Chapter 1 The Divorce Agreement

Julius Stahl had an affair. Jemima Willis stood outside the CEO's office. Her body gave off a chill, as though it was encased in a layer of ice. Her black high heels seemed to meld into the black marble floor beneath her. After a while, she finally raised her hand to knock on the door. “Come in.” A deep male voice echoed from within. Jemima subtly tightened her grip on the documents in her hand while using her other hand to open the door. The moment she stepped through the door, she wore a light smile and headed straight to the man's side. “Busy? There are a few documents here that urgently need your signature.” Despite asking if he was busy, she had already placed the documents before him. She had even flipped it to the page where his signature was required. Julius had been on a business trip to Serathia and only returned this morning. As soon as he returned, he headed straight to the office to handle his work. His desk was already cluttered with numerous documents, and his usually sharp and distinguished face was tinged with fatigue. He signed all the documents handed to him without even glancing at them. “Welcome back. You must be tired.” Jemima gathered up all the signed documents, then asked in a symbolic gesture, “Will you be home for dinner tonight?” “I have plans tonight. Don't wait up,” Julius replied, not even bothering to look up. “All right, I'll head out first then.” Jemima, clutching the documents, promptly walked away. When she turned around, her smile had already transformed into a mocking expression. As she passed by the attached lounge within the office, she heard a faint noise emanating from inside, reminiscent of the sound of a small pet jumping off a bed. She cast a quick glance toward the couch, where several bags of snacks were strewn haphazardly on the coffee table, along with a half-drunk milkshake. On the floor, there was a toppled nude-pink high heel. In an instant, she grasped the situation, and a chill of desolation washed over her heart. Jemima returned to her own office. The journey back had drained all her energy. As she sat down, she let out a long, weary sigh. She pulled out one document from the stack—a divorce agreement. As she flipped to the final page of the agreement, her expression grew scornful as she gazed at his signature. Memories flooded her mind—the sincere devotion in his voice when he promised to marry her years ago, the derisive laugh of her mother-in-law, Amanda Earlston, warning her not to be too pleased, the haughty certainty in the assertion that no man could ever love only one woman in his lifetime, and her own retort that they were different. But in truth, there was no difference at all. Julius had an affair with a young girl, believing he had hidden it well as he guiltlessly indulged in the thrill of the illicit relationship. He even took her along on his business trip to Serathia and brought her to the company upon their return. Pulling back her fingers, she snapped a picture of the signed divorce agreement and texted Amanda: He's signed it. A week ago, she had reached an agreement on the terms with Amanda. Amanda had demanded that she initiate the divorce and not to publicize their secret marriage. In return, she had asked for a billion as compensation. A month later, she would completely banish Julius from her life. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Jemima neatly placed the divorce agreement aside. “Come in.” The door opened, and in came Julius' assistant, Ronan Haddaway. “Ms. Willis, this is from Mr. Stahl.” Ronan placed a dark green velvet box in front of her. Jemima nonchalantly opened the box to reveal an expensive set of diamond jewelry. The first image that flashed across her mind was that of a short-haired girl, her gaze hazy and lost. She was clad in a bathrobe, casually holding a diamond necklace. The room was dimly lit, the bed in disarray, and the kiss marks on her chest were particularly eye-catching. A wave of nausea began to churn in Jemima's stomach. “Thank you, Mr. Haddaway.” She lifted her gaze, her eyes sharp as a knife. Ronan felt unnerved under her intense gaze, so he added, “This was carefully selected by Mr. Stahl himself. It's the only set of its kind in the world.” Regrettably, his heart was not only hers. She no longer desired it. “Oh, really?” Jemima's face lit up with a subtle smile. “It's actually quite touching that he took time out of his busy schedule to buy me a gift.” The way Ms. Willis spoke was rather peculiar... Does she know about Mr. Stahl and Ms. Goodwin... Ronan broke out in a cold sweat and quickly stepped out of the office. Jemima looked disdainfully at the jewelry on the table, as if it were something unclean. She took out her phone and snapped a picture, then sent it to the owner of a second-hand luxury store: Sell this set of jewelry for me, and donate the proceeds to the foundation for intellectually disabled children. The owner of the second-hand luxury store was dumbfounded. ... It was five in the afternoon. Jemima reached her car in the parking lot and was about to get in when her gaze swept across the street. She noticed a car diagonally opposite hers, its engine already running. Through the car window, she caught sight of Julius in the backseat, and sitting closely next to him was a short-haired girl. With her charming, round face and youthful energy radiating from her, she was undeniably adorable. “Mr. Stahl!” Startled, Ronan let out a cry and slammed on the brakes. Their gazes met, separated only by the barrier of air and glass, as Jemima's eyes locked with Julius'.