Meredith sacrificed everything for Nicholas, serving three years in prison to cover for his crimes. But the gates of freedom open to a nightmare: her husband is caught in a scandalous affair with her best friend just steps from the prison walls. Instead of breaking, Meredith turns cold. She methodically reclaims her fortune, signs the divorce papers, and walks away from her old life without a single tear. As she reinvented herself, a panicked and obsessed Nicholas tried to drag her back, mocking her status as an ex-convict and claiming no one in Antonio Bay would ever want a woman with her past. He couldn't have been more wrong. Meredith soon catches the eye of Andre, the city’s most powerful and feared billionaire. As Andre's lips brushing Meredith’s cheek with a devastating tenderness, the message was blood-chillingly clear: the man who owned the city’s skyline now belonged to its most hated woman, and he would burn anyone who dared to look down on her.

Chapter 1Meredith Dawson changes back into the clothes she wore on the day she went to prison and walks out the iron gates.A few hundred feet away, beneath a massive oak tree, her husband Nicholas Heiss's car sits parked.But right now, the luxury car they bought together, with a license plate matching her birthday, is rocking violently.A suffocating wave of despair crashes over Meredith, the pain so sharp she sharply inhales.Through the half-open window in the back seat, a woman's slender leg slips into view.As the car's rhythm picks up, a stiletto heel drops to the ground.The secretary standing guard outside scrambles to pick it up.As he bends down, he spots Meredith standing rigidly in the bitter wind. Panic flushes his face as he frantically raps on the door. "Mr. Heiss! Your wife is here!"From start to finish, Meredith merely watches the scene with a hollow, lifeless gaze.The luxury vehicle slowly falls still. The door opens, and Nicholas steps out, looking striking and impeccably dressed in his tailored suit.He acts as if nothing happened, but his crooked tie and the lingering flush on his cheeks betray exactly how heated things just were inside.Three years have passed, and this man hasn't changed a bit. If anything, he looks even more radiant and energetic than before she went to prison.Clearly, he has been keeping himself well-entertained."Meredith..." Nicholas stares at her, the heat of his skin instantly breaking into a cold sweat.A second later, a flushed woman wearing an oversized men's blazer steps out and naturally loops her arm through his.Meredith's pupils dilate. Her already shattered heart completely breaks into pieces, a sickening tremor ripping through her chest.This is Lydia Moss. Her best friend. Well, former best friend.Back then, Meredith had to endure endless interrogations in custody and the beatings and humiliation in prison, but all that suffering combined doesn't even come close to the sheer indignity of this very moment."Don't be so nervous, Nicholas. You forgot she can't see anymore," Lydia says, shooting Meredith a mocking glance before rising on her toes to press a kiss to the man's tense jawline.Hearing this, Nicholas's expression softens slightly, clearly relieved. But with his wife standing right there, he still pries Lydia's hand away.Displeasure instantly paints Lydia's face.But she is right. During her second year in prison, Meredith went blind.The daughter she gave birth to while serving her sentence, Lily, was diagnosed with a severe heart condition, and the massive blow and severe depression triggered psychosomatic blindness.Perhaps it was a stroke of divine grace, but just three days before her release, her vision returned.Of course, this cheating pair has no idea.Meredith recalls that after she lost her sight, Nicholas visited less frequently, though he still managed to show up once a month.Sometimes, Lydia would tag along.No doubt, during every single visit, they were flirting and rubbing against each other right in front of her sightless eyes.She had imagined countless possibilities.But she never expected the woman sleeping with her husband would be her.Good. Just perfect.Meredith lets out a silent, bitter sneer. She clenches her fists, the sharp sting keeping her tethered to reality.On the day of her release, she catches her husband cheating with her best friend.And she even gets to witness their little parking-lot hookup.She feels like she's gone blind all over again."Meredith!" Nicholas calls out with practiced affection, taking long strides toward his wife.Meredith stares straight ahead, letting her eyes glaze over into a dull, unseeing stare."I've waited so long for this day! Meredith... you're finally free!"Nicholas throws his arms around her, hugging her so tightly it's as