Chapter 1

"Mason, I'll be returning to Hillwood in a month."

Josephine Dunn dialed a number she hadn't called in a long time.

Mason Lockwood, who was on the other end of the call, exclaimed in excitement, "Ms. Dunn, you're finally coming back. We've been waiting for you for three years. I'll have a private jet pick you up when the time comes."

As Josephine ended the call, Zayn Forbes, walked over to the bow of the yacht. He slipped off his jacket and gently draped it over her shoulder.

"What are you doing out here alone? The wind is too strong; you'll catch a cold."

Josephine turned to him with a faint smile. "I'm just getting some air to clear my head."

"Alright. I'll have the housekeepers prepare dinner for you," Zayn replied, before heading back inside the yacht.

Everyone in the industry knew that Zayn was infatuated with Josephine.

If she caught a cold, he would find the top ten specialists in the country to treat her back to health.

There was even an instance where Josephine tried a dessert at a bakery and casually said it was delicious. Without hesitation, Zayn bought the entire bakery for her.

This time was no different. A few days ago, Josephine had merely glanced at a photo of this yacht on her phone. The moment Zayn found out, he spared no expense and rented it for a whole month solely for her enjoyment.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a news alert. She unlocked the screen and clicked on the article.

It read, "Zayn Forbes, CEO of Forbes Group, spent millions to rent a yacht for an entire month, simply because his wife likes yachts."

The article was flooded with heated discussions.

One comment read, "As a fellow woman, I can't help but envy Mrs. Forbes. Her husband is not only handsome and rich, but he absolutely adores her."

"Mr. Forbes deserves every penny of his fortune. After all, a man who knows how to cherish his wife is priceless."

"Did you know? Mr. Forbes was publicly voted as the 'model husband.'"

"If I had a husband like Mr. Forbes, I'd happily trade 20 years of my life."

Reading through these comments, Josephine couldn't help but feel a tightness in her chest.

She used to be the world's most popular director, JD. But three years ago, she backed out from the industry and married Zayn.

Their marriage had initially started out as a mere contractual agreement that was set to end after three years. However, both of them eventually developed feelings for each other along the way.

Hence, both of them decided to eliminate the contract and made a pact; whoever had a change of heart would leave with nothing.

But six months ago, everything began to change when an unknown actress named, Nadine Sommers, joined Forbes Group. Zayn suddenly became extremely busy and would miss many of their special occasions.

But what remained the same was how deeply he cared for her. He was even willing to risk his life for her.

She remembered clearly that two months ago, he had brought her to a boxing match at a club.

She had taken a liking to the champion boxer's gear and wanted to buy it as a keepsake. However, another boxing enthusiast beat her to it.

Zayn immediately stepped in and negotiated with the man, offering to pay him five times more for it.

But the man refused, saying that he wasn't interested in money but simply wanted to fulfill his boxing dream.

Without hesitation, Zayn agreed and willingly became the man's punching bag. It wasn't until he was beaten to a pulp that the man finally relented and handed over the gear to him.

After that incident, Zayn had to rest at home for an entire month before he fully recovered.

Who would have ever imagined that a man so devoted would have a change of heart?

Josephine sighed. It felt like only yesterday that they made a pact with one another, yet now everything had changed.

"Josephine, dinner is ready. It's your favorite, fish stew."

Zayn called out gently as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Fish? Where did you get the fish from?"

Just then, one of the housekeepers walked out and said, "Mrs. Forbes, it was Mr. Forbes who caught the fish for you."

Josephine turned toward Zayn and noticed that his hair was still dripping wet.

She said softly, "Thank you. But please don't do anything so dangerous again."

While she knew that they had no future together, she still couldn't help but remind him to take care of himself. After all, he had treated her extremely well in the past.

Inside the yacht, Zayn personally scooped up a bowl of fish stew for her. He then gently blew on each spoonful before carefully feeding it to her.

Josephine tried to take the spoon from him, but Zayn wouldn't allow her.

