Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Back in the bedroom, I collapsed onto the bed and burst into tears.

I never imagined that the daughter I had risked my life to give birth to—the one I had raised with endless care, cleaning her messes and staying up countless nights—the child I never dared to leave for even a single step while treating her asthma…

Would one day not only despise me, but call a complete stranger Mom.

I didn’t know how much time passed before night fell. The main hall outside was deathly quiet.

With swollen, reddened eyes, I stepped out of the room. The guests were long gone, leaving behind nothing but a mess.

I silently cleaned the tableware and the trash scattered all over the floor, only then realizing that my husband, Ethan, and his secretary, Alice, had disappeared at some point.

Lucy was already asleep in the children’s room.

Staring at the pitch-black night outside, my chest tightened.

It was so late—where was Ethan? Was he with Alice again?

Worried, I called Ethan. No answer.

I tried again. And again.

His phone was switched off.

I hesitated over whether to call Alice, but in the end, I gave up.

Ever since Alice became Ethan’s secretary a year ago, rumors about their ambiguous relationship had never stopped.

I had asked Ethan more than once whether there was anything improper between them. Every time, he denied it firmly.

So I chose to believe him.

But ever since Alice entered Ethan’s life, everything had changed.

He used to never stay out overnight. No matter how busy he was, he always came home after work to be with me and our daughter.

Yet over the past year, he had been coming home less and less.

Every time, he said he was busy working late.

But through social media posts reshared by his subordinates, I saw photos of him vacationing with Alice.

At first, I chose to believe Ethan.

Later, I pretended to believe him—lying to myself.

And now, I realized I could no longer keep deceiving myself.

Very late into the night, Ethan finally came home, reeking of alcohol.

I walked out of the room and snapped on the living room lights.

The bright light revealed his flushed face—and a vivid lipstick mark on the pristine white collar of his shirt.

Instantly, I remembered Lucy’s birthday party just a few hours earlier.

Alice had been wearing that exact shade.

I was just about to speak when Ethan shot me a look full of disgust.

“Turning on the lights all of a sudden—you scared the hell out of me. Are you crazy? Why aren’t you asleep this late?”

My heart clenched painfully. I bit my lip and spoke quietly.

“You came home this late—you scared me too, didn’t you?”

“And what about the lipstick on your collar?”

Ethan froze for a moment. Then he let out a dismissive scoff.

“Just social niceties while entertaining clients. You’re upset over that?”

“So it just happens that your client was a woman,” I said, “and she just happened to be wearing the same lipstick as Alice?”

Perhaps Ethan had long grown used to me being meek and submissive in front of him.

This time, my questioning tone made anger flash instantly in his eyes.

“It just happens to be a coincidence. What—do you have a problem with that?”

At that moment, my heart fell completely into despair.

I let out a bitter laugh and silently pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared hours earlier.

“No problem.”

“Let’s… get a divorce.”

At last, I found the courage to say the words and handed the papers to Ethan.

He stared at me in disbelief. After a long moment, he scoffed again.

“Divorcing me? Are you serious?”

I answered him with absolute certainty.

“Yes. I’ve already made up my mind.”

“I want a divorce.”