if he wants to crush her frail frame against his chest. "We're... finally together again!""Yes, finally free." Meredith catches the heavy scent of Lydia's rose perfume clinging to his collar.Intense nausea churns in her stomach, but she violently forces it down.Lydia masks her jealousy and puts on a tearful act."Meredith, we've been counting the days since you went away. For the entire week before your release, Nicholas was so excited he couldn't even sleep at night!""Is that so."Meredith slowly turns her head in his direction, her gaze intentionally missing the mark. "My husband couldn't sleep. Tell me, Lydia, how exactly do you know that so well?"Lydia's expression freezes.She stares hard at Meredith's dark eyes, suddenly questioning if the woman is truly blind.Nicholas chokes on his words, shooting Lydia a blaming glare."Why is everyone so quiet? Did I make things awkward?"Meredith's clear eyes pool with innocence as she lowers her lashes. "I'm sorry. I've been locked up for so long, and I hardly spoke to anyone. I don't really know how to make conversation anymore. Please don't mind me. Nicholas, Lydia is my best friend. It's only right that she cares about you. These past three years, she has been taking care of you for me.""Don't say that, Meredith."Nicholas wraps an arm around her pitifully thin waist and pulls her close. "You're the only one in my heart. No one could ever replace you!"Jealousy burns through Lydia, but she manages to agree with a smile. "Exactly, Meredith. Nicholas loves you so much. He even hired the best ophthalmologists in the country, swearing he'd drain his entire bank account just to restore your sight. That kind of devotion is rare."Immediately after, she orders Nicholas's secretary around, acting already like the true lady of the Heiss family."Izaac, bring over the item I prepared for Meredith."Izaac hurries back to the car and returns holding a slice of plain white cake."Meredith, my family told me about this old tradition. Someone just out of prison is supposed to eat a white pastry to wash away all the bad luck."Lydia holds the plate herself, and just in case she can't see it, she grabs Meredith's hand and forces her fingers against the box. "Once you eat this, you'll have a completely clean slate."A clean slate?Bloodshot intensity flickers in Meredith's eyes. The corners of her pale lips twitch into a smile, looking like a wound brutally torn open.Nicholas urges her gently, "Just take a bite. Prison isn't a good place, after all. Plus, it's a sweet gesture from Lydia."Before he can finish, a sharp smack echoes.With a deadpan expression, Meredith swings her hand, slapping the pastry to the ground where it splatters into a messy pile.Lydia feigns panic and instinctively looks to Nicholas for help.Nicholas furrows his handsome brows. "What are you doing?""Do you think I'm tainted with bad luck? Because I don't. In fact, I feel incredibly refreshed. Three years of hardship, and I feel reborn."Meredith continues staring blankly ahead, emphasizing every word. "Besides, whether my slate is clean or not... others might not know, but don't you know the truth, Nicholas?"Nicholas's spine goes rigid, the color instantly draining from his face.Meredith chuckles in self-mockery. Every drop of blood in her veins runs cold, leaving her gaunt face pale.She laughs at her own foolishness. She had followed this man since she was sixteen, sacrificing everything for him, even enduring three brutal years in prison on his behalf. Her pride was broken inch by inch, ground into the dirt.And in the end, her grand reward is watching him sleep with another woman right in front of her.All her love and sacrifice has turned into a sick, twisted joke.In this moment, Meredith has only one overwhelming desire.To divorce Nicholas Heiss.But first, she needs to see her daughter, Lily. She will plan her next move once they are reunited.So, Meredith takes a deep breath and asks with urgency,"Nicholas, where is Lily? Take me to her right now. I miss her so much."Nicholas immediately freezes, a hard swallow bobbing in his throat. "Okay. I'll take you to see her."