Chloe was the first to give in to the pressure. She covered her body with the sheets and sat next to me, giving the exact same excuse she gave in my previous life.

I listened to her quietly. Perhaps it was the air-conditioning on full blast, but I could see the goosebumps all over her arms. At the same time, a sweat had broken out on her forehead due to her anxiety.

Eventually, she could not stand the silence anymore. She stood up, ran to the coffee table, and picked up the fruit knife, placing it over her wrist.

I took a step forward, staring at her trembling hand. So she was scared of dying, too?

Did she ever stop to think if my daughter and I were scared when she burned us to death in the previous life?

Recalling the agony of being burned all over and my daughter's anguished screams, I turned my gaze away coldly.

“Let's get divorced. I get Ellie and the house, and you get the thirty thousand dollars I promised you.” My voice was emotionless to my own ears.

Chloe stared at me in disbelief for a second before accusing me angrily, “What do you mean by that? Are you trying to throw me away after using me? Don't forget, you're the one who begged me to marry you! I'm the one who got you your current position as head of your department!

“Don't even think about abandoning me! So what if I cheated? You come home late every night! Can't a woman have needs?”

I broke free from her grip with a look of disgust, taking one step back to put some distance between us.

Although I had experienced the same thing once before, I still feel repulsed to see it happen again.

“I got into the hospital back then because my teacher requested for me by name. Did you think I'd never find out after your father escaped overseas?

“Also, I would never have had anything to do with you if you didn't get pregnant back then, much less marry you.”

It was not easy for me to go to university, having come out of an orphanage. To make it worse, I majored in medicine, one of the most difficult fields.

During my five years in medical school, I never dated anyone. I spent all my time in the library, at my part-time job, and in my dorm. On the contrary, Chloe was a famous heiress. I would see her surrounded by her lackeys, slacking off in every corner of the campus.

We came from completely different worlds, but we ended up having a one-night stand after a party one day. That was when Ellie was conceived.

Soon after that, we got married. Even after I finished my specialization and found a job at the hospital, I always assumed Chloe's father was the one who got me hired through his connections.

However, Chloe always knew her father never mentioned anything to the hospital.

Her dazed expression made me feel a bit better. While she was still caught off-guard, I turned and left the room.

When I got home, Ellie was still asleep. About half an hour later, Chloe opened the door and came in quietly.

“I agree to the divorce, but only if you give me a hundred thousand dollars. That's non-negotiable.”

I stealthily packed Ellie’s bag for tomorrow, saying calmly, “I don't have a hundred thousand dollars. I can give you fifty at most.”

Chloe was not happy with that result, but there was nothing she could do. She knew our financial situation. She knew that my salary had been spent on Ellie’s school fees and her plastic surgeries.

After her father's company collapsed, the authorities swooped in and confiscated his assets. He and his wife ran abroad, leaving Chloe behind.

She raised her voice to embolden herself. “Fine, then I'll sign the papers after I receive the money tomorrow. Also, you can't stop me whenever I want to see Ellie from now on.”

I scoffed inwardly. She was not that attached to Ellie; she just wanted to keep Ellie as leverage over me.

Once I agreed to her conditions, Chloe took off her ring and smashed it to the floor at my feet. “I'm sick of living in poverty! Good, now that you've asked for a divorce, I won't have to share my future fortune with you anymore.”

I picked up her ring and tossed it into the trash along with mine. My tone was hard. “Agreed. As your soon-to-be ex-husband, I would still like to give you a word of advice. All that plastic surgery will come back to bite you someday. It's your life, you decide.”

Chloe looked away nonchalantly and left with her luggage.

The next morning, I transferred thirty thousand dollars into her account and texted her, saying I would give her the remaining money after she signed the divorce papers.

I was not giving her the money out of the kindness of my heart. Her father had given me the money a while ago when he could not reach her. If it were not for that, I would not have given her a single cent.

By the time I arrived at the local registry, Chloe and her best friend Rachel were already waiting. “Hurry up, or the office will close soon!”

I nodded without a word and followed them inside, the necessary documents in hand.