Chapter 4

I had no idea when Talia showed up, but she brought a team of luxury consignment appraisers with her.

They turned my room upside down.

"The company is facing a cash flow crisis. We need funds to cover the deficit," Talia said.

"You don't really need these bags and jewelry anyway. I'll sell them first. Once the company is back on track, I'll have Gideon pay you back!"

Dressed impeccably, she offered me a polite smile.

But her eyes screamed contempt.

Gideon looked a little guilty at first.

But the moment he saw Talia, his face hardened.

"Don't look so reluctant, Kelly," he scoffed. "I bought all these things for you. Since we're getting a divorce, it's only right that I take them back. If it weren't for me, a small-town nobody like you would never get to experience this kind of luxury!"

He sounded exactly like a kindergartener throwing a tantrum to look tough.

I just shrugged, not caring at all.

"Take whatever you want."

You won't be able to keep the rest anyway.

The appraisers thought they had scored a massive haul.

They spent ages sorting through my closet, only to end up looking incredibly awkward.

"Mr. Ashford... most of Mrs. Ashford's bags are very old models. They aren't worth much." The lead appraiser cleared his throat.

"And these here... they're replica designer bags. We can't accept fakes."

Gideon froze.

He shot me a complicated, utterly stunned look.

It was true. He hadn't bought me a real gift in years.

At first, he was just "too busy." Later, he simply stopped caring.

As for the replicas, I bought them just to keep up appearances.

We had built this company from nothing.

We knew what it was like to be dead broke. Even after we got rich, I was terrified of wasting money.

I thought a few good fakes would be enough to look the part when I attended business dinners with him.

But after he met Talia, he stopped taking me out entirely.

Those bags ended up just like me. Forgotten in a dark corner, fading and gathering dust.

I let out a quiet sigh.

Our marriage had started falling apart so long ago.

I was just too blinded by love and trust to see what they were doing behind my back.

Maybe trying to save face in front of the strangers, Gideon suddenly spoke up.

"Look, I might have neglected you a bit these past few years, but I still bought you plenty of things. Even if I missed an anniversary, I always had my assistant send over a gift. Did you hide them?"

I rolled my eyes and pointed at a small cardboard box nearby.

"They're all right there."

They were nothing but cheap boutique freebies and low-tier VIP gifts. The whole lot combined wasn't even worth $7,000.

Just then, one of the sharp-eyed appraisers noticed the diamond ring on Talia's finger.

"Miss Vale, is that the vintage piece from the Belgian auction? The clarity and size are phenomenal. If you're willing to part with it, we can wire you $700,000 right now!"

Before Talia could even open her mouth, Gideon stepped protectively in front of her.

"That is my gift to Talia! It's not for sale!" he snapped. "I don't care how broke I get. I would never sell the jewelry of the woman I love for cash!"

Selling that ring would instantly solve his cash flow crisis.

But he couldn't bear to do it.

He couldn't bear to make Talia even the slightest bit unhappy.

He refused to let his beloved suffer.

Years ago, he used to cherish me like that.

When we were at our lowest, he swore he'd rather sell his own blood than pawn his grandmother's vintage sapphire bracelet that he gave me.

But now... we had both changed.

The appraisers eventually left with a pile of worthless trinkets.

Gideon was still busy comforting Talia. "Baby, don't worry, I'll get the money. I've survived worse than this. What's a few million in debt? I will never let you suffer with me."

Talia threw herself into his arms, looking deeply moved.

They were so wrapped up in each other.

They had no idea that the glowing Wealth stat floating above Gideon's head was about to drop below 10%.

We were still legally married.

If his company went into bankruptcy liquidation, his massive debts would drag me down with him.

I had worked myself to the bone for years; I wasn't about to pay off his debts after a divorce.

I interrupted their little romance and pulled out the divorce settlement papers he had prepared earlier.

"I signed it. I'll move out of this house today. From now on, we have absolutely nothing to do with each other."

Gideon didn't take them immediately.

He looked at me, caught off guard.

He had been so desperate to kick me out before.

But now that I was actually leaving, he almost looked hesitant.

Yet, no matter what he felt inside, he would never show a hint of softness in front of Talia.

With a cold sneer, Gideon snatched the papers from my hand.

"You clung to me like a leech before, and now that the company is in trouble, you can't wait to run. Is money the only thing you care about, Kelly?"

He scoffed. "I was blind to ever marry a stupid woman like you."

He wrapped his arm tightly around Talia's waist. "My baby is the only one who truly gets me. Once we weather this storm, I'll take you on a vacation to Europe. How does that sound?"

Talia nodded shyly.

Hand in hand, they walked out the door.

I packed my few remaining belongings and checked into a nearby hotel.

I had barely unpacked when my door burst open.

It was Gideon.

Before I could even react, he marched up and slapped me hard across the face.

"You manipulative bitch!" he roared. "You pretend to play nice and sign the papers, but you're secretly hiring people to harass Talia? How can you be so toxic? She's only twenty! You almost ruined her life!"

I stood there, head spinning and utterly confused.

Gideon wouldn't listen to a word I said.

He grabbed my arm, violently dragging me toward the door to make me apologize to Talia.

In the struggle, he shoved me, and my stomach slammed hard against the edge of the heavy desk.

I had just undergone surgery to recover from the miscarriage.

Instantly, the color drained from my face as a blinding agony ripped through my abdomen.

But Gideon just thought I was faking it. His grip on my arm didn't loosen one bit.

Through the hazy, agonizing pain, a blinding crimson warning flashed across my vision.

The System interface flickered erratically before my eyes, the timer ticking down its final seconds.

[Bond Severance Progress: 99%... 100%]

[Countdown to Complete Erasure: 00:00:00]

The stats hovering above Gideon's head plummeted in free fall.

10%... 5%... 1%...

Just a second before I blacked out, Gideon’s Wealth, Luck, and Charm hit absolute zero.

Completely wiped out.

And then, the cold, mechanical voice of the System echoed in my mind for the very last time.