Ending a Lonely Marriage: Never Seen Again After Divorce

I want a divorce. Please take care of my divorce papers, Violette said to Mr. Joshua Smith, the best divorce lawyer in town, as she sat in front of him.

The man raised his glasses and looked at Violette seriously, as if he couldn't believe that the woman in front of him was Violette Lombardi, who had declared that she wanted to divorce Hans Lombardi, a CEO and famous underground Don in the country.

They had been married for 15 years, and everyone agreed they were the perfect couple.

Every anniversary of their marriage was reported almost nationwide. However, Mrs. Lombardi now asked for divorce papers without hesitation and with an expressionless face, wanting to divorce Hans Lombardi.

"Mrs. Lombardi, for a divorce, you need reasons and supporting evidence," the lawyer explained.

"Yes, I've prepared it," Violette replied calmly as she handed over everything needed to divorce her husband.

She had collected photos and videos sent by Irene over the past five years, showing that Hans spent his time abroaddisguised as business tripsonly to meet Irene. There were even photos of Hans and Irene sleeping in the same place. And finally, a photo of Hans with Irene in an apartment, while Violette herself was held captive by a murderer and stabbed in the chest.

The lawyer was silent as he watched the video showing Violette being wounded by the killer and treating her own wounds. The file would be sent to Hans once the divorce was finalized.

"Okay, I'll process your divorce," Mr. Smith said.

"Yes, please take care of it as soon as possible," Violette asked, smiling bitterly as she rubbed the still-wet stab wound on her left chest.

A week earlier, on the eve of their 15th wedding anniversary, Hans had arranged a luxurious private party at a five-star hotel, making Violette the center of attention in the whole city.

However, as in previous years, Hans was nowhere to be found. That night, he was at Irene's apartment, keeping her company as she battled a mild fever, not even answering a single phone call from his enemy, who was holding Violette hostage.

Overcome with rage, the killer stabbed Violette in the chest, intending to end her life. Fortunately, Violette had a special featureher heart was located on the right side of her chestwhich saved her life. As the daughter of a mafia boss, she had been trained to deal with such situations and managed to save herself.

As Violette treated the bleeding wound on her chest, Hans finally answered his phone.

"Honey, I'm sorry I didn't answer your call. Irene has a fever and is complaining of a headache, I can't leave her and have to take her to the hospital."

Hearing this, Violette finally realized that during their fifteen years of marriage, Hans had never loved her.

Their marriage was arranged as part of a business partnership between the Renault and Lombardi families, two of the largest mafia families. Although they were married through an arranged marriage, she and Hans still respected each other. Hans devoted all his attention to her, and they were praised as the perfect couple.

However, all the warmth and attention he showed her was just a facade and a formality, a charade that Hans put on to convince the Renault family that he was treating their daughter well.

Violette woke up from her fantasy, feeling that her entire life devoted to loving Hans Lombardi had been exhausting. Now, she just wanted to pursue her freedom.

"Mrs. Lombardi, the documents are ready. You just need to get Mr. Lombardi's signature." Mr. Smith placed the divorce papers in front of Violette.

"I understand. I will get my husband's signature," Violette said calmly.

She left the lawyer's office and returned to the villa.

Upon arriving at the villa, she found several movers bringing furniture into the house.

In the living room, Irene sat next to Hans, pointing at the people who were moving her belongings.

"Those are the bed and sofa made by my late mother. I really can't leave them behind. I can't sleep without them."

Hans sat leaning back on the sofa, his arms stretched out behind Irene as if hugging her. He then stroked Irene's hair.

"It's okay, just move your things into this house. Consider this your home. "

" Thank you, Hans. I know you've always been good to me," Irene smiled sweetly, hugging Hans's neck and kissing his cheek. Hans responded by gently stroking Irene's head.

Violette cleared her throat, drawing their attention. The two immediately turned their heads and quickly separated, as if to hide their relationship.

"Violette, you're home! I've been waiting for you! I'm sorry I moved into your house without asking your permission. You're not angry, are you?" Irene looked at Violette anxiously, wringing her hands in front of her chest.

"Vio, let Irene stay at our house. Her apartment has a gas leak. She's traumatized from living alone. We'll take care of her because we're still her family and she's Damien's biological mother," Hans explained.

"It's okay, right, Violette? If you don't like it, I'll find another place to live," Irene said, her eyes starting to well up, making her look pitiful.

"You've already moved your things into this house, why do you need to ask my permission? You're talking as if I'm kicking you out," Violette replied with a flat smile.

Irene's face reddened; she pursed her lips, then looked at Hans with an expression as if she had been mistreated. She was petite and ten years younger, so her appearance really supported her sad acting.

"Hans, I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry for giving Violette the wrong impression," Irene said to Hans.

Hans's face tensed, and he frowned at Violette. "Don't scare Irene like that. She didn't mean to misunderstand you."

"Don't worry, I'm just kidding. She can stay as long as she wants," Violette replied with a fake smile.

"Hans, there's something I want to talk about. I need your signature to change the ownership of the island you bought for our wedding anniversary," she said as she placed the documents on the table, right in front of them.

She sat in front of Hans and Irene, who didn't even move and remained seated side by side.

That position made it seem as if Violette were an outsider in her own home.

"It's already yours. No need to change anything," said Hans, reaching for the document to look at it.

However, Violette held the document back so Hans couldn't see its contents.

"Hans, I just need your signature and the island will be mine so I can feel comfortable."

