When my wife Diana fell ill, it was the first time I’d ever set foot in her company. The receptionist looked utterly shocked: “You can’t be serious. The Diana you’re asking about is our CEO. And she’s already married…” The next moment, my wife—who should have been in a hospital bed—stepped out of the elevator, linked arm-in-arm with her first love. Our eyes met, and her smile froze instantly. I stared at her, who dressed head to toe in designer labels, and demanded: “You told me your startup failed. I sold the only house my parents left me to pay your debts. I coded by day and delivered takeout by night. I had a bleeding ulcer but couldn’t afford to see a doctor! Tell me—why did you string me along like this?!” Diana remained silent. Her first love smirked and clapped me on the shoulder. “Buddy, don’t blame her. When she married you, she promised me everything, so her body, her money, everything…would always be mine.” I shrugged off his hand and laughed bitterly. Did he honestly think he could take everything?
“Shut your mouth—you’re not part of this! Diana, tell me yourself—is this true?!” I cut off Lucas West’s gloating and demanded, my eyes burning. Diana sighed. “Adrian, please understand. I was scared that if you knew who I really was, you’d lose your ambition. I worried about hurting your pride. Besides, didn’t you promise to take care of me no matter what?” “Diana, we’ve been married seven years! Was that not enough time to figure out who I really am?!” My voice cracked with emotion. “Or did you think I was dumb enough to fall for this forever?” She let go of Lucas’s hand and reached for mine. “It’s not like that, Adrian.” I stepped back, my balance unsteady—my shoes were so worn through I could barely walk, but I’d never been able to afford new ones. My gaze drifted to Lucas. Italian leather shoes, custom-tailored suit, and a Rolex Submariner glinting on his wrist. Diana once joked, “When I make it big, I’ll get you a Rolex too—so you can flex it on Instagram.” Turns out she did buy one. Just not for me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and met her eyes. “Then what is it like? And what about him?” Diana shot him a quick glance. “Lucas is just a friend.” Lucas’s face dropped. “Diana!” Diana grabbed his arm, shot him a warning look, then turned back to me. “Lucas was my first love, but now we’re just business partners. He’s interested in investing in the company.” I ground my teeth. “Then what the hell did he mean by that?!” Diana darted a nervous look at Lucas, then waved it off. “Oh, he’s always joking around. He was just messing with you…” Before she could finish, Lucas cut in. “It wasn’t a joke. Didn’t you say those exact words to me on video chat your wedding night? Adrian was passed out right next to you…” Diana snapped, “Lucas!” Lucas clamped his mouth shut. But my heart had already hit rock bottom. So it was all true. Diana couldn’t meet my eyes, her voice tight with guilt and frustration. “Don’t listen to Lucas—he’s just being an idiot. None of that’s true. Just go home, okay? I’ve got clients to meet, but I’ll explain everything tonight when I get back.” I took a deep breath. “Save it. I want a divorce, Diana.”
“Adrian, please calm down. We should talk about this at the apartment.” I cut her off. “You mean that $700-a-month dump with the peeling wallpaper?” I almost laughed. Her face tightened as office workers in the lobby started staring. She tried to grab my arm. “Don’t do this here—it’s embarrassing.” “Let go.” My jaw ached from clenching. She wouldn’t release me. “You’re just mad I didn’t spend money on you? Must you play the victim in front of everyone? I’ve been with you for seven years and never asked for anything! You should be grateful! The more you act like this, the less you’ll get in the divorce!” I stared at her in shock. I never thought I’d hear those words from my own wife. Lucas watched our struggle with an amused smirk. “Come on, Di. This is getting ridiculous. Didn’t you promise to pick out that new watch before our meeting?” “Absolutely. We’ll get you that watch—and a new car too! Can’t have my business partner driving around in that old thing, right?” Lucas shot me a triumphant look. “You heard her. Her money’s my money. You think you’ll get $800k in the divorce? Keep dreaming, loser.” “But hey, you did take care of Diana for me all these years. Even if you didn’t do a great job, you tried. If you beg me nicely, I might convince her to buy you some new shoes—you know, ones without holes.” That stung worse than a slap. I thought about all those years pinching pennies. The five-year-old winter coat I couldn’t replace. The video game skins I never bought. The customers who called me a loser while I delivered their food, saying I wasn’t worth the $5 tip. Rage and humiliation boiled up inside me. When Lucas leaned in, sneering in my face, I snapped. My fist connected with his perfect, arrogant jaw. Lucas stumbled back, clutching his face. The lobby went silent. After a beat, Lucas’s face turned crimson with rage. “You son of a bitch! Diana! He hit me!” Diana was instantly at his side, cupping his face. “Adrian, have you lost your mind?!” She grabbed her designer bag and started swinging it at me. The bag’s metal clasp caught my cheek. I tasted blood. I grit my teeth. “Don’t make me hit you back.” Diana shrieked. “Hit me? Go ahead! You don’t have the balls! You never did!” “You’re nothing but a deadbeat! Seven years of marriage and you’re still just a code monkey! If you had any talent, would you still be delivering takeout after all these years?!” “You’re the one who can’t cut it! Stop taking it out on everyone else! If you want to blame someone, blame your own sorry ass!” “You know what? I’m ashamed to even mention I’m married to you!” Blood trickled down my cheek, warm and sticky, then turned cold. So cold. I felt it all the way to my bones. I thought about my boss walking all over me—dumping extra work on me, making me pull all-nighters while paying me the same as everyone else. He knew I was stuck paying her debts, so he could treat me like garbage. I never told her about any of it. I didn’t want her to worry. Now all that pain had become weapons she used to stab me in the heart. I stared at them, my voice raw. “Diana, we’re done.” She blinked. “What?” “You think $800k is too much? Fine. Every cent you owe me, every drop of blood I spilled—I’ll get it all back in court.” And I meant everything—the company she started with my money, all those years of profits, the house, the car, that watch she bought Lucas. Half of it was mine, and I was going to take it. Lucas’s head shot up. “You wish!” I didn’t say a word. I just turned and walked toward the door. My cheek throbbed with every step. Blood kept dripping onto my shirt. But I held my head high. A man can fall, but he doesn’t have to crawl. As for whether I was dreaming—my lawyer would handle that.
