My best friend and I both married into the Thorne family, the undisputed rulers of our city. I married the family's heir apparent, the formidable Joseph Thorne. She married the nation's heartthrob, the award-winning actor, Parker Thorne. One afternoon, she stared at a paparazzi photo of Parker having dinner with his first love, a beautiful ingenue named Claire. With a pained expression, she turned to me. "Are you in? "Once we're divorced, we can each get a couple of male models and travel the world." I stared at the press release announcing Claire as the new face of Thorne Industries. I hardened my heart. "I'm in! "But the models have to be good... better than Joseph in bed!" As the words left my mouth, a shadow fell over me. Joseph's voice was cool and dangerous. "Darling," he murmured, "are you sure you can find anyone better?" 1 Merrin and I were sitting side-by-side on the sprawling sofa, scrolling through our phones. Suddenly, her finger froze on the screen. I leaned over to look. Oh, boy. A notorious gossip site had snapped a picture of her husband, Parker, having an intimate dinner with the recently returned starlet, Claire Vance. He had his arm around her; they looked cozy. Claire was the "one that got away" for both Thorne brothers. Their families were old friends, and since we'd married into the family, we'd only heard about her from our sweet, naive mother-in-law. "I do wish Claire would call, I miss her so." "Would one of you dears ask Claire when she's coming back?" Claire, Claire, Claire. The name had become a constant, low-grade source of anxiety for both of us. Merrin’s expression flickered with a brief, haunted look. But she quickly composed herself, her voice firm despite the pain. "I'm filing for divorce." "Are you in?" My interest piqued to about a 10%. After all, I’d been Merrin’s shadow my whole life. She chose a science major, I chose a science major. She went to Stanford, I went to Stanford. She married a Thorne, and I happily followed suit. But my husband hadn't been caught having dinner with his first love. Was divorce a bit extreme? Sensing my hesitation, she upped the ante. "Parker's salary goes directly to my account. I can support you, babe. "Once we're divorced, two male models each. We'll travel the world." My interest shot up to 40%. Male models sounded nice, but just two… probably not as good as Joseph. "Ten! Ten male models!" Interest level: 80%. My eyes widened, the word "yes" on the tip of my tongue. But a final shred of reason held me back. A notification pinged on my phone. A headline blared across the screen. 'Ingenue Claire Vance Named Annual Spokesperson for Thorne Industries! Contract Rumored to be Worth $50 Million!' The accompanying photo was of her and Joseph at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. She was radiant, smiling triumphantly. And behind her, my dear husband was gazing at her with a deep, intense look. He never looked at me like that. Whenever I tried to joke with him or do something silly, he'd just give me a look like I was an idiot and say: "Are you insane?" At that thought, I hardened my heart. "I'm in!" Merrin was ecstatic, immediately calling her lawyer. She rattled off her demands for the property division like a pro. My eyes went wide when I heard her say she wanted half of the Thorne family fortune. How much money was that? She even haggled with the lawyer, arguing for a discount since she was bringing him two cases. Now I remember why Merrin was the leader and I was the follower. She was just smarter. I stared at my phone's wallpaper, a photo from our wedding. A pang of regret hit me. Joseph didn't just give me money; he provided… other kinds of pleasure, and plenty of it. I spoke up hesitantly. "Um… the models have to be really good." Merrin turned to me, her expression instantly freezing. Still lost in my fantasy, I continued, "They have to be better in bed than Joseph!" Merrin clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp, her other hand trembling as she pointed behind me. Before I could turn, a familiar hand reached out and grabbed the back of my neck, lifting me like a kitten and depositing me at his side. His voice was laced with ice. "If I'm so good in bed, why are you leaving me?" 2 I turned my head mechanically, my eyes meeting Joseph’s frosty gaze. He narrowed his eyes at Merrin, as if she were the one who had put the idea of divorce in my head. “Sister-in-law,” he said, his voice dripping with menace, “Parker is on his way. You should probably figure out how you’re going to explain this to him.” Merrin froze, then plopped onto the sofa, her mind clearly racing. She was too preoccupied to notice the desperate SOS signals I was sending her. So much for our best-friend telepathy. I could only stare meekly at Joseph’s chiseled profile. When he finally turned to look at me, his expression shifted. A faint smile played on his lips, but his voice was still cold. “One divorce in this family is enough. They can get divorced. We won’t.” Joseph’s voice had always been like a drug to me. It hypnotized me into nodding. I nodded obediently, all thoughts of divorce and male models vanishing into thin air. The roar of a sports car echoed from outside. That had to be Parker, the flashy car enthusiast, coming home. A screech of tires, and a minute later, he