Early the next morning, Ariel quickly got ready and headed straight to the hospital.

She had a packed day ahead of her.

She had chemotherapy scheduled in the morning, along with handling the divorce certificate. In the afternoon, she was set to meet Perry, who would be bringing his doctor friend along.

Her first chemotherapy session was booked for 8:30 am. Before that, she met with Lesley to confirm the treatment plan.

When Lesley saw her, she couldn’t help but frown. She glanced down at Ariel’s file, then sighed softly. “You’re only 25, far too young. The uterus plays such an important role in a woman’s life. I really hope you’ll reconsider.”

Even Lesley struggled with the idea of removing it.

Most women this age were unmarried and childless. It just felt like such a shame to have the uterus removed.

Ariel offered a gentle smile. “It’s alright. I’ve thought it through.”

Lesley asked again, “Are you married?”

Ariel looked down, idly rubbing the cold skin of her fingers before answering with a calm smile, “I’m getting divorced today.”

Lesley blinked in surprise, completely thrown off.

And then came the look of unspoken pity. Divorce and hysterectomy happening at the same time couldn’t be a

coincidence.

She assumed Ariel’s husband was leaving her because of her illness and because she could no longer have children.

Lesley sighed inwardly at the cruelty of people.

Then she carefully walked Ariel through the treatment plan again. The odds of full recovery after three rounds of chemotherapy and surgery were still uncertain.

The surgery success rate was only about 40%.

Ariel accepted it all without flinching.

“Will I lose my hair?” she asked.

That was one thing she hadn’t figured out how to hide yet. If it were too obvious, people would start asking questions.

Lesley shook her head. “Not necessarily. It depends on the meds we use. Don’t worry just yet.”

That settled Ariel a little. “Alright, could you print the plan for me?”

Lesley typed out the detailed plan.

Ariel skimmed through it. She would go through three rounds of chemotherapy, followed by a full hysterectomy in two months.

Ariel tucked the papers and forms into her bag and made her way to the oncology department.

At that hour, she was the first patient.

Ariel gave herself a mental pep talk, took several deep breaths, then walked in.

The session took about 20 minutes.

Lesley had told her the first two rounds of chemotherapy wouldn’t be too harsh and that the side effects would be manageable.

But Ariel still ended up completely drained. She couldn’t stop vomiting. Her stomach emptied until there was nothing left but bile.

One of the nurses, seeing how pale and weak she looked, asked gently, “Is there no one here with you?”

Ariel wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, already num to the question. “I’m fine alone.”

She allowed herself just 20 minutes to rest before touching up her makeup and heading straight to the courthouse.

When she reached the intersection, it was exactly 9:50 am.

As soon as she arrived, she spotted a black Maybach parked across the street in the shopping district lot near the courthouse. The license plate was unmistakable.

It was Jayson’s car.

He was early today.

Ariel quickly understood why. Today marked the real end of their marriage. Of course he would be eager to get it over with.

She was about to look away when she saw Colton approaching the car with a paper bag from a well–known coffee brand in his hand.

He didn’t seem to notice Ariel, as he walked straight to the car and opened the back door.

Right then, Ariel saw a slender hand reach out from inside the car to take the coffee.

Nancy was in Jayson’s car.

Even on the day they were finalizing the divorce, he had brought Nancy along. Was it to let her witness the ending for herself and give her a sense of security?

Ariel understood Jayson’s intentions and gave a faint, bitter smile. Shaking off her thoughts, she walked into the courthouse alone.

The place was nearly empty today. The large hall felt cold and hollow.

She saw Jayson sitting in the front row. His gaze was on the scrolling screen above.

Beside him sat a sharp–looking man in a tailored suit. It was Matt’s lawyer cousin, Edward.

Ariel stood there, puzzled for a few seconds, before finally walking over.

Jayson noticed her right away. He still looked unwell. His arm was tightly bandaged, and his already pale face seemed even more bloodless today.

“Have a seat,” he said, glancing toward her.

But when he saw how sickly she looked, he paused briefly.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked.

Ariel greeted Edward politely before taking a seat. She didnt answer Jayson’s question. Instead, she turned to Edward. “Mr. Graham, what brings you here today?”

Edward gave a polite smile. “Ms. Walker, the courthouse rejected the agreement you two previously signed. Some of the terms need to be revised and clarified. I’ve prepared new copy for review. Please take a look.”