Chapter 177: Video Exposed

He didn't say anything. He just waited for me to speak first.

I pressed my lips together. "William, when are you free today? Let's go to City Hall and get the divorce paperwork done."

Bang!

A loud crash came through the phone—the sound of it hitting the floor. Then static, then nothing.

I hung up and sat on the balcony lounge chair, staring blankly outside.

A few minutes later, my phone rang again. Andrew.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Spencer..."

Andrew hesitated. "Mr. Spencer asked me to tell you—two o'clock this afternoon."

"Okay."

I took a deep breath.

I'd imagined this moment more times than I could count. But now that it was here, it still didn't feel real.

My mind was foggy. My emotions felt weightless. Everything in front of me seemed distant, like a dream I hadn't fully woken up from.

Maybe because the road to this freedom had been long and messy. Or maybe because I was about to become someone new.

I steadied myself. Told myself not to overthink it. Just take it one step at a time.

I thought back to my days at Stellar Innovations—how I'd handle any technical problem by quieting my mind, clearing the noise, breaking it down piece by piece until it was solved.

Before I left, Emily stopped me.

She made me change into a bright red trench coat, then carefully painted my lips with a deep red gloss.

"This is a fresh start. You should greet it looking alive."

She even wanted to run out and buy party decorations.

I laughed and told her we didn't have time.

That little moment helped. The heaviness I'd been carrying eased just a little.

I knew this was what I'd wanted all along.

I was finally about to walk out of a marriage that had been suffocating me for years. Exactly what I'd wished for.

I pulled myself together and drove to City Hall. I arrived right at two.

Not early. Not late. Right on time.

I was on time. But William wasn't there yet.

Four years of marriage, and I was always the one waiting for him.

Even now—at the end—I was still waiting.

At least it wasn't a long wait.

A few minutes later, a black Maybach pulled up to the curb.

A tall man stepped out, his presence sharp and commanding, like the whole street belonged to him.

His face was cold, his mood clearly sour, and he made no effort to hide it.

I couldn't tell what was behind it. Maybe now that he didn't have to keep up appearances anymore, he'd finally let the mask slip.

Then I saw it.

The back door opened, and two figures stepped out.

Jane had her arm linked through Thalia's, walking behind William with her chin raised, like she'd already won.

She had no idea William already knew everything about her and Daniel.

I had a feeling today wasn't going to go the way anyone expected.

William shook off the two women following him and walked straight past me without slowing down. "Hurry up. Wasn't this what you've been dying for, day and night?"

I let the sarcasm slide and quietly followed. "Okay."

But I couldn't help glancing back over my shoulder. "Looks like you brought the whole cast today. Mr. Spencer, you're efficient—planning to wrap everything up at once. Taking all this heat just to clean up your father's mess. That's dedication."

He looked down at me, his voice flat. "I never realized you were this good with words."

"That's because the old me... was still in love with you."

The old me loved him so quietly I'd lost myself in it.

I couldn't say a harsh word to him. I couldn't bear to hurt him.

He stopped walking. His whole body went still.

This was the first time he'd ever heard me say it so plainly.

But that love was already in the past. It was only now—at the very end—that I could finally say it without holding back.

He turned and looked at me, his eyes a tangle of tenderness and something raw. "And now? Do you feel nothing for me at all?"

His voice was flat, distant, like he was speaking to a stranger.

But the question still hit hard.

I reached the entrance of City Hall and avoided the question. I pointed at the self-service kiosk inside. "I'll go grab a number. Wait for me."

"No need. I'll make it faster. Just like you wanted."

As he said that, a staff member in a suit hurried out from the office and greeted him first. "Mr. Spencer, right this way."

William gave a slight nod, then glanced at me. "I know you're in a hurry. I saved you the trouble of standing in line."

"I never knew you could be this considerate."

I meant it.

Back then, everything he did had a calculated air to it—like he was checking off tasks on a list. It wasn't careless, but it was never truly from the heart.

He never once thought of me on his own.

I never expected it would take our marriage ending for me to feel even a sliver of accommodation from him.

In that moment, I thought—maybe this marriage wasn't a complete waste after all.

William and I went into the office alone. Jane and Thalia stayed in the lobby.

Everything went smoothly.

The staff member took our documents, had everything verified, and handed us the papers to sign.

He said it would take less than ten minutes to finalize everything after that.

I signed first.

When it was William's turn, his phone rang.

He answered. The call lasted about ten seconds.

When he hung up, his face was ice. "We're not finishing this today."

He turned to leave.

My first thought was that something urgent had come up with the Spencer family.

I stood up immediately, a knot forming in my chest. "Why are you backing out now? We're this close. All you have to do is sign. How can you go back on your word?"

"Me? Going back on my word?"

He spun around, his eyes cold and sharp, fixed on me. "You know exactly why. Eleanor, who's the one who really broke their promise?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I've never broken any promise."

"Don't play dumb. When did you get so good at this?"

His face was tight, barely holding back the anger burning underneath. If we weren't in a public building, he would've lost it completely.

"Playing dumb? I've been nothing but honest. The one who's been lying this whole time is standing right next to you. Can you really not see it?"

His baseless accusation made me snap back without thinking.

"You won't stop until we've torn everything apart!"

He pulled out his phone, opened a page, and held it up to my face. "Look. This is all you."

I froze.

It was a trending topic that had exploded online just minutes ago.

In a few short minutes, it had already amassed hundreds of thousands of comments.

The headline hit me like a punch to the chest: #SilverlightCityEliteScandal – Illicit Relationship Between Spencer Family Guardian and His Adopted Daughter!

Below it were dozens of candid photos of the two of them together.

The post was full of exaggeration and sensational detail—clearly written to stir up outrage.

And the blurred video thumbnail at the center of it all... was exactly the footage I had filmed last night in the backyard of the Foster estate.

A wave of cold dread washed over me.