Chapter 1

My wife is a total germaphobe, but at tonight's party, she peeled a shrimp and hand-fed it to her male intern.

I didn't cause a scene. I just asked for a divorce right then and there.

She looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"Leo is like a little brother to me. What's wrong with taking care of him? You're actually divorcing me over this?"

I didn't argue. Instead, I called her parents on speakerphone.

"I heard you guys have a secret son? I wonder how the tax authorities will feel about that hidden dependent you've been keeping off the books."

1、

I watched Sienna throw the glass I'd just touched into the trash can. My heart didn't even flicker.

"Sienna, I've sanitized the pen. You can sign the divorce papers now."

She acted like she didn't hear me and walked straight toward her study.

Clearly, she thought I was just acting out. She planned to give me the cold shoulder until I gave up.

But this time, I was serious.

I moved faster and blocked the door to the study.

"Marcus, it was just a bowl of shrimp. I already explained it to you. Leo hurt his hand a few days ago, and the doctor said he can't get it wet."

"I have an important medical seminar to attend. I don't have time for your little drama."

I stood my ground, refusing to move even an inch.

After a long silence, Sienna let out a heavy sigh.

"I'll be more careful next time. Can you just let it go now?"

Right as she finished, a soft snicker came from the front door.

It was Leo Ross.

Even without seeing his face, I knew he was mocking me.

In the eyes of high-class intellectuals like them, a self-made businessman like me was just a classless thug using cheap tricks.

That was why I had spent the last ten years walking on eggshells around Sienna.

I was terrified that one wrong move would make her disgusted with me.

But today, her tone―acting like she was compromising while actually blaming me for being unreasonable―only made me more certain.

"Sign the papers!"

Sienna's lips thinned into a hard line. Her eyes were smoldering with rage.

Leo pushed the door open and walked in at that exact moment.

He tapped his watch pointedly.

"Sorry, Professor Dalton. I didn't mean to interrupt your talk with Mr. Thorne, but we're running out of time. We really need to go."

Hearing that, Sienna's patience finally snapped.

She grabbed the divorce agreement from my hand and ripped it into a million pieces.

"Marcus, I've given you enough face today. Get out of my way."

She reached out and shoved me hard.

I wasn't prepared for it. My lower back slammed right into the sharp metal door handle.

A sharp, white-hot pain shot through my body. I couldn't help but gasp for air.

Sienna saw my face go pale and instinctively stepped forward as if to check on me.

But Leo spoke up again.

"Professor, the head of the seminar just called again to ask when you'll arrive. We seriously cannot delay any longer."

He turned to me, his voice sounding perfectly polite and humble.

"Mr. Thorne, if you're making things difficult for the Professor because of what happened at lunch, I can apologize. I'm sorry."

"But the Professor has a very important event. I hope you can be more understanding."

Sienna's footsteps stopped dead. The concern on her face vanished, replaced by pure annoyance.

"Marcus, that's enough. I don't have time for this. We'll talk when I get back tonight."

She turned around and walked out with Leo. She didn't look back at me once.

I watched them leave together, feeling nothing but a deep, cold emptiness.

Because of Sienna's germaphobia, we've slept in separate rooms for all five years of our marriage.

If I wanted to touch her, I had to use hand sanitizer three times under her watchful eye.

If I accidentally touched anything that belonged to her, she threw it away.

It didn't matter how expensive it was. It went into the trash, just like that glass earlier.

Because I loved her, I respected her boundaries, no matter how much they hurt.

But at lunch today, she didn't just peel shrimp for Leo. She ate out of the same bowl as him.

That's when I finally woke up. Sienna's germaphobia was selective.

And unfortunately, I wasn't on the list of people she felt comfortable with.

I spent ten years trying to warm her heart, and I failed.

If that's the case, why not just let her go?