Jeanette Young never imagined her 25th birthday gift to be a diagnosis report of advanced stomach cancer.

The doctor's words kept echoing in her mind. "Ms. Young, your condition is complicated. Chances of recovery are close to zero, and you have… three months left at best."

As the image of her twisted, ravaged stomach on the diagnosis report crossed her mind, her fingers couldn't help but tighten around the document.

Jeanette stood at the hospital's entrance and hesitated for some time before pulling out her phone to dial William Ashford's number.

Since her foster mom—Evelyn Young's—death, Jeanette had no family left. William, her husband in name, was the last person she could turn to.

She called ten times in a row, but no one picked up.

Just as she was about to lower her phone in defeat, a photo from an anonymous number popped up on her screen. Her blood ran cold as she tapped on it.

The photo featured William, the man who'd long seen her as invisible, holding another woman in his arms. His eyes were full of gentleness as he gazed at the woman.

When Jeanette saw the woman's face, she nearly collapsed on the spot. It was her!

Jeanette stared at the photo with fireworks blooming behind the two, bursting into bright letters that spelled a name—Giselle Wills. She was the first woman William had ever loved for seven years.

Back then, their relationship had been passionate and fiery. They were even preparing for their engagement until William was ambushed by a rival just before the big day. He nearly lost his life, and was declared a vegetable by the doctors.

As his fiancée, Giselle stayed by his bedside to take care of him for just two days before leaving Heria without looking back.

The Ashfords had been ready to give up on him, but foolishly and hopelessly in love, Jeanette couldn't bear to see him die just like that. She volunteered to take care of him, stayed by his bed day and night, and meticulously tended to him.

A year later, William miraculously opened his eyes. The first thing he did after waking up was send his men to deliver a marriage agreement to her.

Jeanette had naively believed that her long-held secret love had finally found its reward, but the photo now served as a hard slap of reality in her face, brutally jolting her awake.

So, was his so-called business trip just a cover to reunite with his first love?

Looking at Giselle's blissful expression in the photo, Jeanette felt as if her heart was being sliced into pieces. The pain was so overwhelming that it spread to her stomach.

Doubling over, she clutched her abdomen as her whole body trembled with agony. When her gaze fell on the lipstick mark on William's collar in the photo, her vision swam.

In the three years of her marriage with William, they'd never had any gesture of affection, let alone shared intimate physical contact. Yet now, he let another woman get that close to him.

A surge of fierce indignation rose within her chest. She shoved the diagnosis report into her bag and hailed a cab home.

Once she arrived, seeing the silent, empty house brought a bitter smile to her lips. William had never cared about her birthday or any anniversary anyway.

After a brief silence, she turned to the butler, George Walter. "George, please call William and tell him there's an emergency at home. He needs to be here."

George nodded and glanced at her with sympathy. "Understood, Mrs. Ashford."

She caught that look, but there was nothing else she could do when William wouldn't even take her calls. She was a pitiful wife indeed.

A wry smile tugged at her lips as she turned and headed upstairs.

After her shower, she slipped into a lingerie set. It was her 25th birthday gift from her best friend, Sienna Tate.

Sienna had encouraged her to seize the chance and pounce on William.

Jeanette had been hesitant. For years, she'd waited and prayed that William would truly fall in love with her and start seeing her as his true wife. But now, reality proved that it was all just her delusion.

Though she was the rightful lady of the Ashfords, his heart had always belonged to someone else.

Now, she was dying, and time was slipping away. She refused to give in, knowing she couldn't keep living this way. And if she couldn't have his heart, then at least she'd take his body.

As the thought crossed her mind, she looked up at her reflection in the mirror.

She'd kept herself in shape all these years. The thin fabric clung to her body and traced the faint, alluring lines of her figure.

The doctor's words echoed in her mind again, and she couldn't help but dig her nails into her palm. Soon enough, her illness would drain her body until she lost the only pitiful, fragile beauty she had left.

But for now, she would use it for one last bet. She didn't want to leave behind any regrets before she died.

…

Half an hour later, the door opened.

