My germaphobe wife wouldn’t let me share a bathroom with her, wouldn’t kiss me, and demanded I wear three condoms whenever we were intimate. Until I walked in on her passionately kissing her young assistant in the company’s office bathroom: “Darling, no condoms this time. Let’s have a baby.” I was furious. I stormed in right then, grabbed her arm, and yelled, “You said you had germaphobia! Why can he use your bathroom when I can’t? You don’t even let me kiss you!” Seeing the rage on my face, the assistant just sneered, “Because she loves me more than she loves you!” Seraphina violently yanked her hand away from mine, quickly wiping the spot I’d touched with a tissue. No explanation, just a stony silence and cold indifference. She even went back to chatting and laughing with the half-drenched assistant right in front of me. I slipped my wedding ring off and tossed it into the trash. “We’re done! I don’t need a wife who only has germaphobia when it comes to me.” Seraphina’s laughter instantly died. The air hung heavy for a moment. As I turned to leave, a few salespeople walked in, loaded with shopping bags. “Mr. Hayes, hello!” “These are the shoes and clothes Mrs. Hayes custom-ordered for you. Mr. Hayes, you’re such a lucky man; Mrs. Hayes loves you so much.” “You wouldn’t believe it, Mrs. Hayes wouldn’t even let us touch the custom-made items with our bare hands. She said her husband doesn’t like other people touching his things.” The salespeople greeted me politely, busy carefully placing the expensive luxury goods. My heart went utterly cold. Seraphina and I had been married for seven years, and she’d never given me a single gift. Besides, that brand wasn’t even one I liked. I guessed, with 100% certainty, that these luxury items were for her boy toy, Derek. What enraged me even more was that my wife wouldn’t let me kiss her and insisted on three condoms for intimacy, yet she just told another man she wanted to have his baby without any protection?! Just then, Seraphina and Derek emerged from the bathroom. Derek’s thin shirt was soaked, clinging to his body, clearly outlining his chiseled abs. Seraphina stared, mesmerized, her face flushed. Derek, with a look of feigned innocence, walked straight past me and snatched a bag that a salesperson was about to hand to me. “These are from Seraphina! They’re not for some other guy. You blind idiots, stop praising the wrong person!” The scene instantly plunged into awkward silence. The salespeople exchanged surprised glances between me and Seraphina. When they saw her, usually so aloof, gazing at Derek with doting affection, they quickly clammed up. She truly had no regard for my dignity, always trampling my pride into the dirt. “Are you happy with all these, babe?” “Yeah, but I don’t have much space. I can’t fit these…” “Then just leave them here. I don’t mind if you use my lounge and bathroom. Everything I have, you can use.” Seraphina smiled suggestively, “Including me, darling.” Derek grinned from ear to ear, shooting a triumphant, challenging look my way. Then he leaned down and kissed Seraphina’s lips. He probably thought I’d get jealous and fly into a rage like I used to, but no. I was done with Seraphina. The salespeople held their breath, not daring to speak. They hadn’t expected these expensive gifts weren’t for me, but for some other guy Seraphina was seeing. “Look at you, your shirt’s all wet. Why don’t I help you change?” As she spoke, she lifted her delicate, porcelain-like hands and began unbuttoning Derek’s shirt. They stood so close, as if they wanted to merge into one. The salespeople quickly said their goodbyes and practically ran out, not daring to linger for another second. But I knew, from this moment on, the news of my wife cheating on me would spread throughout the city. “Why don’t you just strip down and embrace each other? Wouldn’t that be more satisfying?” At my icy sarcasm, Seraphina pulled away from Derek, then spun around, glaring at me. “Liam, that’s enough! I’ve tolerated you for far too long.” “You have nothing better to do all day than pick fights with me, do you?” I tugged hard at my tie. I worked so much I barely had time to eat; when would I have time to pick fights with her? “You’re wrong. I’ve tolerated you for too long—to the point where I can’t anymore. So, I’m granting your germaphobia, and I’m granting you and your boy toy your little show of affection right in front of me.” “Divorce? All I want is a divorce.”