burst through the door. He was clearly coming straight from a film set, still in his historical costume, his face etched with fatigue. He glanced at us. “Joseph. Aubrey.” Joseph, his arm around my waist, gave a cool nod. “Your wife is trying to convince my wife to get a divorce. You handle it.” Parker strode over to Merrin. He rubbed his temples, his voice laced with impatience. “Merrin, what is it this time? “Last time you wanted a divorce because I had a kissing scene. I haven't taken a role with a kissing scene since. “The time before that, an assistant gave me a homemade cake. I fired her immediately. “What are you unhappy about now?” Merrin laughed coldly and threw her phone at him. “See for yourself.” I was just getting into the drama when Joseph pulled me away. “Let’s not get involved in other people’s business.” So, we’re not part of the Thorne family now? I grumbled silently, but followed him obediently. In the passenger seat, I asked him quietly, “Why Claire as the spokesperson?” She had just returned to the country, hadn't been in the business long, and had no major credits to her name. With an award-winning actor in the family, you’d think they’d avoid any appearance of nepotism. Besides, there were countless popular actresses to choose from. Logically, she shouldn't have even been in the running. “Aubrey, don’t listen to Merrin’s nonsense. “Claire is just a family friend I grew up with. I have no other feelings for her.” No other feelings? Then what about the photo of the two of them I found in his drawer when we first got married? I had shown it to Merrin, my hands trembling. She didn't say anything, just went to her room and came back with another photo. It turned out to be a picture of the three of them. Claire was in the middle, smiling sweetly. Joseph had cut his brother out of his copy. Parker had cut his brother out of his. Such perfect synergy. Truly brothers. I stopped talking, turned up the car stereo, and stared out the window. 3 Joseph seemed determined to keep me away from Merrin. He took me to his office and watched me like a hawk. During meetings, he’d even give me a pen and paper so I could sit behind him and doodle. I had to admit, he was incredibly handsome when he was working. The eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were focused intently on the screen. He would interject at key moments, his comments sharp and insightful. He rarely showed any emotion, but occasionally he’d glance back at me, as if to say, Are you bored? It’s almost over. But the meeting dragged on forever, so long that I almost fell asleep. I was used to it. This was the man who would rush back to the office on our wedding anniversary because of a subordinate’s mistake, leaving me to stare at the flowers and cake on the top floor of a hotel. I’d had to call Merrin to come over so the king-sized bed wouldn’t go to waste. Finally, the secretary knocked. “Miss Vance is here.” “We’ll continue this tomorrow.” Only Claire could pull him out of work mode. I followed him out, seeing Claire for the first time. I’d looked her up online. 25 years old, a squeaky-clean resume, not a single negative story. Not even the media knew she was a Vance, a testament to how well her family had protected her. She was wearing a white dress, looking exactly like she had in that photo from when she was 18. I suddenly understood why both brothers were so hung up on her. That pure, innocent quality… no man could resist it. “Joseph,” she cooed sweetly. “I hope I’m not interrupting.” She completely ignored me, probably assuming I was just a secretary. “Not at all,” Joseph said. “You’re right on time.” He turned and instructed his secretary to take me to the lounge. He also told her to order some of my favorite desserts and fruit teas. The picture of a considerate man. But this considerate man hadn’t looked at me once since she’d arrived. The air conditioning in the lounge was on full blast, and a chill seeped into my heart. I saw a dozen missed calls from Merrin on my phone and called her back. This time, I was the one who asked first. “Merrin, are you still getting a divorce?” There was a moment of silence on the other end, then a firm voice. “Yes.” 4 Merrin and I met at a bar and drank ourselves into oblivion. “Aubrey, do you know what that bastard Parker said to me?” “He said he only met with Claire because she just got back and asked him to introduce her to some industry contacts.” “What about me? I was a rising star once. I had just as much talent as she does.” “But what did I get for marrying him? A life where I can’t be in the spotlight, and a man whose heart isn’t with me.” “But you got money,” I whispered. Merrin’s spending habits were legendary. Marrying into the Thorne family, with their deep pockets, was the only reason she hadn’t gone bankrupt. At my words, her hazy eyes lit up. She grabbed my hand, her voice firm, as if she were taking an oath. “You’re right! I have money! The Thornes only have two sons. We’ll take half their fortune. What kind of man can’t we find then?” She paused, as if a thought had just struck her. “You and Joseph didn’t sign a prenup, did you?” Actually, we had. Before the wedding, in front of a lawyer, Joseph had presented me with an agreement. At the time, I was so captivated by his face and his body that I signed it without