When William stepped in, his gaze landed on the figure lying quietly on the bed. He walked up to stand by the bedside and frowned. "This better be important, Jeanette," he said impatiently.

The words had barely left his mouth before Jeanette threw herself into his arms and slipped her hands under the hem of his shirt, clumsily fumbling at his belt.

William's breathing hitched. He seized her wrist hard, and his voice was laced with barely restrained anger as he hissed, "You had Grandma call me back just for this?"

Grandma?

Jeanette looked up puzzledly. She hadn't involved William's grandma—Cordelia Lovelace—at all.

"I never reached out to Cordelia. I couldn't reach you, so I had George—"

"You know perfectly well that George answers to Grandma," he snapped, cutting her off and yanking his hand away before she could finish.

She stumbled back onto the bed. The loose robe slipped from her shoulders to reveal the lingerie underneath. Her curves were accentuated by the lace fabric like a tantalizing invitation.

William's gaze darkened, and his Adam's apple bobbed subtly. But just as quickly, he regained his composure, and his gaze hardened.

Back then, he'd married Jeanette out of responsibility and because Cordelia adored her. And now, she had the nerve to use Cordelia as a pretext to lure him home.

His gaze was icy as he stared down at her. "I made myself clear before we married, Jeanette. You've crossed the line."

Under his cold stare, she trembled and felt utterly stripped of dignity. Still, she refused to let it end just like that.

As he turned to leave, she gathered her courage and announced, "William, I think I'm dying."

Chapter 2 Drafting a Divorce Agreement

For fear that William wouldn't trust her, Jeanette pulled her robe tighter around herself and took out her diagnosis report. "I have just three months left. Could you please give me a chance?"

William took the diagnosis report and studied it with skepticism. His brows drew in a deep frown as his eyes skimmed over the line "advanced stomach cancer" in the final diagnosis section.

In his memory, she'd always been full of life and constantly orbited around him without ever showing a hint of illness or fatigue. How could she suddenly be dying from advanced stomach cancer?

Under the weight of his scrutiny, Jeanette's heart thudded violently in her chest. She knew how shameless she was and how pathetically desperate she must look in his eyes, but all she had was three months left.

She couldn't accept not ending up with neither his heart nor his body after three years of effort.

Encouraged by the slight shift in his expression, she braced herself to wrap her arms around his neck. But just as her lips were about to touch his, his hand shot up to grip her chin hard.

With a mocking laugh, he murmured, "I never thought you'd go as far as to forge a diagnosis report just to get what you want, Jeanette."

His tone was deceptively soft, almost like a lover's whisper, but the words that left his lips pierced her sharply.

Her eyes instantly welled up with tears. "I didn't—"

He released her and tossed the diagnosis report onto the table as utter disdain flashed in his eyes. "So when seduction fails, you switch to pity? I never knew you were this resourceful."

The undisguised disgust in his eyes was nothing like the look of affection he'd given Giselle in the photo.

As Jeanette met his icy stare, she could feel her heart grow cold. It struck her that this was what he thought of her.

A broken laugh escaped her lips as she mocked, "So, have you been saving yourself for your precious first love all three years, Mr. Ashford? Did you sleep with her last night?"

Confronted by her aggressive questions, William's gaze sharpened. "Have you been spying on me?"

His non-denial felt like a clamp around her heart. Did that mean he and Giselle had really slept together?

A sudden pain shot through her stomach like a sharp blade twisting inside her. She pressed a hand to her stomach, trembling uncontrollably.

Tears welled up in her eyes. For a fleeting moment, her left eye, which had nearly been blinded from saving William three years ago, began to throb with a dull ache.

She wanted to speak, but his cold voice cut her off. "Since you can't seem to stay in line, let's call it quits."

She instinctively looked up as he turned to leave. What did he mean by that?

"You have some time to think about what you want. I'll have my lawyer draft a divorce agreement," he said calmly.

He would make sure she was financially provided for with a generous settlement as compensation for those three years of meticulous care, but that was all.

With that, he slammed the door shut behind him.

Jeanette's face was drained of all color. Her mind couldn't help but think back to the night from three years ago, when she'd saved him.

