Nevertheless, the cabinet that was full of gifts, like this table full of seafood platter, had become a mark of shame for me.

"It was my dad who could tolerate it. That was his problem. But I couldn’t."

If it wasn’t for the strong belief that family disgrace shouldn’t be aired in public, I would’ve wanted to turn the world upside down. In the end, Miranda did something. She tore up the divorce agreement, stormed over, grabbed my wrist and stared at me with bloodshot eyes.

"Anthony, you must explain yourself today! Why are you seeking a divorce? Are you seeing someone else?"

She actually had the nerve to ask if I was cheating.

The strength of her grip made me wince, so I couldn’t help but gasp.

I yanked my arm free and replied coldly, "It’s because just looking at you disgusts me! And your smell is even worse!"

That one sentence was enough to cause even more chaos. My mother-in-law quickly burst into tears, calling me an ungrateful son-in-law. Meanwhile, my sister-in-law pointed at me and called me a troublemaker. Even my usually quiet uncle shook his head and sighed.

"Anthony, you’re really going to ruin your relationship like this!"

Unfortunately for my family, they had no idea that my marriage to Miranda had been dead in name only ever since she got addicted to night fishing. The room was filled with voices, each accusation buzzing in my ears like a swarm of mosquitoes.

Nevertheless, I took out another copy of the divorce agreement and handed it to Miranda.

"If you want to separate peacefully, I’ll see you at the City Hall on Wednesday at 9:00 AM."

My firm stance eventually brought Miranda to tears.

She then stepped forward and clung to me tightly.

"Babe, please … just stop this, okay? It’s all my fault. I should’ve never gotten addicted to night fishing! If you really hate it, I can stop it. I’ll go back to being the loving wife you married, okay?"

Her tearful plea sparked another round of judgmental looks from everyone present. My friend, Ralph Anderson, who had appeared out of nowhere, also chimed in.

"Anthony, a man shouldn’t be so harsh. Miranda’s willing to give up her hobby for you. Can’t you just let it go? If you really go through with a divorce, how are you, a man with nothing left, going to find another woman who’ll be this devoted to you?"

Let them talk. I was done with this marriage. I turned to leave but saw Olive standing at the door, her face turning pale.

I didn’t know how much Olive had overheard or understood, but I reached for her hand and said, "Baby, come home with Daddy."

She suddenly refused, shaking her head with all her strength.

"No! I don’t want Mom and Dad to get divorced! I don’t want to be laughed at for being that kid!"

She turned to look at my dad for help, realizing that he must’ve slipped out earlier just to brainwash her and bring her in at the right time.

"Anthony, you’re a father now. You have to think about your child. Don’t be so selfish."

My father’s words hit me like a hammer, piercing straight into my already shattered heart. He could choose to live blindfolded and play the cuckold. But I wasn’t going to keep lying to myself. That was my freedom, too.

I squatted down and tried to lift Olive, but she scratched and bit me like a panicked little animal.

"You’re a bad dad! The worst dad!"

"Anthony, that’s enough."

Ralph suddenly cut in, grabbing my arm with fake concern.

"So many people are jealous of you for having a wife like Miranda. How can you be so ungrateful? Is some other woman really worth throwing all this away?"

His words were like oil in a frying pan, setting off an instant explosion in the room. Just like that, the conversation spiraled. And somehow, I was now a cheater. How shameless!

"Miranda, your marriage needs to end! Anthony is clearly abusing your love and already hurting you. Don’t be soft-hearted!"

However, Miranda didn’t utter a single word. Instead, she just stared at me with crimson eyes as if she'd been deeply hurt.

"Babe, is what Ralph said true?"

"Call her over. I’ll help you check. As long as she passes my test and truly loves you, I’ll grant your marriage! But our daughter is the fruit of our love, so I absolutely won’t agree to you taking her!"

After that, Miranda immediately hugged our daughter and burst into tears.

Anyone who witnessed the scene would’ve blamed me. Meanwhile, Ralph’s eyes gleamed with pride. He leaned in toward me again and said, "Anthony, break up with that bitch! Living a good life with Miranda is better than anything else!"

"Get lost!"

I couldn’t help but shake his hand off as my long-suppressed anger finally erupted.

"Ralph, don’t think I’ve got no idea on what you’ve done behind my back?"

Eventually, my patience had worn thin and I ended up kicking him in the shin.

"If you dare meddle in my family affairs again, I’ll make you pay!"

Ralph stumbled back, landing squarely on the seafood platter, turning the entire spread into a mess.

Miranda didn’t even bother wiping her tears. Her face darkened entirely. She slapped me and gritted her teeth.

"Apologize to Ralph."

"Keep dreaming!"

Meanwhile, Olive suddenly rushed over with her small hands, clumsily wiping at Ralph’s shirt.

"Uncle Ralph, don’t be upset. I will blow on your hair … "

Her tender gesture made it seem as if Ralph were her real father. Miranda let go of me and went to help Ralph clean the dirt from his clothes. She turned and sneered at me.

"Okay, fine then! Anthony, since you insist on getting a divorce, let’s get one then! But you must remember that this is all your fault!"

