Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Tearing Up the Divorce Papers to Her Face

The color drained completely from Verity's face, her features twisted with humiliation.

She stared daggers at Lilah's retreating figure, chest rising and falling sharply.

Can't lose it here. Not now.

But as soon as she remembered that Lilah was about to be shipped off to a mental hospital, her mood smoothed out instantly.

That hospital had been handpicked just for Lilah.

Once she's in, there's no way out. And then...

Forcing a smile, Verity raised her voice slightly. "Lilah, what's the point of all this?"

"Just give in a little-it's best for everyone, isn't it?"

She sounded all gentle and concerned, but there was a smugness hiding under the surface.

Lilah didn't even glance back. She just kept walking toward the villa, not giving that fake sweetness the time of day.

Those little tricks Verity used to get under her skin? Not happening anymore.

Not worth her time. She didn't care to hear the same old manipulative nonsense.

But then, from the corner of her eye, something caught her attention-like a magnet yanking at her gaze.

Behind the huge floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, a small figure stood motionless against the glass.

Aiden.

No one knew when he'd gotten there, but he stood there silently, staring at his mom with a mix of familiarity and distance.

The sunlight landed on his soft hair, but there was a quiet gloom about him. He looked like a plant growing in the shade-silent, unnoticed.

When Lilah's eyes met his, Aiden flinched and quickly backed away.

A flicker of sadness and worry passed through her eyes.

In the previous timeline, after Lilah's divorce, Verity used the same dirty methods to push Aiden over the edge.

Gabriel began to lose faith in his son, and with Verity's silent consent, the bullying continued in the shadows. In the end, Aiden finally fought back-only to die by accident during the struggle.

That bone-deep pain came back again, like something burned deep in her DNA.

She wasn't going to let that happen again. Not this time.

Suddenly, she spun around, eyes locked straight onto Verity.

"Verity." Lilah's voice cracked through the air like thunder.

She descended the steps one by one, each step echoing with quiet fury, walking right up to Verity.

"Spare me your schemes. I already saw how low you're willing to go. Round two? Not happening."

Verity wasn't getting a second shot at her.

Lilah's face stayed cold as she turned to leave.

Crazy woman. That bitch!

Verity clenched her jaw, biting her bottom lip as she forced a look of confusion. "Lilah, what are you even talking about? I don't follow."

"Gabe knows your mental state hasn't been stable. He only asked me to take care of Aiden so he wouldn't get hurt."

"Verity, you keep saying 'Gabe' like you're actually his wife. Do you really think you're Aiden's mother or something?"

Lilah knew exactly where to land the blow.

Her words weren't crude, but they cut deep enough to bleed.

Sure enough, Verity's face darkened as she clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white.

No matter how indifferent she pretended to be, there was no denying the truth.

Three years of playing the nanny, and she still couldn't replace a woman who'd lost everything.

Why? Just because that bitch gave birth to him?

She wouldn't accept that. No way.

Right when Verity's resentment nearly boiled over, a housekeeper came over, clutching a fresh stack of documents.

"Ma'am... Mr. Wallace asked me to bring you this... divorce agreement," the housekeeper said, voice trembling as she offered the folder to Lilah.

The sunlight hit the cover, reflecting a harsh, cold gleam.

At the sight of the contract, the shock in Verity's eyes turned quickly into wild, gleeful delight.She forced down the storm in her chest, but the bitterness still slipped through her words. "Lilah, do you really have to make this ugly? Just sign it already. After the divorce, Aiden won't have to watch his parents fight all the time..."

Lilah stared straight at Verity's smug face.

The pain that had flared because of Aiden just moments ago now settled into a cold calm.

She reached out with steady hands and took the heavy stack of papers.

A flash of triumph lit up Verity's eyes. This lunatic was finally caving in!

But the next second-

"Rip-"

The sound of tearing paper split the air like a whip crack.

Lilah ripped the agreement clean down the middle, her movements sharp and decisive. Bits of it fluttered to the floor like confetti.

Verity's victory grin froze on her lips, disbelief written all over her face.

Standing on the steps, Lilah's expression didn't flicker. If anything, she looked bored, maybe even a little mocking.

She raised her chin slightly. "Keep dreaming."

Then she turned her back without another glance and walked straight into the villa.

Behind her, Verity's face flickered through a whole color wheel of rage and shock.

...

Bang!

The door slammed shut behind her. All the strength drained out of Lilah like a punctured balloon.

Exhaustion hit her like a wave, pulling her under.

Divorce, mental hospital, jail, suicide...

Now Gabriel couldn't be colder if he tried.

"Why is saving a marriage harder than running a damn business..."

She collapsed onto the bed, about ready to combust from the pressure.

After lying there for a bit, Lilah grabbed her phone, scrolling through the contacts, just in case the original her had any hidden allies who could help save this crumbling marriage.

But nope. Three years of chaotic living had burnt every bridge. People weren't just gone-they ran the moment they saw her name.

Her contacts list was emptier than her savings, and anyone she vaguely recognized was buried deep in the block list.

Unwilling to give up, she rifled through her bank cards, hoping for some personal savings she might have overlooked.

The result? A straight shot to rock bottom.

The Hart family had cut her off, and Gabriel had written her off. Except for a credit card with a pitiful limit, she had nothing to her name. That ridiculous prenup she'd signed left her practically with the clothes on her back.

The original her had tied her entire life to Gabriel like some helpless vine clinging to a tree.

So what now? Sit back and watch herself spiral into ruin?

Wait...

That's when it hit her.

No matter how ruthless Gabriel was, all he did was kick her out of the Wallace house.

As long as she stayed put, Verity wouldn't dare go too far.

Which meant there was still a chance to turn this around.

Lilah knew better than to bet everything on a broken marriage.

She needed a backup plan. Something solid.

This world's finance game wasn't nearly as cutthroat as the one from her past life.

Love was a mess-but money? That was easy math.

With that thought, she got up and opened her laptop, typing in the latest updates about the Hart Group.

Headline after headline flashed by, and with each one, her gaze grew sharper.

"International competitor crushes Hart Group's brand... market share drops like a rock..."

Lilah's lips curled into a grin full of fight.

She hadn't built her empire in her last life off dumb luck.

Now she saw her way back in-with the Hart family.

Taking a deep breath, she found the Hart Group's official email and got ready to move.

This... this was her battlefield. And it was game on.