He said affectionately, "You're my wife. If I don't feed you, who will?"

Josephine wanted to reply, "Soon, I'll no longer be your wife."

However, these words caught in her throat and she couldn't seem to say them aloud.

She had only been on this yacht for a week, but had lost interest and told Zayn that she wanted to go home.

Zayn didn't seem the least bothered about wasting the remaining 20 days of yacht rental. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her and said with a gentle smile, "Alright, let's go home."

With that, their life on board came to an end.

As they were leaving and making the payment, Josephine unintentionally glanced at Zayn's phone screen and noticed the name of the recipient was Nadine.

But she distinctively remembered that the owner of this island was named Chris Yale. When did it change hands?

Upon settling the payment, Zayn's phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, and a flicker of panic flashed across his eyes. He quickly declined the call.

Noticing Josephine looking at him, he revealed an awkward smile. "It's a spam call."

Josephine simply pursed her lips and remained silent, showing that she trusted him.

But then, his phone rang again.

Zayn frowned.

"Just answer it. Spam calls tend to keep ringing if you don't pick up."

With that, she stepped aside, giving Zayn some privacy.

Standing by the edge of the island, Josephine took in the serene scenery. However, she couldn't seem to stop the restlessness in her heart.

She turned around and saw that Zayn had ended the call and was walking toward her.

"I thought it was a spam call, but it was actually from the charity foundation."

The charity foundation? She knew that Zayn had been busy establishing a charity foundation. But why would a call from them make him so uneasy?

Josephine decided to just drop the matter. His future was no longer something she wanted to concern herself with.

Breaking her thoughts, Zayn shot her a mysterious smile. "Valentine's Day is coming up in a few days. I've prepared a huge gift for you."

Before Josephine could reply, she received a message from an unknown number.

"Did you have fun on my island this week? By the way, did your husband tell you that it was his birthday gift to me?"

Josephine stiffened as an indescribable emotion welled up within her chest.

Zayn had gone to such great lengths to announce to the world how much he cared for her, spending millions to rent a yacht just to make her happy. Yet, he had secretly spent ten times that amount to purchase an entire island for Nadine.

And as if that wasn't enough, the rental money for the yacht had conveniently gone straight into Nadine's pocket.

Josephine sighed. Zayn truly was quite the schemer.

Noticing her shift in expression, Zayn asked in concern, "What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

Josephine tried to calm herself and said, "I'm fine. To show my thanks, I've also prepared a gift for you on Valentine's Day."

What Zayn didn't know was that the gift she was referring to was the divorce papers she had finalized a few days ago.

By the time they returned home from the island, it was already 7:30 pm.

Zayn helped her change into her house slippers and then headed to prepare her bath. He even filled the tub with her favorite rose petals and peppermint essential oil.

"Honey, would you like to take a bath first or have dinner?"

Seeing him act so caringly, Josephine shot him a smile.

"I can actually handle these things myself."

Zayn stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. His touch instantly made Josephine stiffen slightly.

Chapter 2

"What's wrong, honey? Are you cold?"

Zayn was quick to notice her subtle reaction.

He leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers to check her temperature.

"You seem to be down with a fever."

A fever?

Josephine had a slight headache, but she simply assumed that it was due to mental exhaustion and didn't pay much attention to it.

Now that Zayn pointed it out, she realized that it was likely due to spending too much time at the seaside and being exposed to the chilly breeze.

Before she could respond, Zayn was already on the phone with his assistant, Shawn Middleton.

"Shawn, call the specialists from last time and have them come over immediately. Josephine seems to have caught a cold again."

Upon ending the call, he immediately carried her to the bed and said gently, "Honey, just lie down for a bit. I'll have the housekeepers bring some food for you."

He kissed her gently and was about to make his way downstairs when his phone rang again.

Upon seeing the caller ID, his expression stiffened.

"Just give me a second. I'll be right back," Zayn said as he shut the door gently behind him.