By the time I left the lawyer’s office, night had fallen. I grit my teeth through the pain and headed home. The second I walked in, I spotted an open suitcase in the middle of the living room. Diana was shoving dresses into it. Lucas was sprawled on the couch like he owned the place. “Oh, you’re back.” Diana glanced up, her voice casual—as if we hadn’t just torn each other apart. “Perfect timing. There’s something you need to know.” “Lucas has a heart condition. That punch you threw today really messed him up.” “The doctors say he needs round-the-clock care. I’m staying with him for a few days.” I picked up a box of condoms from the corner of her suitcase. “Doctor’s orders, huh?” She snatched them out of my hand, cheeks flushing. “It must have fallen in by accident. You’re so immature, making a big deal out of nothing.” “I know you’re upset, so I’ll let this go. Lucas needs me right now. We can talk when I get back.” I was always there when she needed me. But when I needed her? She was with him. Was that fair? Marriage was never about fairness. It was about choosing each other. I’d chosen her for seven years. Now my heart was empty. No more. “Fine.” I turned toward the bedroom. I opened her closet and started pulling out her stuff. Then I saw the photo. My hand froze. Our wedding picture. In its frame on the shelf. She was beaming. I was grinning like an idiot, like I had the whole world. “Adrian, what the hell are you doing?” She followed me in, panic finally creeping into her voice. “You’re kicking me out?” I didn’t look at her. I grabbed the frame and tossed it in the trash. “Just helping you pack faster. One less trip for you.” “I said it’s only for a few days—” “Then don’t bother coming back. Take your stuff and your ‘sick’ friend and get out.” Diana fished the frame out of the trash and set it carefully on the shelf. “Quit being so dramatic. I’ll be back once Lucas is better.” Lucas appeared in the doorway, like he’d been waiting for his cue. “Babe, I sent you that new startup idea. It’s gonna be huge. Check your email.” Diana barely glanced at her phone before nodding. “No need. I’ll have accounting wire you $10 million tomorrow.” I caught a glimpse of the business plan title before her screen went dark. His tenth startup. Ten times he’d failed before. Ten million. How many delivery runs? How many all-nighters coding? Would I even live long enough to earn that? Probably drop dead first, like that 32-year-old developer in the news who worked himself to death. That could’ve been me—if I’d kept working myself ragged to pay her “debts.” Lucas noticed me staring and smirked. “What, Adrian? You wanna start a business too? Need some tips from a pro?” He saw right through me. Diana rolled her eyes. “Please. He can’t even tell a bull market from a bear market. Let him manage something? He’d probably lose his shirt day trading. He’s always gonna be a corporate drone.” I cut her off. “You done?” She stopped short. I pointed at the door. “Then get out. Get the hell out of my apartment.” “Adrian, this is our—” “No. It’s mine. I pay the rent, the utilities, bought the furniture. What’ve you contributed besides mooching off me for seven years?” She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Because it was the truth. For seven years, I’d sent her $10k monthly for her ‘debts’ on top of covering every bill. I’d skipped meals to buy her designer bags and fancy makeup—afraid she’d get made fun of at work. And this is what I got? She’s loaded—filthy rich—while I slaved away. She played me for a fool, showered another guy with cash, and had the nerve to call him a ‘friend.’ Diana’s voice turned icy. “Fine. I’m leaving. But don’t come crawling back when you regret this.” “Get out!” The door slammed shut. The apartment went quiet. Too quiet. I could hear the fridge humming, my own heartbeat thudding in my ears. I dropped to my knees. Tears hit the floor. One, two, more. A grown man, sobbing like a kid. I don’t know how long I knelt there before my phone buzzed. I grabbed it. A photo from an unknown number. Diana’s head on Lucas’s chest, both in a hotel bed. Message below: “Thanks for freeing her up.” I stared at that photo for what felt like hours. Then I typed back: “Thanks for taking out the trash.” Delivered. The PI I hired had struggled to get proof of physical cheating—Diana was always careful. Now they had it.
