“Shut up.”

I cut her off coldly.

Richard’s brows furrowed.

“Amanda! How dare you speak to Lauren like that? Everyone knows she’s my most capable assistant!”

I scoffed. “Oh really? If she’s so exceptional, then tell me what exactly has she contributed to the company? How many major deals has she secured for us?”

For a moment, Richard was speechless.

Lauren lowered her head, putting on a show of remorse.

“She is right. I do have many shortcomings. I haven’t been able to relieve much of Mr. Coleman’s workload.”

Seeing this, Richard immediately patted her shoulder like she was the one being wronged, then turned to glare at me.

“Amanda, that’s enough!”

“Lauren’s been working around the clock on this merger. Can’t you see her effort?”

“What right do you have to question her?”

“Around the clock?” I laughed dryly. “Yes, so dedicated she had to spend our anniversary trip day and night with you. How exhausting for her.”

Richard’s face turned red. He raised his voice.

“Can you stop being so sarcastic? Lauren is my secretary. It’s her job to assist me. What’s wrong with that? Are you asking me to drop everything just to cater to your unreasonable demands?”

“My unreasonable demands?”

I repeated, letting out a bitter laugh at how ridiculous it all sounded.

I pointed at Lauren.

“You two shared a room until dawn last night, while I, your wife, slept alone.”

“She touched your hand right in front of me and you didn’t even flinch.”

“Ever since she joined the company, no matter what happens, the moment she opens her mouth, I’m automatically in the wrong.”

“I can’t even question anything anymore?”

“And all of this, in your eyes, is just me being unreasonable?”

Richard opened his mouth but had no response.

Lauren quickly stepped in, putting on her best innocent act.

“Madam, you’ve misunderstood. I have nothing but respect for Mr. Coleman. I’d never dare to have any other intentions.”

I let out a cold laugh.

“No other intentions? Even a dog wouldn’t believe that!”

That hit a nerve. Like a lit fuse, Richard instantly stepped in front of her, shielding her behind him.

“Amanda, that’s enough!”

“Lauren is my employee and my friend. I won’t let you insult her like this!”

I stared into his eyes, hoping to find even a flicker of guilt, of hesitation.

But there was none. Only anger. Only stubbornness.

I suddenly felt exhausted.

I didn’t want to hear another word. I turned and walked away.

“Amanda!” he shouted behind me, his voice edged with panic. “Where are you going?”

I didn’t look back.

That evening, I sat alone on the terrace, drinking.

Eventually, Richard returned.

“Amanda,” he called softly, trying to smooth things over.

“There are a lot of mosquitoes out here. Come inside.”

I didn’t respond. I just stared out at the pitch-black sea.

He sighed and walked over, reaching for the glass in my hand.

I shifted slightly, just enough to avoid him.

His hand hung awkwardly in the air for a moment before dropping.

“Don’t do this,” he said gently. “Let’s talk calmly and rationally.”

I finally looked up at him.

Then I set down the glass, stood and walked past him toward the room.

“Alright. Let’s talk about the divorce agreement.”

“Amanda!” He rushed after me and grabbed my wrist. “What do you want from me?”

“You know how much I love you. I don’t want a divorce!”

I stopped in my tracks and turned to look him directly in the eye.

“If you don’t want a divorce, it’s simple. Fire Lauren immediately and promise me you’ll never have any contact with her again. Can you do that?”

His expression froze.

He let go of my hand and took a half-step back, his brows drawn tight.

“You want me to fire someone crucial to the company just because she is my secretary?”

“Crucial?” I let out a cold laugh. “In the six months since she started, she hasn’t handled a single case on her own. She’s still here only because she clings to you like a shadow.”

“Richard, you’re not stupid. Don’t act like a child.”

His face flushed with anger.

“You’re being petty! Lauren is diligent and responsible. Without her, this merger wouldn’t have—”

“Wouldn’t have what?” I cut him off. “Wouldn’t have worked? That’s a joke.”

“You didn’t need her to get your job done but you chose to involve her in every part of our life.”

“On our wedding anniversary, you brought her along.”

“During our dinner dates, she sat one table over.”

“Even during our private conversations in bed, you defend her.”

His chest heaved with frustration.

“You don’t understand,” he insisted. “This is how the company operates. I need her help.”

My voice rose, sharp and unwavering.

“I’m not here to negotiate, Richard. Either she goes, or I do. There’s no third option.”

He stared at me like he didn’t recognize me anymore like he couldn’t believe I was serious.

Then suddenly, a ringtone shattered the tension.

He rushed to the bedside table, glanced at the caller ID and stiffened.

I didn’t need to ask, I already knew.

Lauren.

He answered and his expression quickly shifted from concern to panic.

“What? You fell? Is it bad?”

“…Okay. I’ll be right there.”

He hung up, grabbed a jacket and moved to the door, still in his pajamas.