After a while, the housekeepers brought the food in, but Zayn was nowhere to be seen.

Josephine didn't bother to ask.

"Mrs. Forbes, Mr. Forbes has asked me to tell you that there's an urgent matter at the company that he needs to attend to."

"I see. Just leave the food on the table."

"Yes, Mrs. Forbes," the housekeeper replied and headed back downstairs.

Shortly after, Josephine received a message from Zayn.

It read, "Honey, there's an urgent matter at the company, so I can't make it home to feed you.

"Also, the specialists just called and said that they are in the middle of treating a critical patient and won't be able to come until tomorrow morning. But don't worry, I've already asked the housekeepers to get some medicine for you. Promise you'll take it, okay?"

This was how Zayn always acted. While he wasn't by her side, he would always make sure to show he cared for her.

As expected, the housekeeper soon returned with the medicine.

"Mrs. Forbes, it's time for you to take your medicine."

"Alright. Just leave it there."

However, the housekeeper persisted, "But Mr. Forbes insists that I watch you take it."

Josephine smiled. Zayn still cared so deeply for her.

As she took the medicine, the housekeeper couldn't help but remark in envy, "Mrs. Forbes, you truly are so lucky to have a husband like Mr. Forbes. He's so considerate and caring."

She was right. Everyone knew how lucky she was, except for her.

After seeing Josephine take the medicine, the housekeeper left.

Josephine was just about to drift off to sleep when her phone suddenly buzzed with a message notification. It was another message from Nadine.

"Josephine, Zayn told me that you're sick. Are you feeling better? By the way, the specialists he called for you are here with me."

Attached with the message was a video. It showed ten specialists surrounding Nadine, all with smiles on their faces.

Meanwhile, Zayn was seen to be lovingly holding Nadine in his arms. The intimacy and affection he displayed were no less than what he had shown her.

Josephine's heart clenched painfully at the sight and she couldn't help but clutch her chest tightly.

Was she the critical patient Zayn was talking about?

Why did he have to lie to her?

Nothing infuriated her more than lies. It reminded her too much of her parents' marriage.

In their case, it was her mother, Sarah Ferk, who had been unfaithful. She cheated on her father, Benjamin Dunn, yet continued to treat him with such care when she was at home. Therefore, Josephine had grown up believing that her parents had a strong and loving relationship.

It wasn't until one day that Benjamin found out about her affair, and in a rage, he kicked her out of the house.

From that moment on, she was forced to grow up without a mother by her side.

Fortunately, Benjamin's business prospered over time, allowing her to live a life of luxury from a young age.

That said, no amount of wealth could fill the emotional void of not having a mother.

Since then, Josephine had come to despise lies and betrayal and never thought that such a thing would befall her.

When she discovered that Zayn was walking the same path as Sarah, she could no longer tolerate it.

For the past three years, her way of showing love was completely different from Zayn's.

She would always watch him quietly and observe his every move, including the company's financial situation.

Whenever she noticed the company facing financial difficulties, she would find ways to support him.

She would use business partnerships, bank loans, and other forms of financing to help the company get back on track.

Zayn had no idea of this and neither did anyone else.

But despite all her efforts, all she received in return was his betrayal.

Her phone buzzed once again.

This time, it was a message from Zayn.

"Honey, have you taken your medicine? I'm still at the company, but I'll be back soon. I love you!"

Josephine scoffed.

She simply ignored their message and went to bed.

She wasn't clear how much time had passed, but when she woke up, she found herself lying in Zayn's arms.

He hugged her so tight she could barely breathe.

She gently pushed him away and glanced at the clock on the bed frame, realizing that it was already morning.

She slipped out of bed, yet Zayn remained unresponsive and seemed to be in deep sleep.

A bitter smile tugged at Josephine's lips. He had spent the entire night looking after Nadine, it was no surprise he slept so soundly.

It wasn't until Josephine was washing up at the sink that Zayn finally awoke.

