The auction house took the necklace away, saying they needed to engrave my name on it.
When we got home, Aveline suddenly sent me a photo. The Eternal Heart Necklace shimmered around her neck, but she quickly deleted the message. “Ms. Vance, I sent it by mistake. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. After all, I don’t care for dirty things,” I replied coolly. “I’m a bit of a neat freak myself.”
I tossed my phone aside just as Evan walked in, holding out a gift box. “It’s your birthday dress, Elira. See if you like it!”
I opened the box calmly.
It was a beautiful gown–unfortunately, it was pink, and in a mermaid cut, my absolute least favorite style.
“What’s this supposed to mean?” I looked up at him.
He raised his hand to his mouth, covering a nervous cough. “I thought you could try something different for a change.”
I glanced at the dress, clearly not my size, and let out a sarcastic laugh, but didn’t argue. “Forget it. I have other dress-
es.”
He quickly took it back. “Right… Okay, next time I’ll get you something you actually like.”
At the birthday party.
Evan had rented out a cruise ship just to celebrate my birthday. The guests had all arrived, but Evan was nowhere to be seen.
Whispers started spreading through the crowd.
“I heard rumors about the Corven couple splitting up, but I didn’t believe it.”
“In our circle, five years with no kids? Mr. Corven’s patience is remarkable.”
My mother pinched me hard, her nails digging in. “You useless thing–you can’t even keep Evan. Why did I bother raising you?”
I sidestepped her, giving a mocking smile. “He’s the one who’s late. What does that have to do with me?”
Over the years, she’d squeezed plenty of money out of Evan, treating him better than her own son. When I couldn’t get expecting, she forced all kinds of supplements down my throat.
At first, I thought she cared. Until she said, “What are you, a hen that can’t lay eggs? What about your brother’s busi-
ness?”
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Chapter 4
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That was when my heart turned completely cold, and I gave up hope for my family.
“If you weren’t so useless, if you could give us a child or two, your brother wouldn’t still be unemployed.” She shot me a vicious glare. “I’m warning you–if you die, you die a Corven, you hear me?”
Nearly an hour passed before Evan finally rushed in. Behind him, Aveline was wearing that pink mermaid dress, love bites visible on her neck.
My mother greeted him with a smile. “Evan, you’re so busy with work. Elira, this little brat, can wait as long as you need.
“About your brother–in–law’s business-”
Evan frowned. “Leyla, today is Elira’s birthday. Let’s discuss this in private.”
He walked over to me, his tone low. “Sorry, Elira, something came up.”
I smiled slightly, my voice calm and clear.
“It’s fine. I actually admire you, Evan. You couldn’t even wait until after your wife’s birthday party to sleep with your little intern.
“But you’re a bit late, aren’t you? Looks like she’s already on her second round.”
The giant screen split into two feeds.
On one side, Evan and Aveline tangled together. On the other, Aveline with a parade of different men.
As Evan stared at me in shock, I slowly stepped onto the stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I have three announcements to make.
“First, Evan and I are officially divorced.
“Second, I have sold all of my 50% shares in Corven Group. From now on, the Corven family has nothing to do with
- me.
“And third, congratulations to Mr. Corven, who managed to overcome his crippling germophobia and find true love with a woman who’s been with half the city. I wish them a happy, fruitful life together!”
