On our seventh wedding anniversary, my husband’s childhood friend posted a photo of a massive, canary-yellow diamond ring on her Instagram. The caption read: “Thank you to my favorite guy for the amazing promotion gift!” I stared at the sparkling yellow diamond in shock. It was identical to the family heirloom my grandmother had left me. Unable to contain myself, I left a single question mark in the comments. A second later, my phone rang. It was my husband, Ethan Carter. “Chloe, what is your problem?” Ethan snapped the moment I picked up. “I bought a little ring for my assistant as a promotion gift. Why are you being so passive-aggressive in her comments?” “Besides, that yellow diamond of yours has been gathering dust in the safe anyway. You never even wear it.” Through the receiver, I could hear soft, theatrical sniffling in the background. A few minutes later, another post popped up on my Instagram feed. Hailey Miller had posted another photo—this time, of a massive bouquet of 9,999 red roses. Ethan commented: *The flowers are beautiful, but you’re stunning.* Hailey replied: *Love makes a girl bloom.* Watching the two of them flirt shamelessly in public, I didn’t waste another tear. I opened my contacts and called the top divorce lawyer in the city. This time, I was going to strip Ethan Carter of every single penny he owned. 0
The moment Ethan walked through the door, his eyes fell on the cold dinner sitting on the dining table. Today was our seventh wedding anniversary. He had come home empty-handed, yet he had spent millions on a canary-yellow diamond for his female assistant. And just because I left a question mark on her post, he had called to scream at me for being unreasonable. When he had hung up earlier, I was so angry my stomach physically turned. Ethan kicked off his shoes, walked over to the table, and frowned. His voice was ice-cold. “What’s with the elaborate setup? What kind of day is it supposed to be?” “Chloe, it’s not easy for me to make money out there. Can you stop being so wasteful and dramatic?” He raised his voice, his face written with sheer annoyance. He could spend a fortune throwing birthday bashes and promotion parties for his assistant, but a home-cooked meal I made with my own hands was considered “wasteful”? Ethan seemed to have forgotten that he only had his current success because of me! Now that he had tasted a little bit of wealth, he thought he could step all over me. He really thought he was some kind of big shot. Seeing that I remained silent, he reached into his briefcase, pulled out a single, crumpled red rose, and tossed it toward me. “Hailey told me to give this to you. You terrified her today, yet she was still sweet enough to think of you.” “Call her right now and apologize.” The rose wasn’t even wrapped. A few of its outer leaves had already turned yellow and bruised from being crushed inside his bag. It was obvious he had just yanked it out from Hailey’s giant bouquet on his way home. I glanced at it and said quietly, “I don’t want it.” Ethan’s face instantly darkened. “Chloe, what the hell is wrong with you? She was literally crying because of you, yet she still wanted to bring you a gift. Would it kill you to just say you’re sorry?” Seeing that I was ignoring him, Ethan grabbed my arm and violently pulled me up from the sofa. He used so much force and lost his grip, causing me to stumble and crash heavily against the edge of the coffee table. The sharp wooden corner slammed right into my abdomen. In an instant, a sharp, nauseating pain shot through my entire body, making my skin go cold. “Stop playing dead. It was just a little bump—” Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes locked onto the dark red blood dripping down my leg. Panic finally broke through his arrogant expression. “I… I’ll take you to the hospital.” The pain was so agonizing that my lips turned white. I didn’t even have the strength to utter a word. Ethan hoisted me up and carried me to the car. But the moment he opened the passenger door, I spotted a pair of black sheer stockings lying on the floorboard. Ethan’s arms stiffened. I knew he saw them too. As he lowered me into the seat, he quickly muttered, “Hailey probably dropped them by accident. I’ll give them back to her next time.” With trembling hands, I buckled my seatbelt. I squeezed a single word through my gritted teeth. “Fine.” Ethan stared at me in disbelief. “That’s it? Just ‘fine’?” I kept my eyes down and stayed silent. If this were the past, I would have demanded answers and fought him to the death. But now that I was divorcing him, why should I care who he slept with? ### 0
