My neighbor abandoned her cat, and I took it in. The cat never warmed up to me, but it clung to my husband, purring and meowing constantly. That’s when a red flag went up for me. When my husband claimed to be working late into the night, I knocked on my neighbor’s door. She ran a hand over her noticeably bulging belly. “Chloe, what can I do for you at this hour?” The blatant challenge and triumph in her eyes made everything crystal clear. In the early hours, my husband crept back home, only to find both our parents waiting. A divorce agreement lay on the coffee table. “Divorce?” “Chloe, are you really throwing away seven years of our relationship over a worthless cat?” Liam didn’t even look at the document. He snatched the divorce agreement and hurled it at the ragdoll cat rubbing against his leg. “If you don’t sign, we’ll go to court.” I said flatly, then turned to walk back to our room. Both sets of parents looked utterly bewildered. They couldn’t understand how a couple who, just last month, seemed like newlyweds could suddenly be on the brink of divorce. Liam lowered his head, trying to conceal the panic in his gaze, his fists clenched and trembling. His parents rushed forward, blocking my path. “Chloe, you can’t accuse Liam of cheating just because of a cat! Some cats are naturally drawn to men. What does that prove?” “We’ve seen how good Liam has been to you. When you had that severe flu and high fever years ago, Liam stayed awake for 48 hours, tirelessly caring for you in the hospital. When you accidentally fell off that mountain, Liam didn’t hesitate to sell his shares, spending a fortune to bring in the top medical team for you.” “Do these things weigh less in your heart than a cat?” My parents also tried to persuade me, speaking earnestly. “If you leave Liam, where will you find such a good husband again?” “Your body was damaged, leaving you unable to conceive. It’s a blessing that Liam hasn’t left you for it. Don’t you realize how lucky you are?” Liam suddenly grabbed my hand, his red-rimmed eyes filled with a desperate, doting look, as if he loved me beyond measure: “Honey, we dated for two years and have been married for five. We faced life-or-death situations together and never let go of each other’s hands. How can you misunderstand me over a cat?” “Is it because I’ve been so busy with problems at the company lately that you feel neglected and unhappy?” “I swear, no matter how busy I am, I’ll come home on time every day to be with you…” Everyone in the room seemed to love me so much. My in-laws were sophisticated and kind; they had always treated me well, never once treated me poorly. My parents were a bit more pragmatic, believing that staying with Liam would guarantee me a good life. But the indifference and resolve in my eyes never wavered. I coolly pushed Liam’s hand away. “I’ll say it again: if you don’t sign tonight, we’re going to court.” “This is my last act of consideration for you.” Liam’s eyes were bloodshot. “Chloe, how can you be so heartless?” “It’s simple. Because I don’t care about you one bit anymore.” With that, I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them anymore. I walked straight to the front door and left. The disappointed sighs of both sets of parents echoed behind me, but I didn’t pause for a moment, quickening my pace. The ragdoll cat also seized the opportunity to slip out. As I sat spacing out on a park bench in the neighborhood, I saw the ragdoll cat chasing its former owner, Skylar, who was downstairs throwing out trash. Skylar viciously kicked its head, but the ragdoll wouldn’t leave for anything. I couldn’t stand it and went over to intervene, but the ragdoll arched its back and hissed at me, claws out. Skylar suddenly chuckled: “Chloe, sometimes people are just like cats.” “If you don’t like someone, you just don’t. No matter how hard you try to force it, it won’t work out.” I looked at the blatant challenge and superiority in Skylar’s eyes, then glanced at her obviously bulging belly, instantly understanding what she meant. “You’re right.” “Desperate cats and people—you can’t keep either.” Liam suddenly showed up, his face filled with tension and panic. But it wasn’t for me. “Chloe, can you just act normal? I told you, the cat being affectionate with me was just a misunderstanding, and it has nothing to do with our neighbor! Causing a scene at home is one thing, but how can you go crazy and harass her? Can’t you see she’s pregnant?” Liam clearly had no idea what had happened. He just saw me with Skylar and instinctively wanted to defend her, treating me like a jealous shrew looking for trouble. I let out a bitter laugh, realizing that even if Liam still loved me, his love for Skylar was greater.
