“Really? Andrea, have you finally made up your mind? This is great!”

On the other end of the call, Owen spoke with a noticeable Briellic accent. He sounded excited. I simply nodded, calm and composed.

I had met Owen during a cross-border case I handled for an overseas client. Back then, he was the defense attorney on the opposing side. At the time, I noticed clear signs of fabrication from the evidence his client had submitted. So, I immediately requested a recess and informed him of my concerns.

After hearing me out, Owen didn’t question my motives just because I was his opponent. Instead, he conducted a thorough investigation into his client’s materials and discovered that a large portion of the evidence had indeed been falsified. He immediately terminated the attorney-client relationship, protecting both his own reputation and that of his firm. Otherwise, if the truth had only come out after the verdict, his entire firm could have been blacklisted from the industry.

From that moment on, Owen took a strong interest in me, both in my integrity and my sharp instincts. He invited me multiple times to work overseas, offering me a position as a partner at his firm, along with a seven-figure base salary to support my living expenses. However, back then, I was still lost in the perfect illusion Sean had carefully spun for me.

All I wanted was to build a life with Sean, so I turned Owen down. Owen, though, didn’t get upset. Instead, he left me his personal number and told me that if I ever changed my mind, his firm would always welcome me.

Thinking back on it now, my choice back then wasn’t worth it. For Sean, I gave up a bright future. I spent seven years of my youth exhausting myself to the point of breaking, and in the end, I didn’t even make partner at his firm, nor did I ever receive the title of a legitimate wife. At this point, it was time to start thinking about my own life and have a fresh start in a new environment.

After hanging up with Owen, I immediately submitted my resignation to Sean through my phone. What surprised me was that Sean, who usually took forever to reply—sometimes even until the next day—approved my resignation instantly this time.

Just as I was wondering about it, a notification of a new post from him popped up on my screen. In the photos, he and Brittany were in a private room at a karaoke bar, holding hands. They were singing together, laughing, and he was even feeding her snacks.

I couldn’t help but let out a sarcastic laugh. No wonder he approved it so quickly. It was because he was busy on a date with her.

Sean had always been low-key and reserved. He barely posted on social media throughout the year. Even on our wedding anniversary or birthdays, he never shared a single photo. On the rare occasions he posted something work-related, he would carefully edit every image, making sure even the slightest corner of my clothing was cropped out as if being associated with me would embarrass him.

Yet, this time, he posted a full set of nine photos in one go. In the comments, Brittany openly showed off their relationship.

[I just wanted to sing to the baby in my belly, and my husband here canceled a case worth hundreds of thousands in legal fees just to keep me company and help me relax. Where can you find a husband like this?]

Looking at her smug expression in the photos, I laughed. Just earlier, Sean had told me she wasn’t feeling well—that she was emotionally unstable and couldn’t work. Now, she looked perfectly fine.

Besides, I vividly remember Sean hated karaoke bars. Back then, his biological father had met an escort in a karaoke bar, who later destroyed his family and ultimately led to his mother’s death. Because of that, Sean had never stepped into a karaoke bar again.

Even when clients offering million-dollar legal fees invited him, he would refuse. He would turn around and leave the moment he arrived at the door, choosing to lose the business rather than go inside. And now, just to make Brittany happy, he walked in without a second thought.

Love sure was powerful enough to make someone overcome even their deepest trauma. And he knew I could see all of this. Yet he still posted it, allowing Brittany to provoke me in the comments by calling herself his wife.

I knew he wanted me to get jealous and to apologize. Unfortunately for him, he had miscalculated.

Instead of contacting Sean, I dialed my best friend, Faye Green.

“Faye, it’s my treat tonight. Would you like to see your favorite model with six packs?”

Late at night, inside a private room, my best friend, Faye, had been absentmindedly tracing the lines of someone’s abs, but she suddenly seemed to remember something.

She quickly pulled out her phone, checked the time, and asked cautiously, “Andy, you haven’t reported your whereabouts to Sean for almost three hours now. Aren’t you afraid he’ll get angry?”

Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, I couldn’t help but let out a self-deprecating smile.

Back when Sean and I had just started dating in university, he told me that because of his family history, he feared and hated betrayal more than anything. He wanted me to keep him updated on my whereabouts every day so he could feel at ease. I pitied him, so I chose to comply. Even if I were just stepping out of the dorm to buy daily necessities at the supermarket, I would tell him immediately.

