Friday came faster than Lina expected.
She stood in front of the mirror in the master bedroom, adjusting the simple but elegant white dress she had chosen. It was different from the modest styles she used to wear in her previous life. This dress showed her figure properly and made her look like a woman who knew her own worth. Her dark hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and her green eyes held a quiet determination that had not been there before.
She touched her stomach lightly. The small life inside her was still a secret. Only she knew.
Downstairs, the white lilies filled the main hall with their fresh, clean scent. Maggie had arranged them beautifully. Lina smiled softly when she saw them. Small changes, but they mattered.
She had spent the last three days carefully preparing. Not for Lucien's comfort this time, but for her own future. She had written more pages in her notebook, planned her first steps at Nova Agency, and thought deeply about how this conversation needed to go.
Lucien would arrive any moment now.
Lina walked to the living room and sat down on the sofa, her back straight. In her previous life, she would have been nervous, her heart racing with hope that this time he might finally show her some warmth. Today, her heart was calm. She knew exactly how this story had ended before, and she refused to walk that road again.
The sound of a car pulling up outside reached her ears. Then the front door opened.
Lucien Cole stepped inside.
He looked exactly as she remembered him at this age. Tall, handsome, with sharp features and cold, intelligent eyes. He carried the powerful aura of a man who controlled an empire. His suit was impeccable, as always.
Maggie greeted him politely. "Welcome home, Mr. Cole. Dinner will be ready soon."
Lucien nodded slightly, his gaze already scanning the hall. He paused when he noticed the white lilies.
"Lilies?" he said, his voice deep and calm, but with a hint of surprise.
Lina stood up and walked toward him.
"Welcome home, Lucien," she said softly, but her tone was steady. Not the gentle, almost pleading voice she used to have.
Lucien looked at her. For a moment, something flickered in his eyes. Perhaps surprise at her appearance. She looked different. More confident. More alive.
"You changed the flowers," he noted, handing his coat to Maggie.
"Yes," Lina replied. "White lilies are my favorite. I decided it was time to have them in my home."
Lucien raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing. He walked into the living room and sat down on the main sofa, loosening his tie a little. He looked tired from the long trip, but still in full control.
Lina sat down across from him. The distance between them felt symbolic.
They ate dinner first. The conversation was light and surface-level, the way it always had been. Lucien spoke about the Singapore deal. Lina listened quietly, nodding at the right moments. But her mind was elsewhere.
When dinner ended and Maggie cleared the table, Lina finally spoke.
"Lucien, I need to talk to you about something important."
He looked at her, leaning back in his seat. "What is it?"
Lina took a slow breath. Her voice remained calm and clear.
"I want a divorce."
The room went completely silent.
Lucien stared at her. For the first time in a long while, genuine surprise appeared on his usually cold face. He looked at her as if he had not heard correctly.
"What did you just say?"
"I said I want a divorce," Lina repeated steadily. "I have already thought about it carefully. We can handle it quietly and fairly."
Lucien's eyes narrowed. He sat up straighter, studying her face intensely.
"Is this some kind of joke, Lina?"
"It is not a joke," she said. "Our marriage has been one-sided from the beginning. You married me for convenience, and I spent three months trying to be the perfect wife. I am done pretending. I want to live my own life."
Lucien was quiet for a long moment. The silence felt heavy. He had expected many things when he returned home, but this was not one of them.
"You are my wife," he finally said, his voice low and dangerous. "You cannot simply decide to walk away."
"I can," Lina replied. Her green eyes met his without flinching. "And I will. I have already contacted a lawyer. The papers can be drawn up quickly if you agree. If not, I am prepared to wait."
Lucien stood up slowly. He walked closer to her, towering over her. In the past, this would have made her nervous. Today, she remained seated, looking up at him with calm resolve.
"What happened to you while I was gone?" he asked, his tone cold. "Three months ago you were happy to be Mrs. Cole. Now you suddenly want a divorce?"
Lina gave a small, bitter smile.
"I was never truly happy, Lucien. I was just trying very hard to be what you needed. But I realized something these past few days. I do not want to spend my life waiting for someone who will never see me."
She stood up then, facing him directly. Even though he was much taller, she did not feel small.
"I am young. I have my whole life ahead of me. I refuse to waste it being invisible."
Lucien's jaw tightened. He looked at her for a long time, as if trying to find the woman he thought he had married. The quiet, obedient Lina was gone. In her place stood someone he did not recognize.
"This is ridiculous," he said finally. "We will talk about this later when you have calmed down."
"I am very calm," Lina said. "And my decision will not change."
She turned and walked toward the stairs, leaving him standing in the living room.
"Lina," he called after her, his voice carrying a rare trace of anger.
She paused on the first step but did not turn around.
"Good night, Lucien."
Then she continued upstairs, her steps steady.
When she reached the master bedroom and closed the door behind her, Lina leaned against it and let out a long breath. Her hands were trembling slightly, but not from fear. From release.
She had done it.
She had taken the first major step toward freedom.
Downstairs, Lucien stood in the same spot for a long time, staring at the white lilies. His expression was dark and unreadable.
For the first time in his life, the woman he had married had surprised him completely.
And he did not like it.