even looking. When Merrin heard this, she groaned. “Damn it. Then we can only take a quarter.” “How much is a quarter?” I asked. She counted on her fingers. “Enough for each of us to hire ten top-tier male models a day, a different set every day, until we die.” “Yay!” We happily decided that as soon as the lawyers drafted the divorce papers, we would officially split. While waiting for the papers, it was our mother-in-law’s birthday. We had to keep up appearances, so we attended the gala together, leaving the two brothers to stare at each other in confusion. Usually, we would be on their arms, helping them network. Today, they were on their own. At first, Merrin and I thought our mother-in-law was trying to put us, her two less-than-satisfactory daughters-in-law, in our place. But it turned out she genuinely adored Claire. We heard she had always wanted a daughter, but had two sons instead. With the Vances being busy, she had practically raised the princess-like Claire herself. Merrin couldn’t take it anymore and was about to drag me away. But Claire glanced over, her voice intentionally loud. “I don’t believe I’ve met my sisters-in-law. Aunt Linda, won’t you introduce us?” Great. Now we were stuck. She greeted us sweetly, complimenting Merrin on her beauty. No kidding. Merrin was breathtaking. If she were still in the entertainment industry, Claire wouldn’t stand a chance. When it was my turn, she looked me up and down and said I looked… “like I enjoy a good meal.” …So what if I’d gained a few pounds recently and looked a little chubby next to Merrin? Did she have to be so catty? I held my tongue, but Merrin wouldn’t let it slide. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sister. You have such an ethereal quality, like a pure lotus blossom, untouched by the mud.” “And that white dress… it really brings out your inner white lotus, doesn’t it?” Our mother-in-law didn’t get the dig and nodded approvingly. Claire’s face turned from red to green, like a traffic light. She didn’t retort, just scurried over to stand between the two brothers, a picture of perfect harmony. Merrin and I exchanged a look. Our resolve to divorce hardened. Many of Parker’s investors were at the party. Claire wasn't about to miss this opportunity, coyly following him around and networking. Merrin’s eyes narrowed. “That director, Wu? He wanted me for his last film, but I was too love-struck to accept,” she whispered. “And that producer, Wang? He offered to start a production company for me. Even after I quit, he’d still email me every so often, asking me to come back.” “Damn it, she’s reaping all the benefits. If I’d known this would happen, I would have died trying to make it in the industry.” She was practically steaming. The final straw was when Claire, in front of everyone, casually brushed an eyelash from Parker’s face. The anger that had been simmering all night finally boiled over. Merrin found her moment and brought her stiletto heel down hard on Claire’s dress. Claire gasped. She looked down to see a large tear in her skirt. While it wasn’t revealing, a torn gown at an event like this was mortifying. Parker rushed over and grabbed Merrin. “Merrin! What are you doing? Why would you humiliate her like that?” Joseph came over to me. “Can you lend her a dress?” It was the first thing either of them had said to us all night. I smiled. “Of course. You bought them all, so you can decide.” He looked at me with an unreadable expression, then waved a hand, instructing a maid to take Claire upstairs to change. Merrin and I fled the Thorne mansion. We jumped into the red sports car Parker had bought her and sped off, hitting 120 mph on the highway. When we finally stopped, she said, “I’m not waiting for the papers. We’re leaving tomorrow.” 5 The next day, we were in the Maldives. This had been our dream honeymoon destination. But Joseph was too busy with work, and Parker had a packed filming schedule, so it never happened. We lounged on the beach, mojitos in hand, basking in the sun. It was pure bliss. But our phones wouldn’t stop ringing. Parker texted her: “Are you done with your tantrum? If so, come home.” “I already apologized to Claire on your behalf.” “I haven’t even gotten mad at you for wanting a divorce, and now you’re giving me the silent treatment?” Joseph was much calmer. “Stop messing around with Merrin and come home. I’ll take you shopping.” “Come back when you’re done playing. The dog is waiting for you to feed him.” One of them hadn't grasped the severity of the situation, and the other thought his wife was just on vacation. A pair of idiots. My family must have been blind. But I did miss my dog. "Can we add a clause to the divorce agreement that I get custody of the dog?" I asked Merrin. Merrin nodded and called the lawyer. He said he could have the papers sent to the Thorne mansion the next day. We were both satisfied, turned off our phones, took off our sunglasses, and started scouting for handsome, pale-skinned, long-legged foreign men on the beach. 