loved Clifford, his actions didn't have the power to hurt her anymore.

With her boarding pass in hand, Lilibeth hurried toward the gate. As she looked up, she saw Clifford in the distance. His expression was cold, and he was dressed in a black coat.

He was walking out of the VIP passage, yet she didn't call out to him. She simply watched him walk away. 

"Well, it's over, Clifford. I hope you get the freedom you wanted, and I can finally get the relief I deserve," she muttered.

Without hesitation, she blocked him on everything. Then, she turned and walked in the opposite direction from him.

Clifford got into the car that was waiting for him. The screen of his phone lit up before fading to black, but still, there was no reply from Lilibeth. 

The last message on the screen was his. It read, "I just landed. Got you a little something."

But Lilibeth hadn't responded. It was unlike her. 

In the past, even a single period from him would have sparked a flurry of replies within seconds. She would even end them with a cute emoji. Now, she couldn't even be bothered to send a perfunctory response. 

In the rearview mirror, Joel glanced at Clifford. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Mr. Sinclair, do you want to see Ms. Sinclair first or Ms. Quimby?"

Clifford's brow furrowed slightly. He was about to answer, but Joel beat him to it, suggesting, "Why don't you go home first? Check in on Ms. Quimby." He paused, then cautiously added, "I'm sure she's missed you. You've been abroad for a few days, after all."

Clifford looked up, his cold gaze flicking toward Joel. "When did yo

Chapter 10