The next morning, I arrived at the office early.

Everyone shot me a mocking glance once I stepped through the door.

“Yo, isn’t the kept man resigning? What are you still standing here for?”

“Yeah. Weren’t you pretty cocky yesterday? Thought Mr. Ward couldn’t be bothered to work with us anymore…”

Ignorance couldn’t be reasoned with; I had no time for these people.

Just then, Ivy’s personal assistant, Zachary, emerged from the office.

Bearing the tone of a superior, he said, “Tsk, little Jules actually showed up? As I said, youngins need to keep their cool. If there’s something to learn from others, then you should learn it.

“From now on, everyone should learn from our Julian here.

Zachary was currently Ivy’s pet.

Even though the other employees were annoyed by his bossy attitude, they still perfunctorily echoed him with nods.

Having basked in everyone’s approving glances, Zachary then looked toward me.

Acting as though he was concerned for my well-being, he patted my shoulder and said, “By the way, Jules, I’ve requested from Ms. Bennett that from now on, I’ll be mentoring you. I’ll try to get you more projects so you can climb the ladder.”

Sparing him no glance, I lit a cigarette and took a shallow drag.

“No need. What could you possibly teach me as an assistant? Besides, I’m resigning today. There’s no need to trouble you.”

The room gasped.

Someone couldn’t hold back laughter and blurted, “D*mn, bro, I gotta admit that I was way off about you before.”

“Holy crap, look at Zachary’s pale face flushing like crazy. It’s so d*mn satisfying!” someone whispered.

Another rejoiced and said, “Work’s annoying enough without j*rks like Zachary acting all high and mighty. Feels pretty good to see him get his comeuppance.”

Zachary was stumped by what I said, seething on the inside and unable to come up with a retort.

He could only stare at me with wide, furious eyes.

Ignoring him, I leisurely packed my belongings.

Seeing he couldn’t make a splash here with me, Zachary stormed off to Ivy’s office.

Soon after, Ivy strode out with her gaze coldly fixed on me.

I didn’t pay much mind and my packing was almost done. I lifted the storage box to take with me.

“Move. You’re in my way.”

Ivy raised an eyebrow, her tone icy as she said, “Resign if you want. I don’t need someone like you. But before you leave, apologize to Zachary.”

“For what, may I know?” I asked, puzzled.

“Zachary kindly offered to mentor you for a promotion, yet you responded with that half-dead attitude. Don’t you think you owe him an apology?”

Her voice rose as she spoke and the office was enveloped in pin-drop silence.

I didn’t feel like arguing. It was pointless anyway.

So, I turned to Zachary and said, “Sorry.”

As I turned back to leave, Ivy blocked my path and refused to let it go.

“Is that your idea of an apology?”

Zachary leaned in too.

“Jules, youngsters shouldn’t be rash. You gotta learn to be more composed.”

“My foot!”

These two were knuckleheads. I’d had enough and shoved Zachary aside.

I hadn’t used much force but he stumbled and fell to the floor with his face twisted in pain.

“Julian Ward!”

Ivy panicked and rushed forward to slap me across the face.

It stung.

She then shoved me away like I was nothing, and with a face of concern, she helped Zachary to his feet. He had clearly faked the fall.

“Zacky, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself? Should I take you to the hospital?”

I no longer had any idea what significance I held in Ivy’s eyes.

In the eight years of our marriage, I had never seen her look so worried.

Back when I was hit by a car and broke my leg saving her, she didn’t utter a single word of care. She even scolded me for not watching where I was going and that I deserved it.

Yet now, Zachary merely pretended to take a tumble and she panicked, immediately dialing 911.

Perhaps she genuinely cared for Zachary.

However, I no longer wish to delve into it.

“Ivy, the divorce papers will be delivered by my lawyer tomorrow. This is goodbye.”

With that, I turned and walked away without looking back.

The wind chill outside was bone-piercing.

My heart felt hollow, as if I had lost a harbor to return to.

That night, Ivy came home completely drunk and stumbled into the house in the wee hours.

“Zacky, hurry, let’s go to the bathroom…”

Ivy threw herself into my arms the moment I opened the door, as her overpowering perfume stung my nose.

She kissed my neck but all it did was make my stomach turn.

I shoved her away hard. Without support, she stumbled and fell to the floor.

“Why did you push me… Zacky?" she sobbed. "Don’t you know I’m carrying our baby now?”

