"Even after you passed away, I thought I would finally be able to breathe a little easier, but those invisible shackles remained tightly locked around my soul, leaving me completely suffocated."

"It wasn't until three months ago, when I believed my time was running out, that I finally found the courage to drop every single burden and move toward the things I actually loved."

As she spoke, she felt a sudden wetness track down her cheeks.

Reaching up, she wiped away a steady stream of tears.

Sera cleared the moisture from her eyes, took a deep, steady breath, and looked directly at her parents' portraits.

"Mom, Dad, the version of me standing here today is doing wonderfully, and my future will only get more beautiful."

The moment the words left her lips, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from behind.

Assuming it was another grieving family coming to pay respects to their ancestors, Sera stepped to the side to clear the path.

To her surprise, the individual moved right up to her side and came to a halt.

The familiar, clinical scent of hospital antiseptic drifted into her nose. She turned her head, meeting Charles's deep, dark eyes.

Charles was similarly dressed in an all-black suit, cradling a bouquet of fresh carnations in his arms.

Sera's brows knit together instinctively.

"What are you doing here?"

Charles leaned down to place the blooms gently against the base of the monument before lifting his eyes to look at her.

The moment he caught the faint redness rimming her eyes, a sharp, physical pang ripped through his heart. He spoke softly.

"Today is the day of remembrance. I came to visit Mom and Dad."

"How have you... been feeling lately? Has your body been throwing up any discomfort? Your health is fragile, and your dietary requirements—"

"Charles."

Sera cut him off with a perfectly flat, level delivery.

"These are my parents; they have absolutely nothing to do with you. Furthermore, my physical health and my medical condition are entirely none of your business. I am begging you to stop invading my space. The mere sight of your face forces me to relive the most miserable years of my life."

"In all the years we've been married, I have never once begged you for anything. But right now, I am asking you for one single thing: cooperate with the legal dissolution of this marriage, and stay away from me permanently."

Leaving those final words hanging, she pushed past his frozen, hesitant form and walked away with rapid strides.

The rain began to fall harder.

Charles stood entirely frozen on the path, his eyes locked onto Sera's retreating figure as the downpour soaked through his clothes, completely numb to the freezing chill.

The following morning.

The moment Sera woke up, her screen flashed with a notification from Charles.

"The agreement has been finalized. I consent to the divorce."

"Meet me outside the municipal registry at nine o'clock."

Sera quickly finished packing her things and headed straight to the municipal registry.

Outside the registry.

Charles was dressed in simple casual wear, with an imperceptible exhaustion hidden deep in his eyes.

Always meticulously groomed, he was so distracted today that he didn't even realize his collar was flipped.

As he saw Sera approaching, Charles lifted his eyes slightly.

"Let's go."

The two walked straight into the registry.

Sera had arranged for an expedited process in advance.

In less than half an hour, she held the official divorce certificate in her hands.

The moment her fingertips touched the freshly printed document, a wave of pure liberation washed over her entire body.

The massive boulder that had suffocated her chest for five long years was finally lifted; she could finally breathe freely.

She had, at long last, embraced a true rebirth.

The moment she stepped out of the building, Sera couldn't wait to pull out her phone, aiming the camera directly at the divorce certificate to snap a picture.

She posted the photo to her feed with a brief caption.

"Officially divorced. I no longer have any ties to Charles Vance. May we each find peace moving forward. Do not disturb."

After publishing the post, she turned to look at Charles, flashing her very first genuine, heartfelt smile in years.

Her tone was lighter than it had ever been.

"Please make things perfectly clear to your family. We are entirely done, so tell them to stay out of my life."

Charles's brows knit together.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, his tone carrying a stiff, desperate attempt to linger.

"Even though we're divorced, we can still be friends. Your health is fragile; if you ever need anything in the future, just call me. I will definitely help if I can."

Hearing this, Sera let out a soft chuckle, lightly waving the divorce certificate in front of his face.

"I'm sorry, but I don't make a habit of staying friends with my exes, and I certainly don't require your assistance. I only hope that from now on, we leave each other completely alone."

With that, she tucked the certificate away, turned on her heel, and walked away with confident strides.

Her pace never faltered, her silhouette showing absolutely no trace of lingering attachment.

Charles stood frozen in place, watching Sera drift further and further away, a sudden, vast emptiness hollowing out his chest.

In that exact moment, the crushing reality finally hit him: Sera truly didn't love him anymore.

Having reclaimed her absolute freedom, Sera headed straight to a luxury shopping center.

In the past, when she believed her days were numbered, she had felt that purchasing anything was a waste of resources.

But now that she knew her body was perfectly healthy, she wanted to indulge herself completely, buying every single thing that caught her eye.

As she was finalizing a payment, her phone began to ring.

The caller ID showed it was her former mother-in-law.

Her first instinct was to reject the call, but her finger accidentally slipped and answered it instead.

Catherine’s hypocritical voice instantly drifted through the receiver.

"Sera, dear, I saw your update online. How could you finalize something as massive as a divorce without consulting the family first?"

"You're dealing with a severe illness right now, and I really should have advised Charles against leaving you. But as you know, public reputation is everything in our social circles, and a clean divorce sounds far more dignified than leaving him a widower."

"Regardless, thank you for stepping aside for my son's sake. If your condition ever takes a turn for the worse, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We were family for five years, after all, and we certainly won't leave you entirely stranded."

Hearing these words, a flash of pure mockery crossed Sera's eyes.

"Mrs. Vance, the only reason I divorced Charles was to ensure I would never have to breathe the same air as your family again. I refused to let my legacy be intertwined with yours for eternity; the mere thought of it is repulsive."

"Furthermore, I highly recommend you hire a specialist to evaluate your family's estate, and perhaps take Charles in for a comprehensive physical. After five years of marriage, he failed to father a single child and managed to stress his wife into a fake terminal illness. I'd hate for him to ruin another innocent woman's life in his next marriage."

Before her former mother-in-law could recover from the shock and speak, Sera cut the line cleanly.

She proceeded to systematically block every single number associated with the Vance family.

After finishing her shopping spree, she headed into a nearby restaurant, ordering an extensive spread of every dish she had been craving.

Halfway through her meal, someone suddenly called out her name.

"Sera Moss?"

Sera traced the voice and found her former supervisor, William, standing nearby.

William was completely unshaven, his clothes wrinkled and disheveled—a stark, pathetic contrast to the polished corporate executive image he used to project.

"I didn't expect to run into you here."

Sera set her cutlery down and sat up straight, looking at the man who had spent years manipulating her.

"I didn't expect to see you either."

William sat down across from her without an invitation.

The moment his eyes fell upon her radiant, healthy complexion, he froze in surprise.

"You look significantly better than before. I suppose traveling and taking time off really does wonders for a person."

As he spoke, a bitter edge of envy crept into his tone.

"I've been keeping track of your photography page. You're practically an elite digital creator with ten million followers now. Your net worth must be on a completely different level."

Sera merely offered a faint smile, refusing to take the bait, waiting silently for him to reveal his true colors.

Predictably, the resentment and jealousy William had been harboring for months erupted all at once.

"Sera, have you completely forgotten how I took you under my wing and advocated for your advancement when you first joined the firm? I poured so much capital into your career, and how did you repay me?"