My husband, Liam Miller, who’s the CEO of his company, pushed me to the floor again as he headed out late with his assistant, Mia Brown. I was five months pregnant. The second I hit the ground, I started bleeding. My abdomen cramped violently—a terrifying sign that I might miscarry. I begged Liam to help me. But he just scoffed and accused me of faking it. “Trying to guilt-trip me with the baby? Have you no shame?” Then he slammed the door and left. The pain was so intense I nearly passed out, but I mustered every bit of strength to call 91 After surgery, the baby was gone. I tried calling Liam, but his phone went straight to voicemail. A little while later, I saw Mia Brown’s Instagram post: “Unforgettable night Can’t wait to do this again soon!” The photo showed clothes strewn across the floor, a couple of used condom wrappers, and a very intimate selfie of her and Liam. As soon as I was released from the hospital, I told my mom, “I want a divorce.” 1. Mom looked at me, her face a mix of shock and relief. She’d never liked Liam, but she knew how much I’d loved him. I never would’ve given up so easily if I hadn’t been completely broken. My dad, who’d spent years climbing the corporate ladder himself, spoke up. “If you’re going to end it, do it properly. It’s always better to part on good terms.” I shook my head, swallowing the bitter taste in my mouth. Just last week, while I was still in the hospital, Mia had posted again. “Spontaneous hot springs trip! Shoutout to Liam Miller for this amazing surprise team retreat~” The photo showed them in matching robes, posed against the steamy backdrop of the hot springs. Mia was practically leaning into Liam’s shoulder, flashing a heart sign at the camera. In the background, I could just make out the private hot spring villa of a fancy resort. I recognized it instantly. Liam was wearing that dark blue robe I’d specially picked out for his birthday last year—the one he’d always called “too flashy” and refused to wear. I called to confront him about it. Liam didn’t even flinch. “Mia’s team hit their performance targets. It was a company team-building trip, and as the exec in charge, I just went as a formality.” “It’s a group thing—good for team morale. Totally normal.” Mia’s sickly sweet voice came through the line, muffled like she was speaking through a cloud of steam: “Liam, I forgot my towel. Can you grab it for me? It’s right on the rack next to you.” Liam calmly replied, “Sure.” Finally, like he was doing me a favor—or maybe just justifying himself—he said, “Chloe, team-building is part of work. Being this paranoid is only going to drive us apart. I brought her along to help her integrate faster. I’m just trying to fix the issues *you* created.” My chest felt like it was being stabbed—this suffocating pain that made it hard to breathe. Even now, he could spin their private hot spring trip into some “team-building” event and blame it all on my so-called “issues.” I texted him a photo of my miscarriage report. His response? Just: “The baby’s gone, whatever. Don’t try to play victim with this.” “At the end of the day, isn’t it your fault for not being able to keep the baby?” It was laughable, really. I’d been five months pregnant, careful with every step. If Liam hadn’t pushed me because of Mia, none of this would’ve happened. But every angry text I sent got blocked immediately. I stared at the failed message notification, my vision going blurry. Liam had blocked me! He was worried I’d ruin their little “team-building” trip. I guess I’d been too easy on him—made him think he could do whatever he wanted and I’d just take it. But he was wrong. No one sticks around forever, holding onto nothing.
After dinner with my parents, I went back to the house Liam and I had shared for three years. The second I turned the key, someone jumped out in front of me, blocking the door. “Master, just tell me what you want and I’ll—” She didn’t even finish her sentence. It was Mia Brown, dressed in a bunny maid costume. She recognized me instantly—or maybe just realized I wasn’t who she was waiting for. I stared at her thigh-high black stockings, her micro-mini skirt leaving almost nothing to the imagination. She was only eight years younger than me, but her youthful energy felt like a direct jab at my supposed “dullness.” “Oh, I’m so sorry… Liam asked me to come over.” “If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll leave right away.” Mia backed up, putting on this innocent act. She turned to leave but tripped over a box. At the same time, someone darted out from behind me, catching her fall with his own body. After making sure Mia was okay, Liam immediately turned on me with a string of accusations. “Chloe! Could you be any more childish?!” “Mia’s just a kid—how could you lay a hand on her?” I watched their little show with icy indifference. “A kid? A twenty-three-year-old kid?” “Liam, what kind of ‘kid’ wears that outfit in someone else’s house? She has no respect for boundaries!” SMACK! Liam backhanded me across the face. “Are you done with your little tantrum?” “Not everyone had your silver spoon upbringing, Chloe—some of us actually had to work for things!” Mia took the opportunity to start sobbing. “I’m… I’m sorry. I really am… so rude…” “But my parents died when I was little… no one ever taught me proper manners…” “The only mentor I had at work… he got transferred recently…” She buried her face in Liam’s chest, body wracked with sobs—but I caught the faint flicker of triumph in her eyes as she glanced at me. “Mia, none of this is your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong…” Liam looked down at her softly, automatically reaching up to wipe her tears. But his hand froze halfway. Like he’d just registered what she was wearing. “Why are you dressed like that…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but his Adam’s apple bobbed. The hunger in his eyes was obvious. Mia loved his reaction. She ducked her head, pretending to be shy. “We have a company team-building gala tomorrow night. This is my costume for it.” “If you don’t like it, Liam, I can take it off right now!” With that, Mia actually started to unzip the costume. Liam stopped her immediately. Their hands touched, and suddenly I was the outsider in my own home. “If it’s for work, then it’s fine.” Liam gave me a pointed look. “Only someone with a dirty mind would see something inappropriate here!” I let out a bitter laugh. Watching Mia’s obvious act, I just felt sorry for the three years I’d wasted on him. Since we got married, he’d touched me less and less—even though I was his wife. I used to think marriage took work. That someday, I could make him love me again. But reality kept slapping me in the face. One affair after another, and now Mia. In his world, I was just arm candy. I tried everything to get close to him. I even wore the outfits my best friend suggested to try and impress him. But he pushed me away every time—looking more repulsed each time. I thought maybe I wasn’t attractive enough. I even took dance classes. But even with my new skills, Liam never spared me a second look. All my attempts to connect with him? He called them “desperate” and “tacky.” Now Mia just bats her eyes, and he’s practically drooling—this same man who couldn’t stand to touch me. In that moment, all my efforts felt like a sick joke. It wasn’t that I wasn’t good enough. I just wasn’t the one he cared about.
