I had been secretly married for five years when her best friend mentioned it casually. “She was planning a big, public wedding.” Overjoyed, I immediately called my wife Chloe. But she told me she was out of town for a business trip and not to bother her. Three days later, at the wedding venue, I watched my wife slide a ring onto her childhood sweetheart’s finger. I watched them kiss. My work, credited with his name. My wife, marrying another man. I was a complete joke. I stood up. The moment she saw me, her face instantly blustered with panic. “What are you doing here?” A cold smile touched my lips. “I came to give you two my blessings. And to tender my resignation!” I drained my glass, set it down with a final click, and walked away. Just as I’d predicted, Chloe didn’t follow. No call. No text. The next time I saw her was past midnight. The front door swung open, and she brought in the night’s chill, along with the thick, cloying scent of expensive bourbon. For years, I had grown accustomed to waiting for her at home. Chloe would always unleash all her fury on me, and tonight was no different. But I wouldn’t blindly indulge her like I used to. “Liam.”Her voice was sharp. “What the hell were you doing there today? That wasn’t your place. You’re a junior analyst. People saw you. They’ll talk.” “Brandon and I are only pretending to be married. It’s all he’s ever wanted, and we’ve known him forever. How could I say no to one little performance?” I forced a bitter laugh. “So, tomorrow, everyone at the company will know you married Brandon. That kind of ‘misunderstanding’ is perfectly fine with you?” Chloe’s brows furrowed instantly at my words. “What is your problem? I explained it. It’s a charade for Brandon. Why are you so obsessed with optics? I’ve been married to you for five years, what more do you want?” “If it weren’t for Brandon, I never would have married you in the first place.” I fell silent. I’d met Chloe in my sophomore year, and it was love at first sight. Back then, I’d never been in a relationship, not even had a crush. To make Chloe fall for me, I brought her breakfast every day, attended the same classes, and engineered all sorts of “chance encounters.” She accepted all my kindness, and I thought it was proof she was falling for me. I spent my days immersed in the illusion of an impending romance. Until one day, I saw Chloe practically begging Brandon to accept a slice of cake. That’s when I knew she loved Brandon, not me. Brandon was the campus heartthrob in our major, her dream guy. But what Chloe didn’t know was that Brandon was secretly a huge playboy. Because of Brandon, I could never break through that final emotional barrier between Chloe and me. The year we graduated, Chloe approached me. If I gave her my meticulously prepared graduation project, she’d agree to be my girlfriend. I was ecstatic, believing she had finally seen through Brandon’s true colors. But on the day of the graduation defense, I watched Brandon confidently present my design on stage. Thanks to my design, Brandon not only won “Outstanding Graduate” but also landed a job at a top-tier company. I wanted to ask Chloe for an explanation, but I was afraid it would hurt our relationship, so I let the matter go unresolved. Not long after graduation, Chloe again proposed marriage to me, on the condition that I join her family’s company and all my work copyrights would belong to her. For me, it was a massive surprise, something I’d always dreamed of. But after we married, Chloe not only refused to let me touch her but also rarely came home. Later, I learned that marrying me and having me join her family’s company were all Brandon’s demands. After graduation, Brandon struggled to adapt to his new company and couldn’t produce the programs they required, so he set his sights on me. By having Chloe marry me, he would secure a stable ghost-coder. And Chloe agreed to the marriage because Brandon promised to always love her, and people who loved each other should help each other. “If it weren’t to help Brandon’s career, I would never have married that clueless nobody.” Chloe herself said this to her best friend one night when she was drunk on her birthday. I was standing right outside the door that night. I always thought that if I tried hard enough, she would eventually love me. I always thought that if I did enough, she would recognize Brandon’s incompetence. But as time went on, I remained nothing more than a tool in her eyes, filled with unrequited affection. With my help, Brandon’s reputation soared in the industry, and the Davis family’s company grew bigger and bigger. Yet I was just a junior employee in her company, at her beck and call. Now, my last shred of love for her had been extinguished by that wedding.
Looking at Chloe, I wanted to argue, but the words died on my lips, leaving only a sense of helplessness. “Chloe, let’s get a divorce.” Her face instantly shifted from anger to cold indifference. “Divorce? What right do you have to suggest divorce? This marriage, only I can decide to end it.” “You know what to say and what not to say at the company tomorrow. And send me the new program as soon as you’ve finished writing it.” Her condescending attitude stemmed entirely from my years of unwavering compliance. But I’m not a machine; I have feelings too. “Tomorrow, I’m going to the company to resign. I won’t be doing this anymore.” A flicker of fury crossed Chloe’s face. She hadn’t expected me to resist. “How long are you going to keep this up? I’ve already explained about the wedding. Haven’t things always been this way for years? Stop being so dramatic.” “I’ll give you one more night. We’ll talk again tomorrow once you’ve adjusted your emotions.” Chloe always had this attitude, believing I could handle anything on my own. The cold wind and heavy rain outside the window mirrored my mood. In my heart, I drew a final line under this relationship. The next morning, I went to the office with my resignation letter in hand. I hadn’t even reached my desk when Mike, a colleague, sidled up to me, eyes wide with vicarious excitement. “Liam, man! You’ve been holding out on us! How did you keep your connection to Ms. Davis so quiet? The whole floor is talking about it!” “Someone saw you at her wedding yesterday. Giving your blessings. You don’t do that for just anyone. Come on, what’s the real story?” I kept my expression neutral. “There’s no story, Mike. I was passing by, saw the display. Ms. Davis is gracious. She insisted I come in as a guest, a gesture to the staff, she said.” “Oh! That makes perfect sense. For a second there, I thought you were actually somebody.” At this company, everyone knew I wasn’t favored by Chloe. So, no one treated me like a friend. They all assumed I’d be fired soon. During work, I not only had to develop two separate programs for Chloe and Brandon but also helped colleagues with many of the mundane, arduous tasks they didn’t want to do. “Ms. Davis and Mr. Reed are here!” I followed the sound and saw Chloe and Brandon walking in, hand in hand. For years, Brandon had walked into this company as if it were his own. “Let me reintroduce everyone. This is my husband, Brandon Reed. We just had our wedding yesterday.” “Congratulations!” I shouted along with everyone else. “As for Liam, I just happened to run into him at the entrance yesterday, so I let him come in. We have no relationship whatsoever, so please don’t misunderstand.” This was the first time Chloe had mentioned me at the company-to introduce her dream guy and to prove she was absolutely not involved with me. Yesterday, she was flustered when she saw me, but today, she could openly accept everyone’s blessings right in front of me. Chloe, how many layers of disguise do you have in front of me?
