Tycoon's Wife Is Dead

The day Victoria Spencer received her terminal cancer diagnosis, she saw Aiden Smith at the hospital—the same Aiden who was supposed to be in a meeting.

He wore a black cashmere coat, his arm protectively wrapped around Hannah Brown as they moved slowly through the lobby, his gaze tender as he leaned down to whisper something in her ear.

"Aiden, is our baby okay?" Hannah's smile radiated pure happiness.

He smiled back. "Everything's fine."

That familiar voice hit Victoria like a sledgehammer to the chest. She stood frozen in the corner, staring blankly at the scene before her, the medical report in her hand crumpling unconsciously between her fingers.

She should have rushed forward, screamed, demanded answers, and made a scene that everyone would remember.

But Victoria didn't move. Because she knew that in any conflict with Hannah, she had never once come out on top.

Hannah was Aiden's untouchable boundary. As long as Hannah needed him, he would drop everything.

Even when Victoria had a dangerously high fever requiring emergency care, or when she'd been in a car accident with her life hanging in the balance.

Hannah was the one Aiden cherished and protected. Whenever Victoria and Hannah clashed, he would always defend Hannah first.

"Victoria, can you just stop making a scene?"

"Hannah's wonderful, don't talk about her like that!"

"Victoria, I never realized how vicious you could be. What has she ever done to you to deserve this treatment?"

A sharp pain twisted through her stomach. Victoria rushed into the restroom and threw up her dinner, blood streaking through it.

She lifted her head to look at herself in the mirror—lips drained of color, face lifeless.

In that moment, she truly felt exhausted.

Memories flashed through her mind, and she realized she'd wasted her entire life on Aiden.

When they first got together, she'd stood by him as he built his career from nothing. After his company succeeded, she'd found herself trapped in this twisted triangle.

She was always guessing what his relationship with Hannah really was, always wondering who he loved more.

Only now, as her life approached its end, did she finally understand that she had never truly lived for herself. Her fingertips began to tremble as tears rolled down her cheeks and splashed onto the counter.

Rather than clinging to this relationship until the very end, she'd rather let him go—set him free, and free herself.

When she returned home, the housekeeper greeted her. "Mrs. Smith, the new frame is ready. Should I hang it back up?"

Victoria looked at the wedding photo—in it, Aiden gazed at her with tender eyes and a gentle smile.

He had once held her hand and said, "Victoria, I'll love you forever."

That frozen moment of sweetness had hung on that wall for years.

A few days ago, Hannah had accidentally knocked it down.

Victoria still remembered how frantically Aiden had held Hannah, checking her for injuries, while facing Victoria's anger with nothing but impatience. "It's just a photo. If it's broken, it's broken."

"What's the big deal?"

How ironic.

That wedding vow—"to love only one person for life"—turned out she was the only one who'd taken it seriously.

In this relationship, from beginning to end, she'd been the only one holding on.

Victoria let out a bitter laugh. "No need."

She pulled her gaze away and walked straight into the bedroom.

She began packing her things, only to discover that in this massive house, everything that belonged to her barely filled one small suitcase.

Her eyes fell on Aiden's wedding ring sitting on the nightstand—the one they'd spent three sleepless nights designing together.

After the wedding, Aiden had rarely worn it, claiming the ring was too valuable and he was afraid of losing it.

Looking back now, all the signs had been there from the start.

She'd just been too foolish to notice.

Whatever. She was leaving anyway.

Victoria slipped her own wedding ring off her finger, staring at the deep indentation it left behind on her ring finger, feeling something hollow out inside her chest.

The sound of the front door closing echoed from downstairs, followed by Hannah's voice, "Aiden, thank you for today."

"It's nothing." Aiden's voice carried a smile.

Victoria gently pushed open her door and stood at the second-floor railing, coldly watching the two people in the living room below.

Aiden was crouching down, helping Hannah change her shoes. He seemed to sense Victoria's gaze and looked up, their eyes meeting directly.

He appeared completely composed, without a trace of panic.

She didn't know why, but even though she'd already decided to leave, seeing him again made her heart ache so badly she couldn't breathe.

Victoria said nothing, silently lowering her head and turning to continue packing.

"Victoria, Hannah hasn't been feeling well lately. She'll be staying here for a while."Aiden's tone was matter-of-fact.

Victoria's footsteps froze in place, her nails slowly digging into her palms. He always managed to consider everyone's feelings.

Everyone except hers.

The emotions churning in her chest nearly exploded. She wanted to confront him.

'Ask him why he'd lied to her.'

'Ask him if the baby in Hannah's belly was his.'

Hannah nestled into Aiden's embrace, smiling up at Victoria. "Victoria, you don't mind, do you?"

Hearing that saccharine tone, Victoria swallowed back every word for the first time. She turned around and, across the distance of the staircase, looked at Aiden and spoke calmly.

"Aiden."

"Let's get divorced."

At those words, Aiden froze for a moment, looking up at her. "Victoria, what are you making a fuss about now?"

He still had that condescending attitude, as if she were the unreasonable, immature villain in this story.

Looking at this man she'd loved through her entire youth, Victoria now found him utterly unrecognizable.

Every second she spent with him made her realize just how ridiculously foolish she'd been.

Her feelings for him were equally ridiculous.

She said nothing more, turned back into the bedroom, and continued packing.

Through the door, she could hear Hannah's voice. "Aiden, Victoria's definitely upset."

"You should go talk to her. Women, you know—sometimes when they say things like that, they just want your attention."

Hannah was always like this, playing the gentle, considerate woman in front of Aiden, making Victoria look petty and narrow-minded by comparison.

Victoria smiled bitterly to herself as she bent down to snap the suitcase shut. As she prepared to leave, she ran straight into Aiden.

He stood in the doorway, having removed his coat, wearing only his dress shirt and slacks, his frame tall and imposing. His tie hung loose, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, revealing his defined collarbone. The overhead light cast shadows that made his features look even more chiseled and intense.

Seeing the suitcase in Victoria's hand, he frowned, his voice tinged with irritation.

"Are you serious about this divorce?"

"Victoria, don't forget—your mother's still in the hospital. If we divorce, can you even afford her medical bills?"

Victoria's hand on the suitcase handle trembled uncontrollably.

So that's what he thought of her.

Because she couldn't afford her mother's medical expenses, because she had to depend on him, he could hurt her however he wanted.

He never had to consider her feelings.

In that moment, Victoria felt something inside her shatter completely.

"That's none of your concern." Victoria fought to keep her voice from shaking. "I left the divorce papers on the nightstand. I don't want anything."

"I just want a divorce."

"Right now. Immediately."