Irene laughed softly and seductively. "Violette, are you worried that Hans is lying about giving you the island? Don't worry, I also got a private island in Hawaii as a gift for my birthday last week. If you don't believe me, I'll show you the original documents."

"A private island in Hawaii?" Violette smiled meaningfully, but a sharp pain pierced her chest, far more agonizing than the stab wound she had received from the killer.

It was the island Hans had originally given her, but for some reason, within just a few hours, Hans had changed his gift, replacing it with another island.

Now she understood. Hans was giving the island to Irene.

"What's wrong with the island?" Irene smiled innocently.

"Nothing," Hans replied without explanation, avoiding Violette's gaze. He turned the document to the last page and signed it immediately.

Violette stared at Hans's fingers as he signed the divorce papers.

Fifteen years of marriage, the love of her life ended like this.

Violette had known Hans almost her entire life. They were set up when she was five, engaged at 10, and married at 18. They had been married for fifteen years.

However, their entire life together was nothing compared to the brief presence of Irene, who immediately stole Hans's heart and became his first love.

Irene was his brother's wife. Hans was even willing to adopt Damien, Irene's child and his brother, as the heir to the Lombardi family, while Irene went abroad to pursue her dreams after her husband's death.

"That's enough, right?" Hans said indifferently without glancing at the document. If he had paid attention, he would have seen that it was divorce papers.

"Daddy! Mommy!"

The little five-year-old ran and jumped into Hans and Irene's arms, hugging them tightly as if they were his best parents.

Violette looked at Damien with sadness in her heart. She had raised the child since he was a baby, but Damien never considered her his mother.

Ever since Damien began to remember, Hans repeatedly took him abroad to meet his biological mother, Irene, which ultimately led Damien not to consider Violette his mother.

He called Hans "Daddy" and Irene "Mommy," but to Violette, he only called her by her name.

Hans let it be. When Violette protested, he always said, "Irene went through the pain of giving birth to him, so Damien must not forget his mother."

Now she realized that Damien was just a painful reminder that her husband loved Irene.

"Daddy, Mommy! Let's go watch a movie!"

"Watch a movie? Sure, let's go before dinner." Hans rubbed Damien's head and then stood up, holding his small hand.

"Mommy, let's go. I can't wait to watch Spiderman!" Damien excitedly grabbed Hans and Irene's hands and pulled them to hurry up and leave.

"Yes, baby. There's no need to rush," Irene said.

As they were about to leave, Violette stood up and walked behind them. Damien, as if realizing Violette's presence, immediately snapped and pushed her away.

"Why are you coming? I don't want you to come with us!"

"I'm not coming. I'm going to my room," Violette replied, walking straight to her room.

She heard Irene ask Hans worriedly behind her. "Hans, is Violette angry because we didn't invite her?"

"It's okay. Violette never liked going to the movies. She always gets a headache from looking at the big screen."

"Thank goodness. I feel so guilty that the three of us went to see the movie without inviting her," Irene said.

Violette clenched her fists, a bitter smile on her lips. In her heart, she said, 'Hans, do you know that I always like watching movies at the cinema?

Every time Violette asked Hans to watch a movie, he would just buy her a ticket and reserve the entire cinema for Violette.

However, Violette always watched alone and felt lonely. After watching alone several times, Violette finally gave up inviting Hans to watch movies and began to hate movies.

Hans had the money and power to appease his wife, but he was never there for her. However, for another woman, he was willing to cancel all his schedules and fly across the world to be by Irene's side.

***

Irene sent him a video of the three of them having dinner and playing at an amusement park. The video showed their closeness, like a family, with Damien calling Hans Daddy and Irene Mommy, showing them as his parents.

Violette saved the video and sent the divorce papers signed by Hans to Mr. Smith.

"Mr. Smith, I have sent the documents. I will pay whatever it costs to speed up the divorce."

"Okay, Mrs. Lombardi. I will let you know as soon as the divorce is finalized. It will take a month."

"All right, thank you, Mr. Smith."

Violette ended the phone call with Mr. Smith. Next, she prepared the documents she needed to take with her when she left the villa.

The villa, which they had built together during their fifteen years of marriage, was now meaningless. She threw away all the gifts and diamond jewelry, even the first preserved flowers Hans had given her when they got engaged.

There was nothing she needed to take. All the property and businesses Hans had given her over the years were in this country.

Violette would leave all that behind to free herself from her ties to Hans Lombardi.

Violette has not told her family that she is divorcing Hans. They think Violette is happily married to Hans, and Hans is a good son-in-law in their eyes.

If her parents knew Violette wanted a divorce, they would try to talk her out of it and tell Hans.

Then the divorce would never have happened, preserving the friendship between the two families.

Violette will tell them after the divorce is finalized. At that point, there will be nothing they can do to prevent her from divorcing.

Hans, Irene, and Damien have returned home. Violette does not greet them and goes to the bathroom to freshen up.

When she came out of the bathroom wearing a nightgown, Hans was already in the room and had unbuttoned his shirt. Calmly, Violette went to the dressing table and began her facial routine.

Hans stood behind her and gently squeezed her shoulders.

"Sorry I'm home late. Damien insisted on going to the amusement park and lost track of time."

"Hm. It's okay."

Hans leaned down, resting his chin on Violette's shoulder and kissing her neck.