The next morning, I stood outside HR clutching a termination letter. The accusations on it made me laugh. Embezzlement? $3.2 million? Ridiculous. I was just a backend team lead. The biggest budget I handled was for new monitors. How the hell could I steal $3.2 million? I marched into HR. “I want to see the audit logs and system records.” The HR director adjusted her glasses, looking almost sorry for me. “The company was acquired yesterday. You’ll need to ask the new owner for those records.” “Who the hell is that?!” “Lucas West.” I barged into the CEO’s office. There they were—Lucas behind the desk, Diana beside him shuffling papers like nothing was wrong. “Well, if it isn’t our coding whiz!” Lucas grinned, all teeth. “Team lead—sorry, former team lead.” My vision went red. But I forced myself to stay calm, taking slow breaths. “Diana, that audit report is fake. Purchases need three approvals. I only had advisory power, not signing authority. The system logs will prove it.” Diana finally looked up. “The system was hacked. All those records are gone. Funny how it was only the ones related to your purchases, right?” I laughed out loud. “I built this company’s security system. I wrote the firewall code myself. You expect me to believe it got hacked that easily?” Lucas kicked back in the leather chair, smirking. “That’s why we’re怀疑你. Insiders always make the best hackers, right? Faking logs, altering purchase orders—piece of cake for a hotshot like you.” My hands balled into fists. “You rigged the database!” Lucas stood up. “You need proof to make accusations. Right now, every log points to you. Enjoy the lawsuit—and maybe a jail cell.” He leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. “Or… you could beg. Get on your knees and maybe I’ll have Diana ask the lawyers to go easy.” I felt sick to my stomach. “Diana, say something! Don’t you have any humanity left?!” Diana met my eyes, voice flat. “You did this to yourself. We’re giving you an out. Take it.” I exploded. “An out?! You lied to me for seven years, and now you frame me for embezzlement? You want to destroy my life? Is that what this is about?!” Her face paled. Lucas lunged forward and grabbed my arm. “Who the hell do you think you’re yelling at?!” “Let go! You want me on my knees begging? Crawling like a dog? Dream on!” I turned to Diana. “I’m not paying a cent. I’m not admitting to shit. Go ahead—call the cops. I’ll see you in court.” Diana’s lips quivered. She started to speak, but Lucas cut her off. “Diana, go grab some coffee. Clear your head.” She hesitated, then walked out. The door clicked shut, and Lucas’s fake smile vanished. “Let’s cut the crap, Adrian. You’re just bitter. Bitter she chose me, bitter you’ll get nothing in the divorce.” My muscles tensed. “Hit a nerve, did I?” “That hotel photo turned out nice, huh? Diana’s skin’s so soft… like silk.” Blood rushed in my ears. “What’s your point?” My voice came out gravelly. “My point? You lost. Diana’s mine—body, heart, everything. This company, her money, her future. All mine.” “And you? You’re just trash. Waiting to be thrown out.” I balled my fist. The punch grazed his cheek. Lucas touched his face, eyes flashing, but then he smiled again. “Getting desperate? Here’s your last chance. Walk away with nothing, disappear, and I’ll make the charges go away. You can start over.” “$3.2 million, Adrian. How many delivery orders to pay that off? A lifetime?” That did it. Something snapped inside me. I launched at him, tackling him to the floor. My fist was raised when the door opened. Diana stood there. Lucas wiped his cheek, like there was blood. “Babe, he attacked me! I was trying to talk sense into him, and he snapped!” “I didn’t—” “Enough!” Diana cut me off. She spoke into her walkie-talkie, and two security guards appeared, grabbing my arms. A guard kicked the back of my knee, forcing me down. My face smashed into the carpet. Diana’s voice was ice. “Lucas, he hit you? Hit him back.” Lucas stepped closer, then planted his shoe on my face. He ground his loafers into my cheek, then kicked me square in the jaw. My nose exploded in pain. Blood poured out. Then the pain faded. All I felt was absurdity. Seven years of marriage, seven years of devotion. This was my reward. Diana’s voice cut through. “Adrian, you never learn. I’m calling the police. We’ll see how tough you are in a cell.” Her phone rang mid-sentence. She answered, frowning. Her face went white as she listened. When she hung up, she stared at me. “You… you filed for divorce?”
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “352002”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #惊悚Thriller #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #狼人Werewolf
Leave a Reply