Chapter 1
The moment the divorce papers were pushed across the table, the private room went so quiet it felt like the air had frozen solid.
Rowena Stevenson lowered her eyes, staring at the signature line on the last page. Her fingers felt a chill.
Leopold Hopkins leaned back in his chair and said flatly, "Sign it."
His tone was indifferent, like he was just discussing some trivial business. "Three houses, 3 million dollars. That should be enough for the rest of your life."
The Hopkins family sat around the table in the private room.
Penelope, Leopold's mother, held her teacup, not even looking up. "I'm just saying, Rowena, you've been with Leopold for three years, and there's still no sign of a child. The Hopkins family can't let you hold onto your place here forever."
Aunt Tasha chuckled beside her.
"People say a woman's fate depends on whether she can have children. If you don't have that blessing, maybe it's time to let go," Tasha said.
Rowena didn't say a word.
She just silently stared at Leopold.
Three years of marriage, and he still wore that cold, distant, and restrained expression.
When she was suffering from a high fever of 104 degrees, he was overseas, busy negotiating deals.
When her stomach started bleeding in the middle of the night, she took a cab to the hospital alone. She called him three times, but he only replied once: "I'm in a meeting. Stop making a fuss."
It was not like she hadn't considered walking away.
She just believed that if she held on long enough, maybe his heart would finally thaw.
But now, Rowena realized she'd just been fooling herself.
The door to the private room swung open.
A woman in a white dress walked in, her eyes and demeanor soft and gentle, like a breeze that quietly slipped into the room.
It was Mona Taylor.
She was the one Leopold could never forget, his cherished pearl—the girl who had suddenly left the country three years ago.
The moment she appeared, the atmosphere around the table changed instantly.
Penelope beamed. "Mona, you're here."
Mona looked like she'd just hurried over, still a bit out of breath. Her gaze settled on Rowena, her face troubled and apologetic. "Rowena, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I just heard... you two were talking about divorce."
As she spoke, her eyes grew misty.
"None of this would have happened between you and Leopold if it weren't for me," Mona said.
Nice way to put it.
It sounded like an apology.
But it also felt like she was quietly declaring she'd won.
Leopold frowned. "This has nothing to do with you."
Penelope was even more blunt. "Of course it doesn't. Some people have been hogging a spot that was never theirs to begin with. It's time for them to move on."
Rowena suddenly smiled.
It was barely there, so light it almost vanished, like a breeze drifting through the room.
Penelope was taken aback. "What are you smiling at?"
"I'm just laughing at myself," Rowena said, a hint of self-mockery in her voice.
She lifted her head, her eyes dry and clear. "I'm laughing at myself for actually holding back with your family for three years."
The mood in the room suddenly stalled.
Leopold's expression turned cold. "Rowena, don't make things ugly."
"Ugly?" Rowena shot back, her voice quiet but every word cut like a knife. She stared at Leopold. "You brought your old flame here, had her sitting right across from me, and pressured me into signing the divorce papers.
"Your mother told me straight to my face I was just taking up space. Your whole family is ganging up on me, and somehow I'm the one making things ugly?"
Mona's face went white, and she bit her lip. "Rowena, please don't misunderstand. I swear, I never meant anything else."
"Just shut up," Rowena snapped.
For the first time, she couldn't even be bothered to spare her a glance.
Mona flinched like she'd been slapped, and tears spilled down her cheeks.
Leopold's eyes darkened. "Why are you snapping at her?"
"Because she's a bitch," Rowena said.
Everyone at the table gasped.
Penelope slammed her teacup down. "Rowena!"
"What, did I say something wrong?" Rowena shot back.
She stood up, picked up the divorce papers, and slowly flipped to the last page. "Three years ago, when she left, you were desperate to find someone to marry Leopold, so you talked me into joining your family.
"Now that she's back, suddenly I'm just an eyesore. With all your scheming, it's a wonder you're not running a jewelry store."
Leopold's face darkened. "You're getting the money and leaving. That's already giving you some dignity."
"Dignity isn't something anyone else can give you," Rowena said.
Rowena lifted her hand and picked up the pen.
Without a second thought, she signed her name on the line.
Rowena Stevenson.
Her name was written clean and sharp.
Penelope looked relieved.
Mona quietly allowed a small smile to appear.
Leopold couldn't explain why, but his chest suddenly felt tight.
He stared at her name, and suddenly realized—the woman who'd always quietly stood behind him was really about to walk out of his world for real.
Once she finished signing, Rowena slid the papers back across the table.
"From today, all ties between the Hopkins family and me are cut," Rowena said.
Penelope let out a cold laugh. "You'd better stick to it."
Rowena nodded. "Trust me, I want this even more than you do."
Then, she turned and walked away.