The scent of Hans's expensive perfume mixed with the pungent scent of roses made Violette's stomach churn. Her lips smiled bitterly as she remembered who the owner of that rose perfume was.

"Vio, just be quiet today," Hans whispered, kissing her earlobe. "Are you uncomfortable with Irene being here?"

"No," Violette replied with a fake smile.

"Irene is just our sister-in-law. She's also part of the Lombardi family."

"I know.

"Is it because Damien is too close to Irene that you're upset?"

"No. They should be close because they are mother and son."

Hans stared at Violette through the reflection in the dressing table mirror, sensing Irene's unusual change. He had felt it since Irene moved into their house. He thought it was because Violette didn't like Damien being close to his biological mother.

Violette stared back calmly, trying not to appear cold in front of him.

"Don't be too angry with Damien for being close to his mother. We have to raise him because he is the heir to the Lombardi family since we cannot have children."

"Hm," Violette replied indifferently.

"If only you could have..." Hans stopped himself before he finished the sentence that would hurt Violette.

They had been childless for fifteen years. Hans had never made an issue of it because Violette was the daughter of the Renault family. Their marriage was intended to maintain the alliance between the two powerful mafia families.

"Don't give up, we'll try again," Hans whispered in Violette's ear.

Violette's body tensed as Hans' lips kissed the corner of her mouth and his hand pulled down her nightgown. She immediately pushed Hans' hand away before he could see the scar on her chest.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not feeling well. I got my period today," Violette said coldly.

Suddenly, the cell phone on the bedside table rang.

"Your phone is ringing." Violette turned her face away.

Hans grumbled, picking up his phone without moving away from Violette's body.

"Hello..."

"Hans, can you come here?" Irene's voice sounded frightened on the phone.

"What's going on?" Hans' voice was full of concern.

"I think I heard an intruder in my room. I'm really scared, Hans."

"Don't be afraid. I'll be right there." He hurriedly moved away from Violette and took the gun from the desk drawer.

"Wait here, I'll check what's going on," he said without looking at Violette and rushed out of the room.

Violette scoffed, knowing what drama Irene was creating. She heard from the maid that Irene was terrified to find her bedroom window open while she was bathing, and she had seen a shadow pass by outside the window.

However, shortly after, Hans and Irene appeared at her door.

"What?" Violette stood in front of them.

"Vio, Irene's room isn't safe, and we haven't found the intruder yet. Irene is scared and doesn't dare to stay in her room. So, for the time being, Irene will stay in this room."

Violette's face paled as she stared at Hans in disbelief.

Hans, have you lost your mind?"

Hans's expression immediately turned stern. "This room has the highest security. Irene will be safe here. You can move to the next room."

"This is our room, Hans! How dare you bring another woman into our room!" Violette refused, her chest felt hot, and her tears blurred her vision.

This was the private room they had shared for years since they got married, even before Irene came and destroyed their marriage.

Every detail of this room's decor was engraved in her heart. She had spent her thoughts and time tracking down the right fabric and furniture to decorate the bridal chamber. She and Hans had shared many beautiful memories in this room over the years.

How could Hans bring another woman into their room and kick her out without a shred of guilt?

Irene pretended to tremble with fear, hiding behind Hans while clutching his hand.

"Hans, it's okay. I can be placed in any room. It's better if I just move out of this house.

Hans's face softened as he looked at Irene and stroked her arm. "It's not safe for you to go out in the middle of the night like this. That intruder is definitely after you. Of all the people in this villa, you're the only one being terrorized. I have to protect you because it's my responsibility."

"But what about Violette...?"

Hans shifted his gaze to Violette indifferently. "Violette, as someone older than Irene, you have to give in. Give this room to Irene."

"You're worried about Irene being attacked, but what about me? What if the intruder hurts me"

Hans interrupted her. "You grew up in a mafia family. You've faced dangerous situations many times, but you've always been safe all these years. You're different from Irene, who is weak and unable to fight back."

Not wanting to hear Violette's refusal, Hans called a servant to move Violette's belongings to another room.

Violette clenched her hands tightly. Pain pierced her chest. Tears threatened to fall.

Since Irene returned a year ago, Hans's attitude had changed. He cared more about Irene and no longer cared about the image of a caring husband that he had always projected.

"I'm sorry, Violette. I didn't mean to make you move out of this room..." Irene whispered weakly, looking at her with an apologetic gaze. But the corners of her lips curled into a sly smile.

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault," Hans said, glancing indifferently at Violette. "Don't blame Irene."

"I didn't say anything," Violette replied coldly.

"Hans, can you stay with me for a while? I'm afraid to be alone. "Irene leaned weakly on Hans as if she were about to faint.

" Okay, I'll keep you company."

Ignoring Violette's reaction, Hans took Irene into their room and closed the door right in front of her face.

Violette took a deep breath, her hands clenched into fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white, her chest feeling tight.

The events of that night quickly spread among the servants. They witnessed Violette being kicked out of the main bedroom while Hans accompanied Irene there.

All the servants could clearly see that Hans had shown how important Irene was to him. At that moment, Violette lost face in her own home and became the subject of ridicule by the servants.

Hans did not attempt to remedy the situation or apologize to Violette.

A phone call from Violette's family came, as if they had heard the news. Her mother, Anna, in particular, immediately reprimanded Violette.

["Vio, how could you let another woman treat you like that? Where is your pride as a daughter of the Renault family?"]

"Mom, what happened was..."

