I remembered the bio on his private account. It was just one word.
Wait.
I had asked him what it meant once.

He said it was just something he wrote.
But now, I think I knew the answer.
In three years of marriage, besides the cold wedding photo on the wall, we didn't have a single picture together.
No matter how many times I asked, he'd just say we saw each other every day and didn't need formalities like that.
Only now did I understand.
It wasn't that he didn't need them.

It was that I wasn't worthy of them.
I laughed bitterly and closed the laptop.
I booked myself a one-way ticket to Europe, for three days from now.
Then, I initiated the process to terminate all of my official identification.

Three days. That was enough time to say goodbye to the last three years.
I set a countdown as my phone's wallpaper, a constant reminder.
When he came out of the shower, I was already in bed.
He thought I was asleep and moved quietly around the room.
I didn't sleep a wink.
The next morning, I was in the bathroom when my phone rang.
James's confused voice came from the bedroom.
"Olivia, you got an email from the Department of Homeland Security? What are you terminating?"
I rushed back and snatched the phone from his hand, explaining without missing a beat.
"It's nothing. My driver's license is about to expire, I'm just scheduling a renewal."
"Don't you have to go to the port to deal with that new shipment today? You should get going."
He didn't question it. He just pulled me into his arms, his lips brushing against my ear.
"Thank you, baby. I'm so lucky to have such a sensible wife."
I smiled but said nothing.
"As a reward, I'm giving you a huge gift tonight, okay?"
"Okay. I'll be waiting for you at home."
He was trying so hard to keep me from going after Chloe.
It was time for this three-year-long sham to finally end.
The moment he left, I went and completed the final step of my identity termination.
After filling out the forms, I contacted an old family friend, a retired private investigator.
I asked him about the details of the "peace treaty." He simply told me that a treaty signed by a surviving family member was absolutely binding and could not be revoked.
I didn't ask any more questions. I just had him draft two copies of a legal statement severing all ties.
With the statements in hand, I went to the Wilson Group headquarters.
As I walked into the lobby, I heard the receptionists whispering.
"Is that Mrs. Wilson? I heard she just got back from 'rehab.' Her vibe is… no wonder Mr. Wilson would do all that for her. Even as a woman, my heart is fluttering!"
"It has to be her. That Hermès bag she's carrying is a global limited edition. I've seen the boss looking at jewelry catalogs in his office so many times. To think he'd buy her gifts on that level… so romantic…"
"I heard Mr. Wilson bought that hotel in the Caribbean just for her. They were childhood sweethearts, you know. You couldn't write a movie this good!"
Top floor. James's office. I stood at the door, listening to the familiar voices inside.
"These past three years… have you been okay?" Chloe asked.
"Mmm, better than okay. I woke up to the ocean every day. The air tasted like freedom. I haven't even thanked you properly, James. If it weren't for you, the Johnson family would have dumped my body in the ocean by now—"
"Don't say that. It's over. I know you didn't do it on purpose. Helping you was about keeping the peace between our families."
Chloe laughed, a bright, tinkling sound.
"You're still the same. If Olivia knew everything you did for me, she would lose her mind."
"This bag is too expensive, I can't accept it. You should give it to Olivia. I'm worried if she sees it, she'll go crying to the Commission again."
That was Chloe's classic move. Take everything she could get, then act magnanimous while pinning all the blame on me.
Three years ago, at the party Liam Johnson threw for her, I publicly exposed her as my mother's killer, breaking ties with them completely.
But every guest there took her side, blaming me, the "outsider," for destroying their hard-won peace.
I became the laughingstock of the entire underworld.
James's arrival was my only salvation.
But now, he was the one pushing me back into the abyss.
His secretary, rushing to deliver a contract, didn't see me and pushed the door open.
When James saw me, a flicker of panic crossed his eyes.
"Olivia? When did you get here? Don't misunderstand, Chloe just got back. We were just catching up, that's all…"
"Olivia, long time no see."
Chloe stood up, dressed in a brand-new couture gown from a Wilson-owned brand.
Her face was glowing, radiant with health.
There was not a single trace of someone who had returned from "atoning for her sins."
I smiled and nodded, forcing down the lump in my throat.
"It's fine. I was just passing by to see you. Since you're busy, I'll head home."
James thought I was angry and followed me out, trying to explain.
"Don't be like this. I was just asking how she was doing over there. I mean, a girl all alone in a place like that… it must have been hard."
"It's been three years. Shouldn't all the grudges be forgotten by now? Didn't you say it was all in the past?"
Seeing how anxious he was, I almost laughed.
He had sacrificed his own marriage to play this part for me, all to save Chloe.
Now that Chloe was back, safe and sound, who was he putting on this act for?
"Yes, it's in the past. Don't worry, I'm not unreasonable. I meant what I said."
"You go back to work. I'll be a good girl and wait for you at home."
He let out a sigh of relief and had his secretary escort me downstairs.
Before I left, he made a point to remind me that the Johnson family was hosting a grand welcome-back dinner for Chloe the next night.
Big families had to keep up appearances, after all.
The official story was that Chloe had been studying abroad in Europe. No one would mention her "incarceration."
I nodded and said I understood, promising not to cause a scene at the dinner.
Only then did he let me go.
Back home, I took the enormous wedding photograph off the wall. With a pair of scissors, I cut it to shreds, piece by piece.
Then, I tossed the scraps into the fireplace and watched them burn.