I spent three years trying to uncover my husband's secret. I followed every clue. I searched every hidden corner of his life. But Ethan Sterling made sure I found nothing. Then one night, he handed me his phone. "Passcode's 010208. Look through whatever you want." "After surgery, the divorce papers will be waiting." He thought I was still the woman chasing answers. He didn't know I was already done. The woman he protected for years came back. She took my home. My position. Even the last memory I had of my child. "Ethan and I bought this house together." Sophie only smiled. "Whoever owns the fingerprint owns the place." When I fought back, he chose her. When my father needed help, he turned his back on me. "You're just trying to get my attention." That was the moment I stopped begging. I signed the divorce papers. I walked away from everything he thought he could take from me. And this time, Ethan would learn what happens when the person he underestimated finally stops loving him. Because his mistress once said she hated using protection, Ethan Sterling scheduled a private procedure that very night. Before the staff took him inside, he unlocked his phone in front of me for the first time. "The access code is the date you know." "Look through whatever you want." "But when I'm done here, the divorce papers will be delivered to you." He slipped in his Bluetooth earbuds. When he spoke again, his voice was unbearably gentle. "Darling, don't worry." "It won't take long." "You know my access codes and the safe combination." "If anyone gives you trouble while I'm inside, use those resources however you want." When he mentioned "anyone," his eyes flicked toward me. Three years ago, when I learned Ethan was cheating, I became determined to identify the other woman. I checked records and gathered evidence. I did everything I could. But aside from the regular support he provided for her college tuition, I couldn't find anything. When I stayed silent, Ethan's patience was wearing thin. "Valentina Sterling, you've been at this for three years." "You're not tired, but I am." "When this is over, can you just let me go?" The staff began preparing him. I calmly took the phone he'd handed me and placed it inside a locker. Ethan didn't know that the incident he'd arranged last week had required days of care. It had also taken away the future I had been carrying, a truth he never knew. This game of cat and mouse had exhausted more than just him. *** The moment Ethan saw that I'd actually started contacting an attorney, his expression darkened. "Put another team on Valentina Sterling." "I want updates on every move she makes." "And suspend Valentina Sterling from her position as Operations Director for the time being." His eyes were cold. "Playing hard to get won't work on me." "Don't think I don't know what you're planning." "There are some people you can't afford to challenge." A staff member approached with the preparation checklist. "Mr. Sterling, we need to confirm a few final details before we begin." "When did you last eat or drink anything?" He frowned, but before he could answer, I spoke up. "Eight hours without food." "Three hours without liquids." "Any known reactions?" "One common antibiotic caused a rash before." The staff continued with several more questions. As I answered each of them, Ethan kept his eyes fixed on me, his gaze dark and unreadable. "Mr. Sterling, your wife certainly seems concerned about your health." "My wife?" He gave a mocking laugh. "She won't be my wife for much longer." "Even if she digs into every detail of my life, it won't change anything." Once, I would have demanded to know what his mistress had that I didn't. But now, I simply stayed silent. Not long after, they took Ethan inside. I pulled myself together and picked up the overnight bag in the corner. It held a change of clothes and my toiletries. But when I lifted it, it felt much lighter. I opened it. It was completely empty. His aide came over with an awkward smile. "Mrs. Sterling, Mr. Sterling ordered us to discard everything in the bag." "He was worried you might bring something inappropriate into the clinic." I loosened my grip on the bag and suddenly found the whole thing ridiculous. How suspicious did he have to be? How much distrust did it take to search even a few pieces of clothing? I placed the bag in a disposal bin. Then I took a deep breath and placed Ethan's phone inside as well. The moment I stepped out of the clinic, Mia Parker sent me a message. [Girl!] [I heard Ethan willingly handed over his phone and let you search it!] [He'd hidden his mistress from you for three years.] [Did he finally realize how badly he'd wronged you?] I was exhausted. [He's just too tired to keep pretending.] There was a long silence on the other end. [So are we still digging?] [Sophie Carter should've already returned home.] Sophie Carter was the woman Ethan had protected for three years. She majored in business at Northbridge University. During her master's program, Ethan sent her abroad as an exchange student. After returning to Northbridge, she joined the Sterling Group as an intern. Ethan thought he'd hidden her well. But I'd found plenty already. For three years, all I'd done was prove to myself, over and over again, that Ethan no longer loved me. This time, I had no patience left to keep wasting. I replied: [No.] The moment I returned to the mansion, I heard lively conversation coming from inside. "Sophie, is this your fiancé's house?" "It's enormous and elegant!" "No wonder Sophie gave up a job overseas to come back." "Who wouldn't be tempted by a life of privilege?" My breath