...Over an hour later, at Eastwood Memorial Park.Meredith stands in the snow-covered grounds. The surroundings are eerily quiet, save for the sound of her heavy, suffocating breaths.In front of her is a tiny headstone, nearly buried in white snow. The engraving reads: In Loving Memory of Lily Heiss."Where's Lily?"She already sees the answer, yet she is forced to keep playing the blind fool. Her fractured, trembling voice is swallowed by the wind, fading into the freezing air."Our daughter... is sleeping here."Nicholas hangs his head, looking utterly devastated. "Not long after Lily was transferred from the prison to the emergency room, she... went into cardiac arrest. She's gone."Cardiac arrest? Dead?Her little Lily, born with those rosy cheeks, crying so loudly, smiling so beautifully... How could she just be dead?!Meredith's frail body sways, the blood in her veins turning colder than the snow on the gravestone.She doesn't even have a single photograph of her baby.And now, she has lost her forever."Meredith, please don't do this. You're scaring me!"Nicholas grabs her shaking shoulders. Staring into her lifeless eyes, he breathes out frantic clouds of white mist. "Just cry if you want! Curse at me, hit me... Take it all out on me! Just don't bottle it up like this, okay?""Nicholas, you swore to me. You swore would protect Lily with your life."Meredith's voice is gravelly, her hollow eyes swimming with hatred and despair. "Now Lily is gone. What do you expect me to do? Take your life as payment for my daughter's?"Nicholas stiffens, averting his gaze.It is sheer fear.After all, the woman standing in front of him is no longer the gentle, obedient wife who followed and idolized him.Now, she's an ex-convict with a criminal record.Oppressed and tortured for three years, her temperament has drastically changed. It isn't entirely impossible for her to snap and do something extreme.Nicholas thinks she cannot see.Little does he know, she is taking in every ounce of his hypocrisy and cowardice.It's downright ridiculous.She failed to see him clearly for seven whole years; now that she is blind, she sees right through him."Meredith, we understand the pain of losing a child, but you shouldn't put all the blame on Nicholas."Lydia quickly steps up to defend him. "Lily had a weak heart from the start. By the time they brought her back from the prison, her treatment was already delayed. She was so young, and resuscitation is always risky. You have to believe him, he really tried his best to save her... Ah!"Before she can finish, a crisp slap echoes through the silent cemetery.Meredith raises her slender arm and slaps Lydia hard across the face.Nicholas is dumbfounded, entirely forgetting to react."Meredith! Why did you hit me?!" Lydia covers her stinging cheek, flushing with indignant rage.As the daughter of Antonio Bay's mayor, she is used to a life of luxury and privilege. She has never suffered this kind of humiliation, and she is practically foaming at the mouth with fury!"Oh, Lydia, did I hit you?"Meredith keeps her gaze dark and vacant. "I'm sorry. I can't see. You weren't the person I was aiming for."Lydia is fuming, but there's absolutely nothing she can do about it.However, a seed of doubt takes root in her mind.Is this woman really blind? Could she be faking it?"Hit me, Meredith! Hit me hard! It's my fault I couldn't protect our daughter!" Nicholas grips her freezing hand and drags it toward his own face.Pale-faced, Meredith watches his pathetic performance in silence.A second later, she can no longer hold it in. She bends over and vomits all over his clothes.He’s disgusting to the core.But Nicholas assumes she is just overcome with grief and showers her with comfort.Freezing in the bitter cold, Lydia can't handle it anymore and makes an excuse to leave early.Nicholas is practically a block of ice himself, his hands and feet completely numb. But since Meredith insists on standing there keeping a dead body company, he has to stay, no matter how reluctant he is.It isn't until dusk falls and Nicholas pleads with her repeatedly that Meredith finally agrees to return to the Heiss family estate.From the moment she arrived at the cemetery until she left, she didn't shed a single tear...."Mrs. Heiss has returned!"A black Bentley pulls up to the gates of the Heiss estate. The butler Wallace and the housekeeper Marian come out to greet them, but aside from the staff, no one else is there.Chapter 2Meredith Dawson changes back into the clothes she wore on the day she went to prison and walks out the iron gates.A few hundred feet away, beneath a massive oak tree, her husband Nicholas Heiss's car sits parked.But right now, the luxury car they bought together, with a license plate matching her birthday, is rocking violently.A suffocating wave of despair crashes over Meredith, the pain so sharp she sharply inhales.Through the half-open window in the back seat, a woman's slender leg slips into view.As the car's rhythm picks up, a stiletto heel drops to the ground.The secretary standing guard outside scrambles to pick it up.As he bends down, he spots Meredith standing rigidly in the bitter wind. Panic flushes his face as he frantically raps on the door. "Mr. Heiss! Your wife is here!"From start to finish, Meredith merely watches the scene with a hollow, lifeless gaze.The luxury vehicle slowly falls still. The door