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.