In the storm, she'd thrown herself over William just to shield him from a blast. Shattered shards had sliced across her left eye and sent blood pouring down her face, but all she'd cared about was keeping him alive. She'd been completely oblivious to her wounds.

After being soaked in the rain, the wound had festered so severely that the doctors nearly had to remove her eye. Even now, a faint pale scar remained.

The younger Jeanette, who'd thrown all caution to the wind, must have never imagined things to end up in such a miserable, sorry state three years later.

William was just… too ruthless.

Tears streamed down Jeanette's cheeks as she curled over, feeling dizzy from all the pain. Suddenly, the sharp ringing of her phone jolted her back to the present.

She hastily wiped her tears away and picked up the call. "Hello?"

"How was it?" Sienna's cheerful voice blasted into her ears. "Was the lingerie I gave you sexy enough? Did William fall for you?

"You sound hoarse, don't tell me that he actually—"

Each word Sienna spoke seemed to drive the thorns in Jeanette's chest deeper. "No. Nothing happened," she cut her off.

Sienna fell silent for some time before she asked, "Is he not capable or something? How could he resist touching you when you're wearing that?"

Jeanette managed a smile uglier than a sob. "He just doesn't like me. That's all."

Or rather, William despised her.

"He doesn't like you? Why the hell did he marry you in the first place then?" Sienna gave a sharp, incredulous laugh.

"And you were so dumb to give up that chance to study abroad, just to save him. After almost losing one eye, you never brought it up because you didn't want him to feel indebted."

Jeanette's lashes fluttered, but she said nothing.

Sienna added, "You had the medical school and IT giants fighting over you, and everyone called you a genius! If it weren't for William, you'd be a genius at the top of your industry by now. What he's doing right now is completely unfair to you!"

Chapter 3 No Wonder Mr. Ashford Is Not Answering His Phone

Sienna's rage flared as she rattled on. Listening to her talk about the past sent Jeanette into a daze.

That was right. Jeanette had been so dumb to throw away her career and nearly sacrifice herself after the marriage, all for the sake of so-called love. Now that Giselle was back, William was in a hurry to divorce Jeanette so he could be with Giselle on a clean slate, unburdened.

What right did he have to do that? Jeanette had devoted three years to caring for him, so why should she make way for someone else, especially now that she was dying?

She refused to accept it. Even in death, she would be a stumbling block in their path!

She was already living in pain, so why should William get to have things go his way?

Agony and fury swelled in her chest until she was no longer in the mood to keep the conversation going with Sienna. After mumbling a random excuse, she decided to hang up the call.

Sienna knew that Jeanette was in a foul mood and didn't press further.

…

The next few days, William never came home. Even his clothes were collected by his assistant, Craig Scott.

Jeanette stood by the window and stared out in silence, wondering if this was his way of avoiding her on purpose. That just showed how much he despised her.

A small, bitter laugh escaped her lips.

Soon after, there was a knock on the door. She opened it to find Craig standing there, holding a stack of documents and a bank card. "Mr. Ashford sent me here to deliver these, Ms. Young. There's 100 million dollars on the card.

"Please review the agreement. He said that if there's anything else you want, you can always add it to the terms."

When Craig handed over the items, Jeanette looked down and noticed that the top document read "Divorce Agreement".

William was serious about wanting to get a divorce.

Jeanette's hand shook so hard that she could barely hold the documents steady. But the unconcerned Craig simply left as soon as the documents were delivered.

Tears welled up in her eyes and blurred the words in the pages. She hastily wiped them away and quickly read through the pages again and again.

William was generous. In addition to 100 million dollars in the bank card, he gave her one percent of his company's shares. Just the monthly dividends would amount to tens of millions of dollars.

It seemed that he would go to any length just to get rid of her quickly.

Jeanette was in so much pain that the metallic taste of blood crept up the back of her throat. She ripped the divorce agreement into shreds and stuffed all the pieces into the trash can.

She was never going to get a divorce! Even if she did not have William's heart, she could cling to her position as William's wife. She would not let him and Giselle have their way!

Before she could calm down, her phone rang. The moment she picked up, George's anxious voice rang through the receiver.