He approached her, slipping one arm around her waist while holding his phone to his ear with the other.

"Do you still want a job in Crestwood? I've been telling you since yesterday that my wife is sick, yet you're still not here. You've got one hour to get to Forbes residence."

With that, he ended the call and rested his face on her neck, kissing it lightly.

Josephine instinctively pushed him away.

"You're making it hard for me to wash up."

Upon hearing this, Zayn immediately let go of her.

Josephine looked into the mirror and noticed the dark circle under his eyes.

She asked, "Did you have a hard time at work yesterday?"

"You have no idea. Shawn doesn't know how to handle things. The project plan is a complete mess."

Zayn gazed at Josephine, his eyes brimming with guilt.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault. You're sick, and I haven't been there to take care of you."

Josephine casually replied, "It's just a cold. I won't die from it."

Zayn immediately covered her mouth.

"Don't say that. If you die, I don't think I could live either."

His eyes were filled with nothing but sincerity.

After a while, Josephine heard noises coming from outside.

Zayn said, "I'll go take a look. How dare they disturb you so early in the morning. They must have a death wish."

With that, he turned and left.

Josephine pulled back the curtains and saw about ten people in white coats gathered at the villa entrance. Among them were a few media reporters who were taking photos and conducting interviews.

Josephine's lips curved into a faint smile as she closed the curtains.

Sure enough, moments later, Zayn and the doctors made it upstairs.

At that moment, Josephine had just finished washing up.

Zayn said gently, "Honey, quickly let them examine you."

He carried Josephine into the bedroom and placed her gently on the bed.

The few doctors entered, and Josephine cooperatively allowed them to check her over.

Chapter 3

After the examination, Josephine asked for the doctors to leave.

However, Zayn was still worried and suggested, "Why don't you just let them stay here with you until you're all better?"

"That's right, Mrs. Forbes. You're so lucky to have found a husband like Mr. Forbes. We're so envious of you!"

Josephine forced a smile. "Yes. I am indeed lucky to have a husband like him."

With that, she insisted that they leave and assured that she was already feeling better. Zayn couldn't win against her and eventually relented.

As he was seeing them off, Josephine's phone rang once again.

It was a call from Nadine.

"Mrs. Forbes, are you feeling better? The doctors have arrived, right? I kept telling Zayn that I was fine, but he was still worried and insisted that the doctors monitor me overnight. I'm really sorry for causing the delay…"

Before Nadine could finish her sentence, Josephine hung up.

"Honey, who's calling you?"

Zayn asked as he walked in with a bowl of soup.

"This is some chicken soup I had the housekeepers specially prepare for you. Here, open up."

Josephine opened her mouth, but perhaps it was because she wasn't feeling well or because she was disgusted by Zayn's overly affectionate behavior, she suddenly felt nauseous and gagged.

Zayn quickly set the soup down and grabbed a bin. He gently patted her back and grumbled angrily, "Those useless doctors! They can't even treat a simple cold. I'll make sure to teach them a lesson later on."

He then grabbed a cup of water and said, "Here, drink some."

Just then, Zayn's phone rang.

He didn't answer it and immediately declined the call.

"No one can make me leave your side today. I'm going to stay home to take care of you."

However, the person who called seemed to be persistent. When he didn't answer, the caller continued calling non-stop.

"Go take the call outside. Let me have some peace and quiet."

Upon hearing this, Zayn handed her the cup of water and reminded, "Be careful. Don't burn yourself."

With that, he left the bedroom.

By the time Josephine had finished the water, Zayn walked in with an irritated look on his face. "Those imbeciles. They've messed up again."

Before he could even say a word about leaving, Josephine spoke up first, "You should go check on the company and make sure nothing goes wrong."

Zayn sat at the edge of the bed and pulled her into a hug. He persisted, "No. Nothing is more important than you."

Just as he finished his sentence, his phone rang again.

"Just go. I'd like some time alone too."

Zayn hesitated before finally agreeing, "Alright. But call me if you need anything."

