"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!"

"This morning, your daughter was hospitalized due to vomiting and diarrhea. How could you still be in the mood to go shopping?"

Olive was in the hospital again?

My heart ached. While I was ignoring the punches and kicks people threw at me in passing, I shoved through the crowd, hailed a taxi and headed straight to the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital.

In the hospital ward, Olive was lying on her bed with a pale face. Both Miranda and Ralph sat on either side of her, guarding her closely. The moment I got into the ward, the doctor began criticizing me.

"Didn’t you keep promising that you won’t let her eat shrimp after discharge? So, why did you feed her shrimp again?"

"I didn’t-"

Before I could finish, Olive turned her head and weakly complained to Miranda, "Mom, Dad was the one who insisted I eat shrimp. He said shrimp is nutritious and it will heal me faster …"

"Mom, can you just make Uncle Ralph my dad?"

It felt as if I was being struck by lightning.

Since when did Olive learn to lie?

Meanwhile, Ralph hugged her while his eyes reddened.

"Anthony, what the hell did you do? Can’t we just talk things out? Your daughter is innocent…"

Miranda, unable to hold back, rushed over and slapped me hard across the face.

"Even a tiger doesn’t harm its own cubs! Why are you so angry with me? Why are you trying to hurt Olive?"

I staggered and braced myself against the wall, while my cheek was stinging. At that moment, Miranda’s assistant rushed in and handed me an exquisite gift box.

"Sir, this was specially flown in from Italy by Miss Moon. Could you please stop making such a scene … "

So, the slap in the face was followed by a sweet bribe?

I couldn’t help but sneer, taking the gift box before handing it straight to Ralph.

"Take it. You don’t need to go to such lengths to win her over."

Miranda’s expression turned dark. She snatched the gift box, opened it and showed a set of priceless, high-end watches inside. Then, she personally fastened one onto Ralph’s wrist and then shouted at me, "Get out! I’ll never humiliate myself for you again!"

I turned to leave, but my mother-in-law blocked my way.

"Are you trying to run away now? You caused my granddaughter to be hospitalized and not even going to pay the medical bills?"

I quickly scanned the QR code to cover Olive’s hospital expenses, then asked her in despair, "Olive, why did you lie? You … "

Out of nowhere, she burst into tears.

"Get out! You’re a bad person! I don’t want you to be my dad anymore!"

Ralph’s eyes gleamed with pride and satisfaction and in that moment, my will to fight for Olive collapsed. Unfortunately, she had Miranda’s blood running through her veins. That was the reason why she could change her mind so easily.

Three days later, I arrived at City Hall right on time, but Miranda never showed up. Instead, her assistant brought a new divorce agreement. This time, I was the one leaving the house.

"Miss Moon said if you sign this, she’ll consider allowing you regular visitation to see Miss Olive."

Without further ado, I tore up the agreement.

"Tell her I’ll see her in court."

I already hired an elite lawyer, quickly filing an appeal. But to my surprise, Miranda was one step ahead. The very next day, I received a court summons. She already filed for divorce, accusing me of infidelity and child abuse.

On the day of the trial, every friend and relative who could attend showed up. They were all Miranda’s supporters. Every single one of them looked at me with disdain, including my own parents.

Miranda approached in her high heels and whispered, "It’s not too late to change your mind. If you stop causing trouble and don’t interfere with my night fishing, I’ll give you another chance."

My parents came over too, their expressions cold.

"Don’t block your own path. If you admit your mistakes now, Miranda might forgive you and we’ll still acknowledge you as her husband."

However, I ignored all of them and walked straight to the dock.

Soon, the trial started. Miranda's lawyer delivered an impassioned speech, listing my numerous offenses.

The judge reviewed the evidence and asked me on the spot, "After reviewing the defendant's infidelity and abuse, this court will grant a divorce if there are no objections. The child will be raised by the plaintiff and the defendant will be evicted from the house."

The courtroom erupted in cheers.

Miranda smiled victoriously as Ralph even hugged her in excitement.

Just as the judge was about to strike the gavel, I stood up and objected loudly, "I object. Your honor, I have evidence proving that the plaintiff is the one at fault."

Some people no longer wanted to hide their true feelings, so why would I need to cover up for them?