"Mrs. Ashford, can you get in touch with Mr. Ashford? Mrs. Ashford Senior suddenly fell gravely ill, but I can't reach him at all! She's in a critical condition now, I can't make decisions all by myself!"

Jeanette's grip on her phone tightened. Cordelia was the only person on earth who'd ever truly cared for her, aside from the late Evelyn. To Jeanette, Cordelia was no different from her biological grandma.

The sudden news of Cordelia's critical illness sent her right into panic.

How was it even possible that George couldn't even reach William?

Ever since Stephen Ashford, William's father, went abroad on business, William had set both Cordelia and George's numbers on special alert. He was always exceptionally concerned about anything that had to do with Cordelia, so how could he be absent at a time like this?

After hanging up, Jeanette tried calling William herself, but all her calls were unanswered.

In her desperation, she was reminded of William's private villa—the forbidden ground. Just bringing it up would earn her a cold warning from William not to entertain her foolish hope, let alone pay a visit to the villa.

Panic surged through her chest, but she couldn't afford to care that much right now.

She drove straight to the villa.

…

At Elm Villa, Jeanette stepped out of the car and stormed inside, ignoring the housekeepers' attempts to stop her.

Right after she stepped into the living room, she spotted William and Giselle on the couch, locked in an intimate position. Clad in a sheer nightgown, Giselle was nestled in William's arms.

The last thread of composure in Jeanette's heart snapped. She could barely hold herself back from spilling sarcastic words. "No wonder Mr. Ashford wasn't answering his phone. Looks like he was too busy indulging in pleasure!"

Seeing her, Giselle quickly sat up and tugged at William's sleeve. Then, she murmured in a soft, aggrieved voice, "Is Ms. Young misunderstanding something, Will?"

William frowned at Jeanette as irritation surfaced in his eyes. "How did you even find this place?"

Stung by the sight, Jeanette drew in a deep breath and forced down the bitterness in her chest. "Can't I come? Do I have to remind you that I'm still your wife, the lady of this villa?"

Frowning, William was just about to retort when Jeanette continued, "Cordelia's critically ill and in the hospital. Are you sure you still want to be here, cuddling with your mistress?"

Chapter 4 Preparing for a Divorce

Giselle's expression fell, while William immediately tensed. "What did you just say? What happened to Grandma?"

Jeanette said coldly, "She had a sudden heart attack. George called you a dozen times but couldn't get through. Do you think I'd have come looking for you if it weren't for that?"

For a second, William froze. He lowered his gaze to his phone and noticed that it had died after his business dinner last night. He had been too drunk to plug it in, so no wonder the calls never came through.

Without a word, he grabbed his car keys and turned to leave.

Jeanette followed closely behind. When they arrived at the hospital, Cordelia had regained consciousness.

The first thing she did after waking up was call for the two of them to enter the ward.

No sooner had Jeanette and William taken their seats than Cordelia said, "Will, Jean, as you can see, I'm old and probably don't have much longer.

"In my remaining years, my only wish is to see the two of you give me a healthy grandchild…"

Jeanette froze. Her heart ached painfully as her eyes fell on Cordelia's aged face. The latter probably had no idea that William was preparing to divorce her.

She instinctively stole a glance at William, who wore a face devoid of emotions.

He softly told Cordelia, "Grandma, Jeanette's body needs nurturing before we can have a baby. Let's talk about it some other time."

Jeanette forced a strained smile. Nurturing? Even if she was perfectly healthy, it doesn't matter if William never wanted to touch her.

Even if both of them agreed to have a baby, she wouldn't have enough time left to bring a new life into the world.

Cordelia sighed. "Don't use that as an excuse, Will. Spend more time with Jean because nothing matters more than the two of you being happy together."

William nodded and murmured a few soothing words until Cordelia grew tired. Then, he led Jeanette out of the room.

Once outside the room, Jeanette found herself glancing at him again. She had no idea why she harbored such a ridiculous flicker of hope, but at this moment, she truly wished he'd reconsider the divorce.

However, he walked right past her and looked straight ahead without sparing her a single glance.

