"You stabbed me in the back. If you had grievances, you should have voiced them to me privately. Why did you have to broadcast everything to the entire corporate structure, humiliating everyone? You dragged the executives into the mess, packed your bags, and washed your hands of the consequences. Did you give a single thought to what it would do to me?"

"I should have never brought you into the firm. I wasted my energy mentoring you, only to cultivate an absolute viper."

Sera's gaze darkened, her voice dropping into a freezing register.

"Let me interrupt you right there, William. How do you possess the sheer audacity to utter those words?"

"I secured my position at that firm through standard, competitive hiring protocols, yet you deliberately lied to the entire team, claiming you had used your influence to get me in. Furthermore, from the exact moment I stepped into your department, you subjected me to constant manipulation and professional belittlement. My capabilities far exceeded yours, and out of sheer terror that I would eclipse you, you intentionally blocked every single promotion I earned."

"I tolerated your behavior for years out of professional courtesy, but have you completely forgotten that you were using my talent to secure your own bonuses? I was your primary source of revenue, not a charity case. You used me as free labor while slandering me behind my back—why are you conveniently leaving those details out?"

William recoiled slightly, utterly taken aback.

He had assumed Sera had only found her voice because she was hiding behind a digital screen months ago.

He had never expected her to face him with such unyielding steel.

Realizing she had completely slipped from his control, William blurted out.

"Getting sick truly turned you into an entirely different person, didn't it?"

He paused, clearing his throat awkwardly before pressing on, "Look, we are alumni from the same university, and we shared a professional history for years. If you had simply articulated your dissatisfaction sooner, I gladly would have adjusted my management style."

Sera let out a cold, sharp scoff.

"You would have never changed, William. It is woven into your very fabric. You possess an innate disdain for women, carry yourself with a toxic sense of superiority, and are fundamentally incapable of showing respect to another human being."

Seeing that Sera refused to accept his pathetic peace offering, William's face turned an ugly shade of crimson. He spat venomously.

"So what if you have ten million followers now? You're on your deathbed anyway. Consider my tolerance today a final act of charity; I won't lower myself to argue with a dying woman."

Sera curled her lips into a slow smile, her eyes sparkling with pure amusement.

As William glared at her with a smug, vindictive expression, she delivered the line with absolute serenity.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you entirely this time."

"I forgot to mention: my terminal diagnosis was a complete medical error. Look at me closely, William. Does my radiant complexion and absolute vitality look like that of a dying terminal patient to you?"

The moment the words registered, William froze completely, his mouth falling open, utterly paralyzed.

Sera took in his pathetic, stunned expression, a wave of profound satisfaction filling her chest.

"In a way, I actually owe a debt of gratitude to that misdiagnosis. If it hadn't snapped me out of my complacency, I never would have found the strength to push back against your abuse or walk away from that firm. I likely would still be trapped under your thumb, suffocating in a miserable marriage, living an utterly pathetic existence."

"Fortunately, I am completely liberated now. As for you..."

She paused, casting a slow, sweeping glance over his disheveled form before offering a parting smile. "I wish you the absolute best of luck."

William remained pinned to his seat, his fists tightly clenched as he watched her walk out of the restaurant, his eyes blazing with helpless fury.

The moment Sera returned to her apartment, she recalled William's pathetic state and couldn't resist reaching out to a former colleague she had maintained a close relationship with.

"Alisa, I crossed paths with William today. How have things been playing out for him at the firm lately?"

Chapter 3

From her colleague Alisa, Sera learned of William's recent situation.

Three months ago, after she uploaded the evidence of William's psychological manipulation to the company-wide group chat, William was publicly reprimanded.

All his past misdeeds were thoroughly unraveled, and the CEO, in a fit of rage, terminated his employment immediately, leaving his life in an absolute mess.

After thanking her former colleague, Sera was just about to set her phone down to take a shower when two more direct messages popped up on her screen.

One was a partnership inquiry from a renowned athletic brand.

The other was a talent management offer from a prominent digital media agency.

Both entities offered astronomical signing bonuses and promised top-tier promotional resources.

Sera merely cast a detached glance over them and, just like before, rejected them entirely.

Having survived this life-and-death ordeal, she had long since gained total perspective on existence.

She no longer wished to be tied down by anyone or anything, nor did she want to remain a corporate cog, spinning endlessly as a tool for capitalist gain.

Sera resolved to manage her platform independently and monetize her work through image licensing.

She didn't care about accumulating vast wealth, so long as it was enough to sustain her lifestyle.

Now, she understood more clearly than anyone else that freedom and staying true to oneself were far more valuable than anything else.

At home, Sera organized her entire portfolio of photographic works and licensed them to various publishing houses.

She generated a massive sum in licensing fees.

Staring at the balance on her banking application, she felt a wave of mild disbelief.

It turned out that passions and hobbies truly could sustain a livelihood.

During her period of rest at home, Sera drafted an incredibly detailed itinerary for a grand cross-country journey.

This time, there was no suffocating, terminal countdown hanging over her head.

No looming corporate demands to stress over.

No marital shackles to bind her, and no passive-aggressive emotional manipulation.

There was only herself.

Wherever her heart desired to go, she would go.

Meanwhile.

The surgical staff lounge at the medical center.

Charles had just concluded a grueling surgery. Sitting back in his chair, his fingers subconsciously scrolled through Sera's social media feed.

One by one, he tapped on her photographs, magnifying them before minimizing them again.

Staring at the radiant, brilliant smile gracing Sera's face in the images, a wave of inexplicable tightness constricted his chest.

He couldn't quite articulate the sensation.

Throughout their five years of marriage, he freely admitted his heart had been entirely vacant of any grand affection for Sera.

Five years ago, believing that if he couldn't marry Chloe, any companion would be identical, he had simply succumbed to his family's arrangements and married Sera.

Yet now that this marriage—which had existed solely to appease his parents—had come to a violent halt, an agonizing trace of reluctance actually bloomed within him.

With a painful surge of hindsight, he finally realized that he had long since grown utterly accustomed to Sera's presence.

Before Sera had explicitly demanded a divorce, the concept of dissolving their marriage or parting ways had never even crossed his mind.

As he was lost in thought, a crisp knock echoed against the lounge door.

Charles slipped his phone away, lifting his eyes to look at Chloe as she stepped into the room.

"Is there an emergency?"

The moment Chloe crossed the threshold, she turned back to lock the door behind her.

She took a seat directly across from him, her gaze scanning his visibly exhausted features.

"I heard the whispers from the department staff that you and Sera finalized your divorce. Is it true?"

Charles's brows snapped together, a flash of irritation seeping into his tone.

"This is my private business."

Chloe completely ignored his freezing reception, reaching into her pocket to pull out a pristine divorce certificate, sliding it directly in front of him.

"I am divorced as well."

Charles stared at the document, a wave of genuine shock and confusion washing over him, entirely unable to comprehend her intentions.

Under his piercing scrutiny, Chloe finally spoke, her voice softening.

"To be honest, my life after marriage was never as beautiful as the image I projected. My family background was ordinary, and his relatives never hid their utter disdain for me. Back when I was with you, my hands never even touched dish soap, but the moment I married into that household, I became solely responsible for catering to the entire extended family."

"Sera was right about one thing: relying on someone else's dime is an exhausting existence. Even when I spent my own earnings, I was subjected to constant criticism. Furthermore, he was unfaithful, actually bringing women directly into our home."