Chapter 7
528words
He'd lost weight, shadows under his eyes.
Clearly, Chloe wasn't exactly taking good care of him.
Not wanting to upset Grandma—her heart isn't what it used to be—I agreed to talk at a café down the street.
This time, his tone was almost pleading,
“I got the court papers. I know you're hurt, but I don't want to lose you. Please, just come home. Let's go home and be a family again.”
I studied him coolly.
“To be honest, I did think about staying—for our son's sake, for the family…”
“So you'll forgive me?” he cut in, a flicker of hope in his eyes.
I shook my head slowly,
“But I've realized something. I'm happier without you in my life, Ryan.”
“I'm not changing my mind about the divorce.”
Freeing myself from this toxic marriage was my only priority now.
He let out a defeated sigh.
“You're still angry. I can make it up to you, I promise.”
He pulled a small jewelry box from his pocket,
“You didn't like the necklace I gave you last time? Look, this one's much more substantial.”
I opened the box.
A simple, chunky gold bracelet.
It looked familiar.
Probably thirty grams.
Still, it was pocket change compared to the fortune he'd spent on Chloe.
And he'd bought her a house.
I reminded myself. This apology was insulting.
“Ryan, you drop millions on Chloe without a second thought. On me, you can't even spare three thousand dollars?”
I shook my head,
“Let me guess. This was something Chloe didn't want, right?”
I'd seen her recent posts flaunting the diamonds.
In the comments, someone had asked,
“He gave you all that on the first try?”
Chloe had posted a picture of this very bracelet with the caption,
“His first try was this lightweight thing.”
“But I trained him better! The second time, he bought me the real stuff. Oh, and he just got me a house!”
Her followers ate it up,
“Teach us your ways!”
Ryan looked stunned that I knew.
Then, his expression shifted to one of genuine confusion.
“You used to be happy with so much less. You've changed...into someone I don't even recognize anymore.”
I crossed my arms, a cold smirk on my lips,
“In this marriage, you gave your love, your money, your time to another woman. What—now that your free live-in maid is leaving, you're panicking because you'll never find someone as cheap and easy to use again? So you're trying to lure me back with her leftovers?”
I held nothing back.
He had the nerve to look wounded,
“Emily, I'm here in good faith! I ended things with Chloe a week ago!”
I almost laughed at his “sincere” eyes.
Instead, I unlocked my phone, found the photo from last night, and slid it toward him.
It was a clear shot of him and Chloe, wrapped around each other, kissing outside their apartment building.
The color drained from his face, replaced first by guilt, then by raw anger,
“You're having me followed?”
“Just sign the divorce papers, Ryan,”
I said, my voice flat with finality,
“You disgust me.”