Just then, Giselle appeared at the end of the hallway with anxiety etched all over her face. She breathlessly called out, "Will! How's Cordelia?"

Jeanette looked up and saw that William's expression eased slightly as he softly said, "It's nothing serious. Don't worry."

After settling her on a side bench for rest, he went downstairs to handle the hospital payments.

Giselle nodded obediently and sank onto a nearby bench very close to Jeanette. The moment Wiliam disappeared from view, she suddenly said in a barely audible voice, "Jeanette, do you know that I'm pregnant?"

The words crashed over Jeanette like the clap of thunder and rang in her ears until her breath hitched.

She heard herself ask in a hoarse, strained voice, "What… did you just say?"

Giselle laughed softly. "Are you playing dumb now? Stop lying to yourself, Jeanette. You know very well that if it wasn't for that accident three years ago, I would've been the one married to William right now."

Her voice was laced with mockery as she continued, "You were nothing but a mistress who swooped in when he was at his weakest. Now that I'm back, don't you think it's time to step aside?

"Making a scene won't do anyone any good, so be sensible, Jeanette."

Each word sliced through Jeanette's heart like a sharp knife. Still, Giselle wasn't finished.

Her tone turned soft as she added, "Even if you refuse to get a divorce, what's the point? William will only have a child with me, and to him, you're just a shameless opportunist clinging to a debt of gratitude. Even a stray dog earns more affection than you do.

"If I were you, I'd just die and be done with it."

Trembling with rage, Jeanette raised her hand and slapped Giselle hard across the face, leaving a swollen mark blooming on the latter's delicate skin.

To Jeanette's shock, Giselle wasn't mad in the slightest. Instead, a smug smile curved her lips.

While Jeanette was puzzled, she watched as Giselle's expression instantly shifted. Tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes as she began to cry in a picture of fragile, beautiful innocence.

Before Jeanette could react, a huge force shoved her away. She slammed into the cold wall so hard that pain shot up her spine.

When she looked up, she found herself staring at William's dark expression.

He was standing protectively in front of Giselle, confronting Jeanette—his wife—with icy sharpness.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Jeanette? Apologize to Giselle now!"

Jeanette was shuddering from head to toe in fury as she fixed William with a deadly glare. The face that once stirred her love now seemed utterly detestable.

That was when Giselle clutched her stomach and let out a pained whimper.

William immediately turned to her in panic. "Stomachache? Is it the baby?"

Noticing his look of concern, Jeanette laughed. She'd first assumed they'd recently rekindled their affair, but from the looks of it, it must have been going on far longer than she'd ever imagined.

No wonder William refused to touch her. He'd already gotten someone else pregnant!

The sharp, metallic taste of blood rose in her throat and made her nauseous again. She fought back the agony and was struck with the sudden realization that she must look utterly ridiculous to be stubbornly holding onto her place as his wife.

After lifting her head to look at William, she announced with a calm, final resolve, "I'll agree to the divorce, William."

Chapter 5 Jeanette Loses Her Mind

William shot Jeanette a look of surprise. As a woman who'd once obeyed his every word and poured every ounce of her love into him, she now stood before him looking pale and lifeless.

For some reason, a flicker of discomfort crept into his chest. His gaze lingered on her, and he saw her bowing her head, looking at the sterile white tiles beneath her feet.

"When Cordelia's condition is stable, I'll go to the courthouse with you," Jeanette said.

With that, she quickly turned to leave, for fear that she might retch blood the next second. She refused to appear pathetic in front of Giselle.

William watched as she left and frowned slightly. Craig had just informed him that Jeanette refused a divorce and even tore up the divorce agreement. How had she changed her mind in just a few hours?

He opened his mouth to speak, but Giselle's sharp cry of pain caught his attention. Immediately concerned, he led her toward the doctor's office.

…

After Jeanette drove home, she locked herself in her room and swallowed a handful of painkillers. The painkillers that used to work wonders seemed to have lost all their effect and could barely suppress the searing pain.

Curled up on the couch, she wept until tears soaked her hair. She drifted into a fitful sleep amidst the pain and woke up to find that it was already dark outside.