caught. I was just about to open the door when the lock suddenly let out an unusual warning tone. I tried again. The door opened from the inside. The woman facing me had long, straight black hair and an impeccably styled outfit. Even the small designer clip in her hair looked exclusive. Ethan had spared no effort to make the woman he loved feel protected and indulged. Sophie's friend frowned. "Sophie, is this your housekeeper?" "Why does she look so unhappy?" "And what's that clinical smell?" "I can hardly stand it." Sophie didn't explain. She only covered her mouth and gave a faint smile. "My divorce from Ethan isn't even final yet." "Yet you're already acting like the lady of this house?" My voice was ice-cold. "Leave." "Right now." "Otherwise, I'm calling the police." I had just pulled out my phone when Sophie clapped her hands. One of the guards immediately took it away while another blocked my path. Some were the same people I'd once hired to verify Ethan's movements. "Valentina, you're joking, right?" "The door lock already gave you the answer." Sophie stepped forward and took my hand. She guided my finger toward the scanner again. The warning tone rang through the house. "Whoever can get in is the owner." I clenched my fists. "Ethan and I bought this house together." "My name is still on the deed." "You really think deleting my fingerprint means you can take over my home?" After I finished speaking, the smile on Sophie's face only widened. She told the butler to bring her the deed. When she opened it, the name listed as the legal owner was now Sophie Carter. "I liked this house, so Ethan transferred it to me." "Valentina, that makes you the intruder now." My breath caught. Six months earlier, Ethan brought me a stack of corporate paperwork. Several blank pages were mixed into it. I didn't think much of it. I signed them. So that was when he'd already decided to erase me from his world completely. The people around Sophie immediately joined in. "Housekeepers these days really have some nerve." "She actually claimed the house was hers!" "Of all people to challenge, she chose Mr. Sterling's fiancée." "Now look who ended up embarrassed." I looked around. Every piece of furniture had already been replaced. I pulled away from the guard and hurried upstairs into the primary bedroom. A sudden ache stopped me near the doorway. Scattered fragments covered the floor. The early scan printout had been torn into pieces beside them. "I didn't like that piece of paper, so I had the butler take care of it." "But judging by the date, you'd only just learned the news, hadn't you?" She smiled sweetly. "What a shame." "Even the last reminder you had left is gone now..." Anger rose inside me. I stepped toward her. A group of uniformed police officers suddenly appeared in front of me. "Ma'am, we received a report of unlawful entry." "You'll need to come with us." Before I could react, Ethan strode forward and moved Sophie behind him. He stepped between us and made me move back. His expression was furious. "Valentina, didn't I tell you not to touch my people?" His gaze was still razor-sharp. But his face looked noticeably worn. A corner of his clinic gown was still visible beneath his suit jacket. Before fully recovering from the procedure, he rushed back after learning I might confront Sophie. Two years earlier, overwork had already taken another future from me. I had needed time to recover and a family member's signature. Ethan had said flatly over the phone, "Rest up, then get back to work as soon as possible." He'd even used the two days I took off to recover as an excuse to dock my performance bonus. Sophie's eyes immediately reddened when she saw Ethan. When he saw her tears, Ethan quickly glanced at the scattered fragments on the floor. His expression darkened. He pulled out his phone. "Valentina Sterling caused a scene around my fiancée." "I want to file a formal complaint." My mouth went dry. I didn't even get a chance to explain before the officers escorted me away. The moment I stepped outside, dozens of flashing cameras crowded around me. "Ms. Sterling, is it true you've been investigating Mr. Sterling for the past three years?" "We've heard you confronted his fiancée during his procedure." "Do you have anything to say?" The crowd pressed close until I could barely stay on my feet. One camera brushed past my forehead, leaving a painful mark. When Ethan came downstairs and saw the scene, he instinctively frowned. I thought he would stop them. Instead, he simply stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Everyone, I appreciate your concern, but this is a private family matter." It sounded as though he was helping me out. But in reality, he had already accepted the reporters' accusations as fact. Beside him, Sophie put on a frightened expression. But a quiet laugh escaped her. The last trace of hope inside me disappeared completely. At the police station, Ethan looked down at me. "Apologize to Sophie." "What if I don't?" His voice turned cold. "Then I'll pursue legal action against you for unauthorized entry." "Unauthorized entry." I closed my eyes and suddenly laughed. When Ethan and I bought that mansion, he was delighted. He lifted me and spun me around. He told me I would be the lady of that house forever. It turned out that forever had lasted only three years. Ethan frowned slightly and was about to speak when Sophie interrupted with tears in her eyes. "Maybe we should let it go." "I was scared, but Valentina probably didn't mean to frighten me." "She was just jealous..." Ethan's expression immediately hardened. "Apologize." When I remained