“Richard.”

My voice was calm.

“If you walk out that door tonight, this marriage is over.”

His hand paused on the doorknob.

The room fell into silence.

Three seconds. Five.

He turned slowly and in his eyes, I saw something unfamiliar.

“Amanda, don’t do this,” he pleaded. “Lauren’s really hurt. This isn’t her hometown, she’s alone here with no one to take care of her. It’s pitiful...”

“So what?”

I stood up straight.

“This hotel has doctors, staff, emergency services. They can call an ambulance if needed.”

“She’s not a toddler and you’re not her father.”

“Is she really so helpless that only you can take care of her?”

He tried again. “But she was working overtime—”

“Make a choice, Richard.”

I cut him off, firm and final.

“Right now.”

His lips trembled. Something flickered in his eyes, panic? Guilt? Something else I couldn’t place.

Then he let out a long breath, like he’d just made the hardest decision of his life.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’ll be back soon.”

The night wind swept through the room, taking with it the last bit of hope I had left.

I pulled out my phone and made a call.

“Mr. Johnson? About the divorce agreement, let’s discuss the details tomorrow when I return to the country.”

Richard didn’t come back that night.

At four in the morning, my phone vibrated.

Bleary-eyed, I opened Instagram.

Lauren had just updated her InstaStory.

In the photo, she sat on a lounge chair on the hotel terrace, her knees wrapped in bandages, holding a glass of champagne.

Richard stood behind her, leaning in slightly, his smile bright as ever.

“In a foreign land, I’m just glad to have you by my side,” he said softly.

I closed the social media app and booked the earliest flight home.

While boarding the plane, I received a message from an unfamiliar number, it was a video.

In it, a man and a woman were tangled in bed, kissing passionately.

Their faces were a bit blurred, but I recognized the man instantly.

I pressed my lips together and turned off the phone.

When the plane landed, I switched it back on and was met with dozens of missed calls and messages, all from Richard.

I was about to power it down again when his call came through.

“Amanda!” His voice came through sharp, laced with anger. “Where are you? Why did you suddenly fly back to New York?”

“Suddenly?” I replied calmly. “I thought I made myself very clear.”

“All because I went to take care of Lauren last night, you just left me behind like that?”

His voice rose, sharp and accusatory.

“Do you have any idea how worried I was, being alone at the hotel?”

I let out a cold laugh.

“Really? You looked like you were enjoying yourself just fine with Lauren. You two even had time to post about it online. Were you really that worried about me?”

There was a beat of silence, then his voice came again, this time quieter, almost guilty.

“She… posted on Instastory?”

“The photos were well-composed,” I said flatly. “Nice angles. Good lighting. Very romantic.”

“Amanda, must you always be this sarcastic?”

“She hurt herself last night. I just went to help her clean the wound. As her boss and her friend, I couldn’t just ignore it.”

My patience snapped.

“Richard, stop treating me like I’m stupid.”

“You’re being completely unreasonable!” he snapped. “Lauren and I are innocent. You’re just being petty, always assuming the worst!”

“Innocent or not, you know the truth.” My voice was like ice. “Wait for the divorce papers.”

“Amanda!”

Now his voice cracked, laced with panic.

“Are you seriously ending our marriage over something so nonsense?”

“It’s nonsense to you,” I said evenly.

“But to me, this is a woman’s bottom line.”

I could hear his breathing grow heavier, like he was about to say something else.

But I didn’t give him the chance, I hung up.

The next day, Richard started posting all over social media, clearly trying to provoke me.

Photos of him and Lauren dining at trendy restaurants.

Close-ups of luxury gifts.

Captions dripping with ambiguity:

[Thanks to someone for the surprise. No matter how exhausting work is, it’s all worth it.]

I scrolled past without flinching, then sent him the finalized divorce agreement, complete with the property division terms.

Not long after, he called again.

“Amanda, what the hell is this?”

“You really think I can’t live without you?”

“You’ll regret this!”

I didn’t bother replying.

I ended the call and blocked his number.

Seven days later, during a thunderous downpour, I was at my best friend’s place for a small get-together when an unknown number called again, this time via video.

I answered and froze.

Lauren was wearing my silk nightgown, lounging with a glass of red wine, gazing up at the massive wedding photo of me and Richard hanging on the wall.

A mocking smile played on her lips.

On the bed behind her were the underwear I had bought for Richard. The sheets were in complete disarray.

Rage surged through me.

We weren’t even officially divorced yet and she’d already moved into my home, playing the part of lady of the house?

Unforgivable.

Half an hour later, drenched from head to toe, I pushed open the front door.

Inside, the lights were low.

Flickering candlelight danced across the walls, casting shadows of two figures.

Lauren was still holding her wine glass, clinking it against Richard’s.

When she saw me, she stood up, feigning surprise.