My fiancé and my closest friend, Nathan Gardner, came up with a plan to win over my bestie's favor.

My bestie, Esther Sullivan, drove the car and killed my mother.

Not only did my fiancé not hold her accountable, but he even flaunted their marriage certificate.

I took Esther to court, caused a scene at the wedding, and demanded she be punished, only to become the subject of mockery.

When I was at my lowest, my closest friend, Nathan Gardner, publicly proposed to me, offering to be my support forever.

I agreed to his proposal.

I let him handle the car accident case completely.

He told me that Esther was jailed, and I trusted him.

However, three years after our marriage, I accidentally overheard a conversation between him and his lawyer.

"Mr. Gardner, did you marry Joanna just to get a letter of understanding? It's just a car accident. Why get so involved?"

He replied, "Only through marriage could I write the letter of understanding on behalf of Joanna as a family member and secure Esther's freedom.

"It's enough for her to be happy overseas. As for me... Anything is fine."

I realized then that the marriage I thought was my rescue was merely an elaborate scheme he had set up.

Well, if this is how they want to play, then so be it.

I'll see it through to the end.

In the office, Nathan stared at photos of Esther enjoying life overseas on his laptop. A smile crossed his face, but it was filled with sadness and regret.

"Three years had passed. As long as she's happy, even if it's not because of me, that's enough.

"As for Joanna... I've spent my whole life trying to make up for what happened. This matter is over."

The legal team at the company was furious, but there was nothing they could do about him.

"Mr. Gardner, the company's finally making progress. How can you treat a murder case as a joke? If a competitor finds out, not just you, but your family's wealth could be at stake!

"The fact that Ms. Sullivan killed someone is clear. Why are you getting involved in this? She doesn't love you at all!"

Nathan's expression turned cold, and his tone became sharp.

"That's enough. I told you not to bring this up again. I don't believe Esther killed anyone on purpose. It must have been an accident. I've already handled Mrs. Watson's funeral. That should be enough for the Watsons.

"If saving her costs me my life, I'd give it to her, not just a company!"

The lawyer grew a little nervous.

"What about Ms. Watson? She's going to find out sooner or later. Once she visits Esther in prison, all your plans will fall apart!

"You used her name to free the woman who killed her mother. How do you expect her to react?"

Nathan fell silent for a moment, then lit a cigarette.

"Then don't let her find out, not ever. It's been three years. She should be getting out soon.

"Make the arrangements. And remember, don't let Joanna know."

"Mr. Gardner, as your lawyer, I need to warn you that the law is relentless and will catch up with you. What you've done will definitely leave evidence behind. You have inflicted harm on an innocent person solely to satisfy the desires of a murderer. If Ms. Watson ever finds out, you're finished!"

Tears fell from my face.

I was trembling so badly that I could barely hold the lunch box.

The footsteps grew louder, so I quickly hid in the stairwell.

It turned out that my mother's fatal car accident had never been properly investigated.

Esther wasn't imprisoned to pay for her crimes like I was told.

Instead, she was living freely abroad.

All of this was orchestrated by my beloved husband.

His humility, his patience, and his sacrifices—everything was for the person he loved.

For three years of marriage, I've been living inside the web of lies he carefully crafted.

What you think is happiness is really nothing but hell.

How ironic.

I stumbled down the stairs and stood outside the company.

The wait lasted for five long hours.

The last light in the building flickered out.

At last, his figure emerged.

As soon as he saw me, he took my hand, his face filled with sorrow.

"Why not head inside since you're already here? How long have you been waiting?"

I replied, "I just got here recently. I know you've been tied up, so I made some soup for you. The secretary told me you were in a meeting, so I came out."

He remarked, "Don't bring anything next time. You're not feeling well, and I'd hate for you to tire yourself out."

After saying this, he pulled me into an embrace and kissed my forehead.

His actions were just as tender and affectionate as before.

But I couldn't feel his warmth anymore.

One person can really go this far for someone else.

He helped me into the passenger seat and casually mentioned, "By the way, Esther is about to be released from prison. You two used to get along well, and she's paid for what she did. Also, the company is working with the Silvermans on a number of projects, so..."

"Well, that's all behind me. I won't go looking for her again, so don't worry," I responded.

He let out a relieved sigh, a smile spreading across his face.

"Thank you, Honey, for being so understanding. I'm truly fortunate to have you."

I turned to look out the window, tears quietly falling down my cheeks.

Once we got home, I turned on his laptop while he went to freshen up.

The password was Esther's birthday.

The desktop displayed a picture of the Maldives ocean view.

That was where Esther had spent the past three years.

I logged into his social media account.

