The first thing my father-in-law did after his company went public was order my wife to divorce me. “Divorce him! I’ll find you someone rich! A struggling professor? He ‘s not good enough for you! I must have been blind to allow this marriage.” I smiled. He truly was blind. Last year, when his empire was crumbling under thirty million in debt, I was the anonymous buyer who quietly purchased every last note.. If I hadn’t stepped in when I did, he would have been bankrupt! On my phone screen, a voice message from my friend Chloe sat unplayed. I didn’t need to. The preview text beneath it told the whole story. The click of a key turning in the lock echoed from the entryway. My wife, Scarlett, was home. She kicked off her heels, the motion sharp with fatigue. When her eyes met mine, all she offered was a drained “Mm.” She used to rush in, all warmth and lively stories. Now, only this solid silence remained. “Have some tea first.” I poured a cup and offered it to her. She glanced at it, her brow furrowing. “Again? I’ve told you I don’t take it sweet.” My hand stalled in the air, the cup suddenly heavy. This used to be her favorite. She didn’t look at me again, walking straight into the bedroom and slamming the door shut. That sharp thud left the house in utter silence. At the dinner table, we sat opposite each other, neither speaking. She picked at her food for a few bites, then suddenly put down her fork. “Alex, we need to talk.” I looked up, watching her quietly. “I don’t think we can keep going like this.” Her gaze darted away, unwilling to meet mine. “Our lives are drifting further and further apart.” “My dad’s company… it’s back on track now, even better than before.” “And you’re still just a university professor, making peanuts every month.” I put down my fork, saying nothing. She seemed to finally muster her courage, raising her eyes to meet mine. “Alex, let’s take a break. Let’s both cool off for a while.” A break? I looked at her resolute face and suddenly laughed. “Okay.” That single word choked all the elaborate explanations she’d prepared. She froze, seemingly surprised by my immediate agreement. I stood up, clearing the dishes as I always did. “Scarlett,” I said, my back to her, my voice flat. “Don’t regret it.”
The next day, I went to the university to teach as usual. During lunch break, Professor Miller sighed and went on about the insane housing market. “Alex, you’ve got it easy, single, no dependents, no worries.” He patted my shoulder. “Not like us family men. The pressure is real.” I smiled, not responding. In their eyes, I, Alex Reed, came from an ordinary background, had a stable job, and married a beautiful wife whose family had recently gone bankrupt. I was the typical ‘nice guy’ who took on someone else’s baggage. My phone vibrated. It was a message from Scarlett. “Saturday night. Dinner at my parents’ house.” A commanding tone, cold words. I replied,”Okay.” The ambush dinner was coming. On Saturday, I walked through the front door of Richard Hayes’s mansion, carrying a couple of expensive bottles of wine. The mansion, once so quiet and empty, was now bustling with people again. Richard, my father-in-law, was dressed in a designer suit, beaming with confidence, talking loudly about business with several partners. When he saw me, the smile on his face faded, replaced by undisguised disdain in his eyes. “You’re here? Find a seat for yourself.” He gestured towards the most secluded corner of the living room. In the main seating area, a young man I didn’t recognize was sitting, dressed in head-to-toe designer brands, a Patek Philippe watch glittering on his wrist under the lights. Scarlett was sitting right beside him, smiling charmingly, deep in conversation. That was a Scarlett I’d never seen, a Scarlett from another world. “Alex,” Eleanor, my mother-in-law, handed me a glass of water, her tone distant. “This is Eric Sterling. Mr. Sterling’s son. He just came back from abroad, young and accomplished.” I nodded, looking at the man named Eric. He was sizing me up too, his gaze like he was looking at a cheap knock-off. “Oh, so this is Scarlett’s husband? Alex Reed, right?” Eric drew out his words, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. “Teaching at the university, are we? Well, that must be… quite the effort.” He said “effort,” but his eyes were practically overflowing with contempt. Scarlett’s expression was a little uncomfortable, but she didn’t say a word in my defense. Dinner was served, a lavish spread of delicacies. Richard sat at the head of the table, full of vigor, raising his glass. “To all my friends, thank you for sticking by me, Richard, during my most difficult times!” He downed his drink, then his tone shifted, his gaze landing on me. “Of course, I also want to thank some… people who ‘stuck by us’ even when our family was struggling.” He deliberately emphasized “stuck by us,” drawing a chorus of knowing chuckles from the table. Eric was even more brazen, speaking up. “Now, Richard, be fair. Some people just want a quiet life, they don’t have big ambitions. They’re content just sticking to their wives and kids.” “But a woman like Scarlett? Now that the Hayes star is rising again, she deserves to soar. Can’t have dead weight holding her back.” They sounded like they’d rehearsed this whole routine. I remained silent throughout, just quietly eating my food. My silence, to them, was weakness, incompetence. Finally, Richard put down his fork, dropping the pretense. “Alex,” he looked down at me. “As you can see, our family is different now. Scarlett is too good for you.” “I’ll give you two hundred thousand dollars. Divorce Scarlett, and don’t bother her again.”