I ignored her, walked over to Olive and asked her one last time, "Olive, do you want to go with Daddy?"

My daughter hugged Ralph’s neck tightly and shook her head with all her might.

"You’re a bad dad! I don’t want to go with you! You only make Mom sad!"

It turned out that the child I had lovingly raised for five years had already drifted toward another man.

I gave Miranda one last look and said calmly, "You win. Olive is yours."

I could see that the red marks on the neck of the woman I’d risked my life to marry were especially glaring under the restaurant’s lighting. They weren’t mosquito bites at all, but rather, kiss marks left behind from passionate sex.

As I turned to leave, my mother-in-law’s triumphant voice rang out across the room.

"My daughter is an amazing woman! Do you think she won’t find someone better? As for people like you, older, divorced and useless, who would want you after leaving my daughter?"

"Even your own daughter doesn’t want you. You’re fated to live a lonely life!"

My parents’ echoing apologies were even more humiliating.

"Mr. and Mrs. Moon, it’s our fault for not raising our son properly. If he insists on divorcing Miranda, we’ll pretend we never had him! From now on, we only recognize Miranda as our daughter!"

The night breeze was cool, but it was unable to wash away the burning on my face. The sting from Miranda’s slap still lingered, but it meant nothing compared to my heartache. When I reached the entrance of my apartment complex, the security guard stopped me.

"Mr. Lewinsky, I’m sorry, but Miss Moon said you’re not allowed to enter."

I stood stunned.

"What do you mean by that? I’m going back to my own house. Why can’t I go in?"

The security guard looked at me with disdain.

"Miss Moon said she’s already divorced you. You have no right to return to her house. As for your luggage, she’ll have someone pack it and send it to your parents’ place."

It was obvious this was just another tactic cooked up by my parents, giving Miranda all the power, hoping I’d break down and surrender.

It no longer mattered. After all, there was nothing left in that house worth lingering over. Just when I turned to wait for the bus, a neighbor I recognized passed by and pointed straight at me.

"Look! That’s the guy. He’s the one who cheated on his wife and tried to kick her out!"

"I heard he ignored his daughter’s illness because he was busy having an affair with some slut … "

I clenched my teeth, unwilling to argue.

With my parents testifying in the homeowners' group, no amount of explanation would make a difference. After getting on the bus, I checked into a random hotel. Once I soaked in the warm tub, I finally let myself break down and cry.

The hot water poured over my face, but it couldn’t wash away the feeling that the entire world had betrayed me. Soon, my phone screen lit up. A new message appeared in Miranda’s fishing group.

It seemed that she had tagged everyone, saying she wouldn’t be able to fish today because she was ‘busy’.

Scrolling further, I saw a post from the day Olive had been hospitalized. She had proudly shared in the group.

[I caught an impressively huge fish today. It felt amazing!]

[@Vicky_Lewinsky, did you catch anything today?]

My mother had quickly replied.

[You’re such a good fisherwoman, you quick woman! I only have a few small fish here.]

[Young people know how to have fun. My old waist can only catch some home-cooked dishes.]

I stared at the words of ‘impressively huge fish’ and my stomach churned all over again. Just then, my phone vibrated. It was from my lawyer.

"Mr. Lewinsky, all the documents have been compiled. Whether it’s an amicable divorce or a straight-up legal battle, we can ensure you get the best deal."

After I ended the call, I felt slightly more comfortable. Then, I closed my eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

However, on the very next day, I was met with strange glances in the elevator as I walked into the office.

When I opened the office door, everyone’s conversation stopped cold.

"Mr. Lewinsky, the boss wants to see you."

My current boss’ assistant lowered his head, avoiding eye contact and gestured toward a nearby cubicle. At a glance, I saw it was filled with my personal belongings. The moment I walked into my boss’s office, he told me straight away.

"Anthony, the company has decided to terminate your employment contract. This is your compensation."

"Why? We agreed that once I handed off the current projects, I’d transfer to the Boston branch as head!"

He pulled out his phone and flipped it toward me.

"Your personal matter has affected the company’s image. It’s gone viral. Take a look."

The trending topic was all about me, cheating on my wife and kicking her out of the house. The words ‘A Huge Piece of Shit’ blazed in bold across the headlines. Clicking on one of the videos, I could see the very scene from the room at the hotel the day before.

Seeing the angle, it had to be hotel surveillance footage. Who else but Miranda could have requested that footage? Clearly, she had gone to great lengths to destroy me.

My colleagues stared at me with disgust.

One even shouted, "You act so noble, yet you’re actually a scumbag!"

"I toatall have no idea how someone like you made it to an executive role … "

I calmly signed the resignation agreement and took my box of belongings with me.

After leaving the building, I called my former team leader, Wynona Black.

"Is that offer to start a branch together still on the table?"

A surprised voice came through the line.

"Of course! You finally came around? When can we start?"

"I’ll be in Boston in three days."

After I ended up the call, I stopped by the mall to buy a change of clothes. But as I entered the men’s section, I heard people whispering and pointing.

"That’s him! The asshole from the video!"

Soon, a crowd gathered and the insults began.

"Are you even worthy of being a father? You ignored your daughter when she was sick!"