opens, and Nicholas steps out, looking striking and impeccably dressed in his tailored suit.He acts as if nothing happened, but his crooked tie and the lingering flush on his cheeks betray exactly how heated things just were inside.Three years have passed, and this man hasn't changed a bit. If anything, he looks even more radiant and energetic than before she went to prison.Clearly, he has been keeping himself well-entertained."Meredith..." Nicholas stares at her, the heat of his skin instantly breaking into a cold sweat.A second later, a flushed woman wearing an oversized men's blazer steps out and naturally loops her arm through his.Meredith's pupils dilate. Her already shattered heart completely breaks into pieces, a sickening tremor ripping through her chest.This is Lydia Moss. Her best friend. Well, former best friend.Back then, Meredith had to endure endless interrogations in custody and the beatings and humiliation in prison, but all that suffering combined doesn't even come close to the sheer indignity of this very moment."Don't be so nervous, Nicholas. You forgot she can't see anymore," Lydia says, shooting Meredith a mocking glance before rising on her toes to press a kiss to the man's tense jawline.Hearing this, Nicholas's expression softens slightly, clearly relieved. But with his wife standing right there, he still pries Lydia's hand away.Displeasure instantly paints Lydia's face.But she is right. During her second year in prison, Meredith went blind.The daughter she gave birth to while serving her sentence, Lily, was diagnosed with a severe heart condition, and the massive blow and severe depression triggered psychosomatic blindness.Perhaps it was a stroke of divine grace, but just three days before her release, her vision returned.Of course, this cheating pair has no idea.Meredith recalls that after she lost her sight, Nicholas visited less frequently, though he still managed to show up once a month.Sometimes, Lydia would tag along.No doubt, during every single visit, they were flirting and rubbing against each other right in front of her sightless eyes.She had imagined countless possibilities.But she never expected the woman sleeping with her husband would be her.Good. Just perfect.Meredith lets out a silent, bitter sneer. She clenches her fists, the sharp sting keeping her tethered to reality.On the day of her release, she catches her husband cheating with her best friend.And she even gets to witness their little parking-lot hookup.She feels like she's gone blind all over again."Meredith!" Nicholas calls out with practiced affection, taking long strides toward his wife.Meredith stares straight ahead, letting her eyes glaze over into a dull, unseeing stare."I've waited so long for this day! Meredith... you're finally free!"Nicholas throws his arms around her, hugging her so tightly it's as if he wants to crush her frail frame against his chest. "We're... finally together again!""Yes, finally free." Meredith catches the heavy scent of Lydia's rose perfume clinging to his collar.Intense nausea churns in her stomach, but she violently forces it down.Lydia masks her jealousy and puts on a tearful act."Meredith, we've been counting the days since you went away. For the entire week before your release, Nicholas was so excited he couldn't even sleep at night!""Is that so."Meredith slowly turns her head in his direction, her gaze intentionally missing the mark. "My husband couldn't sleep. Tell me, Lydia, how exactly do you know that so well?"Lydia's expression freezes.She stares hard at Meredith's dark eyes, suddenly questioning if the woman is truly blind.Nicholas chokes on his words, shooting Lydia a blaming glare."Why is everyone so quiet? Did I make things awkward?"Meredith's clear eyes pool with innocence as she lowers her lashes. "I'm sorry. I've been locked up for so long, and I hardly spoke to anyone. I don't really know how to make conversation anymore. Please don't mind me. Nicholas, Lydia is my best friend. It's only right that she cares about you. These past three years, she has been taking care of you for me.""Don't say that, Meredith."Nicholas wraps an arm around her pitifully thin waist and pulls her close. "You're the only one in my heart. No one could ever replace you!"Jealousy burns through Lydia, but she manages to agree with a smile. "Exactly, Meredith. Nicholas loves you so much. He even hired the best ophthalmologists in the country, swearing he'd drain his entire bank account just to restore your sight. That kind of devotion is rare."Immediately after, she orders Nicholas's secretary around, acting already like the true lady of the Heiss family."Izaac, bring over the item I prepared for Meredith."Izaac hurries back to the car and returns holding a