Two hundred thousand dollars. To buy out three years of our marriage. I’d settled thirty million in debt for him, and he was offering me two hundred thousand to get rid of me. It was laughable. Everyone in the living room was focused on me, smirking, waiting to see my angry or desperate reaction. Eric was smug, as if he was already the terminator of my marriage and Scarlett’s next partner. I didn’t look at Richard. Instead, I turned my gaze to Scarlett. From start to finish, she had kept her head down, like a puppet, as if it had nothing to do with her. “Scarlett,” I said. “Is this what you want too?” Her body stiffened, her shoulders trembling slightly. Seconds stretched into an eternity. Finally, she still didn’t look up, but forced out a single word through gritted teeth. “Yes.” That word completely broke me. I couldn’t help but laugh aloud, my chest shaking with it. “Good. Very good.” I stood up, scanning the room full of people. Richard frowned, clearly displeased with my reaction. “What are you laughing at? Is two hundred thousand not enough? Alex, don’t be greedy!” “No, it’s plenty.” I shook my head, the smile on my lips growing colder. “For someone about to lose everything again, two hundred thousand is indeed a large sum.” Richard’s face changed. “What do you mean? Are you cursing me?” “Dad, don’t waste time with him!” Scarlett finally spoke up, her voice annoyed. “Alex, what do you want? Do you have to make this so ugly?” “Ugly?” I looked at her. “Scarlett, it became ugly the moment you allowed him to sit here and humiliate me.” I gestured towards Eric. “I’ll divorce you,” I said, my smile gone, my face turning completely cold. “But not now.” Everyone was stunned. Eric sneered, “What? You want to drag it out? Let me tell you, Scarlett will be mine. Dragging your feet won’t change anything.” “I just feel,” I slowly adjusted my cuff, “that we never had a grand wedding when we got married, and that’s always been Scarlett’s regret. Now that the Hayes family is flourishing, why don’t we host a grand banquet? Invite everyone we couldn’t afford to include back then.” “At that banquet, we’ll announce our divorce. It’ll be a proper farewell, a dignified end to our marriage.” My proposal stunned Richard and Eric. They couldn’t figure out what I was planning. To them, this was public humiliation, tearing off my last shred of dignity and stomping it underfoot. A glint flashed in Richard’s eyes. He understood. This was a golden opportunity for him! He was already looking for a chance to announce his triumphant return to everyone and introduce Eric, the wealthy suitor. With me setting the stage, why wouldn’t he be happy to perform? “Excellent! That’s showing some character!” Richard slapped his thigh, his face beaming. “Alex, I didn’t expect you to have some backbone after all! Let’s do it! I’ll arrange the banquet, and it’ll be grand!” Eric also laughed, his gaze at me filled with disdain and pity. “Alex, just try not to cry on the day, okay? Do you need me to sponsor a decent suit for you?” I ignored him, giving Scarlett one last look. Her face held confusion, bewilderment, and perhaps a hint of imperceptible guilt. But what did it matter? This path was her choice. So, in this grand finale, she had to be the star.