At the time, I thought that by cooperating like this, I could slowly soothe his wounded, sensitive heart. However, the truth was, his suspicion and need for control only grew worse. Especially after we got married, he demanded that I report to him every hour, no matter what I was doing. He even required me to plan out the next day in advance, of where I would go, what I would do, and how long everything would take.

Once, I had an upset stomach and spent five extra minutes in the bathroom without informing him right away. He immediately became paranoid. He even pulled up the law firm’s surveillance footage to verify whether I was lying or had betrayed him. Yet, he held himself to a completely different standard.

No matter where he went or what he did, he never reported anything to me. Sometimes, if I casually asked about his plans, he would fly into a rage, accusing me of trying to control his life and saying I didn’t trust him or love him enough.

Looking back at it now, I found it ironic. I used to foolishly believe it was because he had been hurt too deeply, and that I simply hadn’t given him enough sense of security and trust. However, I see now that there was something wrong with him.

I suddenly lifted my glass and downed the red wine in one go, completely unfazed.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I said. “We’re divorced. In a few days, the divorce certificate will be finalized. I have no obligation to care about his feelings anymore.”

Faye pinched her own cheek, wincing from the pain, and then threw her arms around me.

“This is amazing, Andy! You’ve finally come to your senses! I’ve disliked that b*st*rd Sean for a long time. To celebrate your escape from him, tonight is on me. Come on, cheers! To freedom!”

I clinked glasses with her.

Just as the sound of our glasses faded, a cold voice came from the doorway of the private room.

“Whose control are you trying to escape from?”

I turned around to see Sean standing at the doorway, staring at me with a dark expression. When I didn’t respond, his gaze shifted to the guy beside me.

Then, he gritted his teeth and demanded, “Andrea, I’m talking to you. I told you to report your schedule to me every hour. Why didn’t you tell me where you were? Or are you feeling guilty? Too afraid to say anything because you’re sneaking around behind my back with another man, are you?”

I glanced at him indifferently.

“Mr. Larson, does who I see have anything to do with you? Instead of sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong, why don’t you go back to your wife, Brittany, and keep her company at karaoke?”

That shut him up instantly.

His brows furrowed as he snapped, clearly annoyed. “What’s with the sarcasm? I went to the karaoke bar with Brit as a show for her parents. We have to pretend we’re in love so they won’t suspect anything. And here I was, trying to make it up to you today. I even canceled all my work and social plans to cook your favorite chili con carne. What a waste of my effort.”

As he spoke, he placed a container on the table. I glanced at the bright red minced meat in there, but seeing it made my stomach churn.

Not this dish again.

At the beginning, I used to think it was his way of showing he cared. I had even felt touched. However, over time, I realized it was nothing more than a lazy routine. Every time he needed me to help Brittany, he would cook that exact dish to appease me.

He was even aware that I had undergone surgery for my stomach and couldn’t eat anything spicy anymore. However, he never bothered to change it. He still made it unbearably spicy, enough to sting the nose.

Coming back to myself, I said coldly, “I’ve eaten. You can save that feast for Brittany.”

Sean didn’t catch the displeasure in my tone. Instead, he seemed to think I had been coaxed like before and quickly got to the point.

“Fine. Actually, I came to ask you something. Brit’s parents are coming over tomorrow to check whether I can take care of her and the baby. If I recall correctly, you’ve studied a lot of parenting books. I need you to help me come up with a plan on how to act like a good husband and father who can take care of a pregnant woman and a newborn. I need to make a good impression on her parents.”

Watching the eagerness on his face, I felt a wave of nausea.

Others might not know, but he did. The reason I had read all those books was that I, too, had once been pregnant and wanted to raise our child with him. However, after the miscarriage, it became something we never spoke of again.

Now, he was asking me to teach him how to be Brittany’s husband and a good father?

I shot back immediately, “Sean, I’m a lawyer, not your nanny. Ask someone else.”

Sean’s eyes widened in disbelief. He clearly hadn’t expected that the same dish that used to win me over so easily would suddenly stop working. His embarrassment then turned into anger, and just as he was about to lash out, his phone rang. It was a call from Brittany.

Whatever she said on the other end made him forget all about yelling at me. Without another word, he turned and hurried out of the private room. Faye and I, on the other hand, drank until well past midnight.

The next morning, after I sobered up, I went home to pack my things and move out. However, the moment I stepped into the yard and saw what was in front of me, I froze.