When my husband got sick, I went to his office for the first time to call in sick for him. The receptionist looked at me like I was crazy. "You must be joking. The man you're talking about is our company's CEO." "Besides, our CEO and his wife commute to work together every single day." "And you definitely don't look like the CEO's wife..." The next second, my husband—who was supposed to be bedridden at home—walked out of the elevator with his arm wrapped around his first love. Our eyes met, and his smile froze on his face. I looked at him in his bespoke suit, laughing so hard that tears streamed down my cheeks. "The watch on your wrist is worth more than my yearly salary, yet you played the part of a broke accountant making three thousand bucks a month to me." "You told me your startup went bankrupt. I sold the only house my parents left me to cover your debts. I wrote code during the day and worked the cash register at a convenience store at night. I wouldn't even go to the hospital when my stomach ulcers were bleeding!" "Tell me, why did you play me like this?!" My husband mumbled, unable to form an answer. His first love smiled and linked her arm through mine. "Don't blame him. When he married you, he swore to me that everything he owned, including his body and his wealth, belonged to me." "So stop wishing for things that aren't yours." Seven years of marriage. I thought we were surviving the storm together, but I was just a temporary extra in someone else's script. But I am Nolan Pierce's legal wife. Can they really take everything and leave me with absolutely nothing? 1 "Shut up, it's not your turn to speak! Nolan Pierce, tell me right now, is this true?!" I cut off Vanessa Croft's smugness, demanding an answer with red eyes. Nolan sighed. "Eleanor, listen to me. I was just afraid that if you became a wealthy socialite, you'd lose your drive and ambition. I didn't want to hurt your pride. Besides, didn't you say you would provide for me?" "Stop gaslighting me! Seven years! Nolan, we've been married for seven years! Are seven years not enough for you to know what kind of person I am? If I didn't have ambition, would I have sold the only property my parents left me to fund your startup?!" My voice started to tremble. "Or did you just think I was stupid enough to be fooled for a lifetime?" He let go of Vanessa's hand and reached out to grab me. "It's not like that, El." I took a step back. My footing was a little unsteady because my heels were worn out, but I could never bring myself to spend money to replace them. My eyes fell on Vanessa. She was wearing a pair of Valentino heels, a haute couture dress, and on her wrist sat a sparkling Tiffany & Co. bracelet. Back then, Nolan used to joke with me: "When I'm rich, I'll buy you so many luxury goods you can show them off all over Instagram." Turns out he really did buy them. He just gave them to someone else. I choked down the bitterness in my throat and asked him. "Not like what? What about her?" Nolan glanced at her. "Vanessa and I are just friends." Vanessa's smile immediately dropped. "Nolan!" Nolan grabbed her arm, gave her a warning look, and then turned back to me. "It's true that Vanessa is my first love, but you knew that back then. When have I ever hidden my past from you?" "We are just business partners now. She wants to invest in my company." I gritted my teeth. "Then what did she mean by what she just said?!" Nolan carefully glanced at Vanessa before giving a dismissive excuse: "Come on, you know she loves to joke around. She was just messing with you..." Before he could finish, Vanessa cut him off. "I wasn't joking. Didn't you say exactly that to me on FaceTime the night of your wedding? Eleanor was literally sleeping right next to you..." Nolan barked out in a panic: "Vanessa!" Vanessa rolled her eyes and went quiet. But my heart had already hit rock bottom. It was all true. Nolan didn't dare look me in the eye. His guilty conscience was masked by impatience. "Don't listen to Vanessa's nonsense, none of that happened. Just go home for now. I have to meet a client soon. I'll explain everything to you tonight." I took a deep breath. "You don't need to explain anything." "I want a divorce from you, Nolan Pierce." "That's exactly eight words. Let's call it a million dollars a word." "Eight million dollars to buy out our marriage and let you two be together. Sounds like a bargain, doesn't it?" 2 "Eleanor, calm down. We'll talk about this at home." I cut him off. "You mean that crumbling five-hundred-dollar-a-month apartment with the peeling paint?" I really wanted to laugh. His expression changed. The employees arriving for work in the lobby were starting to stop and stare. He reached out to grab me. "Stop making a scene here, it looks bad." "Let go of me," I said through gritted teeth. He refused to let go. "Aren't you just throwing a fit because I didn't spend my money on you? Do you really have to play the victim in public?" "I slept with you for seven years for free! You should be grateful!" "Let me tell you, the more you act like