Over the next few days, Richard indeed threw all his energy into preparing for this “divorce banquet.” He booked the penthouse ballroom of the city’s most luxurious five-star hotel and sent out invitations far and wide, inviting every business elite, friend, and acquaintance he could think of. The city’s elite knew the Hayes banquet was never just about celebrating the company’s revival. It was a stage to publicly dissolve a “mismatched” marriage and present Scarlett’s wealthy new suitor. I had become a complete joke. Scarlett called me once, her voice hesitant. “Alex, do we really have to do this? I think… it’s too much.” “Isn’t this what your father wanted?” I countered. Silence on the other end of the line. “Scarlett, there’s no turning back now,” I said, and then hung up. Chloe was furious, ripping into me over the phone. “Alex, are you out of your mind? You’re really walking into their trap? What’s your game here?” “Just want some peace,” I said calmly. “You…” Chloe was too angry to speak. “Fine, have it your way! I’ll be there to see how you clean up this mess!” On the day of the banquet, I walked into the opulent ballroom wearing a perfectly ordinary casual suit. Richard and Eleanor, in resplendent gowns and suits, were greeting guests with beaming faces. Scarlett, in an expensive custom-made evening gown, was arm-in-arm with the impeccably dressed Eric Sterling, accepting congratulations and envious glances from everyone. Seeing me, the smile on Richard’s face instantly vanished. He quickly walked over, whispering in a warning, disgusted tone. “You actually dared to come! Remember, today you’re here to play your part, don’t you dare pull any stunts!” Eric also approached, sizing me up before sneering, “Alex, with that outfit, are you here to be a waiter? Don’t say I didn’t warn you, only important people are here today. You’d best hide in a corner so you don’t embarrass the Hayes family.” I didn’t speak, just smiled. Scarlett’s gaze briefly met mine, then she quickly looked away, her eyes complex. I found an inconspicuous corner to sit in, watching this absurd yet very real drama unfold. I watched Richard move through the crowd, boasting about how he had turned the tide for his company. I watched Eric Sterling, acting like the man of the house, introducing the grand vision of the Hayes family to everyone. And I watched Scarlett, the woman I had loved for three years, the woman I thought I would spend my life with, smiling radiantly in this socialite circus, drifting further and further away from me. Halfway through the banquet, the host invited Richard to the stage to give a speech. Under the spotlight, Richard, microphone in hand, looked full of vigor. “Good evening, esteemed guests and friends!” “Today is a day of great joy for me, Richard! The first joy is that my Hayes Group has risen from the ashes, stronger than ever!” A thunderous applause erupted from below the stage. He reveled in the moment, then his tone shifted. “The second joy is my daughter, Scarlett. She will bid farewell to the past and embrace a brand new life!” Saying this, he beckoned Scarlett and Eric. The two walked intimately onto the stage, standing beside Richard. “Some people are only suited to share hardships, not prosperity,” Richard said, his gaze falling on me with a chilling intensity. “The Hayes family is sailing ahead, and we don’t need a heavy anchor holding us back.” All eyes turned to me. There was sympathy, pity, but mostly morbid curiosity and mockery. I had become the superfluous person in their eyes. Scarlett kept her head down, not daring to look at me. Eric, beaming with triumph, put his arm around Scarlett’s waist, subtly flaunting his victory to me. Richard cleared his throat, about to announce my divorce from Scarlett and hint at Eric and Scarlett’s impending engagement. I stood up, slowly walking towards the stage. Everyone was stunned, and the music stopped. Richard’s face went pale with rage, and he roared into the microphone. “Alex! What do you think you’re doing? Get off this stage!” I ignored him, walking directly to the center of the stage, plucking another microphone from the stunned host. The lights shone on me. I could clearly see every astonished face in the audience. “Don’t be so hasty, Richard.” I smiled, a sharp, quiet thing, as my voice filled the silent ballroom. “After all, isn’t this my stage too?”
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