My husband's mistress forced me to jump into the sea, and he agreed.

I heard Margaret's mocking voice after I was saved.

"Noah, your wife does love you. If she found out you were messing with her, she'd go Mad!"

"Mad? She has been as tame as a bunny since she gave birth. Just don't tell her. This is the last time I'll test her loyalty." He laughed lightly.

Others laughed and promised to keep it secret.

Lying on the stretcher, I had no more tears left.

Noah didn't know that this was also the last chance I had given him.

***

When I regained consciousness, I was in the hospital. A peeled apple lay on the table nearby.

In the past, whenever I got sick, Noah wouldn't show up. He'd just tell his assistant to drop off a bunch of supplements.

Seeing that I didn't show much emotion, he picked up a slice of the apple and held it near my mouth.

"Happy I'm still alive?" he asked.

I turned my head and happened to spot a faint hickey on his neck.

I replied calmly, "Noah, I want a divorce."

He froze, then casually popped the apple slice into his mouth with a loud crunch and smiled meaningfully.

Then, he made a phone call.

Soon, his assistant brought Billy Rockwell over.

A few months had passed, and Billy had gotten a bit taller. But he still kept his distance from me.

Right after I stopped nursing him, Noah's grandfather, Andrew Rockwell, took him away. I only got to see Billy during holiday dinners at the Rockwell's mansion.

I understood why Noah brought Billy here.

Whenever he went too far partying or fooling around, I'd get angry and stop talking to him. To make up for it, he would send Billy over to stay with me.

That pattern had played out more times than I could count.

But now, using Billy to get to me didn't work anymore.

Even seeing Billy's rounder cheeks didn't make me smile.

Billy looked upset, frowning like a little Noah. Even his voice had Noah's tone when he called me.

"Liora, you're still so stiff and boring. Daddy, I don't wanna stay here. I wanna go back and play with Mommy Margaret."

Mommy Margaret?

No wonder he never called me "Mommy". He already saw someone else as his mother.

Noah's stare turned sharp.

Billy quickly fell silent and climbed into my arms.

"Daddy's gonna yell at me!"

In the past, I always stood up for him. But this time, I gently pushed him away.

"Then go cry to Mommy Margaret."

Both Noah and Billy froze in surprise.

I said calmly, "Noah, I'm serious about the divorce. I mean it."

His eyes showed anger, but then he smirked.

"Liora, don't play games with me. If you truly push me, I'll make sure you never see your son again."

So that was why he hadn't reacted earlier. He thought I was trying to trick him by pretending to give up.

I remembered last year, news broke about him fooling around with a Z-list actress. It got so bad that she ended up in the hospital from severe bleeding. The story was everywhere. I was furious and wanted to end our marriage.

He responded by locking me in and keeping Billy away for six whole months.

That was when I finally learned my lesson.

It also made me realize that I no longer had feelings for him.

"Noah, I'm leaving the villa after I'm out of the hospital," I said seriously, looking him straight in the eyes.

When he saw I wasn't joking around, his face grew serious.

"If you want a divorce, let's see if you've got what it takes."

He walked out with Billy, and only then did I grab my phone and send a message to an unfamiliar number.

"I've made up my mind. I'll go after the dance competition next week."

After I was discharged from the hospital, I returned to the Rockwell's villa, packed my things, and went straight to the dance school.

I'd already decided. I didn't want anything more to do with Noah.

However, when I came to work, everyone looked at me meaningfully.

A coworker pulled me aside, looking at me worriedly.

"Liora, what did you do to upset Mrs. Rockwell? She took your spot in the competition and even asked the boss to fire you."

Mrs. Rockwell?

I followed her eyes to the center of the stage, where Margaret Lawson stood, sparkling with jewelry and basking in everyone's attention.

She looked more like someone's mistress in this way.

I had almost forgotten that she always called herself "Mrs. Rockwell" around here.

Margaret raised her chin proudly as people looked at her with admiration. Then, her eyes met mine.

"Liora, I'm truly sorry. Maybe I'm better at dancing, so the leader chose me for the competition."

I didn't care how she used to act, but I wasn't about to give up something important to me.

"Margaret, why don't you show us how good your dancing is? You know-the kind that's just for men's attention? Also, do you even dare to reveal your true identity?"

She had once been a well-known online influencer in a talent show. She only got into this high-end dance school because of her connection to Noah.

She used to act so carefully around me, and now she dared to act like she was above me. I couldn't take that.

Margaret's face went red, and she didn't know what to say. Her eyes started to tear up.

Suddenly, someone wrapped an arm around her waist.

Noah stared at me with a heavy, pressuring gaze. "What is your identity then?"

I opened my mouth, but a bitter feeling rose in my throat.

His mother died because of me.

Even after nine years of marriage and giving him a son, it couldn't make up for the life I owed.

When he was drunk, he once grabbed my neck and said, "Liora, you didn't marry me for love. You did it to make up for what you did. Don't forget your place."

Noticing I'd spaced out, Noah leaned in and spoke softly, "Liora, if you still want this job, move back into the Rockwell's villa."

That was when I realized he was the boss Margaret had mentioned.

He gave my competition spot to her and even pressured my employer to fire me.

It was all just a tactic to force me to back down and abandon the idea of divorce.

When I didn't respond, Noah sneered.

"Since you think you're strong enough to break free, I'll crush that pride and see how far you go."

He made a call.

Soon after, my best friend, Isabel Parker, messaged me.

"Liora, I think I upset someone. I just got promoted last month, but now my supervisor says I'm getting fired."

I bit my lip and quietly started packing.

As I was leaving, I heard Margaret's mocking voice.

"Liora, in the end, you're just like me. You still need a man to survive. I thought you were tougher than that."

I stopped with my suitcase in hand and shot back, "Did you forget? We're not divorced yet. He's still my husband-"

Suddenly, Noah grabbed my arm.

"Liora, how dare you bully Margaret in front of me! Did you forget my warning?"

His words hit me like a knife.

Since we got married, he had never revealed my identity to anyone.

People only knew he was married, yet women always surrounded him.

Now that I was out of the dance competition, there was no reason to stay even a day longer.

That thought made me feel a little better.

Before heading back to the Rockwell's villa, I stopped by a law firm and printed out a divorce agreement.

Then, I sent a text to that number.

"No need to wait a week. I'll be gone in two days."