My husband, Silas Thorne, was having an affair. To get back at him, I spent six months making the nightlife scene my permanent address, partying at clubs every single night. Silas couldn't care less. He just kept throwing money at me to shut me up. The day I finally asked him for a divorce, I got another incoming wire transfer notification for two hundred thousand dollars. Then, a text: “Mrs. Thorne, the little thing is quite demanding tonight. I won’t be home.” I stared at the screen calmly, then made a U-turn and headed to the exclusive club where I knew he’d be. Stepping up to the private room, I heard one of his friends joking inside: “Silas, man, how many is this now? Aren't you afraid of pushing Rylee too far? She might actually run off with one of those boytoys she’s been seeing at the clubs.” Silas fiddled with the cigar between his fingers, giving a careless, arrogant smirk. “Rylee loves money. As long as I compensate her well enough, she’ll never let go of the title of Mrs. Thorne.” The room erupted in laughter. As I pushed the door open and walked in, Silas immediately reached out to wrap an arm around me. “What, two hundred grand wasn't enough? You had to chase me down here for more? Rylee, playing hard to get has its limits.” I dodged his touch and held out the manila envelope containing the divorce papers. “The girl outside is making a scene. You need to sign this right now so I can give her an answer.” ... As soon as I spoke, the VIP room fell completely silent. Silas's smirk vanished inch by inch. He leaned back into the plush leather sofa, staring at me coldly. “Rylee, I didn't care how hard you played on the outside before. But this act today? It’s a bit over the line, don't you think?” “Or did those club kids develop a bigger appetite, forcing you to come back to me for an upgrade?” A round of snickers went around the room among his friends, their eyes raking over me with crude curiosity. Everyone in this circle knew how wild I had gone over the past six months to retaliate against Silas's infidelity. I wasn't just hitting the most expensive clubs every night; I was spending money like water, surrounded by attractive men. Silas never lifted a finger to stop me. He just thought I was throwing a tantrum, using this method to fight for his attention. I calmly pushed the envelope forward on the low table. “I’m serious. Sign, Mr. Thorne.” Just then, a head popped out from behind Silas. It was a girl with a short bob haircut, a lollipop dangling from her mouth. She looked incredibly young, maybe barely twenty-one. “So this is the wife? She looks so uptight and refined. How’d she get such a explosive temper?” She spoke casually, leaning her entire body weight onto Silas like she had no bones. “Si, I told you you can’t spoil women, right?” “See? You spoil them, and they develop issues. Threatening divorce the second they don't get their way.” Her name was Chloe Davis. She was the "little thing" Silas was currently infatuated with. She wasn't the glamorous, seductive type I had expected, nor a weeping willows type. But Silas was clearly eating up her act. “Hear that?” Silas said, glancing at Chloe. “Even the kid knows you're just being unreasonable. Come on, Rylee. Just say it. How much more do you want?” Chloe giggled, took the lollipop out of her mouth, and shoved it directly into Silas’s. “Have some candy, Si. Cool down.” “The wife is probably just on her period. Hormonal imbalance.” Silas frowned slightly at the shared candy, but he didn't spit it out. Instead, he kept it in his mouth, looking at me with a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes. “Rylee, take your garbage papers and get out.” “I’ll pretend tonight never happened. Don't make me say it twice.” Watching this scene play out, a wave of revulsion washed over me. “If you won’t sign, fine. I’ll file the papers and we’ll go to court.” With that, I turned on my heel to leave. Behind me, I heard the crash of a heavy crystal glass shattering against the floor. “Rylee Croft! If you push this too far, there’s no coming back. Think long and hard before you walk out that door.” I didn't even pause. My hand was just settling on the brass door handle when I heard Chloe’s exaggerated, high-pitched gasp: “Oh my god, Si, don't be mad! The wife is just way too stiff. Unlike me—I just want to make you happy.” “Tell you what, you should stop giving her money. Cut off her credit cards for two months, let's see if she still dares to be so arrogant with you.” Silas gave a cold laugh. “You’re right. Some people do need a little discipline to learn their place.” I had barely walked out of the club when my phone started vibrating incessantly. Notifications from various credit card companies were popping up one after another, informing me that my accounts had been frozen. Yet, my heart remained surprisingly calm. Just as I stepped onto the sidewalk, a familiar Ferrari roared to a halt right in front of me. The passenger window rolled down. Chloe blew a bubble with her gum, then popped it, jerking her chin at me with a smirk. “Hey, Mrs. Thorne. No ride home? Want us to give you a