Ten years as DINKs. Then his mistress got pregnant. “I want to be dad.” He announced. I had two choices: take a $300 million settlement and divorce, or stay Mrs. Hayes and be the child’s nominal mother. He thought I’d pick the second. He knew how much I loved him. But I chose the first without blinking. I’d been reborn. In my last life, I fought Richard’s mistress my whole life. In the end, her son still seized all our assets. This time, the money’s mine. The freedom’s mine. And maybe, a young man or two will be mine as well. In my last life, I literally worked myself to death. After discovering my husband Richard’s affair, a cold, focused fury consumed me. I spent 48 sleepless hours plotting. First, I sidelined him at Hayes Corp, seized control. Then I executed reforms so brutal our share price quintupled. Richard’s mistress, Jasmine, and her son, Kevin, were crushed under my heel. They hid abroad, too terrified to return or contact Richard. Not a single Hayes family member dared to challenge me, not even Richard. I thought I’d won. Then I hit forty-five, still not pregnant. Years of grueling IVF, constant injections, and non-stop work took their toll. My body gave out. I collapsed and died on a business trip. My body hadn’t even been buried when Jasmine returned with her son. Richard, Jasmine, and Kevin wept, hugging each other as if they were the ones who’d suffered some great injustice. My ashes and photo? Casually tossed into the trash. Watching Jasmine eagerly move in and Kevin take over my company, I finally realized I’d spent my entire life building an empire for someone else. That night, I heard Jasmine and Richard sharing sweet nothings in bed. Jasmine, teary-eyed, whispered to him, “Richard, you’ve suffered so much for me these past twenty years. You secretly got a vasectomy for me, and even deliberately set Sera up to pave the way for our son! Thank you, my love, I adore you.” Richard kissed Jasmine’s forehead. “Jasmine, I love you too. You’ve been with me since you were twenty. I’d do anything for you.” No wonder no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get pregnant later on. Richard had gotten a vasectomy ages ago. I couldn’t tell if I felt regret or fury, only that my entire life had been a cruel joke. I opened my eyes again, back to the moment Richard laid it all out for me. He’d just gotten home from a business trip, still wearing the custom suit I’d ordered for him. He sat on the sofa, radiating an undeniable charm. Richard sighed. “Sera, let’s part amicably. Jasmine’s pregnant. It was… an accident, but she’s given me everything, and I can’t abandon her.” “I’m going to marry her and keep this child. I’m afraid you’ll have to make sacrifices.” “Besides the $300 million settlement for the divorce, I’ll buy back your shares at market price. This villa we live in and the cars? They’re yours. I truly owe you for all these years.” Honestly, Richard’s terms were pretty generous. If I didn’t love him, it would’ve been a total windfall. But I’d known him since I was eighteen, married him at twenty. Richard built his empire, and I helped manage the company alongside him. Later, when his parents got older and their health declined, I stepped back to care for them. I never imagined Richard would stab me in the back. And twist the knife. That betrayal fueled a hatred so fierce, I burned the rest of that life on nothing but revenge. Now, I gazed at my thirty-year-old face in the mirror. My eyes looked tired, exhausted from cooking and managing the household for my in-laws. My clothes were dated, a testament to my frugality. I reeked of “housewife.” My heart ached. I felt a pang of pity for myself. How had I let my life become this? Why hadn’t I learned to enjoy it? As I drifted, Richard repeated his demand for divorce. He sounded impatient. Just as he was about to deliver a warning, I calmly said, “Fine.” Richard froze. “What?” “I agree to the divorce,”I repeated, my voice calm. “And to you buying back my shares at market price. Let’s end this amicably.” Stunned by my decisiveness, he could only stare for a beat. “As long as you agree,” he muttered. “My lawyer will contact yours tomorrow.” Then he left in a hurry. I took a deep breath. Turning around, I saw his parents on the second floor. They’d known about Jasmine. They’d come for a show. Seeing not a tear but cold resolve, their faces tightened with awkwardness. My mother-in-law forced a thin smile, nudged her husband, and they vanished. I was left alone in the living room, savoring the reality of my rebirth.
