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“Last I checked,I slapped your face,not your hand.What,your mouth’s useless,and now your hands are too?”
She munched on sunflower seeds, scattering shells, broken cups, and clothes all over the place.
Ethan and I grew up leaning on each other.Though wealthy,we’d faced lean years young,building resilience.
I knew Ethan was obsessed with cleanliness. Our clothes could be old, but they were never dirty.
His tolerance for Paige was staggering.
He quietly tidied,setting her baby bowl before her.
Paige,smug about“taming”him,nitpicked the perfect meal.
She didn’t know a storm was brewing.
“This is garbage—worse than my nanny’s cooking!”
She paused on“nanny,”and we caught onto that—her lover’s slip.
I’d thought her affair stemmed from resenting me.Now I saw they’d never stopped.
No surprise—it was the kid’s real father.
She likely used Ethan’s money to fund her lover.
I sighed at Ethan’s oblivious devotion.
Paige kicked at Ethan’s bad leg,barking,“Move!”
He dodged,his defiance freezing her.
His next words sent her reeling.
“Paige,let’s divorce.”
Ethan had held it in too long—his words flowed,no stuttering.
“What?!”Paige shrieked,her panic peeking through her usual arrogance.
She quickly regrouped,grabbing his arm,sneering,“Some nerve,you stuttering fool,threatening divorce.”
Pointing at me,she spat,“Did that bitch Quinn put you up to this?”
I ignored her venom.
Her insult lit Ethan’s fuse.
Ignoring her pregnancy,he shoved her out,slamming the door.
Bang.
Paige,realizing he meant it,pounded the door,using her pregnancy as a weapon.“You’d abandon me and the baby?How cruel!”
She sobbed,drawing neighbors’stares,playing the victim.
Ethan shouted,“Get lost!”
I’d seen had enough of her pathetic performance.Loud enough for her to hear,I told Ethan,“Your streaming looks lucrative.I wanna try.Her clothes are here—no need to buy new ones,right?”
I shook his arm,pitching my voice like a fame-hungry teen.
Ethan,grossed out,went green.“Her…clothes?Don’t.I’ll…buy you new ones.”
He played along,stuffing Paige’s clothes in a trash bag and tossing it outside.
Through the door crack,I caught Paige’s shocked,vicious glare.
I pushed further.“Ethan,that big condo’s just in my name?You’re the best!”
Paige screamed,voice guttural.“I’ll divorce you,but I want the condo and half your assets!”