“Just drive. I don’t feel good.” I didn’t know why, but the pain in my lower stomach felt terribly wrong this time. It felt as if something was tearing apart inside me. Ethan didn’t say another word and started the engine. Our house was only a short drive from the hospital—just two intersections away. But halfway through the first intersection, his phone blasted through the car speakers. The moment Ethan picked up, his voice softened into a gentle, caring tone. “Ethan, I just had a horrible nightmare. I’m so scared… Can you please come over and stay with me?” Hailey’s whimpering, babyish voice filled the car. I pressed a hand against my stomach, forcing down the rage, and turned my head toward the window. “Chloe, Hailey isn’t feeling well. I need to go to her,” Ethan said, already pulling the car over. “I’ll let you off here. You can walk the rest of the way.” I whipped my head around to stare at him, my eyes filled with cold disbelief. Hailey just had a nightmare—it wasn’t a medical emergency. And he was going to dump me on the side of the road for that? “I can’t walk,” I whispered. I could barely move my legs. How was I supposed to walk to the ER? Hearing this, Ethan’s temper flared instantly. “You just bumped your stomach! It’s not like your legs are broken. Why can’t you walk?” “The hospital is literally half a mile from here. When we were in school, we ran that distance in three minutes. Stop being so damn dramatic!” With that, he got out of the car, marched over to my side, opened the door, and aggressively dragged me out onto the pavement. “I’ll come back to get you later,” he snapped. As he got back into the driver’s seat, I heard him mutter “annoying bitch” before slamming the door and speeding off. I collapsed onto the concrete, curling into a ball. The pain between my legs felt like a hot iron. I couldn’t move a single inch. Using the last ounce of my strength, I dialed 911. The moment I managed to rasp out my location, my vision went black, and I passed out. When I woke up, it was already the middle of the night. The doctor told me I had suffered a ruptured ectopic pregnancy with severe internal bleeding. They had to perform an emergency surgery to remove one of my fallopian tubes. My chances of getting pregnant in the future were now significantly lower. Listening to his voice, I stared blankly at the hospital ceiling for half an hour. I felt completely hollowed out, as if all the blood had been drained from my body. I didn’t even have the tears to cry. Finally, the ringing of my phone broke the silence. It was Ethan. “Where the hell are you? I checked the house and it’s empty. Chloe, you’re really pushing it now. Are you seriously running away from home over a stupid argument?” His roaring voice nearly shattered my eardrum. If he had cared even a fraction of an percent, he would have checked the hospital admission records. But he had probably just breezed through the ER for two minutes before rushing back home. “I’m at the hospital. VIP Wing, Room 709,” I said, my voice dead. There was a long silence on the other end. “Chloe, do you think my money grows on trees? You got a little stomach ache and you checked yourself into a VIP hospital room? Do you have any idea that one night here costs more than your entire yearly allowance?” How hilarious. Every single cent Ethan owned came from my family’s resources. And he was accusing me of wasting *his* money? “I used my own money—” “Don’t make me laugh. You’re a housewife, Chloe. Where would you get that kind of cash unless you’ve been skimming from the joint account I set up for you? I don’t have time for this. Just wait there, I bought you some dinner.” A few minutes later, Ethan walked in. He tossed a plastic takeout box onto my bedside table. Inside were just scraps of leftovers—mostly oil, chili peppers, and green onions. Just minutes before he arrived, I had scrolled past Hailey’s latest Instagram story. She had posted a photo of Ethan cooking in a kitchen with the caption: *I’ve been eating his cooking since we were kids, and I’ll never get tired of it. He said he wants to cook for me for the rest of our lives. What should I do? He’s such a perfect man, I seriously want to have his babies!* Someone had commented: *Don’t just talk, go get your man and make it happen!* Hailey had replied with a blushing emoji. So, the food Ethan brought me was literally the scraps they didn’t finish. “It looks disgusting,” I said, looking away. “Take it and get out.” With those words, Ethan’s face turned livid. The rage in his eyes looked as if he wanted to strangle me. He stepped forward and violently grabbed my neck, pinning my head to the pillow. “Do you think because I’ve been nice to you lately, you can talk to me like this?” “Is this all because I gave your stupid yellow diamond to Hailey? How much is that trash even worth? I have taken care of you for seven years! You’re throwing a tantrum over a piece of rock? Who the hell do you think you are, Chloe?” ### 0
