If her own words had been the shackles holding her captive, then Samuel''s were a giant sledgehammer.


    With one swing, he shattered all the worries and chains around her heart, which crumbled into dust at her feet.


    "Hannah, I won''t let you put yourself down. You had a terrible childhood, but you never grew to resent the world or tried to get revenge on it. You even extended a helping hand to others when they were in trouble."


    Samuel slowed the car, his voice gentle. "You two walked through the hardest times together. And during that period, he met a woman with power and connections who offered him everything, but he never told you about it."


    Actually, when Hannah had first told him the story, he''d noticed a problem but had kept quiet.


    "If you hadn''t fallen out, you''d probably have gone to your grave never knowing this secret."


    Hannah paused, her eyes widening in shock.


    When Lionel had told her the story, she''d had a nagging feeling that something was off, but she hadn''t dwelled on it.


    But thinking about it now, she instantly understood what had been bothering her!


    When he met Sandra, he never told her that he was getting help from another woman. All along, she had believed he built his business on his own.


    She thought his sess was due to his hard work, his talent, his brilliance.


    She never imagined it was because someone was behind the scenes, feeding him connections and money, propping him up every step of the way.


    Seeing the look of sudden realization on Hannah''s face, Samuel let out a softugh.


    "You see? You were so caught up in how much Sandra did for him, how she provided resources you couldn''t. But Sandra''s situation waspletely different from yours back then."


    Samuel continued, "And like you


    said, you were dating. He was enjoying all those benefits and never said a word to you. That''s why I''m telling you, he''s the problem He has always been the problem. Not you, and not Sandra. Him!"


    Samuel''s words threw open the doors to a room she had kept locked for a long time.


    "Sandra was wrong too. She shouldn''t have maintained such an ambiguous rtionship with him after you got married. But the biggest problem has always been Lionel!"


    At that moment, Hannah finally let go of her turmoil. The tension that had gripped her heartpletely dissolved.


    She nodded firmly and turned to her brother, a smile of genuine relief spreading across her face.


    "You''re right. was focused on the wrong thing shouldn''t have been dwelling on that. If he tries to


    contact me again, I''ll ask him why he never told me any of this. I''d love to hear what kind of excuse hee up with this time."


    "I don''t think you two need to see each other again," Samuel said. "Isn''t that what the legal process is for?"


    "Thewyer has gathered most of the evidence, and the court summons is about to be issued," Hannah replied. "We''ll be seeing each other in court in a few days."


    Hannah never thought that after years of being awyer and fighting so many cases, she would end up facing her own husband in court. It was a trulyughable thought.


    "You know how people online always say ''never marry awyer'' because they''ll calcte everything and make sure you leave with nothing? Howe that didn''t work out for you? You were the one who almost got kicked out!"


    ?