silent, his voice dropped into a warning. "If you still want your father to remain safely in the care facility." My mind went completely blank. My father had been recovering from a stroke for three years. He'd been living in a care facility owned by the Sterling family. I'd once believed that was love. Now I knew every kindness came with a price. Looking at him, I suddenly lost the will to argue. "I'm sorry." "I shouldn't have entered a house that belongs to the two of you." "I shouldn't have disturbed your fiancée." "Are you satisfied now?" Ethan's brows drew together even more. After two seconds of silence, he pulled out a document. "As long as you stop bothering Sophie, you'll receive the property you're entitled to under our agreement." I gripped the divorce papers. "As for your position at the company, I've already had Sophie take over." "She's smart." "She's settling in really well at the company." His expression finally softened. My pen stopped. I had been there beside him, helping him build the Sterling Group from the ground up. His health made client dinners difficult, so I handled every evening event and networking room in his place. During the busiest period, I barely went home. I spent countless nights on the office couch. But he'd forgotten all of it. The freezing winter wind swept straight into me. I breathed out a cloud of white vapor. Under Ethan's watchful gaze, I signed the papers. When he saw how quickly I finished, he raised an eyebrow. "You don't need to review the division terms one more time?" I smiled. "I want the house." "Would you give me the deed?" Ethan was silent for a long moment. "Anything but that house." I opened my mouth. Then suddenly, I thought better of it. Forget it. It was only a house. If he wouldn't give it to me, I didn't need it. The moment I returned to the apartment in my own name, my phone rang. "Ms. Sterling, your father's condition has worsened again." "He needs urgent care." "Please come to the medical center immediately!" Fear seized me. I rushed toward the emergency treatment room. The doctor reviewed my father's records with a grave expression. "Ms. Sterling, your father's past injuries have complicated his condition." "He needs an urgent procedure." Past injuries. Those injuries had happened years earlier. My father had turned to dangerous private lenders to help Ethan launch his business. Their collectors' intimidation left lasting complications. I took a deep breath and immediately went to handle the admission arrangements. But the clerk returned my card with an apologetic look. "Ma'am, there's a problem with your access status." "We can't authorize the admission." I froze. That was the fund Ethan and I had created for my father's long-term care. We added substantial resources to it every month. How could the arrangement fail? Confused and frantic, I handed over every card I carried. One after another, the card reader rejected them. The doctor came back for the second time. "The patient's condition is becoming dangerously unstable." "We need to begin the procedure now." I fought to keep my hands from shaking and called Ethan. The line rang for a long time. He finally answered just before the call was automatically disconnected. My voice trembled. "Ethan, why can't I access the care fund?" "My father needs an urgent procedure..." There were a few seconds of silence. Then he gave a mocking laugh. "Your tricks really are getting more sophisticated." "Sophie cried for hours today." "I was lenient by restricting your access for one month as punishment." He was about to hang up. My phone nearly slipped from my hand. "I'm not joking." "My father truly needs urgent care!" "I sent the doctor's report to your phone." "Please look at it..." Then came Ethan's impatient voice. "How much longer are you going to keep playing your little games?" That was when I realized the doctor's report had never gone through. Ethan had already blocked me. The doctor came for the third time with the critical-condition notice. I clung to the phone as hope surged inside me. "I'm not lying." "The doctor is right here." "If you don't believe me, talk to him!" But before the doctor could say a word, Sophie's sweet voice came through the phone. "Ethan, what flowers should we have at our engagement party?" "Come help me pick some!" Ethan's voice immediately softened. "Lilies." "They suit you." When he spoke to me again, his tone was filled with impatience. "That's enough." "You've already signed the divorce papers." "Stop using these desperate stories to get my attention." "I'll restore your access when Sophie says it's okay." The call ended. I called again. His phone was turned off. I felt cold all over. I leaned against the wall and stared blankly at the light above the procedure room. It flashed for a long time. Then it went dark. "We did everything we could, Ms. Sterling." "I'm so sorry for your loss." Everything that followed felt like a dream. Arranging a private memorial. Completing the final paperwork. Speaking with the appropriate offices. I didn't shed a single tear. I forced myself to stay calm. I placed a keepsake from my father inside a pendant and kept it around my neck. That way, it felt as if he'd never really left me. After everything was settled, I used my remaining resources to buy a plane ticket out of the country. As I boarded the plane, Ethan finally remembered me. He sent messages. [Your access has been restored.] [Don't use excuses like this to make another scene.] [If you stop causing trouble, I might even consider letting you attend my engagement party with Sophie.]
Not enough history yet to show a trend.