slice of plain white cake."Meredith, my family told me about this old tradition. Someone just out of prison is supposed to eat a white pastry to wash away all the bad luck."Lydia holds the plate herself, and just in case she can't see it, she grabs Meredith's hand and forces her fingers against the box. "Once you eat this, you'll have a completely clean slate."A clean slate?Bloodshot intensity flickers in Meredith's eyes. The corners of her pale lips twitch into a smile, looking like a wound brutally torn open.Nicholas urges her gently, "Just take a bite. Prison isn't a good place, after all. Plus, it's a sweet gesture from Lydia."Before he can finish, a sharp smack echoes.With a deadpan expression, Meredith swings her hand, slapping the pastry to the ground where it splatters into a messy pile.Lydia feigns panic and instinctively looks to Nicholas for help.Nicholas furrows his handsome brows. "What are you doing?""Do you think I'm tainted with bad luck? Because I don't. In fact, I feel incredibly refreshed. Three years of hardship, and I feel reborn."Meredith continues staring blankly ahead, emphasizing every word. "Besides, whether my slate is clean or not... others might not know, but don't you know the truth, Nicholas?"Nicholas's spine goes rigid, the color instantly draining from his face.Meredith chuckles in self-mockery. Every drop of blood in her veins runs cold, leaving her gaunt face pale.She laughs at her own foolishness. She had followed this man since she was sixteen, sacrificing everything for him, even enduring three brutal years in prison on his behalf. Her pride was broken inch by inch, ground into the dirt.And in the end, her grand reward is watching him sleep with another woman right in front of her.All her love and sacrifice has turned into a sick, twisted joke.In this moment, Meredith has only one overwhelming desire.To divorce Nicholas Heiss.But first, she needs to see her daughter, Lily. She will plan her next move once they are reunited.So, Meredith takes a deep breath and asks with urgency,"Nicholas, where is Lily? Take me to her right now. I miss her so much."Nicholas immediately freezes, a hard swallow bobbing in his throat. "Okay. I'll take you to see her."...Over an hour later, at Eastwood Memorial Park.Meredith stands in the snow-covered grounds. The surroundings are eerily quiet, save for the sound of her heavy, suffocating breaths.In front of her is a tiny headstone, nearly buried in white snow. The engraving reads: In Loving Memory of Lily Heiss."Where's Lily?"She already sees the answer, yet she is forced to keep playing the blind fool. Her fractured, trembling voice is swallowed by the wind, fading into the freezing air."Our daughter... is sleeping here."Nicholas hangs his head, looking utterly devastated. "Not long after Lily was transferred from the prison to the emergency room, she... went into cardiac arrest. She's gone."Cardiac arrest? Dead?Her little Lily, born with those rosy cheeks, crying so loudly, smiling so beautifully... How could she just be dead?!Meredith's frail body sways, the blood in her veins turning colder than the snow on the gravestone.She doesn't even have a single photograph of her baby.And now, she has lost her forever."Meredith, please don't do this. You're scaring me!"Nicholas grabs her shaking shoulders. Staring into her lifeless eyes, he breathes out frantic clouds of white mist. "Just cry if you want! Curse at me, hit me... Take it all out on me! Just don't bottle it up like this, okay?""Nicholas, you swore to me. You swore would protect Lily with your life."Meredith's voice is gravelly, her hollow eyes swimming with hatred and despair. "Now Lily is gone. What do you expect me to do? Take your life as payment for my daughter's?"Nicholas stiffens, averting his gaze.It is sheer fear.After all, the woman standing in front of him is no longer the gentle, obedient wife who followed and idolized him.Now, she's an ex-convict with a criminal record.Oppressed and tortured for three years, her temperament has drastically changed. It isn't entirely impossible for her to snap and do something extreme.Nicholas thinks she cannot see.Little does he know, she is taking in every ounce of his hypocrisy and cowardice.It's downright ridiculous.She failed to see him clearly for seven whole years; now that she is blind, she sees right through him."Meredith, we understand the pain of losing a child, but you shouldn't put all the blame on Nicholas."Lydia quickly steps up to defend him. "Lily had a weak heart from the start. By the time they brought her back from the prison, her treatment was already delayed. She was so young, and resuscitation is always risky. You have to believe him, he really tried his best to save her... Ah!"Before