["Forget it. Don't get into a conflict with Hans over a mistress. After all, you are still Mrs. Lombardi. You have to maintain that status."]

"Mom, your daughter was humiliated like this, how can you say that to me?" Violette said in disbelief on the phone.

["Violette, how old are you now? You are a woman who has been married for a long time but have yet to bear children for the Lombardi family. Don't make Hans unhappy and cause him to fight with you because of a mistress. If you divorce Hans, the Renault family will not accept you anymore."]

Violette did not answer. Her hands clenched tightly as she listened to her mother, Anna's, indifferent words. She understood that she was useless in the eyes of her family because she had not given the Lombardi family any children.

["Vio, are you listening to me? There's no need to fight with Hans over a mistress. He will get bored eventually and you will remain Mrs. Lombardi. It's better to think about how you can get pregnant."]

Violette's heart was so tired that she didn't argue with her mother.

"I understand, Mom." She hung up the phone.

Her family's attitude made Violette even more determined to keep her divorce a secret, and she would not return to the Renault family.

Hans came home early that day and found Violette in their main bedroom, packing some of her belongings into cardboard boxes.

"What did you tell your family?" His expression looked unhappy.

"Nothing," Violette replied briefly and wearily, continuing to pack her clothes into a box.

"Then why did your father call me and bring up Irene?"

"I don't know, but my mother called me today. She also talked about Irene. It seems they heard the news last night from a servant. You know, in a mafia family like ours, there are always spies everywhere. "

Hans paused for a moment and then exhaled." Don't worry too much about what happened last night. Irene wasn't raised like us, growing up in a mafia family. She was very frightened by the intruder last night."

"Yes. I know." Violette bowed her head, busy packing her belongings into cardboard boxes.

"Why are you packing so many things into that box? You don't need to pack so much. Once Irene calms down, you can come back to this room."

"It's okay. She can stay in this room as long as she wants. And these things are for me to donate to the orphanage."

Hans stared at her for a moment, his brow furrowed. He felt that Violette was indifferent and was even giving up their bedroom just like that. She was not the type of person who would give away her belongings to anyone, and she was stubborn.

Hans looked at the items packed in the boxes. They were valuable to Violette because they were gifts from him. The dolls were gifts Hans had given Violette from the ages of 10 to 18, along with a few other items.

"Those things don't you really like them? Do really need to throw them away?"

"Oh, I feel like I'm too old to keep these things. There must be lots of children in orphanages who would love these dolls." Violette smiled gently at Hans.

Hans didn't think about it any further. He placed an invitation and a gift box on Violette's lap.

"An invitation to the Lombardi family party tomorrow night. We both have to attend and show everyone that we're doing well."

"Okay." Violette stroked the gift box Hans had given her.

When she opened it, the contents were stunning: a delicate silk dress and the latest diamonds from a famous brand.

Despite their recent argument, Hans still knew her taste and favorite brands. Her heart wavered for a moment. At least Hans still respected her.

"Wear that dress tomorrow night."

Violette looked up and nodded, smiling.

The next day at seven in the evening, Violette checked the dress she had asked the maid to wash and iron. However, she found Irene ironing her dress. The iron was emitting steam, and there was a burning smell. Next to her, Damien was busy playing with Violette's broken jewelry set on the floor.

"Irene, what are you doing?!" Violette rushed to save her dress and pushed Irene aside.

The dress was beyond saving. There were burn marks and a gaping hole in the middle of the dress.

"Oops, sorry Violette... I accidentally burned your dress. You're not going to blame me, right?" Irene said with a cynical smile on her lips, not attempting to hide that it was intentional.

"Mommy, look at this ugly necklace! The chain is broken!" Damien exclaimed, pointing to Violette's broken necklace.

"Damien, don't be naughty, Sweetie. That's Violette's precious necklace."

"This ugly necklace is useless. It breaks so easily!" Damien stuck out his tongue and threw the necklace carelessly, causing the diamond pendant to separate and shatter on the floor.

Irene chuckled, then looked at Violette with a satisfied smile. "Looks like you can't wear that dress and jewelry. If you want, I can lend you my old dress."

Violette's hands clenched and trembled as she tried to hold back her anger. "Irene, watch your attitude in my house. Don't try to provoke me if you don't want to regret it."

Irene flicked her hair back over her neck with a haughty attitude. "Still pretending to be the lady of the house? Tsk, did you know that Hans and I made love on your bed?" She showed the hickey on her neck. "Look, he's so wild and can't stop. He said he was bored to death when he was with you. You can't make him excited because you're like... "

Before Irene could finish her sentence, Violette slapped her hard. Her expression was very dark.

" Irene, you're just Hans' mistress. Hans doesn't even dare to admit it and show you to everyone, don't overstep your bounds. I've been patient enough with you! If you provoke me again, you'll suffer the consequences."

Violette didn't want to waste her energy dealing with a mistress, especially since she was going to divorce Hans. But Irene repeatedly provoked her, causing her patience to run out.

Irene glared at Violette with red, hate-filled eyes. Her lips curled into a cynical smile as she glanced at the door, seeing Hans approaching from a distance.

"You evil woman! How dare you hit my mom!" Damien shouted and bit Violette's hand.

"Damien, let go!" Violette shouted, pushing Damien away, but he bumped into the ironing board.

Irene suddenly grabbed Damien and protected him, just as the iron fell on her shoulder.