this, the less money you're ever going to get from me!" I stared at him in utter disbelief. I never imagined I'd hear such vile words coming from my own husband's mouth. I felt like I didn't know him at all. Or rather, I had never truly known him. Vanessa watched us struggling and let out a mocking laugh. "Let's go, Nolan. It's so embarrassing to make a scene here." "Didn't you promise to buy me a new bag before we meet the client?" Nolan agreed without hesitation. "Yeah, no problem. And I'll help you upgrade your car, too! Image is everything when meeting clients, after all." Vanessa shot me a provocative glare. "Hear that? Nolan's money is my money. You want eight million for a divorce? Keep dreaming." "But hey, you did take care of Nolan for me all these years. That counts for something. If you're willing to call me 'big sister', I'll tell Nolan to cut you a check so you can replace those cheap Temu knockoffs you're wearing." Those words stung more than a physical slap. I thought of all the days I spent penny-pinching. I thought of the winter coat I hadn't replaced in five years. I thought of the makeup I never dared to buy. I thought of being humiliated by drunk customers during my night shifts at the convenience store. The humiliation boiled over. As Vanessa arrogantly leaned her face in to mock me, I used every ounce of strength I had and slapped her right across her self-proclaimed aristocratic face. Vanessa stumbled back two steps. Time seemed to stand still. It took a few seconds for Vanessa to process what happened. Her face twisted in rage. "You bitch! You piece of trash! Nolan! She hit me!" Nolan reacted instantly. He shielded Vanessa behind him, tenderly cupping her cheek. "Eleanor, are you crazy?!" He raised his hand and brought it down hard. I didn't have time to dodge. My entire face burned with a stinging pain. Fighting through the pain, I screamed at Nolan: "Don't push me!" Nolan yelled back: "Push you? Try hitting her again! If you had a spine, you wouldn't be saying this crap!" "You have zero ambition! Seven years of marriage and you're still a bottom-tier coder! If you were actually capable, would you need to work a cash register at a convenience store after your day job?!" "You're useless, so don't take your anger out on other people! If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being a failure!" "Do you know I don't even dare bring you up to other people? I'm embarrassed by you!" The cut on my face started to bleed. It felt sticky, the warmth slowly turning cold. I felt so cold. My whole body was freezing. I thought of my manager making my life a living hell, dumping everyone else's unfinished work on me. I was the only one working until midnight for the exact same salary, all because he knew I was desperate to pay off my husband's debts and wouldn't dare quit. I was afraid Nolan would worry, so I never told him about any of it. But now, my deepest wounds had become the very weapons the person I loved most was using to stab me. I looked at them coldly, my voice hoarse. "Nolan Pierce, as of today, we are done." He froze for a second: "What?" "You think eight million is too much? Fine. The money you owe me, the blood you made me shed—I will collect it all in court, penny by penny." And the marital assets. Including the company he started with my money, the profits from all these years, the houses, cars, and bags he bought for Vanessa. I was going to take half of everything. Vanessa's head snapped up: "In your dreams!" I didn't answer. I just turned around and walked toward the main doors, step by step. With every step, my face throbbed. With every step, I bled. But I kept my back perfectly straight. A person can fall down, but they must never bend the knee. As for whether I was dreaming—I didn't need to answer her. I trusted my lawyer would give her the answer. 3 By the time I walked out of the law firm, it was completely dark. I endured the pain and went home. The second I walked in, I saw an open suitcase in the middle of the living room. Nolan was packing his clothes. Vanessa was sitting on the couch. "You're back?" Nolan looked up at me. His tone was as calm as if nothing had happened. "Perfect timing. I need to tell you something." "Vanessa's health has always been fragile. Your slap today triggered her heart condition." "The doctor said she needs someone to take care of her. I'm going to stay with her for a few days." I picked up a box of condoms from the corner of his suitcase. "Did her cardiologist prescribe these, too?" He impatiently snatched the box out of my hand. "It got tangled in my shirts and fell in by accident. I didn't even notice. You're just being paranoid." "I know you're in a bad mood today, so I'm not going to argue with you. Vanessa needs me right now. I'll explain everything when I get back." Needs. When he needed me, I was always there. When I needed him, he was with someone else. Is that fair? No. But marriage has never been about fairness; it's about willingness. I was willing for seven years. Now, my heart was dead, and my love was