Venturing into the kitchen to find some food, she overheard the hushed whispers of housekeepers just inside. "Did you hear? Mr. Ashford gifted Elm Villa to Giselle!"

"Mr. Ashford's really generous to Ms. Wills. The last time I brought him coffee and snacks, I overheard them saying that Elm Villa cost him 800 million dollars! Even the flowers in the garden are expensive and specially tended by professionals. Just a single bloom costs tens of millions of dollars!"

"Can you imagine how much he has spent on her?"

"Oh gosh, I'm so envious of Ms. Wills, unlike Ms. Young here. Mr. Ashford's never even bought her a piece of clothing, has he? Why can people be so different?"

"Who knows? But Ms. Wills is gorgeous and gentle. If it were me, I'd fall for her too."

Jeanette couldn't listen any longer. Every word from the housekeepers hit her like stones with a dull, unbearable ache.

When she stepped into the kitchen, her footsteps startled the two housekeepers. They turned, and identical looks of embarrassment flashed across their faces when they saw her.

From this close, she must have heard everything they said.

Shifting uncomfortably and for fear of losing their jobs, they looked at Jeanette in a pleading, ingratiating manner. "We were just casually talking, Mrs. Ashford. Please don't take it to heart."

Jeanette's emotionless gaze fell on them as she said, "The Ashford family has rules against gossiping about your employers. Go to George and collect your final pay."

Their expressions changed instantly as they both glared at Jeanette with resentment. However, she didn't spare them another glance. Instead, she grabbed her food and turned to leave.

Just as she reached the door, she heard their venomous whispers. "No wonder Mr. Ashford doesn't like her! A vicious woman like her should drop dead already!"

Jeanette's steps didn't falter in the slightest. Her mind was filled with thoughts about the 800 million dollars and astronomically priced flowers.

Just as the housekeepers had said, William had never spent even 100 dollars on her in all three years of their marriage.

Suddenly, she felt worthless for spending three years of her life on William. Even if she was just working as a housekeeper, she would be paid, right?

Back in her room, she took out her phone and called Sienna. "You have been looking into investments lately, haven't you? Could you show me the projects?"

Sienna clicked her tongue. "Oh? Have you come around and decided to invest in those college boys and enjoy their admiration? William treats you like trash, and there are plenty of men out there!"

As she spoke, she sent the project files to Jeanette. "Pick whoever catches your eye, but you don't have to invest much. Just a few hundred thousand dollars is enough to make them worship you for life."

Jeanette ignored her nonsensical remarks and selected the least promising project, which was on self-driving chip research and technology. It had only one pioneer—Simon Hudson.

This project was notorious for being a money pit with low success rates. It had been hyped for years, but few had made any true breakthroughs, and most ventures were just using it as a buzzword for speculation.

Besides, Simon wasn't a well-known industry leader but just a recent university graduate. It wasn't surprising that no one was willing to invest.

Now Jeanette knew why Sienna had it buried at the bottom of the list.

She briefly looked over the project, then asked Sienna for Simon's contact.

"This isn't the kind of investment you can make with small change. Are you sure?" Sienna was shocked.

"Yes."

Sienna drew in a sharp breath before asking, "What exactly about this project appeals to you?"

"It burns money," Jeanette simply replied.

She knew she wasn't thinking straight, but she was in the mood for revenge spending and draining William's accounts.

In the three years of their marriage, she'd never spent his money. Was she supposed to wait until after the divorce or her death, only to have Giselle enjoy it all when she was gone?

Sienna didn't probe. She sent over Simon's number, and Jeanette wired 80 million dollars to Simon without a second thought. Then, she went on a spree, pouring more funding into a handful of dying companies.

After that, she headed out. She swept through several luxury malls and had the shop assistants deliver all her purchases home. On her way back, she bought stacks of lottery tickets and did not stop until her bag couldn't hold another slip.

By the time she was done, it was late. She decisively went straight home to sleep.

Meanwhile, William frowned slightly at the constant stream of purchase notifications popping up on his phone.

In a single day, Jeanette had spent such an enormous amount of money. Had she lost her mind?

