Chapter 20

Rita's eyes sparkled with smug delight as she regarded Yvonne, her expression laced with both pity and disdain. "This bracelet isn't just expensive-it's worth a million and carries deep meaning. Back when Julian refused his family's support when he studied abroad,he barely had enough to live on. But because I once mentioned I liked it, he worked half a year just to buy it for me. And that night, he proposed with this very bracelet..."

She paused deliberately, her voice dipping into a tone of arrogant complaint. "The design felt outdated,though. So I didn't take it."

Every syllable landed like a dull blade, slicing through the fragile scars of Yvonne's heart. Her face drained of color,her expression hollowing out as if all light had been extinguished from her eyes.

That bracelet-her first gift fromn Julian in three long years of marriage-now felt like a cruel reminder of everything she lacked.

She could still picture the surge of joy from that night,the way her heart had leapt when the bracelet had been placed in her hands.Now the truth cut like glass-it was nothing more than a cast-off trinket, something Julian had passed along without thought, while she had treasured it as if it were priceless.

Rita, her face alight with gloating pride, was about to press further when she caught the fiery redness clouding Yvonne's eyes. The sharp glare that followed froze her mid-word.

"Get the hell out of here!" Yvonne commanded, her voice trembling but laced with fury.

Rita knew she had struck deep enough. Any further and the situation might spiral beyond her control.Composure restored, she curved her lips into a taunting smile. "Think it over. I'll drop by another time."

Yvonne's composure shattered the moment Rita's haughty silhouette faded from the doorway. She yanked the bracelet from her wrist and flung it with all the force her trembling body could muster.

Dropping to her knees, she buried her face in her palms,sobs tearing free from her chest.

Rita's words echoed mercilessly in her mind. Julian had never loved her-clinging to this marriage only made her pitiful. If she ended it herself, perhaps she could salvage a shred of dignity. By the time evening shadows stretched across the house, Paula was tidying the living room and looked up to see Yvonne descending the stairs.

A suitcase rolled behind Yvonne; Snowy nestled quietly in her arms. Her wrist was bare, stripped of the bracelet she once wore like armor.

After three years of marriage, these few belongings were all she had left to carry away.

Paula froze in shock, not only at the sight of the suitcase but at the hollow look in Yvonne's face-puffy eyes, drained complexion, every trace of strength stripped away.

"Mrs. Powell, where are you going?" she blurted,hurrying toward Yvonne.

"I'm leaving this place," Yvonne answered evenly, her tone so calm it carried an air of finality.

The words hit Paula like a slap. She had suspected something earlier when she noticed the packing, but she never dreamed Yvonne would truly follow through.

"Shouldn't you at least tell Mr. Powell? He'll be devastated if he comes home and you're gone!" Paula pleaded, reaching out as if to physically stop her.

Shaken to the core, Paula's mind went blank-that was all she could think of. In her eyes, Yvonne's devotion to Julian ran too deep for her to mean it-this had to be a fit of anger, a wounded tantrum.Surely, once Julian returned and spoke to her, Yvonne would abandon such a reckless decision.

Yet Yvonne just lowered her voice, her words deliberate. "Just tell him I walked away by choice,and you couldn't change my mind. He won't blame you for it."

"That's not what I meant..." Paula grew flustered."There must be some misunderstanding between you and Mr. Powell. Please, wait until he comes back so you two can talk it out. Don't do something you'll regret!"

Yvonne's vision blurred, her eyes stinging with tears she refused to shed. Talk it out? That would only strip away the last of her pride. Her heart was already too fragile to endure another blow.

She drew in a shaky breath and forced a smile, though it trembled at the corners. "There's no need, Paula.I know you mean well. Thank you-for you and Sebastian both-for looking after me all these years.But..."

Her gaze flicked around the familiar hall before returning to Paula. "Soon, someone else will be running this household." With that, Yvonne spun on her heel and strode for the door, her decisiveness leaving Paula panicked and scrambling for words.

Just as her hand reached the knob, she hesitated.Without glancing back, her voice cut through the silence."By the way, when Julian comes home, tell him to sign the divorce papers. I'll deal with Rodger myself -he doesn't need to worry about that."

Meanwhile, at the Powell Group, in Julian's office,the quiet rustle of paper filled the room. He was bent over a contract when an inexplicable jolt shot through his chest, forcing his pen to pause. A sharp throb hammered at his temples, an unease he couldn't name coiling in his gut.

He leaned back in his chair, massaging his brow before fixing Morton with a searching look. "How's the assignment I gave you?"

Morton clasped his hands behind his back. "I already sent Mrs. Powell's medication to the hospital lab for analysis."

Julian gave a curt nod, but his phone buzzing across the desk pulled his attention away. Seeing Paula's name on the screen, his brows drew tight. The moment he answered, his face hardened.

On the other end, Paula's voice wavered, thick with tears. "Mr. Powell... it's about Mrs. Powell. She packed her things and left the house!"