With that, he left in a hurry.

Josephine began tidying up when her phone suddenly buzzed with a news notification.

She unlocked the screen and saw a news article about herself.

The headline read, "Mrs. Forbes down with a cold, Mr. Fobes calls in ten specialists for treatment."

Below the article was a flood of comments.

"Mr. Forbes is the ultimate role model. All men should take some notes from him!"

"Does anyone know when Mrs. Forbes' birthday is? I want to reincarnate and be born on the same day."

"I wish I had Mrs. Forbes' life. I have to work all day and night. Even if I were to pass out from exhaustion, my husband would probably just think I'm napping."

Josephine sighed. Zayn's actions were once again made public.

She switched off her phone screen and began packing her belongings from the bedroom.

Zayn had bought her an overwhelming number of gifts over the years. It was to the point where the walk-in closet could no longer fit them all, and she had to put some of her favorites in the bedroom cabinet.

There were gold and silver jewelry, luxury handbags, couture dresses, and limited edition plush toys.

Unlike most men who would only buy gifts during their partner's birthday, Zayn would buy them during her period each month.

He claimed that they were supposed to cheer her up.

Hence, in the past three years, the gifts had piled up into a mountain.

She took some pictures, packed them up nicely, and listed them all for sale on a second-hand platform.

Just then, she came across the boxing gear that Zayn had practically risked his life to get for her. She hesitated but eventually decided to list it as well.

By the time she had finished organizing everything, it was already noon. However, Zayn had yet to return home.

He had, however, sent her more than 20 messages.

"Have you eaten?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Are you feeling better?"

"I love you."

Josephine had grown sick and tired of these words.

The last message, however, instructed her to prepare for the company's wrap-up party.

Zayn explained that he was busy organizing the event and didn't have time to pick her up, so he had arranged for a driver to escort her.

Zayn was an extremely observant person. Therefore, to avoid raising his suspicion before she left, Josephine replied with a simple, "Okay."

The event was scheduled to start at 8:00 pm, but Josephine arrived an hour early.

She had deliberately worn the silk dress Zayn had spent millions to get for her at an auction. The dress perfectly accentuated her figure and made her stand out amongst the crowd.

Just as she made her way to the entrance, she heard someone shouting enthusiastically, "To celebrate the wrap-up, why don't we have our manager, Zayn, give our female lead, Nadine, a kiss!"

The crowd cheered, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

Just as they were nearly face to face, Zayn turned his head and saw Josephine standing at the entrance. His expression immediately darkened and he shouted angrily, "Know your limits! Don't you know that I already have a wife?"

With that, he rushed toward Josephine and looked at her in surprise. He marveled, "You look beautiful."

He then gently placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

"Thank goodness. Your fever seems to have gone down. I was so worried."

He affectionately wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to the center of the crowd.

"You look absolutely stunning, Mrs Forbes. It's no wonder Mr. Forbes managed to stay composed during our little joke earlier."

"That's right, Mrs. Forbes. We were simply testing his loyalty to you. Please don't take it to heart."

Josephine's lips curved into a faint smile. "It's alright. There's no need to explain. I understand."

At that moment, Nadine approached her with a smile, holding two wine glasses in her hands.

"Mrs. Forbes, let's toast to the success of this film."

She said and offered her one of the glasses.

Without any hesitation, Zayn took the glass from her and said, "Josephine can't drink. So, I'll take it for her."

With that, he downed the wine in one go.

Unable to stand the sight of Nadine, Josephine said with a smile, "Please excuse me. I need to use the restroom."

Zayn immediately stepped forward. "I'll go with you."

A guest nearby chuckled, "Mr. Forbes, she's just going to the restroom. Do you really have to tag along as well?"

"What's wrong with that? Is caring for my wife embarrassing? Men who don't know how to cherish their wives are the real fools."

He took Josephine's hand and led her to the restroom.

As they reached the door, Zayn released her hand and said softly, "Go on. I'll wait for you here."

