My fate with Clayton began with an incident of campus bullying.

In high school, the underachievers in class wanted to copy my answers during exams. When I refused, I became their target.

Later, they would often corner me in areas of the school without security cameras, or in secluded alleys off campus. A group of them would surround me, punching and kicking.

One time, they failed to cover my mouth, and I managed to cry out for help.

That single cry for help brought me a savior.

However, I also passed out from a blow to the head.

When I regained consciousness, a senior from the graduating class was sitting in front of me. It was Clayton, and he said he had rescued me.

From then on, we started talking, studying together, and grew closer.

Later, when he graduated high school, he said he'd wait for me at college. So I worked hard to get into his university, and we officially became a couple, remaining so until now.

Four years of dating, five years of marriage, a nine-year relationship.

All of it vanished because Melody returned to the States.

He said Melody's parents died in a car accident, and she was traumatized, suffering from depression. She was pitiful and needed companionship.

I nodded and let him go.

He said Melody's mental state was very unstable, and she would have panic attacks if she couldn't see him.

I nodded again and let him go.Later, Melody sent me a photo of her in bed, then quickly deleted it, but I still saw it.

I told Clayton.

"Melody is just trying to provoke me, so I'll divorce you and she can take my place."

But Clayton thought I was being unreasonable.

"She didn't mean to send that photo. I got drunk and forced myself on Melody this time. I won't make that mistake again!"

I laughed bitterly.

"So if I go sleep with some random guy and then tell you it wasn't intentional and I won't make that mistake again, how would you feel?"

Clayton's jaw twitched in anger as he gritted his teeth and warned me.

"Vivienne, don't you dare!"

Of course, I didn't actually sleep with some random guy.

I just brought up divorce, but he wouldn't agree to it.

So I had no choice but to sleep with his good buddy Jaxon, who's 6'2" with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and six-pack abs.

Just to get back at him.

Jaxon's bachelor pad had my fingerprints programmed into the door lock.

As soon as I opened the door, a hand with pronounced veins pulled me into the room, eagerly kissing my lips with an intensity that threatened to devour me whole.

"Why did it take you so long to get here?"

Jaxon finally allowed me to catch my breath, planting a kiss on my cheek, his voice filled with longing.

"I've been waiting for you for ages."

My hands mischievously roamed over Jaxon's body, his perfectly toned physique resembling a work of art.

"I had to wait for him to leave. It's only been a little while, were you that impatient?"

Jaxon buried his face in the crook of my neck.

"I miss you. I want to see you every moment of every day."

"When can you divorce Clayton?"

He lifted his head, his eyes brimming with hurt, but his arms didn't loosen their grip on me one bit. If anything, they tightened.

"Babe, he still won't agree to it."

I tried to console Jaxon.

"Why don't we just go public then? I don't believe he'd want to wear such a massive pair of antlers."

Jaxon grinned mischievously, revealing a single canine tooth. He looked less like a nearly thirty-year-old CEO and more like a youthful college student.

I ignored his suggestion.I'm willing to maintain this relationship with Jaxon, firstly because I want to get revenge on Clayton, and secondly because Clayton and I have long since entered the mundane phase of our marriage. In the bedroom, we've both lost interest in each other.

Or perhaps he's lost interest in me, and is only staying with me out of obligation.

Since Clayton can go out and cheat, why can't I have some fun with his best friend?

But if I were to use this as a reason to divorce Clayton?

I don't want that.

Originally, I might have been able to leave Clayton with nothing, but if this goes public and Clayton gets angry, in that case, I might not come out on top.

Jaxon may be wealthy, born with a silver spoon and now running his own company.

But I'm not stupid enough to put all my hopes in a man again, making the same mistake twice.

"Be patient, baby. He'll agree to the divorce sooner or later."

Jaxon looked at me with puppy dog eyes, then scooped me up in his arms and carried me into the bedroom.