It was evening by the time she got home.

The moment Wren Wynter pushed the door open, the pungent smell of herbal medicine hit her, making her cough violently.

"Miss Wynter, this is the secret fertility remedy that Madam paid a great deal for. I’ve already brewed it, portioned it out, and put it in the fridge. You’re to drink three bags a day with your meals. You can stop when you get pregnant." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Nanny Lewis, the maid sent by her mother-in-law, Helen Sawyer, saw her return and immediately placed a bowl of a pitch-black, unidentifiable substance in front of Wren. "Madam told me to watch you drink the first bowl."

Wren suppressed her nausea and stirred the concoction with a spoon.

"Please go back and tell my mother-in-law that I’m a doctor myself. Not only are these folk remedies useless, but they can also be poisonous."

"Miss Wynter, Madam wanted me to remind you that this medicine is for your own good. You’re not some pampered heiress anymore, so don’t be so delicate."

Nanny Lewis’s contemptuous gaze pricked Wren’s heart like a needle.

When she was sixteen, her parents died unexpectedly.

The once-glorious Wynter Family collapsed overnight. Helen Sawyer, who had once doted on her, had a complete change of heart and tried several times to call off her engagement to Kaden Xavier.

Fortunately, Old Madam Xavier was resolute. She brought Wren into the Xavier Family home to be cared for, treating her with the same love she would give her own granddaughter.

Three years ago, she had even personally arranged the wedding between Wren and Kaden Xavier.

Helen Sawyer didn’t dare to defy her elder, so she directed all her frustration toward Wren instead. On top of that, being married for three years with no children made Helen Sawyer even more displeased with her.

To avoid putting Kaden Xavier in a difficult position, Wren had always been accommodating.

And now, even a maid dared to be so insolent.

"I’m not drinking it. Take the medicine with you," Wren said as she stood up. Her voice was quiet, but every word was clear. "Also, I am the mistress of this house. In the future, you are not to enter without my permission."

"That’s not for you to decide—"

"Nanny Lewis, that’s enough."

A deep male voice came from the doorway. Wren turned her head and met Kaden Xavier’s deep, piercing eyes. He was holding an exquisitely wrapped gift bag. His slightly furrowed brow made Nanny Lewis shiver, and she quickly adopted a respectful tone.

"Sir, you’re back. Madam asked me to—"

"I heard everything. Leave the medicine and go home for now." Kaden Xavier cut her off. His tone was flat, betraying no emotion, but it carried a clear warning. "I’ll talk to Mom myself. There’s no need for you to report back to her."

Nanny Lewis froze for a moment, then quickly understood his meaning. She hastily agreed and fled in a panic.

The room returned to silence.

Wren lowered her eyes in exhaustion, only to hear Kaden’s reproachful voice.

"Why bother starting a conflict with a maid over something so trivial?"

As he spoke, he picked up the medicine and poured it straight down the kitchen sink.

"You could have just agreed and then secretly poured it out later. Arguing with Nanny Lewis only blows things out of proportion and makes Mom give you an even harder time. Wren, you’re still so thoughtless and immature."

He’d been back for a while, just quietly watching as Nanny Lewis humiliated her. Then he calmly stepped in to clean up the mess and give her a lecture for good measure.

Would he have done the same if it were Seraphina Sutton?

The stream of water washed away the dark concoction, and with it, the last trace of warmth in Wren’s heart. She took a deep breath. "Kaden Xavier, I have something to tell you."

"Wren, I have something for you."

They spoke at the same time.

Kaden Xavier’s lips curved into a smile. He pulled her down to sit on the sofa, as if placating a child. "What did you want to say? Why so serious? How about you look at your gift first—"

"Kaden Xavier, let’s get a divorce."

The moment the words left her lips, the atmosphere in the living room turned icy cold.

The smile on Kaden’s face froze for an instant. He frowned, then rose and crouched in front of the sofa, his tall frame nearly engulfing Wren. "Wren Wynter, say that again."