"Akhhh..." Her cry was loud. She cried as she hugged Damien in her arms. "Violette, I know Damien isn't your biological child, but you don't have to burn him with an iron! He's just a little boy! You'd better burn me instead!"

"Irene!" Hans rushed in and took the hot iron away. He stood up and slapped Violette very hard.

"Violette, this time you've gone too far in hurting Damien and Irene!"

The slap was so hard that it tore the corner of Violette's lip. This was the first time Hans had ever hit her.

Violette smiled bitterly as she wiped the blood from the corner of her lip.

"I didn't mean to hurt Damien. But Irene started the fight by destroying my dress and jewelry."

The second slap struck Violette's face again.

"Just because of a dress and some jewelry, you had the heart to burn Damien and Irene with an iron. Your heart is so cruel," Hans snapped. "You have to apologize to Irene!"

Violette gritted her teeth. "Don't you dare tell me to apologize to that bitch!"

"You..." Hans was about to hit her again, but seeing Violette's face already bruised and the corner of her lip torn, he lowered his hand, feeling guilty. However, when he saw Irene crying protectively as she hugged Damien, her back injured, his heart hardened.

He lifted Irene into his arms, then ordered the guards.

"Lock Violette in her room and don't give her food or drink until she apologizes."

Violette stared coldly at his back. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She wiped them away roughly.

Enough, Violette. Don't cry for him anymore!

Violette was locked up without food or drink. Her mother called again, asking why she had let Hans take Irene to the Lombardi family party in her place.

Apparently, to calm Irene down, Hans had taken her to the Lombardi family party and given her the best dress and jewelry. They had claimed that Violette was sick and had asked her sister-in-law to replace her.

Even though they were in another country, the Renault family received a lot of information about what was happening here.

Violette wiped her forehead, then hung up on her mother. Her ears hurt from hearing her mother's accusations.

After that night, Hans didn't come home and took Irene and Damien on vacation to Italy, Japan, and Greece.

Irene showed off their vacation in videos that she sent nonstop to Violetteeverything, without exception, including intimate photos and videos of them in bed.

Meanwhile, Violette was still locked up. The maid gave her food and drink, kept asking if she had apologized, and then reported it to Hans.

Violette survived by drinking tap water from the bathroom.

Hans extended her confinement until they returned from vacation.

When Violette thought she was dying and starving to death, she woke up in her room with an IV tube attached to her hand.

Hans sat on the side of the bed with a stiff face and guilt covered by an angry gaze.

"If only you had admitted your mistake earlier, this wouldn't have happened."

Violette covered her face. She didn't want to see Hans's facethe man who had torn her heart apart.

Hans sighed.

"Violette, stop being stubborn and just apologize to Irene."

Irene appeared behind Hans. She smiled understandingly and said softly, "Hans, it's okay. Violette is the daughter of the Renault family. Of course, her pride is so high that she won't apologize to me, who is nobody."

Hans glared at Violette angrily.

"Being the daughter of the Renault family has made you so arrogant!"

Violette did not answer and closed her eyes.

"Are you going to keep your mouth shut? Fine, shut your mouth forever!" Hans angrily got up from beside her bed and left the room.

He ordered a servant outside the door. "From now on, Violette is not allowed to leave the house. Her daily food is only bread and water. She must learn to live like a poor person. Don't give her any other food."

In the days that followed, she ate only bread and water, causing her body to become increasingly thin and frail.

This made Irene feel powerful in the house, and she took the opportunity to torment Violette by ordering the servants to give her stale bread.

Violette consoled herself with the fact that her divorce was only five days away. She spent her time in her glass house.

She heard the maids whispering next to her glass house, thinking Violette couldn't hear them.

"Oh my... I've never seen Mr. Lombardi so wild and reckless during sex. Hans isn't even like that with Mrs. Lombardi."

The maids giggled.

"I feel sorry for Mrs. Lombardi. She has no idea that while she is locked up, her husband is sleeping with another woman right next to her room."

"Shh, you don't know, Mrs. Lombardi is as cold as a refrigerator. She must be boring in bed, which is why Mr. Lombardi is bored. Besides, we all know that five years ago, Mr. Lombardi's first love was Irene. I'm sure the death of the second young master had something to do with Mr. Lombardi so he could take his sister's wife. Damien must be his biological son. Otherwise, why would Mr. Lombardi make him the heir to the Lombardi family? "

" That's for sure. Since Miss Laurent moved into this house, Mr. Lombardi smiles more often. He treats her like a queen. They go on vacation to various countries, just the three of them, Mr. Lombardi, Damien, and Miss Laurent. They are a real family."

Violette clenched her hand holding the flower watering can while the maids had left.

She came out of the greenhouse and bumped into Damien, who was running down the hallway. He almost knocked her over.

Violette caught his hand before Damien fell.

"Damien, I've told you many times not to run. You'll get hurt," she said gently.

Although Damien was Irene's son, Violette had raised him since he was a baby. She still loved him.

"Stop pretending to care about me! You're not my mother! I hate you!" Damien snapped and pushed her away.

"Damian," Violette looked at him gloomily. "Even though I'm not your biological mother, you shouldn't yell at me and be rude to me. I have raised and loved you all this time. "

Damien grinned arrogantly.

"You're only pretending to be nice to me because you're afraid Daddy will leave you! You're a barren woman who's jealous of my mommy! If you're nice and beg me, I might persuade Daddy not to kick you out of this house, you barren woman."