gone. "Okay," I said, turning and walking into the bedroom. I opened the closet and started packing his things. When I got to the framed photos, my hands paused. It was our wedding photo. I was smiling so brightly. His eyes were full of light. "Eleanor, what are you doing?" He followed me in, a trace of panic finally bleeding into his voice. "Weren't you leaving?" I didn't look back. I threw the framed photo into the trash can. "I'm helping you pack, saving you a trip." "I told you it's only for a few days—" "Then don't ever come back. Take your stuff, take the person who needs you, and get out." Nolan fished the frame out of the trash and carefully placed it back on the nightstand. "Stop throwing a tantrum. Once she's better, I promise I'll come right back." Vanessa appeared in the bedroom doorway. "Nolan, I have a new project I want you to invest in. It's guaranteed to make a massive return. I sent the business plan to your phone, take a look." Nolan barely even glanced at it before casually replying: "Don't worry about it, I don't need to read it. I'll have accounting wire you ten million tomorrow." Before his phone screen went dark, my sharp eyes caught the header of the business plan. This was Vanessa's tenth startup attempt. Ten million dollars. How long would I have to stand at a cash register, how much code would I have to write, just to earn that? I could probably work myself to death and never see that kind of money. I thought of the news stories about 32-year-old tech workers dropping dead from exhaustion. If I hadn't discovered the truth and kept breaking my back to pay his fake debts, that probably would have been my fate. Hearing his answer, Vanessa looked at me, a smirk playing on her lips. "Eleanor, why are you sneaking peeks at my business plan? Do you want to start a company too?" I didn't expect her to catch my gaze despite my efforts to hide it. Nolan glanced at me. "Don't joke around. She doesn't have the brains for it. She can't even tell a bull market from a bear market. If she actually tried trading, she'd buy high and sell low every time. She's destined to be a corporate drone for the rest of her life." I coldly cut him off: "Are you done?" He froze. I pointed at the door. "If you're done, get out. Get out of my apartment!" "Eleanor, this is our—" "No, this is mine. I pay the rent. I pay the water, electricity, and gas. I bought the furniture and the appliances. Other than living here for seven years, what exactly have you contributed?" He opened his mouth to say something, but the words died in his throat. Because I was telling the truth. For the past seven years, not only did I transfer him a thousand dollars a month to pay his "debts," but I also covered every single household expense. I even pinched pennies just to buy him expensive suits and watches, terrified his coworkers or friends would look down on him. And the truth? He was rich. Filthy rich. He played me for a fool while throwing millions at another woman, and called her "just a friend"! Nolan's tone turned icy: "Fine. I'm leaving. Don't regret this!" "Get out!" The front door slammed shut. The apartment was suddenly dead silent. It was too quiet. I could hear the hum of the refrigerator. I could hear my own heartbeat. I slowly sank to the floor. The tears fell, hitting the hardwood floor. One drop. Two drops. I covered my face and sobbed uncontrollably. I don't know how much time passed, but my phone vibrated. I picked it up. It was a photo from an unknown number. On a large hotel bed, Nolan was fast asleep. Vanessa's face was pressed against his chest. There was a line of text below the photo: "Thanks for stepping aside." I stared at that photo for a very, very long time. Then I typed back: "Thanks for taking out the trash." Message sent. The private investigator had told me Nolan was extremely careful and he had never been able to get concrete evidence of infidelity. Now I had it. 4 The next day, I stood in front of the HR department's glass doors. The words on the paper in my hand were almost comical. Embezzlement? Three point two million dollars? Absurd. I was just a tech team lead. The largest funds I ever handled were for team equipment procurement. Where would I get the authorization to move three point two million? I spoke coldly to the HR director: "I demand to see the system operation logs and the audit reports." The HR director pushed his glasses up his nose, a trace of pity in his eyes. "Our company was acquired. If you want to see them, you have to ask the new boss." "And who exactly is the new boss?!" "Ms. Croft." ... I shoved the door to the CEO's office open like a maniac. Sure enough, Vanessa was sitting behind the desk. Nolan was beside her, looking down at some documents. "Well, well, if it isn't our brilliant tech lead." Vanessa's smile was sickeningly bright. "Team Lead Eleanor. Actually, shouldn't it be former Team Lead?" The blood rushed to my head. But I forced myself to stand my ground and take a deep breath. "Nolan, that audit report is forged. Procurement orders require three-tier approval. I