Chapter 2

"Ian, let's get a divorce."

Ian stared at me for a second, then laughed mockingly.

"Sienna, since when did you learn to pull this kind of drama?"

"What are you going to do without me? Don't forget, the house you live in, the car you drive, this whole comfortable life you have―it's all because of me."

He and our daughter both looked at me like they were watching a show.

Listening to his belittling words, I finally understood how worthless I was in his eyes. Probably less important than our housekeeper.

At least the housekeeper gets a paycheck. I was just a leech, completely dependent on him.

No wonder Talia saw me as a useless mother.

Like father, like daughter.

They both thought I couldn't survive if I left this house.

That’s why they felt so free to stomp all over my dignity.

I pushed the signed divorce agreement across the dinner table toward him. I said again, seriously, "I mean it, Ian. Let's get a divorce."

Ian finally glanced down at the papers and sneered.

"Sienna, you're divorcing me for this little money?"

He was right. Every time Ian got mad and threatened divorce, he would offer me fifty million dollars.

To the man he was now, fifty million was a drop in the bucket.

But to me, it was a fortune. Enough to live happily for the rest of my life.

Ian stood up, looking down on me.

"Just the money?"

"You don't want your precious daughter anymore?"

I let out a small, soft laugh.

"That's right. I don't want her anymore."

My answer stunned them both.

But kids are quick to react.

Talia immediately jumped up and down, cheering, "Does that mean Auntie Wendy can be my new mommy?"

I looked down at the ecstatic little girl and said quietly, "Yes. Congratulations, you get to have a new mom."

Unlike Talia's joy, Ian's eyes were locked on my face.

When he saw the calm, determined expression I wore, he flew into a rage and threw the papers on the floor.

"Sienna, we've been living like this for years! Why are you suddenly going crazy?"

"Yeah," I said. "I guess I just suddenly feel like going crazy."

"It doesn't matter if you don't agree. I can sue for divorce. When it gets messy, you're the one who will lose face."

A moment later, Ian snatched the papers off the floor, grabbed a pen, signed his name, and tossed them back at me. He sneered.

"Are you happy now?"

"Sienna, don't you come crawling back to me like a dog, begging me to take you back."

In all our years together, I had only brought up divorce once, right after I found out about Wendy.

That was the biggest fight we ever had, and in the end, I was the one who surrendered.

Ian knew my weaknesses better than anyone. He knew exactly how to hurt me the most.

But you only feel pain when you care. I didn't feel anything anymore.

I held the papers and said to him, "It's too late today. Let's go to the courthouse tomorrow and finalize this."

Ian stopped mocking me. His expression turned serious. He looked at me intently.

"Sienna, are you serious?"

"What can you possibly do without me?"

I glanced at him.

"Didn't you give me fifty million dollars? That's enough for a lifetime."

"Or... are you backing out of giving me the fifty million?"

My words made him laugh, but it was a laugh full of anger.

"Fine, Sienna. You won't regret this."

"But I'm adding a clause to the agreement. After the divorce, you are not allowed to see Talia without my permission."

A threat?

That might have been my fatal weakness before.

But I didn't have any weaknesses now.

Under Ian's challenging gaze, I nodded calmly. "Fine."

He froze for a second, then said nothing more.

Talia, oblivious to the tension between us, ran circles around her dad, celebrating the fact that she was getting a new mom.

I was happy for her, too. She was getting the mom of her choice.