“Bang!” Seraphina was so enraged by my words that she grabbed the ashtray from the desk and threw it at me. I didn’t have time to dodge and took the hit. Blood trickled down my forehead, drop by drop. Neither of us spoke, just glared at each other in the frigid air. I remembered seven years ago. Seraphina’s family company, Hayes Corp, faced a financial crisis. Her father brought her to my doorstep to propose a marriage alliance. Seraphina was at her peak then, as beautiful as an angel. I was very much in love with her. Plus, she was my college crush, my ‘one who got away,’ so I agreed to her father’s proposal. But Seraphina rarely smiled. She never refused to share a room with me, but her only conditions were that I couldn’t kiss her lips and had to wear three condoms. I thought it was just her extreme germaphobia, until one day, while shopping, I saw her and Derek walking hand-in-hand in the mall, even kissing occasionally. It was then that I understood. Derek was her unrequited love, her ‘white moonlight,’ and her so-called germaphobia was only for me. I untied my tie and wiped the blood from my forehead. Seraphina was momentarily stunned; perhaps she hadn’t expected her actions to have such consequences. But it didn’t matter anymore. Derek suddenly reached out and grabbed Seraphina’s hand, his face full of feigned hurt. “Seraphina, please don’t fight. Is my presence causing trouble between you two? Maybe I should just leave the company!” “I’m so sorry, Liam. It’s all my fault, please don’t blame…” “Can you just shut up?” I snarled, staring coldly at Derek. His voice was utterly grating and irritating. He wasn’t genuinely apologizing; he was probably celebrating inside. Seraphina, however, was incredibly sympathetic, comforting him. “It’s not your fault. Why apologize to him?” “Liam, apologize to Derek right now!” Her voice held an undeniable authority, but I was just as unwilling to yield to her. Just then, several voices echoed from outside the door. “Seraphina, why should you grovel for an apology from him? Why not just fire him and kick him out?” “Exactly! He thinks he can hog everything just because he married you. If Hayes Corp hadn’t been in trouble back then, you never would’ve married him. He’s the one who broke you two up.” Hah. There they were, those vultures, squawking again. They’d always used their friendship with Seraphina to sneer and mock me. If it weren’t for Seraphina, I would have put those dogs in their place long ago. “What do you mean ‘broke us up’? Hayes Corp was on the verge of bankruptcy and came begging me for a marriage alliance to save it. Where were all of you then? Why didn’t you jump out and say it would break up Seraphina and Derek?” “Where were you then? Let me think… Ah, right. You were all hiding from her, afraid she’d ask you for money, so you didn’t just hide; you blocked her, didn’t you?” I watched those hypocrites with a cold, humorless smile. They were so furious they couldn’t utter a word in rebuttal, just stared, wide-eyed, for what felt like an eternity. “That’s enough, Liam! If you have a problem, take it out on me, not my friends…” “The divorce papers will be sent by my lawyer later today.” “Liam!!!” I was already out of the office when she screamed my name. As I walked through the building, I noticed all the employees giving me strange looks. “Mr. Hayes finally stood up for himself! You wouldn’t believe it, Seraphina and Derek often nap together on the same couch.” “Yeah, sometimes when you pass the office, you can even hear… suggestive noises…”
Just then, I got a call from my housekeeper at home. “Mr. Hayes, you need to come home right away.” “A woman claiming to be Derek’s mother just let herself in with a key. She brought a lot of relatives and said this is her home now, and she’s staying permanently.” “They even kicked me out! Even your mother came to visit you, but that woman drove her away with her behavior.” No sooner had the housekeeper finished than I received another call. My mother, Eleanor’s, voice on the phone was seething: “Liam! Look at the woman you married! Her blatant affair with that boy toy is now public knowledge.” “Even your own home has become his family’s home! You need to divorce Seraphina immediately. It’s better to have no wife than a woman like her.” My rage flared. I stomped to the parking garage to get my car, only to find it gone. I asked security to pull up the surveillance footage to see who took it. When I saw Derek’s smug, arrogant face, I smiled a truly chilling smile. “Call the police for me. Taking my car without my permission is theft.” “But Ms. Hayes gave him…” I clapped the security guard on the shoulder. “Either call the police, or pack your things and go home. Your choice.” Without another word, the security guard quickly pulled out his phone and dialed. Only then did I turn and leave, asking my assistant to bring another car to drive me home. I opened the security camera app on my phone and watched Derek’s mother, Brenda, wearing my mother’s expensive silk pajamas, imperiously bossing my housekeepers around like a queen. If they didn’t do things to her liking, she’d kick them, treating them like dogs. “Hmph, what are you looking at? I’ll fire you penniless losers.” “Remember, from now on, you’ll treat me as the lady of the house, got it?” Watching her arrogant behavior on the monitor, she was just like her son. Well done. Even my home dared to be occupied. I immediately called the police myself. What’s that saying? We should be good citizens and ask the police for help when needed. I was about to call my friends to handle it, but then I thought, calling the police is better. After all, her son was already squatting in jail, so I might as well go all the way and send his mother in too. The