only have recommendation rights, not final signature authority. The system logs will prove it." Nolan finally bothered to look up. "The system was hacked. The logs were lost. And what a coincidence, the only logs lost were the ones involving the procurements you handled." The coincidence was so laughable I actually scoffed. "I built the company's security architecture with my own hands. I wrote the firewall rules myself. You expect me to believe it just got hacked because you said so?" Vanessa leaned back in the executive chair, grinning broadly. "That's exactly why I suspect you. An inside job is the easiest thing in the world, isn't it? Modifying a few log files, forging a few procurement records... that's a piece of cake for a senior engineer like you, right?" I clenched my fists. "You tampered with the database!" Vanessa stood up. "You need evidence to make accusations. Right now, every single log points directly to you. Have fun facing the lawsuit for massive damages. Who knows, you might even do some prison time." She leaned in close, lowering her voice: "Or... you could get on your knees and beg me? Maybe if I feel merciful, I'll tell Nolan to ask for a lower settlement?" My stomach churned with disgust. "Nolan, do you seriously have nothing to say?!" Nolan looked at me, his tone light and indifferent. "You're the one with sticky fingers. We're giving you a way out. We're actually helping you." I screamed in pure fury: "Helping me?! Nolan, you played me for a fool for seven years, wasn't that enough? Now you're using this despicable trap to ruin my life?! Do you hate me that much? You hate me so much you have to destroy everything I have to be satisfied?!" His face went pale. Vanessa lunged forward and grabbed my arm: "Who the hell do you think you're yelling at?!" "Let go of me! You just want to see me beg on my knees, don't you? You want to see me crawl over like a dog and lick your boots? Keep dreaming!" I turned to Nolan: "I'm not paying a single cent. And I'm not pleading guilty to anything. Call the cops if you have the guts. I'll see you in court!" Nolan's lips trembled. He opened his mouth to say something, but Vanessa beat him to it. "Nolan, why don't you step outside and get a coffee to cool off?" Nolan hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked out. The second the door closed, Vanessa's disguise completely vanished. "Let's lay all our cards on the table, Eleanor. You're just bitter, aren't you? Bitter that Nolan chose me. Bitter that you're not getting enough money in the divorce. Bitter that you saw that photo?" My body went rigid. "Oh, looks like I hit a nerve." "Good picture, wasn't it? Nolan was so incredible that night. We went through three whole boxes..." The blood was roaring in my ears. "What exactly is your point?" My voice was ragged. "My point is that you've lost, Eleanor. Completely and utterly. Nolan's body is mine, his heart is mine, and everything he owns is mine. Including this company, and every single dime he makes in the future." "And you? You're just trash waiting to be thrown out." I raised my hand and slapped her hard. My palm cracked against her cheek. Vanessa touched her face. A vicious glint flashed in her eyes, but she quickly smiled again. "Getting angry? I'll give you one last chance, Eleanor. Walk away from the marriage with nothing, and disappear forever. If you do that, I'll drop the charges and let you live." "Three point two million dollars, Eleanor. How much code do you have to write to earn that?" In that split second, the last thread of my sanity snapped. Just as I tackled Vanessa to the floor and raised my hand to beat the living hell out of her, the door swung open. Nolan stood in the doorway. Vanessa wiped at nonexistent blood on the corner of her mouth. "Nolan! She attacked me again! I was just trying to talk to her reasonably, and she went crazy!" I tried to explain. "I didn't—!" "Enough!" Nolan cut me off. He spoke into a radio in his hand, and two bodyguards immediately appeared, grabbing me by both arms. One of them kicked the back of my knees, forcing me to drop to the floor. They forced my face flat against the carpet. I heard Nolan's cruel, cold voice above me. "Vanessa, however she hit you, hit her back." Vanessa walked closer and then planted her high heel directly on my face. She ground the heel into my skin, and then, without hesitation, kicked me right in the face. My nose exploded in pain, and blood began pouring out instantly. Suddenly, I couldn't feel the pain anymore. I just felt ridiculous. Seven years of pouring my heart and soul into a marriage, and this was my reward. Nolan's voice echoed coldly. "You really don't know when to quit, Eleanor. I'm calling the cops right now. Let's see how tough you act then." The moment he finished speaking, his cell phone rang. He answered it, looking confused. As he listened, his expression grew increasingly grim. When he hung up the phone, he stared at me in disbelief. "You... you actually filed for divorce...?"
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