lift?” “Though this car only has two seats. Guess you'll have to crouch in the trunk, huh?” Her shrill laughter filled the quiet street. Silas gave me a cold, indifferent look from the driver's seat. “Rylee, it’s not too late to admit you were wrong.” “Just apologize for ruining everyone's night back there, and I’ll take you home.” 2 I tightened my trench coat around me. "No thanks. I don't want to get dirty." Chloe gasped dramatically, slapping the leather steering wheel. "Si, look at her! I was being nice, trying to offer her a ride, and she calls me dirty!" "I don't care, I'm upset. Does your wife think it's embarrassing that I'm friends with you?" Silas chuckled and ran a hand through Chloe’s short hair. "Rylee, I've really cleaned up my act since the last time you made a scene." "I'm just taking care of the kid because she's spunky and naive. She's like a little sister. We haven't slept together!" Right, they hadn't slept together. But they had done everything but that in public. Five years ago, when I first caught Silas cheating, I had thrown a massive fit. I even forced the woman to get an abortion. He hadn't gotten angry at me back then. He let me scream, let me hit him. He promised he would never sleep with another woman again. The very next month, I caught him getting intimate with his female secretary. That was when I became truly cold toward him. That was when I started my six-month bender, drowning my sorrows in clubs and other men. He thought I was just copying him, trying to get revenge, forcing him to come back to me. But this time, he was dead wrong. Seeing my silence, Silas turned to one of his bodyguards who had followed us out. "Since Mrs. Thorne thinks my car is dirty, she can walk back." "Watch her. Make sure nobody gives her a ride." With a roar of the engine, the Ferrari sped off. The bodyguards immediately flanked me, motioning away a few curious onlookers. I sighed, took off my high heels, and started walking home barefoot in the chilly night air. I walked for nearly three hours. By the time I reached our gated community, my feet were covered in blisters, each step causing a sharp, stinging pain. The sky was already turning gray with the coming dawn when I pushed open the front door. Chloe was lying sprawled out on the sofa in the living room, wearing my expensive silk robe, resting her head on Silas's lap. "Look who it is! The wife's back," Chloe chirped. "Nice endurance. Are you training for a marathon?" Silas looked down at my feet, which were covered in dirt and dried blood. He looked stunned for a second. "Do you know your mistake now?" He gestured to the coffee table. "There's a bowl of oatmeal there. The kid made it special for you." "Eat it, and we'll put this behind us." I looked at the living room. The bowl of oatmeal on the table was a disgusting mess, mixed with cigar ash, spilled whiskey, and the half-eaten lollipop Chloe had been sucking on earlier. I ignored them both and headed straight for the stairs. Silas’s voice went instantly cold. "I said, eat it!" Chloe jumped up from the sofa, bare feet padding on the hardwood floor. "Hey, I made this with my own two hands! I don't usually go in the kitchen, but I wanted to be nice." She was giggling as she shoved the bowl toward my face. The sour, rancid smell hit my nose immediately. I jerked my head away to avoid it. Chloe’s hand twisted, and she dumped the entire bowl over my head and trench coat! "Oops! Oh my god, I'm such a clutz. My hands must be sore from taking care of Si earlier. He just wouldn't let me go." "Si, it's your fault. You took so long earlier. Come blow on my poor hands!" Silas strode over, shoving me hard. I was already unsteady on my painful feet, and I went crashing into the foyer cabinet behind me. He didn't even glance at me. Instead, he actually started gently blowing on Chloe’s hands with a tender expression. "Rylee Croft, the kid left food for you out of the goodness of her heart. If you don't want to show gratitude, fine. But who are you trying to depress with that dead look on your face?" "Apologize. Right now." 3 I looked at him calmly. "I'll apologize, as soon as you sign the divorce papers." Silas was pushed completely over the edge. "Rylee! Are you giving me face and refusing it?" "Who the hell do you think you are? You're a damn nobody from the middle of nowhere. Without Silas Thorne, what the hell are you worth?" Chloe hid behind him, making a face at me, her mouth forming silent words: "Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah. Die mad about it." I smiled, casually peeling off the filth-covered trench coat and dropping it directly into the trash can next to the foyer. "If you hate looking at me so much, sign the paper. You think I want to look at the two of you?" A resounding slap landed squarely on my face. One side went completely numb instantly. Silas withdrew his hand, pulled a crumpled, signed envelope out of his pocket—the one I had given him at the club—and threw it directly into my face. "You've been trying to control me for too long. Did you really think I had no temper left?" Chloe was bouncing up and down