Richard’s assistant worked fast. Within a week, Jasmine was strutting into my house as if she owned the future. In my previous life, Richard coddled her because she was young, keeping her well-protected. I rarely dealt with her. So, facing twenty-year-old Jasmine now, a strange resentment still flared. But I fought to hide it. I knew Richard was ultimately to blame. Jasmine was just the fly attracted to the rot. She was practically revered by the Hayes family. My mother-in-law, who’d given me the cold shoulder for ten years, was smiling warmly at someone for the first time. She constantly fed Jasmine fruit, stroked her belly, looking utterly delighted. I didn’t go in to make things worse. I retreated to my car and called Richard. “Have your assistant come out. I’ll sign in the car.” “Since you gave me the villa, tell your parents to move out tomorrow. I don’t like strangers in my house.” “Transfer the money to my account first. Let’s expedite the share transfer paperwork. Once that’s done, we’ll finalize the divorce.” Richard didn’t say anything for a long moment, then let out a sarcastic chuckle. “You’re certainly quick about this.” He made it sound like I was just after his money. I didn’t bite. There was no point arguing with him now. The priority was getting everything finalized ASAP. My attitude must have provoked him, or perhaps Richard just didn’t want to upset Jasmine. Either way, a month later, I received a total compensation of nearly $800 million and my divorce certificate. The second I walked out of the courthouse, I listed the villa online, ready to sell. Richard was still trailing me. When I almost stumbled, he grabbed my arm. His expression was surprisingly remorseful. “Sera, what are you… going to do now?” I was busy calculating the villa’s value and didn’t quite hear him. “Huh? What?” “What are you planning to do?” “Me?” I looked at him strangely. “I’m going to get a haircut and buy some new clothes. Divorce is like a rebirth, after all. Gotta celebrate, right?” Richard choked on his words, his face hardening. “You’re still so stubborn.” “Even though we’re not married anymore, we’ve known each other a long time, and I want to offer some advice. When we were younger, money was tight, and we carelessly decided to be DINKs, not truly understanding what that meant.” “Now that my parents are getting older and my career is successful, I’m starting to understand how important having children is.” “I know you hate your dad for cheating and your stepmother for the abuse, so you stubbornly refused to have kids.” “But Sera, life is long. If you never have your own bloodline, you’ll be lonely and regretful when you’re old.” “I just didn’t want my parents to die without seeing grandchildren, I didn’t want to be unfilial. That’s why I chose to be responsible for Jasmine. I hope you understand.” He rambled on and on, and just then, my ride arrived. I casually pulled my hand from his, got straight into the car. As the car started to pull away, I flipped him the bird. “Richard, you cheated. Don’t try to make it sound so noble.” “You can spin it any way you want, but Jasmine is still your mistress, and that child is still illegitimate. No matter what, you can’t change that fact.” “I’m thrilled about the divorce, because I don’t have to deal with you two anymore, or clean up your mess. May you and your mistress be ‘happily ever after,’ you deserve each other. And don’t ever contact me again.”
Cursing Richard felt incredibly cathartic, and the divorce didn’t affect me in the slightest. Maybe my previous life had completely drained all my love for him. Now that we were separated, it felt like excising a rotting piece of flesh. Utterly liberating. The day after the divorce was finalized, I found a high-end salon, got a perm, and dyed my hair with highlights I’d always wanted. Then I went on a shopping spree, buying dozens of outfits and completely overhauling my wardrobe. Seeing my new, younger reflection, tears finally fell. “Sera,” I whispered. “you’re actually beautiful. You’ve worked so hard all these years.” A sum with nine zeros sat quietly in my bank account. I could live off the interest in blissful idleness. There was no more need to rush. I lounged on the sofa, then wiped out Richard, his parents, his relatives, and most of his friends from my contacts. My contact list felt so much cleaner. As I scrolled, I saw Mia’s name, a friend who owned a bar. After a moment’s thought, I called her. I’d been so wrapped up in family life before, rarely keeping in touch. So, when I suddenly called, she sounded surprised. “Hey, Mrs. Hayes, what’s up? Long time no talk!” I smiled faintly. “I’m divorced. Don’t call me Mrs. Hayes. From now on, you can call me Sera, the rich lady.” “Holy shit!” Mia shrieked. “Seriously? Where are you? I’m coming to get you right now!” Her eagerness for gossip was obvious. Half an hour later, Mia had heard the whole story. She looked at me, clearly wanting to say something but hesitating. I quickly stopped her. “Hey, don’t pity me, girl. I’m loaded now.” Mia just stared. “You’ve got a point.” She wiped her face. “So, what’s next, boss?” I pondered for a moment. “Well, ever since Richard hooked up with Jasmine, it’s been two years since I’ve, you know, been intimate with anyone.” “You know a lot of people. Any clean-cut, fit, handsome guys you could hook me up with? Maybe two?”
The moment I mentioned wanting a male escort, Mia got excited. Within half a day, several profiles landed in my hands. My eyes immediately gravitated to Leo, the one with the cleanest vibe. It wasn’t just his looks; his background was surprising – a top student from A University. How could such a brilliant guy go down this path? I raised an eyebrow and told Mia to bring him to my hotel that evening. That night, in the Grand Hotel’s Presidential Suite, I met twenty-three-year-old Leo for the first time. He was tall, with eyes and brows even more striking than in his photo. His skin was lightly tanned, and his gaze held a hint of veiled resentment. With years of interviewing experience, I could tell he was a textbook good student. Dressed in a shirt and slacks, he was stiff as a board, his face flushed with shame. Too bad I wasn’t feeling charitable. I was focused on getting what I wanted. I walked over and gently lifted his chin. “You’re Leo, right?” Leo mumbled a shy “M-hm.” His youthful awkwardness delighted me. He truly was gorgeous. Clear eyes, long, curling lashes, full, red lips – a pure, captivating temptation. IMy grip on his chin tightened, forcing those deep, wary eyes to lock onto mine. “Half a million is a lot. But I like you, so I’ll pay. Whether you get all that money…well, let’s see your performance tonight.” Leo took a shaky breath. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re satisfied.” His hands trembled violently, and he was flushed from his earlobes all the way down his neck. When he kissed me, he was so inexperienced he bit my lip with his teeth. I couldn’t help but let out a low laugh. So innocent. So pure. So utterly adorable. I reversed our positions, pinning him beneath me, and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. “You’re lucky. It’s my first time hiring an escort. I don’t have any strange kinks.” “I’m buying a good time to clear my head. After tonight, you’ll get what you came for.” Leo let out a choked moan, his hands instinctively finding my waist… The next morning, I woke up feeling refreshed. Leo was still asleep. I left the card on the nightstand, kissed his cheek, then got up and left. Decisive as I was, I didn’t notice the tears streaming down his face the moment the door clicked shut.
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