Episode Summary
Xu Yan reaches her breaking point, using Shen Haoming's money to make a statement before giving him a divorce agreement.After her grandma has a health scare, Xu Yan decides to end the charade completely.She confronts Shen Haoming and his mistress, Fang Lei, leaves all her possessions behind, and quits her job to start fresh, realizing her success was tied to her husband's influence.
Spoiler Alert
The Breaking Point
This is the episode where Xu Yan finally stops pretending. She uses Shen Haoming's money to buy a 3 million dollar auction item, and the look on his face is priceless. He thinks he has her all figured out. But she just puts on the expensive trinket and walks away. Then, in a total power move, she gives it to Fang Lei.
Shen Haoming is convinced she's just having a tantrum. He thinks a woman like Xu Yan, who loves money and status, would never actually divorce him. He figures he can let her act out as long as it doesn't hurt his bottom line. He is so wrong.
Back at her apartment, Xu Yan looks in the mirror and doesn't even recognize herself anymore. She just breaks down crying. The whole thing feels hollow. She gets a call from her grandma, who can tell from TV that she's not happy. Xu Yan tries to sound cheerful, promising to visit next week, but she's crying silently. When her grandma mentions wanting great-grandchildren, Xu Yan completely dodges the question.
The Lie Unravels
When Xu Yan gets back to her family home, she smashes a bottle of osmanthus wine Shen Haoming gave her. It was something she had been saving, and now it's just another broken thing. She calls for her grandma but gets no answer. Panic sets in.
She finds out her grandma is in the hospital.Her father and stepmother took her, and thankfully, they got her there in time.Xu Yan is grateful they helped, but she still has nothing to say to them. She knows the lie about her perfect marriage is over. She wants to tell her grandma everything, but she can't bear to see her sad.
Meanwhile, Shen Haoming is still completely clueless. His assistant suggests having a backup plan in case Xu Yan actually leaves. Shen Haoming just scoffs, confident she'll never give up her position.
The Divorce Agreement
He really should have listened to his assistant. Xu Yan comes back, but not to reconcile. She leaves behind everything he ever gave her. Then she pulls out the divorce agreement.He tries to threaten her, but she just brings up Fang Lei. That shuts him down fast. He has no choice but to accept it.
Later, Shen Haoming walks through their home and sees that Xu Yan took nothing. Not a single thing. That's when you see the first crack in his smug exterior. He actually looks nervous.
A Slap and a Resignation
Things get messy, fast. Fang Lei finds Shen Haoming and complains that Xu Yan will surely cling to him even after filing for divorce. Right on cue, Xu Yan walks in. She sees Fang Lei holding onto his arm. Without missing a beat, Xu Yan flashes her wedding ring and slaps Fang Lei right across the face. Fang Lei is furious, but Shen Haoming just pulls her back and tells her to stop making a scene.
The rumors about the divorce are already spreading at work.Xu Yan's assistant is worried, but Xu Yan keeps a cool head to reassure her team. Her old rival, Sun Siwei, runs into her at a lawyer's office and finds out about the divorce. Sun Siwei actually gives her some decent advice, telling her not to be so extreme and to figure out what she really wants.
It seems like Xu Yan already has. Soon after, her director calls. Xu Yan tells him she's quitting. She realizes her entire career was built on her husband's influence.She wants to start over. She wants to see what she can do on her own.