Inside the restroom, Josephine was washing her hands at the sink when she lifted her head and saw Nadine standing behind her through the mirror reflection.

"Mrs. Forbes, is that the dress Mr. Forbes bought for you at the auction?"

Josephine smiled. "Yes, it is. What about it?"

Nadine traced her fingers along the necklace around her neck and said with a taunting smile, "Didn't he tell you? This necklace I'm wearing was the real auction item that night. Your dress was simply a complimentary gift."

Chapter 4

With that, Nadine strutted out of the restroom.

Josephine felt a sharp pang in her chest, causing her to stumble backward. She leaned against the sink, barely managing to stay on her feet.

She had trusted Zayn!

Yet, the dress he got her turned out to be nothing more than a complimentary gift. She had even treated it so well.

Just then, a few women approached her.

"Isn't this Mrs. Forbes? Have you recovered from your cold?"

"That's right, Mrs. Forbes. You're so lucky. You merely caught a cold, yet Mr. Forbes called in ten specialists to treat you. If it were me, I could be on my deathbed, and my husband still wouldn't bother calling a single doctor."

"Comparing our life to yours, we're truly missing out."

The women sighed before walking away.

Josephine turned to look at herself in the mirror and smiled bitterly.

She had already decided to leave him, yet upon hearing Nadine's words, she still couldn't help but feel hurt.

She walked out of the restroom, but couldn't find Zayn anywhere. Just as she was about to head back to the banquet hall alone, she passed by a corner and accidentally caught sight of two figures through the crack of a door.

"Babe, stop it. Everyone's still waiting for us in the banquet hall!"

Zayn tried to peel Nadine's hands away, but she simply leaned in and kissed him.

Zayn paused before eventually giving in to the kiss.

Seeing them locking lips, Josephine turned around and left.

She didn't return to the banquet hall, but instead called a cab and returned to Forbes residence.

Josephine had just made it to the entrance when she received a call from Zayn.

"Honey, where did you go? I've been looking everywhere for you."

Josephine said coldly, "I wasn't feeling too well and decided to come home."

Zayn immediately asked in concern, "Are you okay? I'm coming back right now."

Before Josephine could reply, he hurriedly ended the call.

It was as if he was going to appear right in front of her at the very next second.

Just as she was about to enter the villa, Josephine's phone rang once more. This time, it was from an unknown number.

"Hello, is this Ms. Dunn? I saw the gifts you listed online. Are they still available?"

It was someone who was interested in purchasing her gifts.

"They are."

"Great. I'll be there in 20 minutes. Could you please bring them downstairs for me?"

Josephine ended the call, just as the butler, Luke Mendez, opened the door.

The minute he saw her, he paused before asking "Mrs. Forbes, aren't you supposed to be attending a banquet? Why have you come back alone?"

"Something came up. Could you please help me carry some things down, Luke?"

She led him up to the second floor.

Upon seeing the large pile of bags, Luke asked in surprise, "What's all this, Mrs. Forbes?"

"Nothing important. It's just some old clothes I don't wear anymore. It would be a shame to just throw them away so I listed them online."

Luke didn't question her. He helped her carry the bags downstairs and placed them outside the villa.

It took him three trips to finally move everything.

Shortly after, the buyer arrived, loaded all the bags into their car, and left.

Josephine skipped dinner and went straight to bed after washing up.

As she lay there, she thought back to Zayn's words. He said he would be home in 20 minutes.

But two hours had passed, yet there were still no signs of him.

Unlike before, Josephine no longer waited for him. Instead, she casually scrolled through her phone and was just about to go to sleep when her phone screen suddenly lit up.

Josephine assumed that it was another message from Nadine.

She clicked it open only to see that it was a clip of Zayn and Nadine drinking from the same wine glass.

However, Josephine realized that she had already grown immune to their affectionate displays.

After all, she had already witnessed them kissing. What could possibly be worse than that?

She turned off her phone screen but it rang once again.

