For five years of marriage, every time Thomas and I were intimate, he would go off afterward to apologize to his "one true love."

I saw it all but never stopped him.

Then, at a family gathering, he showed up holding that woman’s hand. To prove his love for her, he publicly forced me to take a contraceptive pill.

That was the breaking point. For the first time, I, a filial daughter-in-law of the Rivers Family, stood up for myself.

"Let’s divorce. If you stay with me, you’ll be buying me pills for the rest of your life. My body can’t take it anymore."

My mother-in-law caught the meaning behind my words. She slapped him across the face and, in front of everyone, ordered him to go upstairs with me to “make a baby.”

But I never let him touch me again.

Part 1

Downstairs, lively atmosphere had returned.

Thomas came out of the shower reluctantly, tossed off his robe and waited for me on the bed.

“Cheryl, you must be thrilled right now,” he sneered.

I said nothing. Instead, I handed him the divorce papers.

“Sign these and you can go book hotel rooms with Jessica as openly as you like.”

His expression darkened as he snapped back, “I’ve always treated her like a sister. Don’t twist everything in your head to make it dirty.”

I gave a bitter smile.

“Thomas, do you really think I don’t know what you’ve been doing with your so-called ‘sister’?”

“Five years of marriage and every time you dreamed beside me, you called Jessica’s name. Even on our honeymoon, you ditched me halfway to go see her.”

Thomas froze for a couple of seconds, then decided to drop the pretense altogether.

“Yes, I love her. If it weren’t for all your pandering to my mother over the years, why on earth would I stoop to marrying some outdated girl from the countryside?”

Ten years of silent love, five years of marriage—I poured my heart and soul into serving the Rivers Family. I worked tirelessly, honored my in-laws and catered to Thomas’s every whim.

I thought he’d eventually feel something for me.

Clearly, I was wrong.

In his heart, there was only his first love, Jessica. To him, I was just a shallow, conniving woman after status.

“What scheme are you playing at now?”

Thomas’s grip tightened on the divorce papers. “I only brought Jess back to visit Grandma and you just had to stir up trouble in front of everyone to make my mom lose her temper. Just how badly do you want to bear my child?”

He was convinced that my call for divorce was a ruse—that my real goal was to have his child—and so he refused to sign.

The next morning, Thomas posted on social media, a photo of him and Jessica tangled together on a hotel loveseat.

Clear as day, I saw the faint rows of bite marks along his neck and the scattered bruises on Jessica’s smooth thigh.

They were trophies from a night of passion.

I was still staring, stunned, when my phone rang.

On the other end of the line, Thomas spoke with smug satisfaction. “Just as you wished, Jess and I didn’t use any protection this time. I promise the Rivers Family heir will arrive next year—just not from you.”

Part 2

Outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, I stood in the blistering sun, waiting nearly three hours before Thomas finally arrived, arm wrapped around Jessica’s waist.

The first thing he said was a threat. “You asked for this divorce, so if my family questions it, you’d better take the blame.”

I looked at his handsome face, feeling nothing for him anymore.

“I’ll talk to your mother. I’ll tell her we split amicably because of personality differences.”

“No, that won’t work.”

Following his gaze, I saw the woman sitting comfortably in the café across the street. It all made sense now.

He wanted to use me to pave the way for Jessica, making their future a little smoother.

Leaning against the marble pillar nearby, I met his gaze, disappointment overshadowing my exhaustion.

"Tell me, what do you want me to do?"

Thomas showed not a trace of gratitude; his eyes still brimmed with disgust, but his tone was disturbingly casual.

"It's simple. Publicly admit you cheated during our marriage—take all the blame on yourself. Convince my mom that you were involved with another man and even had an abortion, which is why you haven’t been able to get pregnant all these years. Agree to leave the marriage with nothing. That's it."

As he finished, my hand by my side clenched tight, fingernails digging deep into my palm.

"We've been through so much as a couple. Do you really have to be this ruthless?"

Thomas spread his hands helplessly.

"I don’t have a choice. If you don’t do this, even if I divorce you, my family will never agree to let Jess in."

People are inherently selfish and love—or the lack of it—only makes it clearer.

For Jessica’s sake, he was willing to trample me into the dirt, shamelessly demanding that I paid the price for their affair.

In the past, I would never have said "no" to Thomas. If my unconditional compromise could make him happy, I would have followed his every word for a lifetime.

But this time, I didn’t want to give in.

"Of all the conditions you proposed, I’ll agree to only one: leaving with nothing."

Ten minutes later, we each tucked a bright red divorce certificate into our pockets.

Five years of marriage, over just like that.

Thomas gave me one last glance before looking away. "Even though you didn’t fully cooperate, at least the result is good. Finally, the divorce is done."

"Don’t act all high and mighty. Just name your price. While I'm in a decent mood, I’m willing to give you something…"

I interrupted him just in time.

