Was it because she was nobility? Gloria wasn’t simply impressed by Isabel’s ability to maintain her dignity even in this situation.

There was clearly something more.

“Let me say again, I no longer have feelings for your husband. I don’t even know how I felt before.”

“How unpleasant, Miss Gloria. You were shameless enough to covet what belonged to another, but now my husband isn’t worth it?”

“No, that’s not what I meant…… To me, having lost my memories, your husband is practically a stranger. So I can’t fully understand why you’re angry.”

Continuing with excuses made her words sound strange. Would it be odd to say her husband was attractive here?

“However, if what I did is clear, then regardless of my memories, I agree I should take responsibility.”

Strictly speaking, Gloria hadn’t lost her memories — she was a different person. The soul of the person Isabel should truly be angry at was already dead and gone. That was a maddening fact only Gloria knew.

“As you said, if you hadn’t known, I would have kept quiet forever. But now I know that you know.”

“You’re so shameless.”

‘That is my role, I suppose……’

It was a position where it was hard to look good no matter what. Whatever choice she made, it was Gloria’s fault.

If she kept it secret for Isabel’s sake, she was a hypocrite; if she revealed the affair to give her a choice, she was selfish.

Strangely, both were for Isabel’s sake while simultaneously being for Gloria’s own benefit. Yet no one benefited.

That’s why she had chosen to hope Isabel would never know.

Gloria understood how painful it was to face a husband’s infidelity.

Her mother’s crying still echoed vividly in her ears. It had sounded almost like an animal’s wail.

Kang Jae-hee had never heard a person make such a sound before. She was 15 at the time.

Coincidentally, Kang Jae-hee had lost her father at the same age Gloria had lost her parents. It would have been better if he had died — then she could have mourned.

Though she hated her father to death, she couldn’t help prioritizing her mother’s emotions unfolding before her eyes.

How could anyone judge right and wrong after seeing that?

That’s why she had hoped Isabel would never know and everything would end quietly, but unfortunately, Isabel had come knowing everything.

When Gloria was Kang Jae-hee, she had been a reader cheering for Isabel’s happy life. Seeing her living like this now didn’t feel good.

She wanted to help Isabel.

A strange, ambiguous distance — not a stranger, but not close enough to ignore. From that ambiguous feeling, Gloria wanted to be the villain who helped her.

Like the antagonist in the novel.

“What will you do after I meet your husband again?”

“Why, are you afraid I’ll spread rumors now?”

“It’s more that I don’t understand.”

Isabel wanted to pull the affair, which had become past tense, back into the present progressive for some purpose.

It could be to vent her anger. Or perhaps she wanted to bring them both down now.

If not that, then……

“Could it be that you want a divorce?”

“Miss Gloria, you keep crossing the line. That’s not something you need to know.”

“Then I can’t do as you ask.”

“What did you say?”

Isabel’s eyebrow twitched. As Gloria refused for the first time, her face contorted slightly as if to say, ‘How dare you.’

“But I do want to apologize. You may hate me to death, but I don’t feel the same. So I want to help you.”

“Help?”

“If that expression displeases you, we can call it a deal.”

Isabel stared silently. Not avoiding that gaze, Gloria spoke again.

“If you need evidence of infidelity for a divorce, I’m willing to provide it.”

If Isabel had decided to forgive Jack, she would have had no reason to seek out Gloria. She would have quietly buried the matter. But asking her to have an affair again meant she needed to reconnect a relationship that had ended.

At first, she was too shocked to think quickly. But after exchanging a few words with her, the situation wasn’t difficult to understand.

And Gloria supported Isabel’s divorce more than anyone, so if divorce was truly the goal, she was willing to participate in the plan.

Well, she wasn’t sure what level of involvement Isabel wanted.

“A deal is only possible between equals. I clearly hold more cards, so how can this be a deal?”

Gloria’s proposal apparently seemed ridiculous to her. But she seemed less displeased than before.

So Gloria didn’t add more words to persuade her.

It didn’t matter if this wasn’t a deal. She didn’t need to follow Isabel’s words, and the threats weren’t that fatal.