The homepage background featured a photo of him and Esther together.

There was just one person on his follow list.

When I clicked on it, all the posts were of Esther and her life abroad.

She was wearing new jewelry from a brand owned by the Gardner Group.

Her shawls were the latest line endorsed by Gardner Group.

Even the villa she lived in was a hotel property owned by Gardner Group overseas.

This hotel had been established exactly three years ago.

It was also the Gardners' only international project.

My hands shook as I clicked on his transaction history.

The sole recipient of all payments was Esther.

He kept it up for three years, making 170 thousand each month.

I read through the records one by one, and with each one, my heart grew heavier.

I remembered his status on his Facebook, which only had one word.

"Wait."

I once asked him what it meant.

He casually replied that it was something he wrote without much thought.

But now, I think I understand what it meant.

Three years of marriage, and all we had were the wedding photos on the wall.

We didn't have a single photo together.

No matter how much I cried or caused a scene, he always said we saw each other every day, so there was no need for a keepsake.

It wasn't until now that I understood. It wasn't that a photo was unnecessary. It was that I wasn't necessary to him.

I smiled to myself and stopped reading.

I had just bought a plane ticket to go abroad in three days.

I applied to cancel all my documents.

Three days, a final goodbye to three years, was enough.

I set the countdown on my phone's wallpaper to remind myself each day.

When he came out of the shower, I was already lying in bed.

Thinking I was asleep, he didn't say anything else.

I stayed awake all night.

At dawn, I got up to freshen up.

The phone rang.

Nathan's confused voice came through right after.

"Joanna, what documents did you cancel?"

I quickly moved the phone away and calmly replied, "Nothing. My ID card expired, so I made an appointment to renew it.

"Don't we still need to discuss the project today? Go ahead and get to work."

He didn't think twice. He simply wrapped me in a gentle hug and spoke to me softly, "Thank you, Honey. I'm truly lucky to have married such a wonderful woman like you."

I smiled and stayed silent.

"How about I give you a huge present today as a special treat?"

I responded, "Alright, I'll be waiting for you at home."

To stop me from bringing any problems to Esther, he truly went above and beyond.

It was finally time to put an end to this three-year-long lie.

The moment he walked out the door, I went straight to cancel the documents.

After I finished filling out the forms, I met with a lawyer.

When I asked about the letter of understanding, the lawyer explained that a family member's letter holds the same legal weight.

It was already official and couldn't be undone.

I didn't push further and just asked him to print two copies of the divorce agreements.

With those in hand, I headed to Nathan's office.

The moment I walked in, I overheard some employees chatting.

"That's Mrs. Gardner, right? I heard she recently came back from overseas. No wonder Mr. Gardner is so taken with her. She's got such charm. Even I find her hard to dislike!"

"She sure is. That purse she's carrying is a new Hermès design. Hermès only produced ten of these! I've seen Mr. Gardner pick out luxury bags before. It's amazing he bought one for her. How romantic..."

"That hotel overseas... Wasn't it built just for her? They say those two have known each other since they were little. Even a TV drama wouldn't be this dramatic!"

I stood just outside the door of the office on the top floor when a voice I recognized reached my ears.

"How have things been these past three years?"

"Not bad at all. I wake up to an ocean view, and the air smells like freedom. I haven't thanked you properly. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't..."

"Don't bring that up. It's all behind us. I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone. I helped you because it helped me too."

Esther laughed so hard her shoulders shook.

"You haven't changed one bit. If Joanna found out you've been secretly helping me, she'd definitely flip out."

"This bag is way too pricey. I can't take it. You should give it to Joanna instead. She might even sue me if I keep it."

That's just how Esther is. She always takes the good stuff, then acts all kind and forgiving, throwing all the blame on me.

Three years ago at the wedding, I exposed her as a killer in front of everyone and completely broke ties with her and Ashley Silverman.

All the guests at the wedding sided with her and criticized me for being clueless.

I became the butt of their jokes.

The arrival of Nathan was my only chance for rescue.

But now, he's the one who has pushed me into the depths of despair.

The secretary hurried to deliver the contract and quickly opened the door.

Nathan's eyes widened in surprise.

"Joanna? When did you arrive? Don't overthink this. Esther just came to chat with me, that's all..."

"Joanna, it's been a while."

Esther stood up, wearing a new high-end dress from the Gardner Group brand.

Her complexion was rosy, and her skin was flawless.

She looked nothing like someone who had just been released from prison.

I smiled and gave a small nod, pushing down my frustration as I said, "It's fine, I was just out shopping and thought I'd stop by. Since you're busy, I'll leave now."

Nathan thought I was upset, so he rushed after me and tried to explain.