When she opened the door, Ariel found a staff member wearing the resort villa’s uniform standing by the door.

The staff member smiled at Ariel and said, “Ms. Walker, are you satisfied with your room? We have another room on this floor that has a better view. Should we help you move to that room instead?”

Ariel glanced over her shoulder and scanned her suite.

They were staying at a pretty luxurious resort villa. The room she was given was already more than satisfactory in many aspects.

Ariel shook her head. “It’s alright. This room is good enough for me.”

The staff member hesitated for a moment. Then, he beamed. “Alright, Ms. Walker. Do let me know if there’s anything you need.”

Ariel did not think much of what had just happened. She closed the door and went back to sorting her clothes.

Since they were not throwing a really formal party, the attendees could enjoy the occasion in a more relaxed, laid- back manner.

Ariel had been feeling quite exhausted with how busy things had been lately.

The resort villa boasted various entertainment facilities and several types of herbal hot springs.

Ariel had brought her swimwear with her, as she planned to take a dip during her free time.

It was only a little past 5:00 pm when she was done sorting her things. Ariel still needed to get changed before heading over to the hall.

Ding.

Her phone’s notification ringtone sounded.

Ariel picked up her phone and glanced at the screen. Betty had sent her a WhatsApp message.

“Ari, I came to the marital home today to see how things are going so far. The house’s interior looks really different now. I think it’ll take another two to three months to finish up the finer details.”

Betty also included several photos.

Even without clicking on the photos to enlarge them, Ariel could tell they were photos of the living room on the first floor taken from different angles.

She could see how different that space looked now. Ariel could hardly recognize the place.

The house was still undergoing some major construction work. However, Ariel observed that the style of the interior design for some parts of the house was completely different from the choices she had made previously.

Ariel had already been informed about the sweeping changes Jayson was making inside the house, yet this piece of information had not felt real to her.

Now that she was seeing actual photos of the house, Ariel finally realized how Jayson hadn’t bothered to preserve the space she had decorated herself and once considered as her home.

Jayson had stripped the five–story house of every trace of Ariel. It was as though even a lingering reminder of their three–year marriage was too much for him to bear.

She left the photos untouched. Whatever she was feeling, it defied explanation–an overwhelming sense of

Chapter Det

disbelief, perhaps, or something even harder to name.

Be it a vase or a simple ornament, Ariel had great hopes for her new life there as she slowly decorated the house bit by bit with those items.

She had stayed at the place for three years, It would be hard for her to say that she felt nothing upon seeing all her past efforts reduced to ruins.

Still, Ariel sent a reply to Betty. “It looks quite nice.”

Betty sent her a few more photos this time.

“Ari, did you happen to leave this behind?”

A lipstick could be seen in the photos that Betty had sent her.

Ariel instantly recognized the unfamiliar lipstick. Neither the brand nor the color was anything she’d ever used. It

wasn’t hers.

The lipstick was found inside the nursery that many people had been talking about.

The room was already pretty much completed. It was quite obvious that a great deal of thought had gone into the nursery’s design.

Ariel remained completely unruffled this time. She responded to Betty’s message. “You can just leave it there.”

Without offering any other explanations, Ariel left her room.

She took the elevator to get to the ground floor.

The hall where the party would be held was located in another building. Ariel would be taking a shuttle bus to get there.

When she was waiting outside the resort’s entrance, a man’s voice came from behind her. “Ms. Walker.”

Ariel greeted him with a nod when she saw Perry walking toward her. After a brief pause, she asked out of courtesy, “You’re staying here as well?”

Perry looked at her and replied, “I was invited to the party as well.”

Ariel nodded.

Perry was close to Jayson and the others. It was no surprise that he would be attending the party as well.