Having just come out of major surgery, I had zero strength to fight back. I was terrified Ethan would actually suffocate me to death for Hailey’s sake. I weakly grabbed his wrist. “No… I just wanted to… to know if that was the one from my personal safe.” Ethan slowly released his grip. I gasped for air like a drowning person suddenly pulled to the surface, coughing violently. “So what if it is? Hailey actually likes it. At least it has some value now!” “Every time I get close to another woman, you get so paranoid and passive-aggressive! Do you know what my business partners say about me? They say I’m henpecked! It’s humiliating!” In the past, I would have argued with him until we were both blue in the face. But now, with all the love drained from my heart, none of it mattered anymore. I would just get my things back, piece by piece, and watch them burn. Once Ethan finished his rant and fell silent, I looked at him calmly. “If you’re done, please turn off the light on your way out. I need to sleep.” His face flushed red with anger. He spat out, “Only dead people sleep in the dark,” before slamming the door and storming out. He was clearly infuriated by my complete lack of reaction. For the next few days, Ethan never showed his face at the hospital. The next time I saw him was on his friend Marcus’s Instagram story. They were at a private indoor pool party. In the photo, Ethan’s hand was wrapped snugly around Hailey’s bare waist. I went to scroll past it, but my finger accidentally tapped the screen, leaving a like. A second later, Ethan’s call came through. “Are you at home? I’ll pick you up in a bit. Come hang out with us.” When I didn’t answer, he added, “It’ll be good for you to relax. Stop moping around the house like some miserable hag.” “Okay,” I replied, keeping my voice level. My divorce was already in motion. There was no need to make a scene right now. If I angered him too early, he might try to hide his assets, and I would be the one losing out. Ethan arrived shortly after to pick me up. Surprisingly, Hailey wasn’t in the passenger seat. When we arrived at the venue, his friend Marcus walked over to greet me. “Chloe! Hey, about Hailey’s promotion party last week… I chose the venue and forgot to send you an invite. My bad. Let me buy you a drink to make up for it.” Marcus downed his shot. I just smiled and said nothing. But Marcus kept pushing, trying to act familiar. “By the way, I saw you at a cafe the other day chatting and laughing with the CEO of Bennett Enterprises. Are you guys close?” Ah. So that was why he was being so nice. He had an agenda. “The thing is, our company has been trying to land a contract with Bennett Enterprises lately. But a massive conglomerate like them won’t even give us the time of day. We can’t even get a meeting with their VP. If you have a connection, could you help a brother out?” “I always knew you were smart, Chloe. A top graduate from Wharton Business School must have a crazy network compared to us.” He was lowering his own status just to flatter me. But before I could speak, Ethan walked over. “Her? Know someone at Bennett Enterprises? She’s just a housewife who cooks and cleans, and she can’t even do that right. Honestly, mentioning Wharton and her in the same sentence is an insult to the school!” I turned my head to look at his mocking face. The air around us went dead silent. Marcus quickly tried to smooth things over. “Come on, Ethan, don’t say that. You can’t get into Wharton on luck alone. Chloe clearly has talent.” “Don’t ruin my chances here! I’m relying on your wife to help me make my fortune!” Ethan rolled his eyes and playfully kicked Marcus’s shin. “Get back to work!” They had rented an outdoor pool area with a private barbecue tent. Marcus quickly ran off to help with the grill, reminding me to keep his request in mind. Once he was gone, Ethan looked me up and down. “Do you really know the CEO of Bennett Enterprises?” I shook my head. “Marcus probably needs glasses. He got the wrong person. I have no idea what Bennett Enterprises is.” Ethan chuckled, relaxed. “Figures. If you knew someone like that, pigs would fly.” ### 0
“By the way,” Ethan said carelessly, “about that yellow diamond ring. Once Hailey gets tired of wearing it, she’ll give it back to you.” “She doesn’t even care about it that much, she’s just playing around with it. You’re the only one who treats it like some sacred treasure, locking it in a safe for seven years.” I simply nodded, keeping my thoughts to myself. A moment later, Hailey walked over. The moment I saw my grandmother’s yellow diamond sparkling on her index finger, my face went rigid. “Chloe! Ethan is over here! Come over to the pool!” one of the guys yelled out from across the deck, making the atmosphere even more awkward. Marcus immediately covered the guy’s mouth. “Shut up and get back inside.” “My stomach is feeling a bit off. Excuse me,” I said, standing up. I didn’t want to make a scene and ruin everyone’s night just yet. Ethan stared at me for a few seconds, but ultimately, he didn’t follow me. When I returned to the grill area, the table was fully packed. There was no seat left for me. Ethan and Hailey were sitting side by side. Hailey’s legs were draped over Ethan’s lap, and his hand was naturally resting on her waist. They looked like a passionately in-love couple. Meanwhile, I stood there like an unwanted ghost. Eventually, Marcus noticed me and dragged over an extra chair for me to sit on. “Alright, everyone is here! Let’s play a game,” Marcus announced, holding a glass bottle. “Spin