she can finish, a crisp slap echoes through the silent cemetery.Meredith raises her slender arm and slaps Lydia hard across the face.Nicholas is dumbfounded, entirely forgetting to react."Meredith! Why did you hit me?!" Lydia covers her stinging cheek, flushing with indignant rage.As the daughter of Antonio Bay's mayor, she is used to a life of luxury and privilege. She has never suffered this kind of humiliation, and she is practically foaming at the mouth with fury!"Oh, Lydia, did I hit you?"Meredith keeps her gaze dark and vacant. "I'm sorry. I can't see. You weren't the person I was aiming for."Lydia is fuming, but there's absolutely nothing she can do about it.However, a seed of doubt takes root in her mind.Is this woman really blind? Could she be faking it?"Hit me, Meredith! Hit me hard! It's my fault I couldn't protect our daughter!" Nicholas grips her freezing hand and drags it toward his own face.Pale-faced, Meredith watches his pathetic performance in silence.A second later, she can no longer hold it in. She bends over and vomits all over his clothes.He’s disgusting to the core.But Nicholas assumes she is just overcome with grief and showers her with comfort.Freezing in the bitter cold, Lydia can't handle it anymore and makes an excuse to leave early.Nicholas is practically a block of ice himself, his hands and feet completely numb. But since Meredith insists on standing there keeping a dead body company, he has to stay, no matter how reluctant he is.It isn't until dusk falls and Nicholas pleads with her repeatedly that Meredith finally agrees to return to the Heiss family estate.From the moment she arrived at the cemetery until she left, she didn't shed a single tear...."Mrs. Heiss has returned!"A black Bentley pulls up to the gates of the Heiss estate. The butler Wallace and the housekeeper Marian come out to greet them, but aside from the staff, no one else is there.Chapter 3Meredith Dawson changes back into the clothes she wore on the day she went to prison and walks out the iron gates.A few hundred feet away, beneath a massive oak tree, her husband Nicholas Heiss's car sits parked.But right now, the luxury car they bought together, with a license plate matching her birthday, is rocking violently.A suffocating wave of despair crashes over Meredith, the pain so sharp she sharply inhales.Through the half-open window in the back seat, a woman's slender leg slips into view.As the car's rhythm picks up, a stiletto heel drops to the ground.The secretary standing guard outside scrambles to pick it up.As he bends down, he spots Meredith standing rigidly in the bitter wind. Panic flushes his face as he frantically raps on the door. "Mr. Heiss! Your wife is here!"From start to finish, Meredith merely watches the scene with a hollow, lifeless gaze.The luxury vehicle slowly falls still. The door opens, and Nicholas steps out, looking striking and impeccably dressed in his tailored suit.He acts as if nothing happened, but his crooked tie and the lingering flush on his cheeks betray exactly how heated things just were inside.Three years have passed, and this man hasn't changed a bit. If anything, he looks even more radiant and energetic than before she went to prison.Clearly, he has been keeping himself well-entertained."Meredith..." Nicholas stares at her, the heat of his skin instantly breaking into a cold sweat.A second later, a flushed woman wearing an oversized men's blazer steps out and naturally loops her arm through his.Meredith's pupils dilate. Her already shattered heart completely breaks into pieces, a sickening tremor ripping through her chest.This is Lydia Moss. Her best friend. Well, former best friend.Back then, Meredith had to endure endless interrogations in custody and the beatings and humiliation in prison, but all that suffering combined doesn't even come close to the sheer indignity of this very moment."Don't be so nervous, Nicholas. You forgot she can't see anymore," Lydia says, shooting Meredith a mocking glance before rising on her toes to press a kiss to the man's tense jawline.Hearing this, Nicholas's expression softens slightly, clearly relieved. But with his wife standing right there, he still pries Lydia's hand away.Displeasure instantly paints Lydia's face.But she is right. During her second year in prison, Meredith went blind.The daughter she gave birth to while serving her sentence, Lily, was diagnosed with a severe heart condition, and the massive blow and severe depression triggered psychosomatic blindness.Perhaps it was a stroke of divine grace, but just three days before her release, her vision returned.Of course, this cheating pair has no idea.Meredith recalls that after she lost her sight, Nicholas visited less frequently, though he still