Rather, what moved Gloria was compassion and affection.

Of course, painting was important to Gloria, and interference would be very troublesome.

But that was all. Gloria wasn’t attached to honor or status. If things went wrong here, she could simply quit and leave.

The only thing that worried her was Peter.

Peter’s studio was his whole life. If Isabel used Peter to blackmail her, that could truly become a weakness.

No matter how selfish Gloria might be, she wouldn’t abandon her benefactor.

……And Dale.

She hadn’t finished the commissioned portrait yet.

If she had to leave, so be it, but she would feel some regret.

“You’re right. I was presumptuous.”

So Gloria decided not to provoke Isabel further. As she said, if this wasn’t a deal, there was no need to show all her cards.

Hoping Isabel would mistakenly think painting alone was enough leverage, Gloria straightened her back to match her.

“Do you have any other instructions?”

“Come to the tea party I mentioned earlier.”

“……I’ll check when I receive the invitation.”

If the tea party invitation wasn’t just talk, it was likely part of her plan.

When she answered obediently, Isabel stared at her for a moment.

“You really don’t care much about society, do you? You’re not afraid at all.”

‘Is it because they’re married? She’s really perceptive.’

Like Jack, she could read Gloria’s intentions from just a word or action. Gloria briefly lowered her gaze and sighed:

“My sister-in-law and brother are worried.”

A blatant scoff was heard. When Gloria slowly raised her head, she saw Isabel standing up. Her lips were full of mockery, confirming she hadn’t misheard.

“Then you should be more careful with your actions. How upset those two good people would be.”

When Gloria tried to stand up, Isabel raised a hand to stop her. Standing straight, Isabel looked down at Gloria. She seemed to like this dynamic, as her smile deepened.

“Though if you truly cared for them, you wouldn’t have done this in the first place.”

With those words, Isabel turned without hesitation and left the reception room. Their meeting ended as one-sidedly as it had begun.

Left alone, Gloria stared blankly at where Isabel had been sitting.

Bella hadn’t come in, so she must have gone to see Isabel off.

Though she felt all strength draining from her body, Gloria forced herself to stay focused.

In any case, the deal — or threat — had been made. Now that she knew Isabel harbored great hostility toward her, she needed to prepare accordingly.

Gloria rang the bell on the table. Whoever remained in the reception room would know, so the maid who would enter was predetermined.

Her dedicated maid, Dona, opened the door and entered.

“Dona.”

Dona’s shoulders flinched at Gloria’s voice. She was already terrified before Gloria had said anything.

Though she thought they had become somewhat close over the past half year, it seemed they had returned to day one.

Gloria smiled bitterly.

“Come sit here.”

Having to suspect her maid, whom she had thought was her only ally in this vast mansion, wasn’t pleasant for her either.

Dona had seemed anxious since helping with preparations. At the time, Gloria had thought she was simply nervous because her mistress was tense.

Gloria never imagined Isabel might have already planted a spy to monitor her.

Isabel hadn’t been ignorant all this time. She might have been watching everything to gather evidence or find weaknesses.

She knew that Gloria had been having an affair, suddenly died, and woke up as a completely different person.

According to Isabel, she was disappointed in her husband and preparing for divorce.

But suddenly Gloria had changed her mind, so Isabel had discarded her surveillance card and decided to threaten her directly.

That’s what she thought until Isabel smiled sweetly and asked if she was alright, saying she had been worried.

Her visit today was a declaration of war that began with an absurd demand.

If so, she needed to first find the card Isabel had discarded.

There weren’t many people who knew about her painting anonymously while watching her for over half a year.

Gloria looked at Dona, who stood with her head bowed before her.

“Why are you trembling so much?”

“Ah, because you look upset, Miss.”

“That’s true.”

She couldn’t possibly feel good. How could anyone feel good after meeting Isabel? What upset her most was this reality where she couldn’t simply enjoy seeing Isabel.

“But haven’t we moved past the point where you fear me when I’m in a bad mood? You haven’t been like this lately.”