“I should probably head back to my place.” Mia pushed Liam away and started packing her suitcase. A few photos “accidentally” fell out. They were explicit shots of them together—posed suggestively, looking at each other like they meant something. I’d begged him for years to take couple photos with me, but he always said he was too busy with work. When I pressed him, he’d call me “childish.” There were barely any photos of us together in this house. Liam snatched up the photos and tucked them away carefully. “It’s too late to go out now—it’s not safe. Just stay here tonight.” Mia glanced at me nervously. “Why are you looking at her? This is *my* house. I can have whoever I want over.” I looked at Liam calmly. “You’re right.” “This is your house.” I should be the one to leave. Besides, I wasn’t planning on coming back anyway. I walked past both of them and went straight to the bedroom to get my stuff. But Liam grabbed my arm. “You’ll sleep in the guest room.” “Mia wants to watch the sunrise tomorrow morning.” Some sunrise, huh? “Fine.” He looked surprised by how calm I was. The coldness on Liam’s face finally softened a bit. He noticed my cheek was still red and swollen. For once, there was a flicker of guilt in his voice. “Wait, let me get you some ointment.” “No thanks.” What was a bruised cheek compared to the hole in my chest? I ignored both of them, grabbed a suitcase, and quickly packed some clothes and essentials. I went straight to the guest room. Everything else could be replaced. Out with the old, in with the new. Liam tried to follow me in, but found the door locked. After knocking a few times, he spoke up—hesitant, like he was testing the waters. “Chloe, you’re not actually mad, are you?” Usually, Mia being here meant a huge fight. But now that I was calm—no tears, no yelling—he seemed nervous. I kept my voice flat, dripping with sarcasm. “Nope. Course not. She’s just your assistant, right? Not your side piece.” Silence hung in the air for a beat. Liam let out a breath, like he was relieved. “Chloe, just hang in there a little longer. I promise I’ll explain everything soon.” Explain? I couldn’t help but laugh. Too bad I don’t care anymore, Liam. “Liam!” Mia’s voice suddenly shrieked from the bathroom. Liam sprinted over, panic in his voice. “What happened, Mia? Did you slip?” “Mia?!” No matter how many times he called, there was no answer from inside. I stared at the closed bathroom door. Liam was so worried he didn’t even notice me standing in the hallway. After a few more unanswered calls, he hesitated for a second. Then he reached for the doorknob and twisted it—it wasn’t locked. The door swung open, and Mia—half-dressed—threw herself at him. She let out this breathy, moaning sound—total fake seduction. Liam tried to push her off, but his hand brushed against her chest. He froze instantly, like he couldn’t resist anymore. Mia got bolder, pressing her body fully against his. “Why? Am I not as good as the others? Not even as good as Chloe?” Liam sighed, trying to calm her down. “Shhh, we’ll talk about this tomorrow, okay?” I watched their shadows merge on the wall. I unconsciously touched my stomach. The incision from the D&C was still sore. If I hadn’t dragged myself to the phone to call 911, I might not have survived. Funny how Mia trips and gets his undivided attention. I let out a bitter laugh and shut my door again.
The next morning, I woke up to an empty house. On the dining table, Liam had left bacon, eggs, and toast. There was a note next to the plate in his handwriting. *Took Mia to the office. Be back later.* I grabbed my suitcase. I dumped the cold breakfast straight into the trash. I also took off the bracelet I’d worn for two years and tossed that in too. It was the only gift Liam had ever given me. A hand-me-down from someone else, actually. I used to treat it like it was priceless. Now it all just felt worthless. When I got home, Mom took my suitcase, her face tight with worry. “Your dad and I just finished going over the divorce papers with the lawyer.” I looked around my childhood home, my throat feeling tight. “It’s all set?” “All set. I’ll go with you this afternoon to get your things. Good riddance to that man.” Tears filled Mom’s eyes as she spoke. I was an only child, spoiled rotten growing up. Before Liam, I’d never had a real problem in my life. Now I was broken because of a guy like him. My parents must have been hurting even more than I was. I reached up to wipe her tears. “Why are you crying? I’m home, aren’t I?” Our house was only a ten-minute walk from the law firm. As we got close, Mom realized she’d forgotten some papers. I told her to go back and get them, then meet me at the firm. But before I even went inside, I saw someone I knew. Mia Brown was practically glued to Liam, grinning like she’d won the lottery. Liam noticed me standing in the doorway. “Chloe, what are you doing here?” “Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m just showing Mia some business stuff.” But the contract in his hand clearly said he was transferring multiple properties to her name. Watching them, I felt absolutely nothing. I kept my voice flat. “Whatever. Carry on.” I didn’t look back as I walked straight into the lawyer’s office. But Liam froze. Watching me leave, he suddenly looked panicked. “Chloe, wait! What are you doing here?”
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