At a friend's wedding, I accidentally noticed that the new male assistant my wife had hired was wearing a ring, the very one I personally designed and custom-ordered just two days ago.

The ring, which was meant to appear on our wedding anniversary, was now adorning another man's ring finger.

I asked Kate what was going on, but she mumbled evasively, "Maybe it's just a coincidence?"

The male assistant looked at me with a playful smile.

I tugged at the corner of my lips and smirked mockingly, "That's quite the coincidence."

When we got back, I prepared the divorce papers. Later, I told her, "If you like him so much, then marry him."

Her eyes turned slightly red and her voice trembled, "You're my man."

Not anymore. The moment you gave him that ring, you stopped being mine.

***

At the wedding, as I was chatting and laughing with the groomsmen, a commotion stirred in the crowd.

"Isn't that Kate Bogart, the CEO of her own company? She's so beautiful. I wonder who's lucky enough to marry such a woman."

"I heard she's a staunch advocate of not getting married. Apparently, she's still single."

Kate made a dramatic entrance, followed by her new assistant, Kieran Cooper. Midway through, she affectionately adjusted Kieran's tie.

Then, she casually took his half-finished orange juice and sipped it. The two exchanged a knowing smile, perfectly in sync.

At that moment, whatever lingering affection I had for her completely vanished. After being married for ten years, Kate had told me she wanted to establish her own business. I funded her company to help her start.

Because she didn't want to be accused of relying on Brolin Group, we kept our marriage hidden. Only a handful of people knew, including her new assistant.

That morning, before I left home, she still kissed me goodbye. At that time, I thought such sweet love was the happiness I'd always sought.

For this reason, when passing a Dior counter, I even bought her a pair of earrings as a surprise for that evening. But now, it seemed entirely unnecessary.

When Kieran saw me, his expression turned uneasy. He whispered a few words to Kate before the two approached me, "Hello, Mr. Brolin. I'm Miss Bogart's new assistant, you can call me Kieran."

He reached out for a handshake, but I directly ignored him, my eyes fixed on the ring on his hand and said, "I ordered a custom ring but haven't picked it up yet. It looks remarkably similar to the one you're wearing, funny how our tastes align."

Hearing my sarcastic remark, Kieran forced an awkward smile.

Kate subtly stepped between us, her voice slightly shaky, "Kieran thought the ring looked nice, so I let him wear it for fun. When I received it, I didn't think too much. I'll have him take it off right now."

I let out a mocking laugh and then applauded, "Well done. A ring I spent a month designing, I didn't even get to wear it and you've already given it away."

Seeing my grim expression, Kieran fumbled nervously and kept apologizing in a submissive tone, "Mr. Brolin, please don't be upset. This isn't Kate's fault. It's my fault for being playful. I'll take it off right now and return it to you."

The more nervous he got, the harder it became to remove the ring. He was so desperate that he was nearly in tears. Under the gaze of the crowd, I ended up looking like a bully picking on someone weaker.

I asked him, "Do you not understand what a ring symbolizes? When you put that ring on, didn't you notice the engraving and read what it says?"

Under my string of questions, Kieran's face flushed red as he struggled to take off the ring. His frantic attempts only drew more attention.

Kate glanced around and, with no other choice, pulled me aside to a secluded spot.

She anxiously shook my hand, her tone full of flattery, "Alec, are you jealous? Don't misunderstand. Kieran is just my assistant."

I sneered coldly, "Assistant? An assistant with a monthly salary higher than a manager's? Decked out in designer brands, buying a supercar within three months of joining the company, what kind of assistant lives this extravagantly?"

"I know his background very well. He's just a rural college graduate you brought into the company not long after he graduated. I've told you before, I can't tolerate even a grain of sand in my eyes. You may not love me, but betrayal is off-limits," I said.

Seeing my anger, Kate turned pale, her voice trembling as she explained, "There's really nothing between me and him. He's ambitious and hardworking, so I rewarded him. The high salary is just to motivate him, that's all."

I stared deeply into her dark eyes, trying to discern if what she said was true.

Kate had always stood out since childhood, growing up in a scholarly family. Whether in high school or university, she was always surrounded by admirers.

Like a rose in summer, she carried a certain aloof pride, always maintaining an appropriate distance from men. She once told me that I was her first and would be her only man.

Back then, we were inseparable, the perfect picture of a loving couple that everyone envied. But times had changed and so had she. The distance she kept now depended on the person.

I felt deeply conflicted, "The ring is part of a matching set with yours. Are you sure he's not deliberately provoking me, trying to disgust me? If he likes the ring so much, let him have it. I don't want something that's been used by others."

Kate clutched my hand tightly, "Alec, do we really have to talk to each other like this? I've been accommodating you at home all these years, you know that."

Looking into her stubborn eyes, I said calmly, "Fine. Then can you reassign Kieran?"

Hearing this, Kate's face immediately fell and her voice rose sharply, "I'm a person, not your pet. Do I need to report everything I do to you for your satisfaction?"

In my memory, she had always spoken to me gently. This was the first time I'd seen her like this.

I closed my eyes, no longer wanting to argue and said, "Fine. From now on, you can do whatever you want. I won't interfere."

