Chapter 1

When people gossiped about her, she always said, "I’m running a legitimate business. I earn my money through hard work."

Whenever I argued with her, she would scream, "I must have been blind to marry a useless loser like you!"

But it was only because I loved her that I was willing to swallow my pride and play weak.

Then the rumors started. People whispered that I was a parasite, living off her money.

She chimed in, "Well, they aren’t wrong. I make way more than you do."

The truth was, my entire salary went toward our mortgage and bills, and I even bought her designer bags and clothes. As for her salary? I never saw a single dime of it.

She had no idea that six months ago, I was promoted. My new package was a quarter-million dollars a year.

I waited. I pamper-fed her through her pregnancy until the day she went into labor. That was the day I blocked her on everything and vanished...

"Ethan, man, you really need to keep a leash on your wife."

My best friend warned me again. I just smiled, nodded, and brushed it off.

My wife, Chloe, worked as a masseuse at a rather sketchy local spa. My friends had spotted customers getting way too touchy-feeling with her more than once.

"Babe, don't you trust me?"

Chloe would ask, wrapping her arms around my neck, her face covered in heavy makeup. I’d just smile back.

"Of course I do. You’re just doing your job. I’ve got your back."

Hearing this, Chloe would cuddle into my chest with a smug smile.

Despite my quiet support, the rumors about her being a "cheap spa girl" only got worse.

*I can't believe Ethan lets Chloe support him.*

*No wonder he doesn't mind her giving him a neon green hat.*

The gossip spread like wildfire. Eventually, everyone we knew began sneering at me, slowly freezing me out of our social circle.

"Babe, maybe it's time to look for a different job?" I suggested to Chloe one evening.

"We are doing just fine," she snapped, her face tightening. "People will talk no matter what. Besides, it’s a fact that I make way more than you."

The rumors were clearly getting to her head. She was starting to look down on me.

To her, I was just a low-level office drone making $3,000 a month, while she was bringing home nearly $10,000.

One afternoon, after running an errand near her spa, I decided to stop by and surprise her for lunch.

"Stop calling me! I’m busy, damn it!"

I walked toward her breakroom and called her name. No answer. Just as I reached for the doorknob, her irritated voice cut through the door.

I waited outside for about twenty minutes. When Chloe finally stepped out, her hair was a mess, and her blouse was half-unbuttoned.

"Oh, so this is your loser husband?"

Before I could say a word, a bald man in a flashy suit walked out of the breakroom behind her.

Instead of defending me, Chloe put on a sweet, flirty smile. "See you next time, Marcus!"

My stomach churned. The appetite I had was completely gone.

That night, we had a massive blowout.

"I was blind to ever marry a broke loser like you!" Chloe screamed.

Just because I asked her to quit that sketchy place, she lost her mind. She claimed I couldn't afford the lifestyle she wanted.

What lifestyle? When had I ever said no to her demands?

She slammed the door and left. We didn't see each other for two weeks. The only text she sent me was: *Let’s get a divorce.*

Immediately after, she blocked my number and my Snapchat. I went to her spa to find her, but she refused to see me.

I tried to save our marriage, but she was hell-bent on leaving. What else could I do? I agreed to the divorce.

But once I agreed, she suddenly went silent.

A month later, my phone rang. It was Chloe.

"Ethan... I’m pregnant." Her voice sounded incredibly sweet, almost overflowing with joy.

"Really? That’s amazing, babe!"

I forced a cheerful tone, but my face was dead cold.

Chloe really took me for an idiot. She wanted a scapegoat to take the blame and raise another man's kid while she kept messing around.

"Babe, I’m so sorry about our fights. Actually, I have some good news too. I just got promoted to director. My new package is $250,000 a year. You can quit your job and focus on the baby."

Hearing about the money, Chloe didn't hesitate. She quit her job the next day and stayed home.

During her pregnancy, I treated her like a queen. I hired a private chef and a maid to pamper her.

With five gourmet meals a day, her once-slender body quickly ballooned. She was completely intoxicated by this new luxurious life, eagerly waiting for the baby to arrive.

Finally, the day came.

"Where is the husband? Chloe Miller’s husband! The baby is too big, we need to do an emergency C-section!"