Chapter 3

Without waiting for his answer, I hung up.

I didn't need to hear the rest to know Ethan’s reply wouldn't be pretty.

After all, the last time, I really had drugged him.

After that wild, disastrous night, the way he looked at me was cold enough to pierce my soul.

Yet, I had still naively hoped that if we had another baby, maybe we could start over.

And now...

I touched my flat stomach, feeling like a complete joke.

After a while, I dragged myself out of the tub.

Then, I texted my lawyer and told him to draft a divorce agreement.

Once that was done, I leaned against the headboard, feeling completely empty inside.

When Ethan came home at 11 PM, he acted as if nothing had happened. He carried a shopping bag containing a necklace I had casually mentioned a few weeks ago.

Come to think of it, he had been extremely good to me this past year.

He reported his whereabouts proactively, took me to every business dinner, and bought me countless designer bags and jewelry.

If I hadn't run into him at the hospital last week, holding Chloe's hand at her prenatal checkup...

I would have believed our love had reignited. I never would have guessed that his kindness was just a calculated move to protect Chloe from me.

While I was lost in thought, the gift box was pushed in front of me.

His voice was calm, showing no emotion whatsoever.

"I went to Chloe’s place this afternoon. I only took a shower and left. It took thirty minutes. You can ask your private investigator if you don't believe me."

"After that, I was working overtime at the office. If you're suspicious, ask your spies in the company."

"On the way home, I bought the necklace you wanted. I didn't go anywhere else. The paparazzi you hired should have sent you the photos by now."

Every word was cautious and formal, as if I were some terrifying monster.

Even though he had already bribed my people and turned them into Chloe's secret bodyguards...

He was still on guard against me.

My heart ached, but I couldn't help but laugh. "Is that so?"

If Chloe hadn't added me on Snapchat this afternoon, I actually would have believed him.

I slid my phone over. The screen displayed a stream of photos Chloe had sent me.

Ethan cooking. Ethan mopping the floor.

Even Ethan clumsily picking out baby clothes.

Over three hundred photos, from every angle. It was a side of Ethan I had never seen.

In my memory, Ethan never did chores.

Even when the maid took a week off, he wouldn't even notice if we ran out of toilet paper.

I stared at those photos for a long time. I had truly lost this ten-year game.

The last photo, showing his back as he walked away, was taken thirty minutes ago.

The lie shattered instantly.

The moment Ethan saw the screen, his pupils dilated.

He slammed me against the wall, his hand gripping my throat. He spat out every word through gritted teeth:

"Did I not tell you to keep your hands off Chloe?"

"You can do whatever the hell you want to me, but not her!"

My lower abdomen throbbed with sharp pain. My face turned pale, but he didn't notice.

Looking at his frantic state, I smirked mockingly.

"As long as I don't touch her, I can do whatever I want to you?"

I shoved him away with all my might, grabbed the red wine bottle from the table, and held it threateningly over his head.

He froze for a second.

Then, he let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes.

"Smash it if you want."

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze drifted past me. He looked exhausted, not even wanting to look at me.

"It’s not the first time anyway."

"Once you're done venting, just don't go after Chloe."

I stood there, bottle raised, suddenly feeling like everything was incredibly meaningless.

I set the bottle down and took my phone back from his hand.

The moment my finger touched the screen, his face twisted in panic. He grabbed my wrist tightly.

"What are you sending your people to do to Chloe now?!"

He used so much force that the momentum threw me backward. I stumbled and fell hard onto the floor.

My vision went black for a moment before I could recover.

I looked up at him. His chest rose and fell, his face pale with fear.

He really loved Chloe to death.

He loved her so much that even my normal breathing made him defensive, terrified that I would hurt her.

I smiled bitterly. "Ethan, actually, I already..."

The special ringtone he set for Chloe cut me off.

His hand, which had been reaching out to help me up, froze. Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone.

Chloe’s crying voice leaked through the speaker.

His expression darkened instantly. When he looked back at me, his eyes were dripping with disgust and warning.

"Scarlett, as long as I'm alive, I won't let you touch a single hair on Chloe."

"If you want to drag us both to hell, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The door slammed shut so fast.

It was so fast that I didn't even get to finish my sentence.

I sat there in silence, then let out a soft laugh.

I wanted to say...

Actually, I already signed the divorce papers. They’ll be delivered tomorrow morning.

I’ve decided to let you go, and let myself go.

But now, it seems there’s no need to say anything at all.