During lunch break, Chloe texted me to come down to the underground parking garage. Perfect. I also needed to give her my resignation letter. When I arrived at the garage, Brandon was also in the car, and they were feeding each other. “You’re just in time. My mom’s birthday is the day after tomorrow. You don’t need to come. I’ll bring Brandon instead.” Mrs. Davis was a typical snob. Her first priority was money, and her second was her daughter. Over the years, as Brandon’s career improved, her mother had constantly urged her to divorce me and marry Brandon. She had always looked down on me, a mere company employee. When I first married Chloe, I had to win over not only her but also her mother. Mrs. Davis would often call me during work hours, asking me to pick up her newly ordered designer bag from the mall. Such things could easily be handled by a driver, but to win my mother-in-law’s favor early on, I personally handled it for five years. “Stop putting on that pathetic act. Brandon and I have already had our wedding; it’s perfectly reasonable for me to bring him home. Not to mention, he’s now the company’s Vice President. Unlike you, just a company employee, bringing you home would make my mom lose face.” I tightened my grip on my phone. “You don’t need to tell me that. I already told you yesterday that I want a divorce.” Brandon, who was beside her, instantly tensed at my words. “Liam, don’t be so impulsive. Chloe and I aren’t really married. Chloe and I will discuss this again. I’ll ask Chloe to promote you.” Chloe’s eyes widened when she heard this. After a long pause, she reluctantly spoke, “I’ll make you Technical Director. Are you satisfied now?” “No need. I’ll be leaving the company this afternoon. This is my resignation letter.” With that, I stopped looking at their reactions, got out of the car, and returned to my cubicle. As soon as I had gotten into the car earlier, I had installed a listening device in the backseat. I had intended to record some of their flirtatious conversations as evidence for my divorce case. But I never expected to record something truly unexpected. I guess I absolutely had to go to Mrs. Davis’s birthday party the day after tomorrow.
On the day of Mrs. Davis’s birthday, I arrived at the Davis family villa right on time. I was greeted by the scorn and disdain of Chloe’s relatives. My status in the Davis family was even lower than that of a housekeeper; before, I often helped with chores when I came over. The Davis family company was initially founded by Mrs. Davis herself. After divorcing Chloe’s father, she started her own business. The company’s current success had always been her pride. In the living room, not far away, Chloe and Brandon were gathered around Mrs. Davis, talking about something, looking utterly harmonious and happy. “Why are you here? I didn’t ask Chloe to inform you, did I? Since you’re here, go take out the trash.” Mrs. Davis spoke first. “It’s your birthday today, and I’ve come to give you a grand gift,” I said slowly. “A gift? How much money do you have to give me a gift? My daughter runs such a big company; there’s nothing I don’t have. Do I need anything from you? I’d rather you send my daughter and Brandon into the bridal chamber.” “Mom, what are you saying?” Chloe blushed shyly. I looked at their harmonious scene. Back then, if it weren’t for Chloe’s insistence, I would never have passed her mother’s approval. Her mother looked down on my background and my job. We were from the same university and major, but Brandon went into a leading corporation while I had to rely on Chloe to enter their family company. Brandon was her ideal son-in-law. “I’m here today, first, to give you a grand gift, and second, to tell you that Chloe and I have decided to divorce.” Upon hearing my words, her mother’s eyes instantly lit up. “Really? Don’t expect to take a single penny from our family after the divorce. My daughter has worked tirelessly all these years to support you, never complaining. You’re an ungrateful wretch.” “So, what’s this grand gift you’re bringing me?” Mrs. Davis eagerly asked. “Don’t be so impatient.” I opened the voice recorder on my phone. Chloe and Brandon’s voices clearly filled the ears of everyone present. “Chloe, you absolutely can’t divorce Liam! If you divorce him, who will help me with all those programs?” “Brandon, you’ll manage. We’ve played this charade long enough. I want my real life with you to start now.” “No! What about my career if he leaves? Are you willing to flush my career for a feeling?” “Then we’ll find another ghostwriter. If it makes you secure, take it. My shares. The transfer is drafted. What’s mine is yours.” “Really? All of it? I can’t bear to see you compromise for my sake.” “Every share. It’s my company. I decide. Don’t you trust me? Then sign it.” The scratch of a signature. Then, the fervent kisses, the muffled moans. The entire room fell silent. Mrs. Davis’s face was flushed with anger. She abruptly stood up. “Chloe! What is the meaning of this?”
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