Chapter 1

Three days before our first wedding anniversary, I excitedly planned an anniversary trip for us.

Instead, my wife unilaterally changed our romantic getaway into an after-party for a young boy-band idol signed to her agency.

Under the scorching California sun, security barred me from the gates of our own marital mansion.

I called her dozens of times until my chronic stomach ulcer flared up in agony, yet she never showed up.

Meanwhile, the pretty-boy idol posted a cozy photo of the two of them on his social media feed.

In the picture, they were gazing deeply into each other’s eyes.

“You promised we were just talking, so why are your hands all over me?” the caption read.

The comments underneath were flooded with fans swooning over the hot romance between the female CEO and her boy-toy.

I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh and called my lawyer to draft the divorce papers.

This seven-year love story was over, and I was finally walking away.

1.

I emailed the divorce settlement to Madeline.

A second later, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from her.

In the seven years we had been together, she had never replied to me in seconds, not even once.

It almost made it seem like she actually cared about our marriage.

“Have you lost your mind again?” she snapped the moment I picked up. “We’ve barely been married a year, and you’re already crying for a divorce? Did you forget who dropped to his knees like a dog, begging me to marry him back then?”

Her voice was domineering, immediately followed by her defensive excuses.

“Are you overthinking garbage again? I already told you, Ashton’s new album won a major award. I only hosted this party to celebrate his achievement, so stop projecting your dirty thoughts onto us.”

“Besides, why didn’t you show up? Are you jealous of Ashton’s success? Do I need to get on my knees and beg you to attend next time?”

Her barrage of accusations left me frozen in place.

I stared up at the sterile white ceiling of the hospital room, feeling an eerie sense of calm wash over me.

There was no disappointment left in my heart, no burning hatred, and certainly no lingering affection.

It was as if all those years of devotion had vanished into thin air.

Through the window, the sun beat down mercilessly, so bright it hurt my eyes.

“Your security locked me outside,” I said quietly. “I couldn’t get in.”

That mansion was the marital home I had spent a fortune to buy when I married her.

It was supposed to symbolize our commitment and future together.

Just weeks ago, I had hired designers to remodel the entire place to match her exact taste.

I had planned to surprise her during our anniversary trip, but it turned out I was just a naive fool.

She never gave a damn about me.

Madeline paused on the other end, a sudden flash of guilt creeping into her tone.

Her aggressive demeanor instantly softened into faux concern. “Where are you right now? I’ll send someone to pick you up...”

Before I could answer, Ashton’s flirty voice chimed in from the background. “Maddy, come on, let me take you somewhere fun...”

The line went dead, Ashton’s teasing chuckle still echoing in my ear.

Moments later, Ashton updated his social media feed again.

While I had been roasting under the blazing sun, clutching my stomach in excruciating pain, he and Madeline had been flirting by the poolside.

In the video, they locked eyes before melting into a passionate kiss.

The hospital room was dead quiet, so quiet that the wet sounds of their kiss played crisply through my speaker.

At that moment, I looked more pathetic than a clown in a circus.

I checked myself out of the hospital shortly after and booked the earliest flight back home.

This seven-year farce needed to end once and for all.