On that evening, Maria waited for her husband with a restless feeling because she couldn't reach Hans. She didn't know why Hans's number was inactive that night, and she vividly remembered her mother-in-law's reaction when Maria shared her suspicions with her husband.

Maria continued to pour alcohol into her glass, hoping her anxiety would disappear. Shortly after, she heard a sound from the living room.

Maria walked towards the front door and saw her husband just entering the house.

"Why are you coming home so late?" Maria asked suspiciously.

"Hah, I just stepped inside, and you're already nagging at me!" Hans replied irritably.

"I'm just asking. If you don't want to answer, fine," Maria said, leaving to continue her drink.

Hans followed his wife from behind, curious about what she was doing in the kitchen at this late hour. He was slightly surprised to see her drinking alcohol.

"Maria! Why are you drinking? Don't you know what day it is tomorrow? You still have to go to the office!" Hans exclaimed.

Maria looked a bit annoyed at Hans, gripping her glass tightly, and started yelling at her husband.

"Maria, Maria, Maria! Why do you always call me by my name now? Where are all the sweet words you used to say? Haven't you always called me 'darling'? Ohhh, has that nickname now moved on to Natalie? Is that it?" Maria exploded over a trivial matter.

Hans seemed irritated by Maria's question. He massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on as his wife continued to corner him.

"So, what do you want now?" Hans suddenly asked.

"W-what? Are you asking what I want? Do you expect me to suggest divorce? Don't dream! No matter what, I will never let that woman take my place!" Maria yelled at Hans.

Their argument woke up Mrs. Cowell, who was sleeping.

"What are you two doing at this time of night? Can't you let your mother sleep peacefully?" Hans's mother scolded as she approached them.

"Mother, I'm sorry, um, we were just discussing something. Please go back to sleep," Hans said, urging his mother to return to her room.

"Tell me, what are you arguing about in the middle of the night?" Hans's mother asked, curious about what was happening.

"Nothing, Mother," Hans couldn't finish his sentence before Maria interrupted.

"This is about Natalie, Mother. As I told you earlier, Hans is cheating again!" Maria exclaimed, pointing at her husband.

"D-did you tell Mother? You've gone too far, Maria!" Hans scolded Maria.

"What's too far? Your mother should know about this, right? Just like when I was your mistress!" Maria turned and yelled at Hans.

"Enough! Stop your argument! Both of you should remember, all of this is the result of what you've sown, Maria. And Hans, where is your dignity as a man? I'm upset listening to both of you!" Hans's mother said before leaving them.

"All of this is because of you!" Hans pointed at Maria's face and then left her.

Maria felt exhausted and helpless, sitting in the vast room with no one to console her.

Days passed, and Hans's relationship with Natalie grew closer. They met and had meals together frequently, seemingly forgetting about Maria, who was still Hans's legal wife.

In the midst of Maria's thoughts, she finally remembered someone who would surely help her. Maria quickly grabbed her phone and contacted that person.

She dialed the number and made the call. Shortly after, someone on the other end picked up.

"Hello!" greeted the person Maria called.

"Oh, brother! How are you?" Maria asked.

"I'm fine, how about you? What's going on?" the person, a man, inquired.

"I'm not doing well, brother. Can you meet me? Just accompany me for a while, please?" Maria requested.

"Would your husband mind if we meet?" the man on the other end asked.

"No way, brother. My husband and I are very open. Don't worry. Will you come?" Maria asked again, trying to persuade him.

"Alright, send me the address, and I'll head there later," the man finally agreed to Maria's request.

Maria looked relieved after making that call.

"See, Natalie, not only does your face resemble Jessie's, but I'll make sure your fate is the same as hers," Maria said with a cunning smile.

Maria quickly chose a place to meet her acquaintance and sent the details through a text message.

Lunchtime arrived, and Maria hurried to the meeting place with the man she had called.

Upon arrival, Maria had to wait for a while until the man showed up.

Finally, the person she was waiting for arrived. He was wearing a jacket and long pants, even though it was summer.

Maria waved her hand to get his attention.

"Brother! It was a bit difficult to find the place, huh?" Maria greeted while inviting the man.

"Well, I was a little confused," he replied. "Is there a problem that you asked me to meet?"

"Um, brother Gadi, can I ask for your help this time? I'm a bit troubled by someone. This girl," Maria began showing Gadi a photo of Natalie.

Gadi took the photo and examined it.

"What do you want?" Gadi asked.

"Make her disappear!" Maria ordered with a fierce expression.

Gadi stared at Maria intently, as if he had known her for a long time. Thus, he wasn't surprised by Maria's request.

"Make her vanish without a trace, and make sure you're not caught," Maria insisted.

"Don't worry, this is just a small job. But this time, I want to ask for compensation," Gadi said.

"Whatever it is," Maria replied, subtly indicating her understanding of what Gadi might ask for.

Gadi smiled at her, appearing enthusiastic.

Maria quickly provided information about Natalie, including her residence, Natalie's boutique, and the places Natalie often visited.

"For now, I can only give you this information. The rest, I'm sure you can handle," Maria said, handing Gadi several sheets of paper containing details about Natalie.

"Don't worry, trust all of this to me," Gadi said, taking the papers.

The two of them looked perfectly matched with their fierce expressions. Maria's sinister intentions were now set in motion.