Chapter 1

For six years of marriage, Chase and I lived in a cramped, rundown apartment.

He always insisted he was too emotionally attached to the place to move.

Yet on our anniversary, he bought his first love a luxury villa worth millions.

On social media, I saw a photo of him holding her tightly under a custom starry ceiling, watching a movie together.

I turned around and looked at our bathroom ceiling, which was leaking for the third time this month.

I tapped the like button and left a comment: “Nice place. I bet the plumbing doesn't leak there, right?”

Later, Chase spent eight figures building an oceanfront mansion just for me.

Instead of taking it, I left behind signed divorce papers and walked away without looking back.

1

I had just finished apologizing to our downstairs neighbor for the water leak when I ran into Chase in the stairwell.

He was just coming home after staying out all night.

Habitually, he slipped off his suit jacket and held it out for me to take.

I didn't reach for it. I simply brushed past him and kept walking.

The bathroom had flooded the living room last night, leaving a soggy mess that smelled of damp mold.

I had spent the entire night cleaning up and fixing the pipes, only getting a moment to breathe this morning.

Right now, I was covered in sweat, and strands of hair were plastered to my face.

Chase stepped inside, wrinkled his nose, and covered his face in pure disgust.

“You have all day at home, so what the hell do you actually do? You can't even keep the living room clean!”

“Look at yourself! Do you even look like a woman anymore? You're a total mess.”

Then, he caught sight of the takeout container on the dining table and started lecturing again.

“Takeout again? It's obvious you don't know how hard it is to make a living since you don't work!”

“If you keep wasting money like this, how much do you expect me to earn to keep up with your spending?”

I looked at the cheap four-dollar noodle box on the table and forced a bitter smile.

That meal didn't even cost one-thousandth of the fancy steak dinner he had enjoyed with another woman last night.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on me after staying awake all night, and I just stared at him blankly.

Perhaps feeling a twinge of guilt, he brought up the villa on his own.

“You know Leila got hurt saving my life back in the day. I owe her a debt of gratitude.”

“She's never lived in a house with a starry ceiling before. I'm just fulfilling her dream.”

It was always the same excuse. In the name of gratitude, he had given her flowers, bought her a car, and now gifted her a villa.

I replied coldly, “I've never lived in one either. Why haven't you ever taken me to live in a place like that?”

“Leila hasn't been Mrs. Vance yet. Should I give up my spot so she can try that too?”

Choked by my sharp words, Chase nervously rubbed his wedding ring.

A flicker of genuine hesitation crossed his face.

It seemed that if Leila actually demanded to be his wife, he would leave me in a heartbeat.

“Stop talking nonsense. Leila isn't that kind of person.”

“She's just an innocent girl. Why do you have to be so petty with her?”

“Besides, if she really wanted to be Mrs. Vance back then, you wouldn't even be in the picture.”

I couldn't believe he would say something so cruel just to defend another woman.

“Chase, don't forget who stood by your side when you were building your business from scratch!”

“We are still stuck in a dump where the pipes leak every single week.”

“Yet you go and buy another woman a million-dollar mansion! What is that supposed to mean?”

Chase looked away guiltily. “The villa is just rented. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”

“Besides, our current place is perfectly fine.”

“At our age, why obsess over where we live? As long as our days are comfortable, that's all that matters.”

He yanked at his tie and slammed the bedroom door shut in anger.

I let out a hollow laugh, watching the flimsy door rattle on its hinges.

I cared. I cared deeply.

But he had always been like this, never taking anything about me seriously.

He forgot our anniversary yesterday, and he turned a blind eye to the leaking pipes today.

Ever since I had to step down from the company a year ago due to severe health issues, I stayed home to support him.

And it seemed that was exactly when his disdain for me began to grow.

I rubbed my aching temples and decided to head to a nearby hotel for a hot shower and some sleep.

Just as I grabbed my coat, my phone chimed with a text from Leila.

“So what if you've been married to him for six years? You suffered through the hard times with him, but I get to enjoy the good life with him!”

“Whatever I want, he gives to me. Including the luxury villa you always dreamed of.”

Attached was a photo of the property deed. The registered owner was Leila Hayes.

Leila sent me these provocative messages every few days.

Pictures of all the expensive gifts Chase bought her, each one designed to break my spirit.

She was so brazen because she knew Chase didn't care about me at all.

And it was true. Ever since the first time I confronted him and only received his furious shouting in return, I saw reality clearly.

Chase would always side with her, unconditionally.

Calmly, just as I had done many times before, I took a screenshot, saved it, and powered off my phone.