Xixi sat on the leather couch, her hands folded tightly on her lap.
The papers Lin Feng had given her lay neatly in front of her. Divorce papers.
She had been staring at them for hours, waiting for the right moment to tell Fang Li.
Tonight, he came home late, smelling of alcohol. She knew his temper would flare, but she couldn't hold back anymore.
When he walked into the living room, loosening his tie, Xixi stood.
Her voice was steady, though her hands trembled.
"Fang Li. I want a divorce."
The room fell silent. He froze in place, staring at her. Then, slowly, he smirked.
"What did you just say?"
"I said I want a divorce," she repeated. Her dark brown eyes met his. "This marriage… it's killing me."
He let out a low laugh, shaking his head. "Gu Xixi, are you out of your mind? Do you even know what you're saying? You're my wife. My property."
"I am not your property," she shot back. Her voice cracked, but she pushed on. "You hurt me every day. You use me. I don't love you. I won't live like this anymore."
The smirk vanished.
His expression darkened, and his steps grew heavy as he walked closer. "You think you can leave me just like that? After everything I've done for you? I made you, Xixi.
Without me, you'd be nothing. Just another struggling actress."
"You may have given me a chance," she said firmly, "but you destroyed me in the process. I'd rather be nothing than stay with you."
His hand slammed down on the table, rattling the divorce papers. His voice rose.
"You dare talk back to me?!"
"I dare," she whispered. "For once, I dare."
Fang Li's face twisted with rage.
He grabbed the papers, glanced at them, then tore them in half and threw the pieces to the floor.
"Divorce? You think it's that easy? If you leave me, I'll make sure the world knows what kind of woman you really are. I'll destroy your career. I'll destroy you."
Her chest tightened, but she lifted her chin. "Do what you want. I'm not afraid anymore."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice to a cold hiss.
"Oh, you will be. I'll tell the media you cheated on me.
That's why you want a divorce, isn't it? Because you've been warming another man's bed?"
"That's a lie!" she shouted, her eyes burning with tears. "You know that's not true."
"The truth doesn't matter," he sneered. "What matters is what people believe. And they'll believe me."
Her heart pounded. Fang Li had power, connections in the industry, in the media.
If he spread such rumors, her reputation could collapse overnight.
And then it happened.
The next morning, the headlines exploded.
"Gu Xixi Cheats on Husband Fang Li – Secret Affair Revealed!"
Her phone buzzed nonstop.
Her manager called, panicked, reporters swarmed the agency, fans flooded social media with accusations.
The scandal spread like fire, and every news outlet carried the story.
Xixi sat in her dressing room, scrolling through the hateful comments. Her chest tightened with every word. Slut. Betrayer. Fake idol.
Tears blurred her vision. She wanted to scream, to deny everything, but she knew this was Fang Li's doing. He had followed through on his threat.
When she returned home that evening, Fang Li was waiting.
He leaned back on the couch, watching her with a cruel smile.
"See? Didn't I tell you? One word from me, and your perfect image is ruined. Who will want you now? Who will hire you? You're finished, Xixi."
Her lips trembled. "Why are you doing this to me? I never wronged you. I just wanted to be free."
"Free?" He laughed bitterly. "You don't get to walk away from me. You chose me, and now you'll live with the consequences."
"I never chose you," she snapped, her voice rising. "You tricked me, trapped me, and then destroyed me. I regret every day I spent with you."
The words struck him like a slap. His eyes narrowed. In one swift move, he stood and grabbed her arm, dragging her toward the door.
"Fine. You want to leave? Then get out!"
She struggled, but his grip was iron. He yanked the door open and shoved her out into the hallway. She stumbled, nearly falling.
"From today on, you're nothing!" he shouted. "Don't come crawling back to me when the world turns its back on you!"
The door slammed in her face.
For a long moment, Xixi stood frozen, her body trembling.
The corridor was quiet, but inside her chest, everything roared.
He had thrown her out. He had ruined her name.
But strangely, beneath the fear and heartbreak, there was a small spark of hope.
She was free.
Her eyes stung with tears, but she whispered to herself, "I'll survive this. I'll rebuild. He won't break me."
Pulling her coat tighter, Gu Xixi walked away from the house that had been her prison. She had nothing now.
No home, no reputation but she also had nothing left to lose.
She walked down the street in the cold night.
She had no idea where to go.
Her face was already on every news channel, her name dragged through the mud.
Her phone buzzed again. Hana, her manager, called. Xixi hesitated before answering.
"Xixi, what is happening? The company is furious. The sponsors are pulling out. They said if you don't clear this, your career is over. Did you really cheat?"
Xixi's chest tightened. "No. It's all lies. Fang Li planted it."
"I'm afraid there is nothing I can do right now "
"Stay low," Hana said before hanging up. "I'll try to calm things, but this is bad."
Xixi slipped the phone into her bag. She wanted to collapse, to cry until there was nothing left.
Then she remembered L
in Feng's words . "You don't have to go through this alone."
Maybe, just maybe, he was the only person who could help her now.