Violette stared at him in pain, her voice choked. "Damien, who taught you to say such cruel things?"

"Is that wrong? You're barren. My daddy only loves my mommy! You forced my mommy to go abroad and took me away from her. If it weren't for you, me, Daddy, and Mommy would have been living happily together for a long time!

Damien pushed Violette roughly and hard until she fell onto the hard ground.

Suddenly, a sharp pain appeared in her stomach. Her face turned pale.

"Damien, don't be rough!" Hans suddenly appeared with Irene.

He scolded Damien and pushed him unconsciously, then checked on Violette with a worried expression. "Are you okay?"

"My stomach..."

Before Violette could finish her sentence, Damien's loud cries could be heard.

"Daddy doesn't love me anymore! Mommy, it hurts!"

Hans' attention was immediately drawn to Damien, who was crying in Irene's arms.

His small palms were scraped and bleeding.

"Hans, I'm sorry for Damien's behavior. Please don't hurt him like this. After all, Damien is small, how could he push someone as big as Violette to the ground?" Irene said. Her eyes were teary, tears streaming down her beautiful blue eyes as if her heart ached to see her son hurt.

A guilty expression flashed across Hans's face, and he quickly grabbed Damien and calmed him in his arms. "I'm sorry, Daddy was wrong. Damien, don't cry anymore."

"Daddy, it hurts, my hands are bleeding..."

"Daddy will take you to the hospital." Hans stood up anxiously.

"Hans, my stomach hurts..." Violette tried to call out to him, her voice weak from the pain in her stomach.

Hans turned without glancing at Violette and left.

Irene smiled triumphantly at Violette, then left following Hans.

Violette lowered her eyes to the cold ground, her shoulders slumped as if she had lost all hope. She covered her face and laughed. Her hopes had soared for a moment when Hans showed concern for her, then those hopes fell cruelly in an instant.

The laughter turned into cries of pain.

Pain spread through her body. She curled up, feeling warm liquid flowing down her thigh. Violette's face paled as she saw blood flowing from her leg and pooling on the ground.

"Ah! Ma'am!" A gardener passing by found Irene and shouted in panic as he approached her. "I'll call Mr. Lombardi."

Violette immediately held his hand. "No need. Call an ambulance, take me to the hospital. And please tell the hospital to keep my identity confidential."

They arrived at the hospital. As Violette had requested, the doctors kept her presence at the hospital confidential.

"Where is Mr. Lombardi? We've called him, but he's not answering the phone!" a nurse said anxiously. "We need him to sign the consent form."

"Ma'am, what should we do? Mr. Lombardi isn't answering his phone even though I've called twenty times using your number," the gardener said anxiously.

The doctor said seriously, "We can't wait. The situation could be dangerous for Mrs. Lombardi if we wait any longer. This child cannot be saved because of the delay, and Mrs. Lombardi's body is severely malnourished..."

Violette turned to look at the nurse and took the consent form. "Perform the surgery. This child... I don't need it anymore."

She had waited for this child for fifteen years. She found out about her pregnancy today and lost it on the same day.

Hans had always looked forward to this baby coming into their lives. But he wasn't there when this child needed him to save her.

Violette took off her wedding ring and threw it in the trash.

"Okay, we'll perform the surgery immediately, ma'am."

Violette stared at the ceiling of the operating room. Her face was pale, her lips colorless and marked with bite marks because she kept biting them.

The doctors and nurses were busy around her, preparing the equipment for the surgery.

"Mrs. Lombardi, we're about to begin the surgery. We'll give you anesthesia so you won't feel any pain."

"No need. Don't give me anesthesia."

She needed a reminder of when the fully developed fetus was removed from her womb and how Hans was not present.

"Okay, start the operation."

"Yes, doctor."

Violette felt something being pulled out of her body, and the pain grew sharper. She tried not to cry, but her tears could no longer be held back.

"It's over, Mrs. Lombardi. The fetus has been removed."

Violette felt her body go weak, and everything went dark.

Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.

Violette woke up to the sound of a nurse talking beside her bed.

"... yes, that's what I heard. Mr. Lombardi has been at the hospital since this morning, but he doesn't know that his wife is being treated at the hospital. He is in a VIP room with a woman. I heard that he is at the hospital because his nephew is sick after falling. Mr. Lombardi even called in all the best doctors at the hospital just to treat a child who had only a scratch. "

" I feel so sorry for Mrs. Lombardi. While her husband was taking care of another woman's child, she was waiting for approval for her surgery, but Mr. Lombardi didn't answer her calls. In the end, the baby in her womb couldn't be saved."

"It turns out that the love story of Mrs. and Mr. Lombardi was just a fairy tale. I saw Mr. Lombardi treat a woman named Irene as if she were the apple of his eye."

"Shh, let's go. We can't talk about this. No one can know about Mrs. Lombardi's surgery."

"Yes, we have to leave before Mrs. Lombardi wakes up."

The nurses' voices finally faded away. They didn't notice Violette's clenched fist under the blanket.

She opened her eyes with a blank stare, then got out of bed and pulled the IV out of her hand.

Her face was still pale. Barefoot, she walked out of her room.

She stopped at the door of the VIP room, hearing laughter and cheerful chatter from inside.

"Daddy, I'm sleepy. Read me a story."

Through the crack in the door, Violette saw Hans sitting back on the bed with Damien on his lap. Irene sat on the side of the bed, cutting fruit.

Hans was dressed casually, showing that he wasn't going to work.

