Ava, after all, was still the mother of my children.

I wanted to leave her some dignity, so I didn't expose her dirty deeds. I simply had my lawyer send her the divorce papers.

Back when we got married, my parents had forced me into signing a prenuptial agreement with Ava.

At the time, Ava threw a huge tantrum, and I had to buy her a Porsche to calm her down.

Thinking back now, if it weren't for my parents, how much of my assets would Ava be entitled to? This divorce wouldn't be so easy.

To thank my parents, I booked a luxurious family vacation to Alderland.

In Alderland, our family was filled with joy like never before.

There was a genuine happiness on my parents' and kids' faces that had been missing for years.

During the day, I swam and surfed with the kids.

At night, my parents helped watch them while I relaxed at a bar, sipping drinks and listening to music.

For the first time, I realized that life without Ava could be peaceful and happy.

I thought Ava would fade from my life after that.

But two weeks later, I got an unexpected call from her.

"Jeremy, what's the meaning of this? Are you really divorcing me?"

I was speechless for a moment. It took her this long to notice the divorce papers?

"You even took our son and daughter! This was all planned, wasn't it? Do you really think I'm scared or going to beg for your forgiveness?"

I heard the sound of tearing paper on the other end of the line.

"Hah, you think using divorce to threaten me will make me behave? Look at yourself. If you know what's good for you, bring the kids back, or I'll make sure you're humiliated even more!"

Then, Ava hung up.

Without giving me a chance to respond.

Not that I had anything more to say to her anyway.

I had already given her a chance to leave gracefully — she just didn't take it.

I immediately blocked all her contact information and called my good friend and lawyer, Evan.

"Evan, Ava probably tore up the divorce agreement. Let's skip straight to filing for divorce."

On the other end, I heard the sound of a cup shattering in Evan's shock.

"Are you serious this time, bro? It's about time! I've been betting with others that you'd be blind to Ava's true nature for life. Finally, you're waking up?"

I chuckled bitterly, shaking my head.

"Don't make fun of me now."

But Evan wasn't joking.

"This is no joke! Don't you remember two years ago, when I helped you catch her in the act? I showed you evidence of Ava sleeping with her boss under the guise of a business trip, and worse, participating in some group orgies. And you still forgave her! I almost stopped being friends with you over that!"

Two years ago, Ava had claimed she needed to attend a company training, leaving for over half a month.

When she returned, she complained of severe back pain. I massaged her for a whole week.

I thought she had been sitting for too long in training.

I didn't expect that she had been staying in bed with someone else.

And besides her old lover boss, there are many other individuals.

When Evan presented me with the evidence, I was devastated, but I couldn't bring myself to act.

At the time, I thought the kids were still young, and I couldn't bear for them to grow up without their mother.

Little did I know, my constant compromises only emboldened Ava to take advantage of me even more.

The night my two kids fell ill was the last straw that broke my heart as a doting fool.

"Evan, I was blind before and couldn't see the truth, but now I know I was wrong. Tonight, I'll treat you to a great meal. Please help me out one more time!"

"You said it! You're paying tonight! Let's head to our usual spot."

That evening, I drove my brand-new Bentley to pick up Evan and took him to our regular restaurant.

Ironically, I had bought this car because I overheard Ava saying she wanted it, and I secretly placed the order.

Little did I know that by the time the car arrived at the dealership, I would already be divorcing her.

After parking in the restaurant's underground garage, I noticed a familiar white Porsche.

"Evan, let's go somewhere else. That's Ava's car, and I really don't want to see her."

Evan, however, wasn't having it.

"Jeremy, are you a man or not? She's the one who ruined the marriage, so why are you backing down?"

He got out of the car and headed straight for the elevator, leaving me no choice but to follow.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, there she was — Ava, heavily made-up, wearing a strapless dress and black stockings, arm-in-arm with her lover, Tobias. We ran into each other face-to-face.

Ava looked shocked at first, but then her expression quickly turned to disgust.

"Jeremy, are you following me? You're so disgusting!" she spat.

I rolled my eyes, refusing to dignify her with a response.

Evan, however, wasn't as restrained. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to confront them, but I grabbed his shoulder, trying to steer us away from this vile pair.

Just as we were about to leave, Tobias, with his chunky arm adorned with a flashy gold watch, smugly stepped in front of us, extending his hand for a shake.

"Hey man, I've heard a lot about you. I always thought you were a guy with a heart as big as an ocean, but cutting off all those business deals just because of Ava? That's a bit petty, don't you think?"

Tobias was Ava's boss, and I had told my father to pull all the connections and resources we had provided to their company. I guess it had hit their performance pretty hard.

But why should I care?

If Tobias were truly capable, would those clients have canceled contracts with just one word from my dad?

The deals were never because of his talents anyway. The clients were only indulging Ava's company out of respect for my father. Tobias actually believed he had earned those deals on his own?

I ignored his outstretched hand and tried to leave with Evan.

But Tobias continued his taunts, walking beside us.

"Jeremy, don't blame Ava for not loving you. She played me a recording of you two in bed — man, your performance is lacking, huh?"

His words dripped with malice.

I was stunned — Ava had recorded our intimate moments and shared them with this man?

Ava stood there with her arms crossed, completely unapologetic.

"Tobias is right. If you could satisfy me, why would I need to find someone else? If anyone's to blame for my affairs, it's you, for being an incompetent husband."

She looked me up and down, sneering.

"Don't act so calm, Jeremy. I saw the Bentley key you're holding. You bought me a car to win me over again, didn't you? Ha! This time, a car isn't enough. I need a house too — a nice one in the city center!"

Evan, unable to take it anymore, shoved me aside and pointed at Ava, shouting.

"You shameless woman! You parade around with your lover and still have the nerve to demand a house from your ex-husband? Who do you think you are? Do you think you saved the galaxy in your past life?"

Ava's face turned ugly from the insult.

She strutted over in her high heels and slapped me hard across the face.

My head turned from the force, and my ear began to ring.

My face was hit to one side, and my ears were buzzing.

"You just let another man insult your wife, and you don't even make a sound. Jeremy, are you even a man?"

"Gave me the key to the Bentley, and you, immediately, got out of my sight!"

Ava's arrogance was overwhelming, and she truly believed I would obey her like always.

After all, this had been our dynamic for years.

She was the queen, and I was her loyal lapdog.

When she said "go east," I never went west.

When our two kids were born, I was the one who cared for them. If they cried and disturbed her sleep, she made me kneel on a washboard.

Lipstick, bags, shoes — she demanded only the most expensive, limited-edition ones. If I couldn't buy them, she'd hit me out of frustration.

Back then, I loved her so much that I endured the pain in silence.

Now, she stood before me with that same hand, waiting for me to hand over the Bentley keys like a loyal dog.

But I was no longer the pathetic man I used to be.

She didn't deserve my loyalty anymore.

The cuckolded man fought back, and the unfaithful woman died.

I let out a snort of laughter through my nose and casually pulled out the Bentley keys.

Ava reached for them immediately.

I dodged her hand and handed the keys to Evan instead.

"Bro, the car's yours. Just make sure you help me win this divorce case."