Thinking that it was Nadine again, she answered with a sharp tone, "Do you ever know when to stop?"

The person on the other end of the phone asked in confusion, "Honey, who are you talking to?"

It was Zayn.

"No one. It thought it was a spam call ."

"I see. For a moment, I thought you had a secret admirer. You gave me quite a scare," Zayn said with a sigh of relief.

Josephine forced a smile, "I'm not that charming. You're the only one who loves me in this world."

She wondered if her words made him feel even a flicker of guilt.

"I knew you'd understand me. I was held back by some guests earlier and couldn't walk away. Be good and wait for me at home, okay? I love you."

With that, Zayn hung up the phone. Josephine scoffed.

Did he really get held back by the guests? Or was it Nadine who held him back? Either way, she didn't care anymore.

That night, Josephine slept soundly. Only when she woke up did she realize that Zayn hadn't returned all night.

Oddly enough, she suddenly found herself in an extremely good mood. She turned on the radio which she hadn't used in ages and listened to the most popular songs while humming along to it.

After freshening up, she headed down to the dining room for breakfast. As she ate, she noticed the housekeeper staring at her.

She asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

"You seem to be in a particularly good mood today, Mrs. Forbes. Did Mr. Forbes surprise you with another gift?"

Josephine frowned. So, in everyone's eyes, her emotions were always linked to Zayn.

Just then, Zayn walked in with a huge bouquet of roses in his hands. His face was brimming with excitement.

He placed the flowers in her arms and then gave her a deep kiss in front of all the housekeepers. He then pulled out a contract for Josephine to see.

"Honey, look what this is."

Josephine glanced at it. The title on the front of the contract read, "Josephine's charity foundation."

Zayn had named the foundation after her?

Seeing Josephine's stunned expression, Zayn thought she was simply too moved by him and smiled, "This is the gift I mentioned to you a few days ago."

It was only then that Josephine realized that it was Valentine's Day.

At that moment, one of the housekeepers chimed in with a smile, "No wonder Mrs. Forbes had been in such a good mood all morning. She must've been waiting for your gift!"

Zayn suddenly asked with a smile, "Didn't you say you had a gift for me too?"

"Yes. It's in the bedside drawer."

As soon as Josephine finished speaking, Zayn immediately sprinted upstairs.

It seemed like he had been looking forward to her gift for some time.

Josephine sat calmly in the dining room, continuing to sip on her soup.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Zayn came down with the gift in his hands.

"Honey, you prepared me a mystery box? I love it."

He exclaimed and proceeded to open it.

"Wait."

Josephine stopped him.

Seeing her acting so mysterious, Zachry smiled, "What's wrong?"

"I got this mystery box from a psychic. She said it should only be open three days later for good luck."

Upon hearing this, Zayn tucked away the mystery box and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you for the precious gift, Honey."

Seeing him smile so brightly, Josephine hoped he would be just as happy three days from now.

After breakfast, Zayn suggested taking Josephine on a rafting trip.

However, before she could reply, his phone rang.

He reluctantly picked it up.

"Could you guys just give me a break? It's Valentine's Day. Can I please just spend it quietly with my wife?"

Zayn's voice was filled with irritation.

"Alright. I got it."

Chapter 5

Zayn ended the call and looked at Josephine with an apologetic expression.

"Honey, I…"

Josephine raised her brows. It seemed like he couldn't come up with an excuse to leave.

She said with a composed smile, "Just go. Don't keep them waiting."

"Thank you for understanding. I promise to make it up to you."

Josephine nodded, her smile unwavering.

Upon getting her approval, Zayn turned around and left.

It seemed like he had been so preoccupied with finding the present earlier that he hadn't even noticed the bedroom being much emptier.

But perhaps it was for the best. Otherwise, it would be far more complicated when she left.

Josephine headed upstairs to the bedroom. She gathered the last remnants of what had once been her most cherished memories with Zayn, including their wedding photo and couple portraits, tore it all to shreds, and stuffed them into a plastic bag.

