The ticking of the wall clock in the luxurious living room felt like a relentless countdown to Aris.

It was exactly 8:00 PM. He stood in the kitchen, staring silently at the wedding anniversary cake he had baked from scratch. On top, written neatly in icing, were the words: One Beautiful Year, Bella.

One year. Aris had spent 365 days in the Wijaya household as the "worthless son-in-law." For an entire year, he had endured insults, verbal abuse, and had been treated like nothing more than a servant. He bore it all for one reason: Bella, his beautiful and gentle wife—the only person who had given him hope when he was on the brink of losing everything.

Aris exhaled softly, wiping the leftover cream from his hands. He had prepared everything. Tonight, he would no longer hide his true identity. He had a grand surprise waiting: his parent company, Nexus Global, had finalized a massive investment deal—one that would single-handedly rescue the Wijaya family business from the edge of bankruptcy. He wanted Bella to be proud of him. He wanted to prove that marrying a "poor" man like him was never a mistake.

Click.

The front door opened, followed by a burst of loud chatter and laughter. Aris smiled, lit the candles on the cake, and stepped out into the living room.

However, the smile froze on his lips.

Bella wasn't alone. His in-laws, Mr. Wijaya and Mrs. Ratna, walked in with sour expressions, followed by a arrogant man in an expensive suit—Rian, the son of Mr. Wijaya’s business partner, who had been trying to woo Bella for a long time.

"Mother, Father, Bella... Good evening," Aris greeted gently, trying to break the ice. "I made a cake for—"

Splash!

Without warning, Mrs. Ratna set her luxury handbag aside, snatched a glass of ice water from the dining table, and threw it straight into Aris's face.

It was freezing. Ice water dripped from the tip of his nose, soaking the cheap shirt he wore. The cake in his hands almost slipped, but he caught it just in time. An eerie silence filled the room. Standing behind her mother, Bella gasped, her face turning pale. She opened her mouth to speak, but her mother harshly shoved her back.

"Enough, Aris!" Mrs. Ratna shrieked. "Today is an important day for our family! How dare you show your face in front of an honored guest like Rian, wearing those filthy clothes and holding that cheap cake?"

Rian let out a condescending laugh, crossing his legs as he sat on the sofa. "So this is the 'great' son-in-law you kept telling me about? He really is a shameless piece of trash."

Aris didn't move. He stood there silently, letting the water drip from his shirt onto the expensive marble floor. His eyes met Bella’s. "Bella... do you feel this way, too?"

Bella lowered her head, her lips trembling. She offered no answer, choosing instead to look away. To Aris, that silence was the most painful response of all—far worse than the icy water thrown at his face.

"Leave Bella out of this!" Mr. Wijaya cut in, his voice deep and authoritative. He stepped forward, pulled a brown envelope from inside his suit jacket, and slapped it against Aris’s chest. The envelope fell to the floor, landing right in a puddle of water. "These are the divorce papers. We’ve already signed them. Bella won't refuse—she is an obedient daughter."

Aris looked down at the soaked envelope. He could feel his heart growing cold. The year-long test he had devised for himself had reached its climax. He had wanted to see whether they loved Bella for who she was or for her wealth, and whether Bella was strong enough to stand by his side when the storm came.

"Are you certain about this?" Aris's voice was low and calm, yet possessed a sudden depth that made everyone in the room feel inexplicably uneasy.

"Certain? We’ve already planned Bella and Rian's engagement party for next week!" Mrs. Ratna sneered. "Now, get your feet out of my house. Never come back. You're nothing but a leech! For a whole year, you haven't earned a single cent. You’ve just been freeloading in this mansion!"

Aris slowly placed the anniversary cake on a side table. He looked at Bella one last time, hoping she would stop him, ask him to stay, or at least say a single word of apology. But Bella remained silent, as if she had surrendered to her fate.

Aris knew his love for Bella wasn't entirely gone, but his heart had died for this family.

"Very well," Aris said plainly. He picked up the wet envelope. "I’ll leave."

"Good! And don't expect to get a single penny from us!" Mr. Wijaya barked.

Aris let out a faint smile—a smile that would terrify anyone who knew him as the ruler of the business world. He turned around and walked toward the exit. Just at the threshold, he paused for a brief moment.

"You are throwing out the man who holds the key to your future, Mr. Wijaya," Aris whispered. His voice was soft, yet sharp enough to pierce the quiet room.

"What did you say?" Rian stood up, preparing to chase after him, but Aris had already stepped outside into the gathering rain.

Aris reached into his soaked pants pocket and speed-dialed a number. The call connected instantly.

"Sir?" A deep, respectful voice answered. It was his personal secretary, the man who managed trillions of dollars in assets on his behalf.

Aris looked back at the Wijaya family’s grand mansion one last time. His eyes were cold and devoid of mercy.

"Activate all Nexus Global assets in real estate and retail. Buy out all of the Wijaya family's corporate debt within the next hour. Give them no room to breathe. By tomorrow morning, I want to see their company completely bankrupt."

"Understood, Sir. Any other orders?"

Aris hung up the phone. He walked toward a sleek, black luxury car waiting for him at the front gate and stepped inside. He didn't look back. The test was over. Now, it was time to teach them a lesson.

Inside the mansion, an uneasy feeling suddenly washed over Bella. She watched Aris’s receding figure in the rain, then looked down at the divorce papers on the floor. A sudden dread seized her heart. Had she just thrown away the only valuable thing she ever had?

But there was no time for regret. Aris was gone, and that night was merely the beginning of an unimaginable downfall for the Wijaya family.