Violette remembered that when she was sick, Hans had only sent a doctor to check on her, but had still gone to work.

When he received the message that Irene had a fever, he immediately rushed to her apartment and stayed the whole night, his phone off.

It was very clear how differently Hans treated the people he loved.

Violette had had enough of all this. She was going to disappear from Hans's life.

She backed away and turned to run, but bumped into a nurse carrying food for a patient, making a loud noise that drew attention.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...."

Hans came out of the VIP room and was surprised to see Violette sitting on the floor.

Violette quickly wiped her tears and tried to smile.

"Vio?" He frowned and knelt to help her up. "Why are you here? Why are you wearing a patient's gown?"

"I'm being treated here."

"Are you seriously injured?" His face turned panicked and anxious when he saw the blood flowing from Violette's wrist because she had forcibly pulled out her IV. "Why didn't you tell me?! You're bleeding!"

Violette stared at her wrist. Only a single drop of blood had come out, but it was enough to make Hans's cold face turn fearful and panicked.

He was a man who never flinched when faced with dozens of enemy guns and sneered when pushed to the brink of death. But now he was panicking and anxious just from seeing a single drop of blood on Violette's hand.

But all of that was just a facade.

Violette's heart was tired.

"I'm sorry, I was so focused on Damien that I forgot you were hurt."

"It's okay. I know Damien is more important because he is the heir to the Lombardi family." Violette smiled widely. However, her heart was crying for the child she had lost.

Hans looked at Violette's smile, sensing that something was different about her, and it made him uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry..." That was all he could say, then he realized Violette wasn't wearing shoes.

"Why did you forget to wear your shoes? Who took care of you at the hospital?

There is a gardener. But I've already sent him home.

Without saying anything, Hans carried Violette bridal style.

"Hans..." Irene came out of Damien's room and froze when she saw Hans carrying Violette.

"Damien is looking for you. His wound hurts again and he scratched it until it bled. Please persuade him to stop scratching his wound.

"Sorry, Irene. I have to take Violette to her room first."

For the first time, Hans refused Irene's request and walked away.

Violette watched Irene's face darken behind Hans's back.

Hans put Violette to bed and called the doctor to check on her.

Violette had already told all the doctors and nurses to keep quiet about her miscarriage.

Mrs. Lombardi fell, and on top of that, she's malnourished and very weak. As he said this, the doctor looked at Hans strangely and muttered, How can Mrs. Lombardi be malnourished?

A look of embarrassment flashed across Hans's eyes. It's because she's on a diet. I've told her repeatedly to stop dieting.

Violette stared at him expressionlessly, seeing the lie he was telling to cover up his embarrassment.

The doctor nodded in understanding and left.

Hans held Violette's hand gently. Vio, I'm sorry. My behavior was outrageous. If you had apologized to Irene, this wouldn't have happened. He was still blaming Violette for what had happened.

Just forget it. Irene has forgiven you, as long as you are nice to her, she will forget about this problem.

Then please thank her for me, Violette replied with a fake sweet smile. Inside, she was gritting her teeth.

Since she would be leaving soon, Violette knew it was better not to waste her energy arguing with him.

Hans smiled softly and stroked her cheek. As long as you behave yourself, everything will go back to the way it was. You will always be Mrs. Lombardi. Hans pulled the blanket up around Violette and kissed her forehead. Violette turned her face away, avoiding his kiss.

Vio... Before Hans could ask her anything, his attention was diverted by the ringing of his cell phone.

It was a call from Irene.

"Sorry, I have to go check on Damien," he said and walked out of the hospital room.

He didn't even stay long to keep her company.

Violette lay in bed and closed her eyes. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. She cried until her eyes were puffy and her voice was hoarse.

To make up for his mistake, Hans changed his attitude and treated Violette as he had before. He gave her many gifts and asked Violette's favorite restaurant to send her favorite food to her hospital room every day until she recovered.

A few days later. While waiting for Hans to pick her up, Violette walked around the hospital. She sighed enviously as she watched a pregnant woman being taken for a checkup by her husband.

She rubbed her stomach, and the pain stabbed her again. Her child was gone. She still remembered the pain when the fetus was removed from her body.

Violette took a deep breath and turned to return to her room, but bumped into someone who had just come out of the obstetric examination room.

"Ouch!"

Violette froze when she saw who was coming out of the examination room.

"What a coincidence to run into you, Violette!" Irene smiled. "Why are you here?"

Violette looked around for Hans, but only Irene was there. This was unusual because Hans was always by Irene's side.

"I should be the one asking why you're here alone and out of the examination room..." Violette's breath caught slightly when she looked toward the obstetric examination room.

Irene followed Violette's gaze and smiled proudly. "As you can see, I'm having my pregnancy checked.

Then she picked up the papers that had fallen on the floor when Violette bumped into her.

"Look, these are my pregnancy ultrasound results. I'm three months pregnant." She pointed to the ultrasound image of Violette and stroked her stomach. "This is my baby with... Hans. Isn't it beautiful? Hans always wanted a cute little daughter. He hopes this baby is a little girl."

Violette's eyes were fixed on the ultrasound image in her hand. It was painful to see that, while she had just lost her baby.

Irene was very shameless. She was carrying the child of the Lombardi siblings. Violette looked at her with disgust.

Irene watched her, as if waiting for a devastated reaction on Violette's face.

But Violette was indifferent, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing her pain.

