The study was silent.


    Lysander frowned, a realization dawning on him, "Is this about Giselle?"


    He finally understood why M was suddenly pushing for a divorce. His eyes narrowed, and his expression turned increasingly disdainful and impatient.


    "M, there''s a limit to jealousy. Keep this up, and you can forget being Mrs. Montgomery. Take this and get out!"


    With a flick of his wrist, Lysander tossed the divorce papers across the table,nding them right in front of M.


    He knew how much M loved him and assumed this divorce talk was just another tactic of hers, driven by jealousy.


    To him, it was nothing more than a ridiculous charade.


    M gazed at the face she once found so captivating, now filled with only bitterness and a profound sense of futility.


    It felt absurd, like talking to a brick wall.


    Was their marriage in such disarray really just because of Giselle? Giselle was merely the spark; the explosives had long been nted.


    She grabbed the divorce papers, clutching them tightly, her face set and determined. "Lysander, I''m exhausted. I can''t do this anymore, and I truly don''t


    want to be with you. Let''s just end it and free each other."


    Perhaps it was the seriousness in M''s tone that made Lysander pause, momentarily caught off guard.


    He was about to respond when the phone on the desk rang. It was Giselle calling. From her seat across the desk, M could clearly see the caller ID.


    Before Lysander could pick up, she mmed the divorce papers on the table and said, "Just sign this, and I''ll be gone. Then you can have your happy ending with her..."


    The sound of tearing paper suddenly filled the room.


    M stared at the shredded divorce papers, scattered like snowkes, as Lysander''s furious voice cut through the air.


    "I won''t hold this against you today. Go cool off in your room. As Mrs. Montgomery, you better not entertain any wild ideas. Love? Don''t even think about it."


    "Get out!"


    M let go of the torn paper, her heart heavy with exhaustion though her face remained calm.


    She looked at Lysander, whose face was flushed with anger, and said quietly, "You can rip up one set of divorce papers, but I can print more. I will get this divorce, even if I have to take it to court."


    Before Lysander could explode again, M left the room, mming the door behind her.


    The resounding bang marked the end of years of pretended peace between them.


    ...


    That night, Lysander left after receiving a call from Giselle and did not return.


    When M woke up the next morning to an empty bedroom, it hardly affected her. She was relieved not to share a bed with him.


    Her mother-inw, Felicity, heard about the argument the next day and was furious.


    M had breakfast with her inws and her son, Adrian, and then excused herself, iming she needed to work over the weekend but would attend the Lockwood family dinnerter.


    Felicity tried to change her mind but eventually let her go.


    Instead of heading to work, M took her dress for the dinner party and drove to her studio.


    On the road, she called her friend Miranda.


    Miranda asked, "How did it go?"


    "Not well," M admitted after a pause. "With his reactionst night, there''s no way to talk it through. I think I''ll have to go to court."


    Miranda was silent for a moment before saying, "In that case, we''ll have to proceed with awsuit. But M, with that prenuptial agreement, it might not be easy."


    "I know, but it''s my only option."


    After sharing a bed for seven years, M knew her husband too well to believe a private settlement was possible.


    "Alright, as long as you''re sure. I''ll start preparing the legal documents for you." "Thanks, you''re the expert here. I''ll rely on you."