Chapter 6 Jeanette Dates Another Man

Jeanette had expected William to question her reckless spending, but to her surprise, he didn't say a word.

So, did he simply not care about what she was doing?

She let out a cold laugh and continued her routine shopping by splurging money on a revenge spree.

One day, just as she came home, she received Sienna's call. The latter's excited voice blasted through her eardrums as she screamed, "Jean! You'll never believe what I saw at the New Edge Expo today!

"The chip technology you invested in a while back was the star of the show. CEOS were so blown away by the technology that they're scrambling to invest."

Jeanette had almost forgotten about the investment and was momentarily caught off guard. "What did you say?"

After Sienna sent a video she'd recorded at the expo, Jeanette tapped on the play button. In the clip, a crowd of big-name investors gathered around the booth showcasing the chip she'd invested in and lavished praise on the technology.

People rushed to invest or partner up, and some even offered sky-high bids for exclusive partnership rights. The numbers left her dumbstruck and wide-eyed in shock.

All signs indicated that the chip was highly-regarded within the industry and even had all the potential… to become a phenomenal hit!

Jeanette could hardly believe it. How had the casual, random investment she made… actually worked?

Sienna's thrilled voice continued blasting in her ears. "Your timing was perfect, Jean! The person in charge of the chip project, Simon, said he has his investor who helped him during his most difficult time, so he won't take a position at any company or accept additional funding from others.

"Do you realize what that means? Monopoly! You could start your company and ride this wave right now, and you'd easily break into the second-tier elite!"

Jeanette didn't respond. What was the point of starting a company when her life was almost over?

Oblivious to her lack of enthusiasm, Sienna continued, "Oh, and Simon wants to meet you to discuss the project's next steps. Since you didn't leave your number when you invested, he tracked me down.

"Jean, would you like to meet him?"

Jeanette figured she probably should. After all, the investment was made on a whim. Since she didn't have long to live, she shouldn't hold Simon back.

"Sure. Give me his number, and I'll talk to him," Jeanette responded.

"Great!" Sienna said with a grin. "Simon's just as good-looking as William, and he is even younger. You don't have to get too caught up on just one man."

Was Sienna really encouraging her to cheat?

Jeanette was speechless for a moment before she smoothly changed the subject. They chatted a little longer before she hung up.

Just then, Simon accepted her friend request. He had an ink painting profile picture, which she found familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she'd seen it before.

Before she could dwell on it, a message from Simon arrived.

"Hello, Ms. Young. The chip's generating a lot of interest, and several companies have expressed their intent to place orders. Once the expo ends, I'll likely be finalizing some partnership contracts.

"Shall we meet to discuss our profit sharing? You should start seeing returns soon."

Jeanette was mildly taken aback as she read the message. Simon was far more capable than she'd expected. He had identified preliminary partners in just a few days.

Without further comment, she scheduled a time and place to meet with Simon.

After ending the conversation, she had a nagging feeling she was forgetting something, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly.

She changed clothes, added a touch of makeup to hide the pallor of her face, and drove to the restaurant. The moment she walked in, she spotted Simon.

As Sienna had said, he was indeed good-looking. Unlike William's aggressively striking features, Simon's were gentle and almost tender. The way he looked at someone felt disarmingly soft.

Jeanette looked away and took the seat across from him. After setting down her bag, she finally noticed something odd.

Why did the restaurant's decor… look so romantic?

As if reading her mind, Simon explained, "I'm sorry. Every other restaurant nearby was fully booked, and this is the only one left.

"Do you mind? If the setting makes you uncomfortable, shall we go somewhere else?"

"It's fine," Jeanette said, shaking her head.

It was just a meal, and the venue wouldn't make much difference. She wasn't that particular either.

Seeing that she was unbothered, Simon relaxed a little.

Jeanette first intended to clarify her intentions, but before she could speak, Simon's fingers suddenly brushed near her ear.

She froze and instinctively looked at him, only to see him pluck a petal from her hair.

"Sorry. I guess I overstepped," he said apologetically.

She thought that he was just tidying her up a bit and didn't dwell much on it. Her mind was elsewhere, turning over how to phrase her refusal to tell him that she didn't intend to start a company and that he should look for a new partner.