"Oh."

"Oh?" Irene followed Violette's words in disbelief. "You should be sensible and divorce Hans!"

"Why don't you ask Hans to divorce me?" Violette shook her head in derision. "If it's Hans's child, he will definitely take responsibility for you," she continued indifferently, then walked past Irene.

Irene followed her quickly.

"Violette, don't be arrogant just because everyone praises you for Hans's love for the world. It's all fake and solely to maintain the alliance between the Renault and Lombardi families because they have to keep a barren woman like you." She then continued her sentence, smiling victoriously.

"Did you know that Damien is Hans' biological son?"

Violette didn't stop walking and considered Irene's words to be nothing more than the buzzing of insects.

It wasn't that she had never suspected it, but she was too afraid to do a DNA test on Damien and Hans.

But now she didn't care about that anymore because in two days she would leave everything behind and disappear from Hans Lombardi's life.

"You don't believe me? I'll prove it to you at the Lombardi family dinner tomorrow. Oh, I forgot to tell you that Camila didn't invite you." After saying that, Irene bumped Violette's shoulder and walked past her with her chin raised.

Violette stared coldly at her back.

Hans picked up Violette and left the hospital. Violette tried not to think about Irene's newly discovered pregnancy.

Hans drove her back to the villa. Throughout the trip, there was no conversation between them. Hans glanced back several times to check on her because it was unusual to see Violette so quiet.

"Are you still in pain?"

"No," Violette replied indifferently.

"Then why are you so quiet?"

"Ah, I'm just thinking, it's been so long since I've been home to my family," Violette replied.

Hans' expression softened.

"If you want to see your family, I'll arrange for you to visit them. I'll accompany you."

"You don't need to accompany me. I can go alone."

"How could I let you go alone? I'm going with you."

Violette looked at him indifferently, knowing it was just a false promise from Hans.

"I'm worried you'll leave Irene and Damien alone. You can't bear to leave them even for a day."

Hans's face stiffened.

"Don't talk nonsense. I'll book a ticket to France tomorrow and accompany you. It's been a long time since I visited the Renault family. I miss the Renault family's vineyard." Hans smiled slightly as he looked at her. "Remember the first time we met? You were hiding from language class and secretly eating grapes in the garden. You were so cute then."

Violette looked at him, her eyes closed as memories of their childhood flooded her mind. She first met Hans during the Lombardi family's first visit to the Renault family to discuss their engagement.

"You were crying because you wanted the grapes on the high branch, but you couldn't reach them because you were too short. You ran up to me and asked me to get the grapes for you." Hans continued his sentence nostalgically.

From that moment on, fate intertwined between them. They grew up together and eventually got married.

Violette believed that she was the only woman in Hans's life until Irene appeared and slapped her with the cruel reality. Violette closed her eyes, erasing the memory from her mind.

At that moment, her phone rang. She glanced at it and saw a message notification from Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith: Ma'am, the divorce was approved earlier today. I will send the documents to you.

Violette smiled, looking pleased and happy. Hans glanced at her and tried to peek at Violette's phone.

"Did you receive some good news today?"

Violette immediately closed her phone screen and smiled as if nothing had happened.

"Yes. I just received happy newsone of my friends finally divorced her husband."

"Your friend got divorced, but why are you happy?"

Because my friend has suffered so much. Her husband cheated on her and even had a child with his mistress. Do you think a man like that should be left? Violette looked at Hans meaningfully.

Hans chuckled and replied, Not only left, but also destroyed. They are a disgrace to all men.

Violette sneered inwardly, but in front of Hans, she only smiled and looked ahead.

***

The next day, their flight was scheduled for five in the afternoon.

Before leaving, Violette went into her old room and placed the divorce papers, the miscarriage report, and all the intimate photos and videos that Irene had sent her into Hans's safe in the wardrobe.

While they were waiting at the airport, Hans's phone rang, and Violette saw Irene's name appear on the screen. Hans stepped away to answer the call and then returned.

"Honey, I'm sorry... it looks like I can't accompany you to the Renault family. The Lombardi family elders have suddenly called an emergency meeting, and I have to be there immediately." He looked at Violette with a guilty and regretful expression.

"It's okay. I already told you I can go by myself." Violette smiled calmly. She knew it was a lie because Irene had told her that her mother-in-law was hosting a Lombardi family dinner to acknowledge Damien as Hans's son and the child in Irene's womb.

"All right, call me when you arrive in France. I'll follow you later. The guards will escort you safely."

Hans was about to kiss Violette on the forehead, but she turned her face away with a look of disgust.

Hans froze for a moment, his brow furrowed, then turned and walked away hurriedly. Several guards followed behind him. The others remained at Violette's side.

Violette crossed her legs gracefully and glanced at the guards. "You don't need to escort me. People from the Renault family will pick me up."

They looked at each other hesitantly, then obeyed her, leaving Violette alone in the waiting room.

A few moments later, Violette received a message notification from Irene.

[Hotel Eclipse. Come, I will prove to you that Damien is Hans's biological son and that the entire Lombardi family will acknowledge me.]

Violette stared at her phone screen for a while, then calmly closed it and stood up. She wasn't going to leave; that would only be insulting to herself.

She looked around one last time. A smile spread across her face; for the first time, she felt a strange sense of freedom.

Violette tore up the plane ticket Hans had given her.

"Goodbye, Hans Lombardi. We won't meet again.."

She turned and walked away without looking back.