Fearing I’d go harass Skylar again, Liam forcefully dragged me back home. Mr. and Mrs. Miller’s faces were beyond furious. They had already read the contents of the divorce agreement and simply tossed it into the trash. “Chloe, what is the meaning of this? We, the Miller family, have treated you well, haven’t we? It’s bad enough you’re asking for a divorce over a worthless cat, but you also want Liam to leave with nothing?” “Have we been too kind, making you think you can walk all over us?” My parents looked ashamed of me, their faces flushed. “You’re going too far, Chloe. We won’t support you in something so unreasonable.” I didn’t offer any lengthy explanations, simply repeating my previous statement: “If you don’t agree, then I’ll see you in court.” The one who cheated should forfeit everything. Liam’s voice trembled with urgency. “Chloe, are you divorcing me to split my assets? You know the passwords to all my accounts; you can spend whatever you want. Isn’t that enough?” Not all accounts. Or rather, they used to be, but now Liam had several new cards. I had no idea how much money he’d been spending on Skylar behind my back. I was about to point this out when there was a sudden knock at the door. Skylar sweetly greeted us. “Everyone, I apologize for bothering you so late.” “Earlier downstairs, I saw Mr. Miller and Chloe having a misunderstanding because of me. I felt bad about it and came to check.” “Actually, Chloe wasn’t harassing me. She was just taking her anger out on the cat, and I couldn’t stand it and tried to reason with her. It was my fault for interfering; Chloe was right to hit or scold me.” Mr. and Mrs. Miller’s faces turned completely dark. “Chloe, you abuse animals and bully people?” My parents sighed, lamenting my stubbornness. “Chloe, why have you become like this?” None of them noticed a key detail. “Mr. Miller? Skylar, so you know my husband. It must have been difficult to keep quiet all this time, all those times we ran into each other and you didn’t say hello, wasn’t it?” Skylar immediately lowered her head in a panic, like a frightened deer, secretly glancing up at Liam, feigning an innocent mistake while begging for help. Her right hand, adorned with a sparkling diamond ring, again touched her bulging belly. The panic and affection in Liam’s eyes flashed and faded, quickly returning to normal. “I do know Skylar. She’s an entry-level employee at my company; we’ve met a few times.” “I didn’t think she was important, and I also wanted to prevent you from getting the wrong idea, so I just treated her like a mere neighbor. Chloe, just be a good girl and don’t overthink things.” I couldn’t help but laugh. If he had nothing to hide, why was he afraid of me overthinking? And how could an entry-level employee afford a luxury apartment in a prime downtown location? Seeing my silence, Mr. Miller stood up in a huff. “Chloe, if you have proof, I won’t say another word about the divorce and asset split! But if you think you can make Liam leave with nothing based on mere speculation, I warn you, you’re dreaming!” I was about to respond when Skylar beat me to it, blinking. “Leave with nothing? Chloe, isn’t that going too far?” “Even though you haven’t been to the company, all the employees know how much Mr. Miller spoils his wife, how much he loves you. Chloe, are you perhaps seeing someone else and deliberately making a big deal out of me, trying to seize Mr. Miller’s assets?” At that, I raised my hand and slapped her directly across the face. “Watch your mouth.” “Liam might tolerate your nonsense, but I certainly won’t.”
In that instant, Liam involuntarily clenched his fists, his gaze on me filled with fury. After a moment, he calmed down and looked at Skylar with concern. “Are you okay?” Skylar was already crying, her eyes red. “I’m fine. I accidentally said the wrong thing, Chloe was right to hit me. Mr. Miller, please don’t be angry because of me.” After seven years together, it was the first time Liam gritted his teeth at me. “Get on your knees and apologize to Skylar!” I scoffed coldly. “Why should I?” “She was asking for it; she deserved that.” Liam suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself with all his might, half his face instantly swelling and reddening. “Consider that a slap from me, on your behalf.” “Chloe, I’m begging you, please stop this madness, okay?” “Did being cooped up at home and pampered after your injury make you lose your mind? I promise, no matter what’s wrong with you, I’ll never abandon you.” “I’ll give you anything you want, just please, stop talking about divorce, okay?” I didn’t hesitate. “Impossible.” “Every second with you makes me sick to my stomach, suffocated.” His concessions and my defiance. It completely disappointed both sets of parents. Mr. and Mrs. Miller stood up in anger. Before leaving, Mr. Miller coldly stated, “If you insist on divorce, we’ll fight you every step of the way! But don’t even think about taking a single penny of our family’s assets. Even if it costs us everything, I’ll make sure you leave with nothing!” My parents also shook their heads and sighed. “Chloe, you’re the one at fault for making such a scene. If you end up with nothing, you’ll surely regret it.” But was I the one at fault? No. The person I’d bribed at Liam’s company quickly sent me a surveillance video. I was watching it in the spare bedroom