the bottle. Whoever the neck points to has to choose Truth or Dare.” In the first round, the bottle pointed to Hailey. She chose Truth. The guy who had yelled earlier immediately smirked. “Ethan, you ask! Only someone who knows her intimately can tell if she’s lying!” Ethan didn’t refuse. He casually asked, “What’s the most exciting thing that happened to you recently?” Hailey lowered her head with a shy smile. “Well… I had a nightmare and woke up terrified in the middle of the night. Someone rushed over so fast to comfort me that his suit jacket was buttoned completely wrong.” It wasn’t a secret. She was clearly saying it just to humiliate me. Marcus glanced between us, looking terrified of offending either side. He didn’t even know how to break the silence. The atmosphere froze again. “Let’s keep going,” I said with a light smile, breaking the ice. Marcus immediately jumped on it. “Yes, yes! Ethan, you spin this time!” As fate would have it, Ethan spun the bottle, and it landed directly on me. “Well, Ethan can’t ask again. That’s boring,” Hailey spoke up before anyone else could. “And Chloe just chose Truth earlier. Doing Truth every time is so boring. Chloe, why don’t we play for real this time?” I stared at her, amused. I knew whatever came out of her mouth next wouldn’t be good. “Isn’t it up to the player to choose? I choose Truth,” I said. Hailey’s eyes darted down to my abdomen, glinting with malice. “Oh, come on, Truth is so boring! We’re the only two girls here. Are you really afraid these guys will tease you?” “Since we’re all in swimwear anyway, and this is a pool party, why don’t you show us a routine in the pool?” “Ethan told me you were a varsity synchronized swimmer in college and won a national championship. I’ve only ever seen synchronized swimming on TV. I’d love to see it in real life. Can you show us, Chloe?” To coax me into the water, she had even dropped her usual smug attitude. But I wasn’t going to play her game. “Synchronized swimming requires intense preparation, and I haven’t touched the water in years. No, thank you.” Seeing me decline so quickly, Hailey’s eyes instantly welled with tears. “Ethan…” she whimpered. Ethan’s face darkened immediately. “Chloe, stop being so arrogant. It’s just a quick swim. It’s not going to kill you.” Before I could react, he grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the deep end of the pool. “Ethan Carter! I said no! I’m not doing a Dare, and I’m not swimming!” I yelled, struggling against his grip. Hailey didn’t want to see a performance. She wanted to treat me like a circus animal for her amusement! “Chloe, who do you think you are? Asking you to swim is a compliment to your skills. Don’t be so ungrateful!” “Didn’t you say you haven’t touched the water in years? Let me help you get reacquainted!” With a cruel smirk, Ethan grabbed my hair and slammed my head down into the water. Immediately, the stinging smell of chlorine rushed up my nose. I gasped, swallowing a mouthful of cold water. It felt like ice in my lungs. I thrashed violently, splashing the water to find something to hold onto. But Ethan didn’t give me a chance. He clamped his hands around both of my wrists, pinning them behind my back. Just when I thought I was going to drown, Ethan suddenly let go. I plunged deep into the pool. Water filled my eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt like it was exploding. Relying on sheer muscle memory, I fought to kick my way back to the surface. As I grabbed the edge of the pool, gasping for air, I heard Ethan’s tender voice speaking to Hailey on the deck. “Alright, sweetie, it was just a little show. If you want to see it again, I’ll make her jump back in, okay?” “Come on, smile for me. Don’t be sad.” Seeing Hailey still pouting, he turned back to me, crouching down at the edge of the pool. “Get back to the center and do a routine. You don’t come out until Hailey is happy.” “Ethan Carter!” My eyes were bloodshot. This was the first time I had yelled at him since I checked out emotionally. Even if he loved Hailey, he had no right to trample on my dignity and treat me like a toy to please his mistress! “My lawyers have already drafted the papers. I am divorcing you!” The moment the words left my mouth, Ethan burst into laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. “Divorce me? With what? You’re a penniless housewife who relies on me for everything. You think you’re qualified to divorce me?” “Who else would want a used-up second-hand trash like you once I dump you?” He looked down at me with absolute disgust, then placed his foot on my shoulder and shoved me violently back into the deep end. My foot slipped on the wet tile. I fell backward, my body sinking like a stone. I couldn’t move. As my body sank into the dark abyss of the pool, my senses began to fade. But right before I lost consciousness entirely, I heard someone on the deck scream in terror: “Blood! The pool water is turning red!” “Call 911! Oh my god, there’s blood everywhere!”
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