“Are you unhappy with the asset division?” I asked. “I had it professionally appraised. If you disagree, you can get your own appraisal. I’m
happy to transfer my company shares to you at market value.”
Ethan sent a voice message, his voice
unsteady. “Sarah, you know that’s not what I
mean. Why are you twisting the knife? I don’t want a divorce because I love you. You’re the only one for me. Don’t you understand?”
I forwarded him the screen recording of Chloe’s taunts. “Ethan, why not just give your first love what she wants? Do I really have to rip off the last shred of your dignity?”
Silence.
I issued my final ultimatum. “If you don’t sign, we’ll go through the courts. If your assets get frozen, that’s your problem.” Luckily, I had built my career without his help. I wasn’t afraid of
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him.
6442
799
When he still didn’t reply, I filed the paperwork.
On my way home, I saw a figure standing outside my condo. As I got closer, I saw it was Ethan, surrounded by cigarette butts.
I wasn’t surprised he’d found me. I held up the lawsuit. “Glad you’re willing to talk. Going to court is messy.”
Ethan looked pained. “Sarah, can we just talk? About anything else? That photo Chloe sent… I was drunk. Nothing happened. I swear!” He stared at me, pleading. “Please… give me another chance. I’ll cut Chloe off completely. We can go back to the beginning… please?”
I shook my head. “No. If that’s all you have to say, then leave. There’s nothing to discuss.”
Ethan looked devastated. “Are you really this heartless? Can’t you see I’m trying to save our
<
marriage? I’m trying so hard! We can fix this, go
back to how things were, start a family… we’d be great parents…”
I scoffed. “A family? Ethan, you already have
one.”
His eyes lit up, a flicker of hope. “Babe, are you
pregnant?!”
I opened the lawsuit and showed him the
evidence I had attached. The last page was
Chloe’s pregnancy test, positive.
“You’re going to be a father,” I said, a smile
playing on my lips. “Chloe’s been MIA lately,
hasn’t she? Probably hiding out, waiting to
spring the baby on me and force me out.”
My private investigator had dug up quite a bit
on Chloe. She probably didn’t even love Ethan.
She just enjoyed stealing other women’s men.
The more accomplished the woman, the greater
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794
DBGD
the thrill. As if proving she was “better.”
Ethan snatched the papers from me, his eyes scanning the document, landing on the
estimated due date. His face drained of color. The timing coincided with the night he got “drunk.” He stared at me, his lips trembling, his expression a mixture of disbelief and despair. “Babe…”
“Don’t you ‘babe‘ me!” I snapped, slapping him and snatching back the papers. “How many times do I have to tell you to drop the act? It’s not endearing; it’s disgusting! Sign the papers or we go to court. Don’t expect to drag me through hell for the rest of my life.”
Ethan sank to the ground, burying his face in his hands.
The next day, Ethan agreed to the divorce. I wasn’t surprised. I had concrete evidence of his infidelity. Even if he fought it, the divorce was
