Chapter 5

As expected, Daniel frowned in annoyance, clearly wanting to argue, but I had already turned away and walked out.

Over the next few days, I focused on handling everything related to my mother. I needed it all settled before I left so I could have peace of mind.

Meanwhile, Daniel was busy trying to save his lover. I heard he paid an absurd amount of money to bring in a top private surgeon for her.

The next time I saw Natasha, she was energetic and cheerful. Nothing like someone who had supposedly been in critical condition.

That only proved that she could have been treated properly from the start. But the moment she got hurt, Daniel chose to make me pay for everything. As if I were the one who deserved punishment.

And Natasha was no different. The first thing she did after leaving the hospital was to come straight for me.

She waited on a road she knew I always passed. The moment she spotted me, she hit the gas and tried to hit me.

Too bad for her, I was prepared.

Along with arranging my mother’s affairs, I had hired a private investigator. While gathering evidence of Daniel’s cheating, they also kept watch on Natasha’s movements.

Because of that, I avoided the accident. But I had no intention of letting her walk away so easily.

Adults should face the consequences of their own actions.

So, I went to the police and filed a report for attempted harm. A charge like that could put her in jail for a while.

But the moment I stepped out of the police station, I saw Daniel running toward me.

He ran up and spoke in frustration, “Cancel the complaint against Natasha. Now.”

“No,” I answered without hesitation.

Hearing that, he put his hands on his hips and stared down at me like I was some unreasonable woman.

“Celeste, don’t be dramatic. Blowing this up will only make you look bad.”

Another threat.

I lifted my head and looked directly into the eyes I once loved so deeply.

Word by word, I said, “I said no. Your Natasha has to face what she did.”

Slap!

His hand struck my cheek hard. But I didn’t feel shocked. I didn’t even feel hurt anymore.

“If I were the one who tried to run someone over today and Natasha reported me, would you be standing here slapping her for me?” I asked him, already knowing the answer.

Daniel lowered his eyes and stayed silent.

When he finally spoke, his voice was cold and firm. “Celeste, stop this. Cancel the complaint. You wouldn’t want your mother’s belongings to end up burned, would you?”

Those words almost made my knees collapse. He instinctively reached to steady me.

I pushed him away in disgust and stared straight into his deep eyes, searching for even the smallest trace of humanity.

“Daniel… what is your heart made of? How can you be this cruel? This… disgusting?”

He sighed, sounding bored and impatient. “Enough, Celeste. Just give me a clear answer.”

In the end, I withdrew the report because I knew he would find another way. And if I didn’t withdraw it myself, my mother’s belongings wouldn’t survive.

After that, I hired a moving company and cleared out everything that belonged to her. I went straight to a law office and finalized the divorce papers.

I printed two copies of the divorce agreement and added the evidence of his cheating. Then, I sealed them in an envelope and mailed it to his company.

I didn’t know when he would open it. I didn’t care. I had already finished everything that mattered. And I was ready to begin again.

Outside the plane window, clouds covered my bitter past. The direction of the flight told me one thing clearly.

My new life had already begun.