Too absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't notice a pair of eyes burning into her.

William frowned. He clearly hadn't expected to see her here.

She'd said she was dying, so why was she here, all dressed up and dating another man? Not only were they acting intimately, but they were also in a couple's restaurant.

Before he could process it, Giselle, beside him, covered her mouth in feigned surprise. "Is that Jeanette?

"What a coincidence! You're just about to divorce her, and she's already out on a date with another man."

So, this was what it was—Jeanette couldn't wait to find someone new.

William's expression darkened.

Chapter 7 She’s Really Sick

As William connected seeing Jeanette in the restaurant to the massive purchases she'd made days ago, he let out an angry laugh. Was she using his money to keep another man?

With that thought, he strode over to her table.

Sensing a shadow fall over her, Jeanette instinctively looked up, only to meet his displeased gaze. She frowned slightly and was puzzled as to what he was doing here.

When she noticed Giselle beside him, she instantly had her answer.

She suppressed her emotions and asked, "What do you want?"

William frowned. In the past, Jeanette always greeted him with an accommodating, eager-to-please smile. Since when had she turned so cold?

Was it because of her new man?

He sneered. "Jeanette, care to explain?"

Jeanette shot him a mocking, sarcastic look. What was there to explain? When he got Giselle pregnant, had he ever thought about explaining that to her?

And now, why was he trying to take control over her?

She scoffed. "What's there to explain? We're getting divorced, Mr. Ashford. The least an ex-husband can do is mind his own business."

Her words cut so deep that William's frown deepened.

Off to the side, Giselle immediately stepped in to smooth things over. She spoke up in a soft, gentle voice. "Jeanette, you're still Mrs. Ashford. Don't you think it's a little too much to be spending your husband's money on your affair?"

Simon frowned slightly and interjected, "There's no need for such offensive language. Jean and I are just talking about a partnership.

"Partnership?" Giselle echoed in a gentle voice, though her eyes glinted with disdain. "From what I've heard, Jeanette's been a housewife for all three years of her marriage, so she can't possibly have any business partnerships to discuss.

"Don't try to cover it up because we've seen everything."

Simon was about to explain, but Jeanette stopped him. She eyed William, and noticing his silence, figured he probably thought the same.

The sheer hypocrisy of it made her laugh in disgust. "If having a meal is considered an affair, what do you call spending the night together and sharing a bed?

"Instead of recognizing your own faults, you come here to accuse me. Quit pretending to be innocent, Giselle."

Giselle's face instantly drained of color. She curled in on herself slightly, clutching her stomach.

William immediately asked with concern, "Does your stomach hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Giselle didn't answer. Instead, tears welled in her eyes as she addressed Jeanette. "That's not what I meant, Jeanette. I just feel that—"

"Enough. You don't have to explain to her." William cut her off before fixing Jeanette with a cold stare.

"Whatever's going on between us, you're still part of the Ashford family until the divorce is finalized. Until then, watch your behavior."

Jeanette let out a mocking laugh. She was so furious that even pain shot through her stomach in waves.

Had William ever seen her as part of the Ashford family?

When Giselle was hurling baseless insults at her, he had stayed silent. Yet right after she retorted once, he rushed to defend Giselle. So who exactly had he been married to for three years?

All the bitterness gathered over the past three years erupted at once as the pain in her heart and stomach intensified. A layer of cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

Jeanette opened her mouth to tell him to get lost, but before the words could form, a rush of thick, metallic taste of blood surged in her throat.

She could barely control herself from violently coughing up a mouthful of blood. Then, the world went black, and she lost all consciousness.

William froze briefly in shock before snapping back to reality. Moving swiftly, he caught her in his arms before she could hit the floor.

As he stared blankly at the pool of blood on the floor, a strange sense of panic gripped him. Was Jeanette… really sick?

Giselle's pupils constricted sharply as a shrill, sharp cry escaped her throat.

Off to the side, Simon rose and reached for Jeanette, but William blocked his way and fixed him with an intense glare.

"Get out of my way!"