Chapter 2

The first time I met Chloe was six years ago on a busy street.

She was trying to help an elderly woman who had fallen. But the moment Chloe touched her sleeve, the woman grabbed her tightly, screaming to the onlookers that Chloe had knocked her down.

Naturally, the police got involved, and Chloe was taken to the station.

Fortunately, my dashcam had recorded the entire incident. I went to the station and bailed her out.

When we stepped outside, she sat on the curb and cried her eyes out. I thought she was just traumatized by the scam. Only later did I find out that day was actually the day Logan had boarded his flight to go abroad.

After leaving our apartment, I rented a small condo to clear my head.

In the evening, I decided to grab a bite to eat. Passing by a trendy restaurant, I noticed through the glass window a large group of people gathered around Logan, raising their glasses to toast him.

Sitting right next to him, draped in his arms, was Chloe—my brand-new ex-wife.

Chloe and I both had mild palates and hated spicy food, but Logan loved heavy, rich flavors. The restaurant was serving exactly what he liked.

Inside, the venue was decorated with festive banners. Across the main wall hung a giant sign: *Wishing Chloe and Logan a Happy Marriage!*

Those words felt like a physical blow to my chest.

They had gone straight from my divorce to register their own marriage.

No wonder Logan had been in such a rush at City Hall, bringing his luggage along. He literally couldn't wait a single second.

I stood outside the window, pulling my coat tighter around myself.

The autumn air was brisk, but for some reason, I was shivering uncontrollably.

My mind drifted back to six years ago. It was a similar autumn day when Chloe and I had our wedding. It was just as lively.

She had looked into my eyes, reciting her vows, promising to love and cherish me forever.

Now, those words were nothing but trash to her.

With stinging eyes, I lowered my head and prepared to leave. Suddenly, the double doors of the private dining room were slammed open by Chloe's parents.

They rushed in, absolutely furious. Her father tore the banner down from the wall. "Chloe! What the hell are you doing?! How could you throw Ethan away for this loser Logan?!"

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"

"Did you not hear about all the sketchy things he did while he was abroad? You go find Ethan right now and beg for his forgiveness! Otherwise, don't ever call us your parents again!"

I didn't expect her parents to show up and crash their celebration for my sake.

Their respect was probably the only comforting thing I had left from those six years.

"Mom, Dad, you've got it all wrong!" Chloe scrambled to explain.

"You already signed the marriage certificate! What is there to get wrong?!" her father roared. "Get a divorce right now!"

Logan stood awkwardly to the side, his face shifting from pale to red.

"Dad! Can we please talk about this at home? All our friends are here!" Chloe tried to coax him, switching to her usual spoiled tone.

But her father wasn't having it. "Home? If you don't explain this right now, you are officially cut off from this family!"

Seeing her father's stubbornness, Chloe had no choice but to dismiss their guests.

Once the room cleared, she finally confessed, "Dad! Ethan and I only got a paper divorce! Logan’s estate is being bought out next month. The developer pays compensation based on the number of registered family members. By temporarily marrying Logan, we can claim an extra luxury apartment and a massive payout. Ethan knows all about this! He agreed to remarry me once the check clears!"

Hearing this, her father’s face turned bright red. He pointed a shaking finger at her, gasping for air.

In a fit of rage, he grabbed a glass of water from the table and hurled it straight at Logan.

"You brainless girl! Do you honestly think a guy like Ethan cares about some cheap apartment payout?"

"Do you think you can just play with marriage like a game? You're going to kill me! Get a divorce right now!"

Seeing that her parents wouldn't budge, Chloe finally lost her temper. "Mom, Dad! Even Ethan didn't make a big deal out of this! Why are you so angry?!"

"My marriage to Logan doesn't need your approval anyway."

"Since you can't stand to see me succeed, we'll talk after the buyout money hits our account."

"When I have the deeds and the cash, you'll see who was right!"

Chloe grabbed Logan's hand and stormed out of the restaurant. They flagged down a cab, but just as she was about to step inside, she spotted me standing by the window.

Her face instantly contorted with rage. "Ethan! Was this your doing?!"

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