I Divorced the CEO Who Was Destined to Leave Me

On our wedding night, Kenneth Farley put a lock on his briefs.

A combination lock. Titanium. Waterproof, fireproof, and apparently girlfriend-proof.

Just as I was about to smash a bottle and take what was mine by force, lines of text began drifting past my eyes.

【Dying. He'd rather use a lock than touch the ex-wife. Confirmed: Mr. Farley's a germaphobe.】

【Later he meets the female lead and the cold older man catches fire for love. The office hookups never stop.】

【But honestly I feel so bad for the ex-wife. Six years of secret pining, and she gets swept out the door before he so much as touches her hand.】

【What can she do? Everything the male lead has belongs to his precious girl. Salary card handed over, shares signed away, and the ex-wife is just a walking blood bag for withdrawals.】

I stared at the wall of floating text and let out a cold laugh.

Why should I be the one who pours in money and effort, then ends up with neither money nor man, sewing the wedding dress for the female lead?

Without another word, I dropped ten doses of strong hangover remedy into Kenneth's sobering broth.

Guarding his virtue, was he?

Putting a lock on it, was he?

Tonight, either he broke his rule or I'd be a widow.

Either way, the next woman wasn't getting him cheap.

……

I kicked open the door to Kenneth's study, and before he could react, I caught his face in my hand and tipped the rest of the sobering broth down his throat.

The broth ran down his jaw and soaked into his gray shirt, the faint outline of his chest showing through.

I swallowed, more determined than ever to have my meal.

Kenneth shoved me back hard, wiped his wet mouth, his eyes full of shock. "Lorraine Barnes, what did you make me drink?"

I flung the glass aside, straddled his lap, and answered without a flicker of guilt. "Ten doses of strong hangover remedy!"

His pupils shrank.

I grabbed his tie and kissed him, hard.

Six years of loving him in secret, one year married to him, and this was the first time I'd ever tasted my own husband's lips.

Softer than I'd imagined.

My hands weren't idle either. I'd just gotten two of his shirt buttons open when he came back to himself and flipped me over onto the desk.

"Lorraine Barnes, have you lost your mind? Who gave you the nerve?"

"Don't forget what we agreed when we signed those papers. This is an arranged marriage. No feelings involved."

It was true. He'd been strapped for cash, my family had put up three million to bail him out, and that slip of paper was what we got in return.

But the floating text said I'd end up walking away with nothing, stitching the wedding dress for some so-called female lead.

Why should I?

I yanked my own collar open and, for once in my life, made a scene. "The marriage is done anyway. If I'm forced to choke down a melon, I'm at least taking a bite."

Maybe he'd never seen me like this. Kenneth froze for a second, then reached out and felt my forehead. "What's wrong with you? Are you not feeling well?"

There it was again.

Cold as ice the rest of the time, but the second I acted the slightest bit off, he played more attentive than anyone.

My nose stung, and I threw myself against his chest. "Kenneth, kiss me, please… kiss me, and I'll feel better."

The man under me stiffened, and his body seemed to respond.

Just as I thought I'd won, he suddenly gripped my waist, set me on the desk, and quickly straightened his clothes.

"Lorraine Barnes, we're partners. Nothing more."

"I don't like you. I'm not going to touch you."

"Give it up. Just be a quiet, well-behaved Mrs. Farley."

He must have decided he'd been too harsh, because he added, "Tomorrow I'll have my assistant wire you a million. Call it compensation."

With that, he strode into the bathroom and locked the door behind him.

Running water, threaded with a low, ragged breathing.

I sat on the desk, cold all over.

In front of me, the floating text spread out, blotting out everything.

【Dying. Mr. Farley would rather take a cold shower than touch the ex-wife. His self-control is unbeatable.】

【The ex-wife actually thought she was something? Force-kissing the male lead, the nerve on her.】

【Still, it's pretty sad for her. Properly married and she's not even allowed to be touched.】