She then took out their wedding rings, used a plier to break them in half, and then tossed it into the bag with everything else.

With a bitter smile, she looked around at the house she had stayed in for three years. Every corner seemed to echo with traces of Zayn's love for her, yet it also bore the weight of his countless betrayals.

Regardless, it no longer had anything to do with her.

She took out her phone and dialed Mason's number.

"You can come pick me up now."

Mason was thrilled upon hearing this and his voice trembled with joy, "That's great, Ms. Dunn. The plane is ready to take off. See you at the airport in four hours."

"See you."

She hung up the call and headed to the garden with her luggage.

Turning her head, she saw the acacia tree that she and Zayn had planted together on Arbor Day three years ago.

In three years, the sapling had grown tremendously, now with a thick trunk and lush leaves.

Contrastingly, Zayn and her love had withered.

"Mrs. Forbes, are you going out of town?"

One of the housekeepers noticed Josephine's luggage and asked in curiosity.

"No. This suitcase is broken, so I'm just throwing it away."

The housekeeper didn't question her and simply left with a smile.

"Wait."

Josephine stopped her.

"What's wrong, Mrs. Forbes?"

She pointed at the acacia tree and said, "Chop it down."

"Chop it?" the housekeeper asked in confusion, "But Mrs. Forbes, isn't this tree a symbol of yours and Mr. Forbes' love? Look at how well it's growing."

"Just chop it down! Mr. Forbes is planning to plant another."

The housekeeper immediately complied and went to grab the tools.

It wasn't until Josephine witnessed the tree being chopped down that she finally left in peace.

From now on, there was nothing left for her here.

She walked to the entrance of the villa and tossed the bag that was filled with Zayn and her memories into the bin.

As she was calling for a cab, she received another photo from Nadine.

Josephine hesitated before eventually clicking it open.

It was a photo of the charity foundation contract. But the difference was that Zayn had only shown her the front page, while Nadine was showing her the last.

On the last page, the name of the investor was written.

It read Nadine Sommers.

Nadine then sent her another photo.

It was a photo of her in Zayn's arms, enjoying a rafting trip together.

Nadine followed to send a message.

"You didn't expect this, huh? Zayn named the foundation after you, yet he put me down as the investor. I'm going to keep using your name to make money."

As Josephine read this, she couldn't help but chuckle coldly.

She pulled out her phone and made a call.

"Take down the Josephine Charity Foundation. I want it gone by tomorrow."

"Yes, Ms. Dunn."

Josephine's eyes were no longer filled with her usual indecisiveness. Instead, they were filled with determination and strength.

Nadine thought that Zayn had been the one who was backing her up these past months. But what she didn't know was that, without her, she'd still be stuck as an extra.

Just then, the cab she called arrived. She had just gotten into the car when she saw Zayn's car pull up at the entrance.

The two cars passed.

"Liam, was that Josephine in the car just now?"

Zayn thought his eyes were playing tricks on him and asked his driver, Liam Spears.

"How could it possibly be Mrs. Forbes? She's most probably waiting at home for your gift right now."

Hearing this, Zayn let out a sigh of relief.

Liam was right. They had such a strong relationship, and Josephine would always inform him whenever she went anywhere.

Zayn held the custom diamond ring he had ordered for Josephine last week and headed to the garden.

As he stepped inside, he immediately saw the fallen acacia tree.

He rushed over and began shouting at the few housekeepers in the garden.

"Who chopped this tree down?"

One of the housekeepers replied, "Mr. Forbes, Mrs. Forbes said you're planning to plant another acacia tree and had us chop this one down."

"Mrs. Forbes? Why would she do that? She personally watered and took care of it.

Zayn couldn't help but grow anxious.

Just as he was about to head upstairs to check, a housekeeper in charge of garbage collection approached him and handed him a plastic bag.

"Mr. Forbes, look. It looks like your wedding photo with Mrs. Forbes."