6 When we finally turned our phones back on, they exploded with notifications. The brothers hadn't expected us to be serious. Now, they were truly panicking. Parker's messages went from angry to pleading, finally ending with: "If you divorce me, you only get half my money. If you don't, it's all yours." Merrin rolled her eyes. "You think I'm after your money? That's hilarious." She wasn't. When she started dating Parker, she didn't even know he was a Thorne. "What did your husband… I mean, Joseph, say?" I handed her my phone, my hand trembling. Joseph's text read: 'Didn't you say I was good in bed? If I'm so good, can we not get a divorce?' Merrin tapped out a reply on my phone. When she handed it back, I almost dropped it in the pool. 'I was inexperienced then. Now that I've tried others, I realize you're not that great.' Talk about a low blow. But I hadn't actually tried anyone else. We were all talk and no action. We were used to fine dining; it was hard to work up an appetite for fast food. The male model I'd ordered yesterday… I'd only managed to touch his hand. Merrin was braver; she'd felt his abs. Then she'd pursed her lips and said, "Too scrawny. Not as good as Parker's." We were tired of playing, and there was no news on the divorce papers, so we decided to head home. I don't know how Joseph found out our flight details, but he was waiting for us at the arrival gate. It was a weekday; he should have been at the office. I was about to pull on a hat and sunglasses and pretend I didn't know him, but Merrin poked me. "Don't bother. His eyes haven't left you since we came out." "We have to go back and force them to sign anyway. Might as well hitch a ride." We didn't say a word and got into Joseph's car. The moment I walked in the door, my beloved dog rushed over, his tail wagging furiously, his whole body radiating love. They say men are like dogs, but I think dogs are better. Parker was also home, sitting silently on the sofa. We each followed our future ex-husbands to our respective suites. I looked around the bedroom we had shared for three years. The "double happiness" character on the wall had faded. Joseph had torn it down the day after our wedding; he preferred a minimalist aesthetic and couldn't stand all the frills. I had made him put it back up later, and it was still there. Joseph was genuinely angry. He threw the divorce papers in front of me. "So," he said, "you've tried others and decided I'm not good enough? That's why you want a divorce?" I stiffened my neck. "Yes! Others are better than you!" He suddenly pushed me down onto the sofa, his kiss so forceful I couldn't push him away. We hadn't been this intimate in months. He was always too busy, often coming home late and collapsing into bed. After a long time, he released me. Tears welled in my eyes. "Not only are you not that great in bed, your kissing sucks too!" That really set him off. The veins in his neck bulged, his voice as cold as ice. "You'd better tell me that's not true. Otherwise, I will find that man and I will kill him." He was a psychopath. I'd always known that. When we first got married, I was working at a small company and was sexually harassed by my boss. I told Joseph, crying. The next day, the company went bankrupt. The boss was ambushed on his way home and beaten so badly he was permanently disabled. He was also sent to prison for embezzlement. Joseph hadn't let me work since. My tears finally started to fall. "Joseph, I really do want a divorce. "I've been married to you for three years, and in your heart, work will always be more important than me. "You missed my birthday, you left me on our wedding anniversary, and all you ever do is try to make up for it with jewelry and handbags. You can't even say you're sorry. "And now Claire is back, and she's more important than me too. Why should this marriage continue?" He looked stunned. "What does Claire have to do with this?" I pointed to his drawer. "There used to be a treasured photo of the two of you in there. You think I didn't know? How do you think the photo disappeared? I tore it up with my own hands." He put a hand to his forehead. "I honestly don't remember that photo, and I have no idea when you tore it up, because I never even looked at it." I closed my eyes, feeling tired. "It doesn't matter. Arguing about this is pointless. "Since we got married, I've been begging you to take me on a honeymoon. You always said you were too busy, that we should wait. And we've waited for three years. "Now I've been, and I suddenly realize that I can go out and see the world without you. "The world outside is so exciting and beautiful, so much better than sitting at home, foolishly waiting for you to come back. "Just let me go. We signed a prenup. I won't take a single penny from you. Just let me leave, please?" I had never seen Joseph bow his head, except in the heat of passion. But now, his head was bowed, his face hidden in shadow, his expression unreadable. After a long time, he looked up, the corners of his eyes red. "Fine," he said. "I agree." The tension that had been holding me together finally snapped. I had gotten what I wanted, but I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "But the dog stays with me. You can come and see him whenever you want." I forced a smile. "Okay." He silently picked up the papers, his hand trembling as he signed. It made my own heart tremble. As I walked out of the Thorne mansion, I couldn't help but look back one last time. Joseph stood at the door, unmoving, holding our dog, who was struggling to run to me.
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