whole family should be together, right? “Go and make sure that woman pays for the pajamas she wore and all the expensive supplements she ate. Every penny.” “Yes, sir!” I didn’t go back to the desecrated house; instead, I went to another of my properties. Before I even stepped inside, my phone started ringing off the hook. It was Seraphina. I ignored every single call. I unlocked the door, walked in, tossed my jacket onto the sofa, then went to the liquor cabinet, poured a drink, and took a sip. I’d barely had two sips when the door was violently kicked open from the outside. Seraphina burst in, seething with anger. The moment she saw me, her eyes were like those of a mortal enemy. She grabbed whatever she could to throw at me. I easily dodged them with my drink in hand. “Liam, what the hell is wrong with you?” “Why did you call the police and have Derek and his mother arrested? They didn’t steal anything from you. Why would you treat them like thieves and give them criminal records?” Faced with Seraphina’s outburst, I remained completely calm. I gently swirled the wine in my glass, my gaze not even landing on Seraphina. “The car and the house are mine. They—mother and son—took my car and moved into my house without asking me. If that’s not stealing, what is?” “Oh, and the divorce papers have been sent. Remember to sign them.” Seraphina’s face flushed crimson with fury. She lunged at me, raising her hand to strike my face. I caught her wrist. “When I loved you, I could tolerate everything about you. But now that my love is gone, I won’t allow you to act crazy in front of me anymore.” “Hmph, Liam, I’ll tell you something too.” “I don’t need your help anymore. Hayes Corp is mine. I can kick you out and keep you down forever.” “I’ll give you one more chance. Go to the police station now, grovel for an apology, and tell them it was all a misunderstanding so they’ll clear their records.” As soon as she finished speaking, she violently yanked her hand away from mine. I pulled out my phone and called my assistant: “No compromises. I want them to stay locked up, no matter what.”
That same night, Seraphina went back and messaged all the company shareholders. She intended to strip me of all my positions. The next day, when I returned to the company and walked into the conference room with my assistant, I saw Derek sitting next to Seraphina. He glared at me with an unfathomable hatred, mixed with a hint of smug triumph. It seemed Seraphina had pulled a lot of strings and used a lot of connections to bail him out. “You don’t need to sit down, because that seat no longer belongs to you.” “So, you’re trying to kick me to the curb now that I’ve served my purpose?” “Glad you understand.” As soon as Seraphina finished, she turned to face the other shareholders. “From now on, the position of company VP will be held by Derek. And Liam, effective immediately, is nothing.” At her words, all the shareholders exchanged glances, casting surprised looks my way. But I calmly walked over, ignoring Seraphina’s warning, and sat down. Derek slammed his hand on the table. “Liam, are you deaf or blind? Didn’t you hear Seraphina?” “This company belongs to the Hayes family, not the Seraphina family! You’re just working for her. What right do you have to be so arrogant?” I fiddled with my lighter, a meaningful smile playing on my lips as I watched the enraged Derek. “What the hell are you laughing at? You’re nothing now, still trying to act tough?” “Get up and get out of the company right now, or I’ll call security to throw you out. You don’t want to leave in such a humiliating way, do you?!” I didn’t bother with that rabid dog. Instead, I simply asked Seraphina one question. “Are you really going to kick me out of the company for Derek?” Seraphina nodded without hesitation. “Yes!” “Since our marriage was an alliance, and now I’ve overcome my crisis and grown my own wings, I won’t humble myself anymore.” Humble herself? She thought being married to me all these years, leveraging my power to climb the ladder, was her humbling herself. Ha ha. What a load of bullshit. “Slam!” Seraphina slapped the divorce papers onto the table. “Didn’t you say you wanted a divorce? I’ve already signed them. The company is mine, and you were just working for me.” “So, regarding assets, I’ll only give you ten million. I don’t want any of your things. That’s it.” I picked up the divorce papers and skimmed them. When I saw the contents, I couldn’t help but laugh in anger. “Seraphina, since you want to be so heartless with me, I won’t hold back either.” “Hmph, who needs you to hold back for me? Just like back then, you were the one who grandiosely accepted the marriage alliance, and painstakingly helped me. I never asked you for anything.” Derek chimed in, “Did you hear that? Can you finally get lost?” But instead of standing up, I calmly pulled out a cigarette, placed it between my lips, and slowly lit it, taking a drag. Seeing that I was unmoved, Seraphina’s face instantly darkened. “Derek, call security and have them remove him.” “Yes!” Soon after, the security guards rushed in. “Grab Liam and throw him out like a dog! Remember, if he resists, beat him hard. Did you hear that?!” “Go!” Derek ordered the security guards, arms crossed. And they moved. But the targets they surrounded weren’t me; they were Derek. One by one, they kicked Derek, sending him flying and crashing to the floor. “Bang!” Seraphina shot up from her seat. “What are you doing?! I told you to kick Liam out!” I clapped my hands, a joyful smile on my face. “They didn’t hit the wrong person! They hit the dog.” “The company used to be Hayes Corp, but after my investment, it’s long since been my corporation, not yours anymore.”
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