when Liam knocked and entered. To prevent him from discovering it and deleting evidence, I quickly put on my Bluetooth earbuds, listening to the audio while putting my phone away. “Chloe, what’s the point of divorcing me?” “You can’t have children. A family with my kind of status would never accept someone like you.” I looked at him with a cold smile. “Liam, why can’t I have children?” Because in the second year of our marriage, I was injured. Liam loved thrills and often did extreme sports, asking me to join him. Once, while rock climbing, Liam slipped and fell. To save him, I risked everything to grab him. He managed to stabilize himself on a protruding rock, but I, completely drained of strength, plummeted down. Everyone said Liam was so good to me, that he risked his life for me. Before me, Liam guiltily lowered his head, silent. Through my earbuds, I clearly heard his and Skylar’s flirtatious laughter. “Liam, that skydiving trip was incredibly thrilling, and I had such a great time. But honestly, if you just take me out sometimes, I’ll be perfectly content. Isn’t it too risky for me to move in next door to you?” After a string of soft kissing sounds, Liam said, “That’s what makes it exciting.” “These past few years, Chloe has become increasingly boring. Only you make me feel the meaning of life…”
After discreetly gathering enough evidence, I went to Liam’s company to investigate his financial status, to prevent him from hiding or transferring assets. Several senior executives knew who I was and cooperated willingly. Only Skylar, relying on Liam’s favoritism, constantly tried to sabotage me, even having someone lead me to the outdoor smoking area. With no one else around, Skylar dropped the act. “Chloe, isn’t it good enough to be a kept woman?” “For infertile trash like you, it’s a blessing that Liam is willing to keep you. Why insist on making a scene and humiliating yourself?” I smirked. “Fine, then I won’t divorce him.” Skylar looked momentarily bewildered. “Huh?” I laughed harder. “So pathetic and stupid. You came here to provoke me, didn’t you? To force me to divorce Liam quickly so you could take my place?” “Too bad after you ‘succeed,’ all you’ll get is a mountain of debt. You’re destined for nothing.” “Remember that ragdoll cat? Your fate is destined to be even worse than its.” Skylar must have seen that ragdoll. It was so starved it couldn’t bear it, returning to my house begging for food, but I directly shut it out. It was forced to fight with other stray cats for scraps, ending up covered in bites and utterly miserable. Perhaps the ragdoll’s fate hit a nerve for Skylar, who gritted her teeth and lunged at me, attacking me. “You’re the one who’s unwanted, the useless one about to be kicked out! How dare you curse me?” My eyes filled with disgust, and I dodged sideways. Skylar lost her balance and fell to the ground, clutching her stomach and sobbing in pain. The commotion attracted others. Liam, hearing what happened, rushed back at top speed. Without a word, he grabbed me, trying to force an apology out of me for Skylar. I coldly refused. “She fell on her own. The surveillance footage can prove it.” Liam gritted his teeth, glaring at me. “Nonsense! Where would there be cameras in the smoking area?” I was about to say there were, but Skylar rubbed her eyes and cried out, “Mr. Miller, don’t blame Chloe. It’s my fault for living next door to you, causing Chloe to misunderstand.” “Could you please beg Chloe for me? She can harass me however she wants if she doesn’t like me, but she can’t intentionally harm the baby in my belly!” Liam’s eyes widened. “Chloe, you’d lay a hand on an unborn baby? The child is innocent!” “Innocent?” I scoffed. “Who knows whose bastard it is anyway—” Before I could finish, Liam’s slap landed hard on my face. “Beyond redemption!” “Chloe, if you insist on acting out, don’t blame me for being ruthless! You wanted to sue? Fine, I’ll arrange the court date tomorrow.” “My family doesn’t need a twisted, inhumane shrew like you!” At that moment, we were no longer husband and wife, but more like mortal enemies. And everyone, including my own parents, stood on Liam’s side. Before the court hearing, they were still trying to persuade me: “Chloe, are you really cheating?” “Now everyone online is saying you’re a despicable woman who conspired with another man to seize your husband’s assets; your reputation is completely ruined.” “Snap out of it, Chloe, don’t ruin your last chance at redemption, okay?” Mr. and Mrs. Miller didn’t even bother to look at me. “An ungrateful viper is an ungrateful viper. You can never tame them.” “Liam, when she regrets it and kneels, begging to reconcile, don’t you dare go soft!” Liam, meanwhile, looked like his patience had run out, offering a final concession. “Admit your mistake now, and I can pretend nothing happened.” “Otherwise, you’ll end up on the streets and grow old alone.” I said nothing, looking at the judge, waiting for the trial to officially begin. And one sentence from the judge instantly drained the color from Liam’s confident face, leaving everyone in disbelief and shock. “How…how could this be?” “Liam, how much have you been hiding from us?” “Liam Miller, do you admit to the fact that you cheated?” The judge’s question immediately sent the courtroom into an uproar.
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