managed to show up once a month.Sometimes, Lydia would tag along.No doubt, during every single visit, they were flirting and rubbing against each other right in front of her sightless eyes.She had imagined countless possibilities.But she never expected the woman sleeping with her husband would be her.Good. Just perfect.Meredith lets out a silent, bitter sneer. She clenches her fists, the sharp sting keeping her tethered to reality.On the day of her release, she catches her husband cheating with her best friend.And she even gets to witness their little parking-lot hookup.She feels like she's gone blind all over again."Meredith!" Nicholas calls out with practiced affection, taking long strides toward his wife.Meredith stares straight ahead, letting her eyes glaze over into a dull, unseeing stare."I've waited so long for this day! Meredith... you're finally free!"Nicholas throws his arms around her, hugging her so tightly it's as if he wants to crush her frail frame against his chest. "We're... finally together again!""Yes, finally free." Meredith catches the heavy scent of Lydia's rose perfume clinging to his collar.Intense nausea churns in her stomach, but she violently forces it down.Lydia masks her jealousy and puts on a tearful act."Meredith, we've been counting the days since you went away. For the entire week before your release, Nicholas was so excited he couldn't even sleep at night!""Is that so."Meredith slowly turns her head in his direction, her gaze intentionally missing the mark. "My husband couldn't sleep. Tell me, Lydia, how exactly do you know that so well?"Lydia's expression freezes.She stares hard at Meredith's dark eyes, suddenly questioning if the woman is truly blind.Nicholas chokes on his words, shooting Lydia a blaming glare."Why is everyone so quiet? Did I make things awkward?"Meredith's clear eyes pool with innocence as she lowers her lashes. "I'm sorry. I've been locked up for so long, and I hardly spoke to anyone. I don't really know how to make conversation anymore. Please don't mind me. Nicholas, Lydia is my best friend. It's only right that she cares about you. These past three years, she has been taking care of you for me.""Don't say that, Meredith."Nicholas wraps an arm around her pitifully thin waist and pulls her close. "You're the only one in my heart. No one could ever replace you!"Jealousy burns through Lydia, but she manages to agree with a smile. "Exactly, Meredith. Nicholas loves you so much. He even hired the best ophthalmologists in the country, swearing he'd drain his entire bank account just to restore your sight. That kind of devotion is rare."Immediately after, she orders Nicholas's secretary around, acting already like the true lady of the Heiss family."Izaac, bring over the item I prepared for Meredith."Izaac hurries back to the car and returns holding a slice of plain white cake."Meredith, my family told me about this old tradition. Someone just out of prison is supposed to eat a white pastry to wash away all the bad luck."Lydia holds the plate herself, and just in case she can't see it, she grabs Meredith's hand and forces her fingers against the box. "Once you eat this, you'll have a completely clean slate."A clean slate?Bloodshot intensity flickers in Meredith's eyes. The corners of her pale lips twitch into a smile, looking like a wound brutally torn open.Nicholas urges her gently, "Just take a bite. Prison isn't a good place, after all. Plus, it's a sweet gesture from Lydia."Before he can finish, a sharp smack echoes.With a deadpan expression, Meredith swings her hand, slapping the pastry to the ground where it splatters into a messy pile.Lydia feigns panic and instinctively looks to Nicholas for help.Nicholas furrows his handsome brows. "What are you doing?""Do you think I'm tainted with bad luck? Because I don't. In fact, I feel incredibly refreshed. Three years of hardship, and I feel reborn."Meredith continues staring blankly ahead, emphasizing every word. "Besides, whether my slate is clean or not... others might not know, but don't you know the truth, Nicholas?"Nicholas's spine goes rigid, the color instantly draining from his face.Meredith chuckles in self-mockery. Every drop of blood in her veins runs cold, leaving her gaunt face pale.She laughs at her own foolishness. She had followed this man since she was sixteen, sacrificing everything for him, even enduring three brutal years in prison on his behalf. Her pride was broken inch by inch, ground into the dirt.And in the end, her grand reward is watching him sleep with another woman right in front of her.All her love and sacrifice has turned into a sick, twisted joke.In this moment, Meredith has only one overwhelming desire.To divorce Nicholas Heiss.But first, she needs to see her daughter, Lily. She will plan her next move once they are reunited.So, Meredith takes a deep breath and asks with urgency,"Nicholas, where is Lily? Take me to her right now. I miss her so much."Nicholas immediately freezes, a hard swallow bobbing in his throat. "Okay. I'll take you to see her."