Chapter 2

2

Melanie was dressed in an elegant designer silk dress, looking every bit the poised academic.

She looked at me with an apologetic smile. "Nolan, I'm so sorry. A light fixture fell from the auditorium ceiling today, and Chase hurt his leg while pushing me out of the way. He needs to stay here with us for a few days to recover."

Leaning into her side, Chase wore a crisp white shirt, looking pale and fragile.

He looked like an entirely different person from the arrogant brat who had just provoked me online.

"Good evening, Mr. Reed," Chase murmured weakly.

I crossed my arms, blocking the doorway without stepping aside.

I stared directly at Melanie. "Do you even remember what day it is today?"

Melanie furrowed her brows in irritation. "Of course I do. But Chase got injured saving my life! You need to read the room before throwing a tantrum."

Noticing the tension between us, Chase made a weak gesture to hobble away on one foot, his eyes welling up with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Professor Foster, Mr. Reed... Please don't fight because of me. I know today is your anniversary. I shouldn't have gotten hurt. Mr. Reed, I'll leave right now."

Melanie tightly held on to the struggling boy and snapped at me, "Nolan, you're not a toddler. Can you grow up for once?"

If his leg was injured, why bring him into our marital home instead of hiring a private nurse at the hospital?

For a university professor, her common sense was practically non-existent.

I almost laughed out loud from sheer absurdity.

Before our wedding, I had made it crystal clear to Melanie.

If she ever dared to step out on our marriage, I would divorce her without hesitation.

Back then, she had sworn an oath of loyalty to high heaven, and I wondered if her conscience was eating her alive right now.

I chose not to cause a scene just yet.

I needed to gather solid evidence of her infidelity so I could ensure she walked away with nothing in the divorce settlement.

When that happened, Chase wouldn't get a single dime out of her either.

Once Chase settled into our guest room, he used his injury as an excuse to order Melanie around, making the woman who never stepped foot in the kitchen cook pasta from scratch for him.

Then, he threw me a smug look.

"Mr. Reed, is the professor always this sweet to you at home?"

He was just an amateur playing childish mind games.

I sat on the sofa, casually taking a sip of my espresso.

"Only the cheapest men depend on a woman's pity to survive."

The smirk on Chase's face instantly froze.

Perhaps stung by my words, Chase boldly asked Melanie to run a hot bath for him right in front of me.

Melanie initially hesitated.

However, Chase put on a pouting, helpless expression and tugged gently at her sleeve.

"Professor, I feel completely filthy, and I can't stand smelling bad. If you won't help me, I'll just risk slipping and do it myself."

Melanie melted under his puppy-dog eyes.

She gave in and helped him into the master bathroom.

Sitting in the living room, I could clearly hear the flirtatious giggles and Melanie's doting murmurs echoing from behind the closed door.

Little did they know, this gave me the perfect opportunity.

I picked up Melanie's unlocked phone from the coffee table, used my own device to record their graphic chat logs and videos, and forwarded everything straight to my attorney.

"Make sure Melanie Foster leaves this marriage without a single penny."

By the time Melanie returned to our bedroom, it was already past midnight.

She reached over to hold my hand, speaking in a heavy, lecturing tone.

"Nolan, my attitude was a bit harsh this afternoon."

"I have lectures all day tomorrow, so I'll need you to take good care of Chase for me."

Asking me to babysit her side-piece? The audacity was truly astonishing.

I coldly shoved her hand away. "I don't play butler for anyone."

"Once we sign the divorce papers, you can hire whoever you want to serve him."

At the mention of divorce, Melanie bolted upright in bed.

"Nolan Reed! You're demanding a divorce over something this trivial?"

"Do you have any basic human empathy?"

"Can't you see the boy is injured?"

I let out a cold smirk. "Yes, I'm just that heartless."

"So let's get divorced."

Melanie rolled over in fury, turning her back to me.

She knew very well that marrying me had elevated her social status immensely, and many high-profile partners only consulted her because of my family's business connections.

She didn't want a divorce.

Too bad for her, she had no say in the matter.