Chapter 1

My "genius" son learned calculus at the age of seven.

My wife said I was damn lucky to marry her.

"If you had married any other woman, you wouldn't have had such a smart kid!"

She was explicitly and implicitly showing off her superior genes to me.

Later, during an interview, my son also thanked her first.

But when the reporter mentioned me, his face turned cold.

"If his genes hadn't lowered my IQ, I would have graduated from college by now!"

Chapter 1

"Mom, let's not invite Dad next time we eat fried chicken, okay? He's just a clueless idiot!"

"You're right, he really is quite stupid!"

The mother and son were happily making fun of me in the bathroom.

It was just like how they mocked me in front of all the reporters this morning.

"If his genes hadn't lowered my IQ, I would have graduated from college by now!"

My son, Silas, had a face full of disgust toward me.

Valerie was also secretly and openly putting me down.

At that moment, I suddenly felt like a complete fool.

My self-righteous sacrifices had only moved myself.

"Elias, remember to wash my and Silas's dirty clothes."

She was wearing a face mask like a proud peacock, giving me the side-eye the whole time.

"Oh right, that top of mine needs to be hand-washed..."

On the other side, Silas, who was playing on his phone in his room, told me to blow-dry his hair.

"Why aren't you over here yet?"

"Are you only going to be happy when I catch a cold?"

Valerie, curled up on the sofa, was engrossed in her phone.

It seemed they took everything I did for granted.

The house I had just cleaned this morning was a mess again.

My body and mind had never been so exhausted.

I went back to the bedroom, took my important documents, and walked out the door.

It wasn't until the next morning that Valerie realized I wasn't home.

She called me in a huff.

"Where did you go?"

"Don't you know Silas needs to get up early for breakfast and school?"

I rubbed my sleepy eyes and spoke hoarsely. "I'm not home, so you can cook for him."

Valerie got even angrier.

"Elias, do you think everyone is as free as you?"

"I have my own job!"

My son also chimed in on the other end of the line.

"Yeah, if Mom didn't work, who would support you?"

After we got married, Valerie made me quit my job.

She said she was in poor health and wanted me to stay home and take good care of her for a while.

Later, we had a child.

I had even less time to find a job.

Every day I opened my eyes, I had to coax and feed the baby.

If he cried, fussed, or got hungry in the middle of the night, it was all on me.

He wasn't easy to handle as he got older, either.

Future planning, study goals, and health nutrition all had to be kept up with.

But Valerie never thought about any of this.

Now that Silas had achieved a little success, she started to get smug.

She told everyone that I was incredibly lucky to marry her.

"If you had married any other woman, you wouldn't have had such a smart kid!"

Her few words completely denied my efforts.

The child I raised from a young age didn't know how to respect me either.

A mocking smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

What exactly had I been holding on to all these years?

"Elias, hurry up and come back to take Silas to school, I still have to go to work!"

"Valerie, you should quit your job!"

Valerie was in disbelief.

"What nonsense are you talking about? You want me, a manager, to quit? Are you out of your mind?"

I laughed.

"Didn't you make me, a vice president, quit back then too?"

I was originally going to be transferred to the North American division as the regional CEO.

But Valerie begged me to stay with her in tears.

That's when I gave up my career.

Valerie was silent for a long while before speaking.

"Elias, what kind of tantrum are you throwing?"

In her eyes, anything that went against her wishes was just me making a scene.

Forget it, let her think what she wants.

Over the phone, I called her name.

"Let's get a divorce."