...Over an hour later, at Eastwood Memorial Park.Meredith stands in the snow-covered grounds. The surroundings are eerily quiet, save for the sound of her heavy, suffocating breaths.In front of her is a tiny headstone, nearly buried in white snow. The engraving reads: In Loving Memory of Lily Heiss."Where's Lily?"She already sees the answer, yet she is forced to keep playing the blind fool. Her fractured, trembling voice is swallowed by the wind, fading into the freezing air."Our daughter... is sleeping here."Nicholas hangs his head, looking utterly devastated. "Not long after Lily was transferred from the prison to the emergency room, she... went into cardiac arrest. She's gone."Cardiac arrest? Dead?Her little Lily, born with those rosy cheeks, crying so loudly, smiling so beautifully... How could she just be dead?!Meredith's frail body sways, the blood in her veins turning colder than the snow on the gravestone.She doesn't even have a single photograph of her baby.And now, she has lost her forever."Meredith, please don't do this. You're scaring me!"Nicholas grabs her shaking shoulders. Staring into her lifeless eyes, he breathes out frantic clouds of white mist. "Just cry if you want! Curse at me, hit me... Take it all out on me! Just don't bottle it up like this, okay?""Nicholas, you swore to me. You swore would protect Lily with your life."Meredith's voice is gravelly, her hollow eyes swimming with hatred and despair. "Now Lily is gone. What do you expect me to do? Take your life as payment for my daughter's?"Nicholas stiffens, averting his gaze.It is sheer fear.After all, the woman standing in front of him is no longer the gentle, obedient wife who followed and idolized him.Now, she's an ex-convict with a criminal record.Oppressed and tortured for three years, her temperament has drastically changed. It isn't entirely impossible for her to snap and do something extreme.Nicholas thinks she cannot see.Little does he know, she is taking in every ounce of his hypocrisy and cowardice.It's downright ridiculous.She failed to see him clearly for seven whole years; now that she is blind, she sees right through him."Meredith, we understand the pain of losing a child, but you shouldn't put all the blame on Nicholas."Lydia quickly steps up to defend him. "Lily had a weak heart from the start. By the time they brought her back from the prison, her treatment was already delayed. She was so young, and resuscitation is always risky. You have to believe him, he really tried his best to save her... Ah!"Before she can finish, a crisp slap echoes through the silent cemetery.Meredith raises her slender arm and slaps Lydia hard across the face.Nicholas is dumbfounded, entirely forgetting to react."Meredith! Why did you hit me?!" Lydia covers her stinging cheek, flushing with indignant rage.As the daughter of Antonio Bay's mayor, she is used to a life of luxury and privilege. She has never suffered this kind of humiliation, and she is practically foaming at the mouth with fury!"Oh, Lydia, did I hit you?"Meredith keeps her gaze dark and vacant. "I'm sorry. I can't see. You weren't the person I was aiming for."Lydia is fuming, but there's absolutely nothing she can do about it.However, a seed of doubt takes root in her mind.Is this woman really blind? Could she be faking it?"Hit me, Meredith! Hit me hard! It's my fault I couldn't protect our daughter!" Nicholas grips her freezing hand and drags it toward his own face.Pale-faced, Meredith watches his pathetic performance in silence.A second later, she can no longer hold it in. She bends over and vomits all over his clothes.He’s disgusting to the core.But Nicholas assumes she is just overcome with grief and showers her with comfort.Freezing in the bitter cold, Lydia can't handle it anymore and makes an excuse to leave early.Nicholas is practically a block of ice himself, his hands and feet completely numb. But since Meredith insists on standing there keeping a dead body company, he has to stay, no matter how reluctant he is.It isn't until dusk falls and Nicholas pleads with her repeatedly that Meredith finally agrees to return to the Heiss family estate.From the moment she arrived at the cemetery until she left, she didn't shed a single tear...."Mrs. Heiss has returned!"A black Bentley pulls up to the gates of the Heiss estate. The butler Wallace and the housekeeper Marian come out to greet them, but aside from the staff, no one else is there.