"I've told you before, I can't tolerate betrayal. If you no longer love me, let's part ways amicably. Just give me a heads-up when that time comes." After saying this, I pulled my hand free and prepared to return to the wedding.

Hearing the seriousness in my tone, Kate grew flustered. She chased after me, trying to grab my hand, "I run a company, not an all-female brigade. You can't expect me to replace all male employees with women, right?"

I stopped and looked at her, "At the very least, your assistant can be a woman, can't she?"

She kept arguing, "There are situations where a man is better suited to handle things."

I chuckled, "Am I not a man? Are there tasks your assistant can handle that I can't? Besides, do I have an assistant? Have I ever had private interactions with another woman? Have I ever been involved in any scandal?"

Kate was at a loss for words, unable to respond. Finally, she murmured in grievance, "You just want to control my life."

I let out a long sigh and finally threw her hand off mine.

Kate didn't chase after me again, but she did send a message: [Tonight, no matter how unreasonable your request, I'll agree to it, as long as you don't ask me to change my assistant.]

I stared at the screen in silence for a long time. It seemed she cared about this assistant very much.

In the past, her restraint wouldn't allow her to make requests beyond what she could accept. But for Kieran, she broke her own precedent.

I turned off the screen and focused on watching the newlyweds exchange rings on stage. When it came to the bouquet toss, the flowers happened to land in Kieran's hands.

To liven up the atmosphere, the host handed him the microphone, "Sir, is there anyone here you'd like to give these flowers to?"

Kieran seemed completely unfazed by my presence, holding the bouquet as he approached Kate and knelt on one knee, "I want to give these flowers to Miss Bogart."

Someone sharp-eyed noticed that the rings they wore were a matching set and immediately began cheering, "So Miss Bogart already has someone in her heart, kiss her!" The crowd's enthusiasm grew, with everyone eagerly hoping they'd continue this wedding's theme of love.

Kieran cast a provocative glance at me, then feigned a pitiful tone, "I'm just Miss Bogart's assistant. How could I dare to confess my feelings?"

Kate, having seemingly forgotten my existence, took the flowers from him, her eyes moist with emotion. "Don't undervalue yourself. You're great, bright and handsome." Her words were met with a round of thunderous applause.

But I stood there, cold from head to toe. Only when she saw that I was watching did Kate snap out of her daze.

She rushed over to me, suddenly noticing the bouquet in her hands, which she hastily tossed aside while said, "Alec, you're not angry, right? We were just joking around."

Kieran also came over, offering a series of apologies in an overly 'humble' manner, "Yes, Mr. Brolin, it was just a joke. You're not that petty, are you?"

At that moment, I could no longer hold back, "Take off the ring on your hand immediately! If you can't do it, I'll have my bodyguards help."

Kieran remained unfazed, casting a helpless glance at Kate.

I signaled to my bodyguards and they moved in. But just as they approached Kieran, he tightly grabbed Kate's hand, his face filled with terror, "Miss Bogart, they're going to grab me."

Kate frowned and stepped forward to block them, looking at me with a pleading expression, "He's just a young rookie fresh out of college who doesn't know any better. Do you really have to be so ruthless? Alec, whatever's between us, why take it out on an innocent person? It's not fair."

I fixed her with a piercing gaze, making my stance abundantly clear. Today, Kieran had provoked me repeatedly. Wasn't it her indulgence that emboldened him to act so recklessly?

For years, Kate worked tirelessly to craft a single, independent image for herself. Yet today, for this assistant, she shattered that façade.

I had repeatedly begged her to go public with our relationship, but she always had excuses.

Now, for Kieran, she cared nothing for the gossip, openly allowing his romantic gesture without a second thought. This double standard, wasn't it equally unfair to me?

I looked at her coldly. She approached, her eyes filled with pain and unwillingness, "Alec, when did we end up like this? You told me you wouldn't interfere, that you'd give me freedom. I'm not a caged canary. All I did was hire an assistant and you act like it's a huge threat. Living under your shadow is suffocating for me."

After hearing her words, the anger within me instantly dissolved into nothingness. All that remained was a profound sense of disappointment.

The care I had lavished upon her had turned into ammunition for her to strike back at me. The 'freedom' she desired was the freedom to spend time with her assistant, carefree and unrestrained.

When someone no longer loves you, even the fact that you breathe can become an excuse. My emotions were a chaotic mess and every word I wanted to say felt lodged in my throat, unspoken and swallowed back down.

Right in front of her, I called my lawyer and instructed him to draft a divorce agreement.

It was only then that Kate realized I was truly angry, "Divorce? Alec, you must be joking, right?"

She clung to my hand desperately, her gaze filled with boundless grievance, "How could you treat me like this? Kieran is really just an assistant, nothing more." She thought this explanation would make me change my mind.

Kieran chimed in with feigned concern, "Mr. Brolin, please think carefully! Miss Bogart is beautiful and capable, with countless admirers. You'll definitely regret this decision!"

I shot him a glare, but he responded with a smug grin, "I know exactly what tricks you're trying to play. Do you think you can manipulate me? Dream on!"

After delivering that line, I stormed out of the wedding venue. Kate chased after me, but I ignored her completely.