She looked utterly aggrieved. “What if I hurt our baby?”

“What?!”

I thought my ears were playing tricks on me.

“Ivy Bennett, say that again!!!”

“Zacky… our baby… Have you forgotten? That night…” Ivy mumbled as she recalled drunkenly.

When I thought nothing could stir my emotions again, at that moment, I had lost all reason!

I grabbed her collar, questioning her like a madman, “All these years of marriage, I’ve always wanted a child. You kept saying having a baby would affect your career and that we should wait. And I believed you!

“Yet you turned around and got pregnant with Zachary Shaw’s child! You took me for a fool!

“How could you do this to me?!”

No response came from Ivy.

She was drunk, completely wasted.

All alone in the living room, I heard myself sobbing and muttering, asking the same question over and over, “Why?”

Ivy lay passed out on the floor, and my voice grew hoarse from crying before finally quieting down.

Just then, two messages popped up on her phone and I caught a glimpse of my name.

I unlocked it to read.

[Zacky, don’t be afraid of Julian. He’s just a pushover!

[Once the baby is born, I’ll say it’s his, and he’ll dutifully raise the baby for us.]

Zachary replied: [So, don’t divorce Julian yet. Otherwise, who’ll raise our child?

[Or just abort it. I don’t want to be a stay-at-home dad. It’s a pain.

[Hehe…]

After reading these messages, I wiped the tears from my eyes and couldn’t help but laugh coldly.

“For eight long years, I’ve treated you with nothing but sincerity, Ivy.

“You wanted business, I got them for you. You wanted status, I helped you climb.

“Now, not only are you betraying me, but you’re also conspiring with another against me!

“Mark my words, your good days are over.”

That same night, I packed up everything and moved out of the home that once belonged to us.

I would never return.

Let that place bury the naive, laughable love I once believed in.

I drove back to my hometown that night.

Since I had told them in advance, my parents had left the lights on for me.

“Julian, why are you alone? Why isn’t Ivy with you?”

My mother glanced around, and indeed, I was the only one stepping out of the car.

I signed, my eyes betraying my exhaustion.

“Mom, Ivy and I are getting a divorce.”

“What?!” My parents looked at each other in shock.

My father quickly spoke up, “It’s better that way. I could see it in that girl’s eyes that she was full of ambition and calculation.

“Being with someone like that long-term is dangerous.”

My parents had disapproved of my marriage to Ivy from the start, but I had foolishly clung to the belief that we were in love.

Alas, I only realized now that I had been deceiving myself all along.

“Come on in, let me cook you a bowl of chicken soup,” Mom said as she led me inside.

I finally got to eat something warm.

Dad asked, “Must be exhausting, isn’t it, managing so many companies?”

“Not at all, Dad.”

All these years, for the sake of Ivy’s fierce ambition and competitive drive, I had never revealed my true identity to her.

In her eyes, I was merely someone with strong business connections, nothing more.

Little did she know that these connections were all actually the Ward family’s businesses.

To help her achieve her goals, I’d even let the Ward family sign a losing deal. All these were to fuel her reckless business ambitions.

Now that she had betrayed me, I no longer needed to cater to her ever-expanding desire to climb the ladder.

The business world is a battlefield.

I would very much like to witness who’d support her without me by her side.

The next day, Ivy paid no mind to my departure. She was convinced that I couldn’t live without her, and that I would be crawling back to her after sulking for a couple of days.

When she received the divorce papers at her office, she froze for a moment.

“Fine, I’ll sign it. Even if I do, you wouldn’t dare go through with it!”

Afternoon came, and all senior executives of Bennett Group were summoned for an emergency meeting in the city, Arlaide.

Meanwhile, I sat leisurely in a café near my hometown, sipping coffee while listening to the villa owner explain property listings.

Autumn sat across from me, and I said, “Found one you fancy? I’ll pay cash for it. You can move in tomorrow.”

“Wow, Mr. Big Shot has finally come to his senses and is willing to spend money on me?”

I reached out and tapped her nose.

“Oh, please. When have I ever been stingy with you?”

She pouted and wrinkled her brow unconcernedly.

“By the way, are you really set on divorcing Ivy?”

“Mhm.”

“Great! Once that’s done and over with, maybe you’ll consider me?”

“Huh?”

While I was still puzzled, a call came in.

“What on earth are you playing at, Julian?!”