"I said, let’s get a divorce," Wren repeated herself clearly, handing him the divorce papers she had picked up after work. "Take a look at this. If there are no issues, you can sign it. I’ve already consulted someone about the divorce process, so first, we have to—"

She calmly explained the steps her lawyer had outlined, but Kaden just stared at her. After a long moment, he let out a low chuckle and reached out to touch her face.

Wren turned her head to avoid his touch. His hand met empty air, but he didn’t seem annoyed, his tone laced with condescension and exasperation.

"Wren, don’t be so childish. It was my fault for forgetting our anniversary, but ’divorce’ isn’t a word you can just throw around. There’s no point in trying to threaten me with this."

"Threaten?" Wren’s eyes stung, but she had long since run out of tears. "You think I’m threatening you?"

"Aren’t you?" Kaden stood up, looking down at her as if she were a misbehaving pet. "Wren, I know how much you love me, which is why I’m willing to tolerate you getting jealous over Seraphina for no reason. But there’s a limit to everything. If you take it too far, you’ll be the one to suffer."

With that, Kaden opened the gift bag with the luxury brand logo and presented it to her. "Alright, stop saying things you don’t mean. Look at this. We spent a long time picking it out. I’m sure you’ll love it."

We?

Wren’s heart trembled, and she instinctively glanced at the gift box.

On the black velvet lining, a gemstone necklace sparkled dazzlingly. But what stood out even more was the handwritten card next to it.

[Dr. Wynter, seeing how upset you were today, Kaden and I specially chose this gift for you. We hope you like it.]

The signature at the bottom, "Seraphina Sutton," was written in ink that hadn’t even dried yet. It felt like a twisted hand, slapping Wren hard across the face.

Kaden Xavier and Seraphina Sutton had picked out a gift together to reward her for her help.

What in the world did he take her for?!

An unprecedented rage surged through Wren, but it burned out in an instant, leaving only the icy numbness of utter despair.

She trembled all over, panting heavily. When she saw Kaden pick up the necklace to put it around her neck, she slapped his hand away and shrieked, her composure shattering. "Kaden Xavier, I told you! I want a divorce! Right now!"

Caught off guard, Kaden dropped the necklace, and it clattered to the floor. He frowned in displeasure, his tone finally turning stern. "Wren, if you keep making a scene, I—"

Suddenly, his phone rang, interrupting him. The name "Seraphina" glowed brightly on the screen.

He answered the call, quickly said, "I’ll be right over," and hurriedly grabbed his jacket.

"Seraphina isn’t feeling well, so I’m going to check on her. You stay home and rest. If you don’t like the necklace, you can exchange it. Be good, okay?"

He offered a few perfunctory words and was about to leave, but Wren blocked his path.

"Kaden Xavier, you’re not leaving!" Wren cried, losing control.

"Wren Wynter!" Kaden snapped her name, his expression full of irritation. "Now is not the time for your childish tantrums. Seraphina’s situation is urgent. Whatever it is, we can talk about it another day—"

Another day?

It’s always another day!

In his world, anything concerning her could always be pushed to ’another day’!

The last shred of reason in Wren’s mind vanished. The moment Kaden gripped the doorknob, she grabbed his arm in a death grip.

"I don’t want another day, I want today! Just agree to the divorce, and I’ll never stop you again!"

"Wren Wynter, can’t you get your priorities straight? Stop acting like a hysterical shrew. I don’t like it."

Her constant repetition of the word "divorce" filled Kaden with an unprecedented sense of frustration.

"Calm down. We can talk about this when I get back!"

He roughly pried her fingers off, pushed her forcefully away, and strode out without a single backward glance.

Thrown off balance, Wren stumbled back, a sharp, piercing pain shooting through her previously sprained ankle. She leaned against the wall and slowly slid to the floor. In the empty living room, she finally broke down and sobbed.

And as she cried, she began to laugh.

She had thought she would spend a lifetime of happiness with Kaden Xavier. She never imagined it would end like this, with her being called a ’shrew’.