with excitement. "Whoa! Go Si! Hardcore! A true man's man!" Ignoring the throbbing in my cheek, I bent down and picked the divorce envelope up off the floor. Since he had actually signed it, the slap was worth it. I dragged my painful, blistered feet out of that house and never looked back. I had no money on me, no ID, nothing but the phone in my hand. I debated calling him. He would probably lose control, come over here, and tear Silas Thorne to pieces. Before I could decide, Chloe’s malicious call came through. “Hey, Rylee. Si was so angry after you left. He actually threw that fluffy ragdoll cat of yours into the alligator pond.” “Oh my god, the sound... it was so bloody. I was terrified. I actually cried.” My hand started to shake violently, and the phone almost slipped from my grasp. “What did you say!” 4 That Ragdoll cat was named Marshmallow. It had been my mother's absolute favorite. On her deathbed, she had entrusted it to me, saying that looking at it was like looking at her. For seven years, Marshmallow had been my constant companion through countless lonely nights. To me, it wasn't just a pet; it was family. On the other end of the line came Chloe’s heartless giggle, and I could even hear faint, sharp animal shrieks in the background. Then, Silas's cold voice came through: "Rylee Croft, Marshmallow is just the beginning. Tomorrow is Chloe’s birthday bash. If you don't get your ass back here and beg for forgiveness..." "The next thing going into the alligator pond will be your grandmother, the vegetable in the nursing home." My entire body was shaking. "Silas Thorne! The divorce is final! Why won't you let me go!" But the line had already gone dead. I scrambled to the nursing home, heart hammering in my chest. When I burst into the room, it was empty. Medical equipment lay overturned on the floor, IV tubes were ripped out, and there were shocking smears of blood on the ground. A nurse was cowering in a corner, terrified. "Miss Croft, Mr. Thorne sent men here. They said they were transferring her to a different facility." "We couldn't stop them... they had guns..." Everything went black, and I almost fainted. She was my only remaining family, my life! By the time I rushed back to the estate, the sound of laughter and cheering filled the air. A group of rich, young socialites were gathered around something, cheering. Seeing me enter, Chloe clapped her hands with excitement. "Look, Si! I told you this trick would work, right? Didn't she come rolling right back here to admit her mistake?" Grandma was tied into a wheelchair, which had been pushed right to the edge of the alligator pond in the backyard. The protective iron railing had been lowered. I was shaking from head to toe. "Silas Thorne, what do you want? Come at me! Leave them alone!" Silas lazily raised his eyelids, looking at me with total indifference. "Rylee, your attitude last night made me very unhappy." "Want to save her? Then from right there, get down on your hands and knees. Crawl all the way to everyone's feet, kowtow to the ground, and beg for forgiveness." The group around us immediately erupted in jeers. "Silas, man, Rylee pushed you to sign the divorce papers. Did she really have someone else on the outside?" "She's been sleeping around. Don't let her bring some dirty disease back here. Forget her, Silas. Chloe's great. Why not make her the new Mrs. Thorne?" But Silas stepped forward and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close. "A little woman throwing a tantrum, that's all. Rylee, as long as you admit your mistake, we'll go remarry first thing tomorrow morning." "But if you don't know what's good for you..." The bodyguard standing by the alligator pond gave the wheelchair a violent kick. The wheelchair instantly rolled toward the water's edge, half of one tire already hanging in the air over the snapping reptiles! "No!" I screamed, my voice raw. My legs gave out, and I dropped directly onto my knees on the pavement. Silas gave a satisfied smile. "Good girl. Everyone's watching, Rylee. You've held my face under water for so long; I need to regain some pride." "If you don't like Chloe, after you admit your mistake, I'll let you slash her face myself to make you feel better." As he spoke, Silas planted his foot onto my back, pressing down, forcing me to bow my head to the ground. I wanted to vomit. I wanted to scream. I wanted to take a knife and murder every single one of these animals. But in the distance, the wheelchair wobbled again. All my rage instantly turned into absolute despair. "Fine. I’ll kowtow. I’ll admit my mistake." The group cheered with excitement, some even pulling out their phones to film it. "Holy shit, Silas! You're a beast! Masterclass in wife-taming! No woman is too tough for you!" "Rylee, hurry up and kowtow! Make sure we can film it clearly!" Just as I was about to touch my forehead to the dirt, there was a deafening crash as the front gates of the estate were rammed open. A booming voice filled the yard: "You Thorne piece of trash. You’ve got a lot of nerve." "Touching my wife?"
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