"If we’re ending this, then let’s end it cleanly. I won’t take a single thing that belongs to the Rivers Family."

"Fine, as long as you don’t regret it."

He turned and walked straight toward Jessica. She pressed a kiss on his cheek, throwing me a look of smug triumph.

Before leaving, Thomas waved at me. "Cheryl, from now on, let’s just be strangers."

It was the first time he’d ever given me a genuine smile.

I went back to pack my stuff.

Looking around the luxurious bedroom, it seemed untouched by my departure, unchanged.

Our wedding photo was still hanging on the wall.

Looking at it now, his smile frozen in the frame seemed a bit forced.

Everything felt like it had circled back to that afternoon after my high school entrance exams. I had just been adopted into the Rivers Family, suddenly thrust into this lavish mansion, where I felt completely out of place.

Thomas had just returned from a ski trip abroad with Jessica. He looked at me then like I was a sideshow attraction.

Now, nearing thirty, I found myself single again.

That night, I ended up at a bar, drinking until I was utterly wasted.

My best friend Amelia set down her glass, patting my shoulder with the frankness of an outsider.

"Honestly, Thomas never had a place for you in his heart. If you ask me, this divorce was long overdue. But I really have to congratulate you—you’ve got a whole new life ahead now."

I raised my glass and downed it in one go, silently echoing her words: Protect your sanity, steer clear of toxic men.

Part 3

I resigned from the company, saying goodbye to my father-in-law, who had always treated me like his own daughter.

I declined his generous offer of 50% of the company shares as compensation.

Who would’ve thought I’d run into Thomas as soon as I stepped out?

After a week apart, he still looked as tall and striking as ever, laughing and chatting with the younger women in the office.

But the moment he saw me, his face turned cold, just as always.

"Cheryl, how much did my dad give you?"

I ignored him and walked toward the door.

That move clearly stung him. He caught up to me, blocking my way, his tone hostile.

"So, who was it that put on a ‘holier-than-thou’ act, swearing you wouldn’t take a penny from the Rivers Family?”

He sneered, “Turns out your target was my dad all along. Reeling him in for the big catch, are we?”

I looked at this man I’d loved for fifteen years, unable to hide my own bitterness. “Even if you’re kicking a dog, there’s no need to humiliate it this badly.”

Thomas’s face shifted uncomfortably and he quickly backpedaled. “Fine, just as long as that’s the case.”

Just then, his secretary came over with a project contract for him to sign.

Years of business experience told me immediately that this was a deal that would cost him, not benefit him.

But when I saw that Jessica was listed as the beneficiary, I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. “For the sake of a woman’s smile, you’re willing to disregard the family’s interests? Imagine how heartbroken your father would be if he knew.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

Thomas’s gaze was like a knife laced with poison, sinking deep into my chest.

“We’re divorced now, so stop trying to get close by bringing up my dad every time.”

"Jessica is my future wife. There’s no need to talk about giving her a discount. If she wanted my entire billion-dollar fortune, I’d give it to her without a second thought—handing it over with both hands, no questions asked."

After he finished speaking, he signed his name on the paper and then transferred three million to Jessica’s bank account right in front of me.

Before leaving, he threw in one last remark. “Love always feels like a debt—you wouldn’t understand.”

I stood there, frozen for a long time, as memories flooded my mind like a tidal wave.

When I first entered the Rivers Family, I was broke. At the time, my half-sister was diagnosed with a serious illness and she needed three million for treatment.

The Rivers couple, already doing more than enough by adopting me, had no obligation to do more and I couldn’t bring myself to ask for anything else.

Thomas, raised in privilege with endless pocket money, learned of my situation and nodded, agreeing to lend me the money.

But the day before my sister was scheduled for surgery, Thomas suddenly backed out.

I still remember his exact words. "Sorry, I bought a gift for a friend’s birthday, so I don’t have the money to lend you right now."

Later, I ended up selling my blood to raise part of the money for my sister's treatment. It was while I was working as a waitress at a restaurant that I ran into Thomas.

He was proudly wearing an expensive diamond watch, all smiles as he wished Jessica a happy birthday.

To Thomas, I had always been nothing more than a tool to get back at his family. My sister’s life wasn’t even worth considering.

My father-in-law and he had grown distant and whenever they tried to talk, it would end in a fight after just a few words.

Years ago, he entered my room in the middle of the night, sweet-talking me into sleeping with him and afterward, he begged me to marry him—all part of his plan to sabotage my father-in-law’s intention to adopt me as his daughter.

In the end, he succeeded.

But I was the one who became trapped, desperately struggling in his hollow, elusive love.

At least now, it was still not too late to let go.

I was about to leave for interviews with several company HR departments, looking for a new job.

Amelia arrived just in time to stop me. She said, "Why work for someone else when you could be the boss of your own company?"

I thought it over carefully. After more than a decade of being controlled, I had long forgotten what true freedom even felt like.