The villa community was ablaze with scandal. A video had surfaced, capturing a compromising scene on the rooftop of my house. The footage, taken in the dead of night, showed two figures entangled in a passionate embrace, their heated sounds piercing the tranquility of the night. The video had been shared widely and the community group chat was flooded with messages of outrage and gossip.

"Mr. Martin, you and your wife are energetic and physically strong, but you can't be so inconsiderate of your neighbors' feelings," the messages poured in, reflecting a mix of judgment and mockery.

Feeling a sharp sting of humiliation, I took a deep breath and decided to address the situation head-on. I responded in the chat, "Apologies for the disturbance. I understand this has been an unpleasant sight for everyone. I assure you, I will address these issues immediately."

The group fell into a sudden, uncomfortable silence, their chatter abruptly halted as my message lingered in the chat.

With the immediate crisis momentarily managed, I took my leave and headed to the lottery shop. The ticket I purchased was crucial to my plan. As I walked home, my mind replayed the events of the previous night and the days that had led up to this point. Chris and Jennifer’s audacious behavior was a stark contrast to the image of normalcy they projected.

Returning home, I found that Chris and Jennifer had relocated their nocturnal activities to Jennifer’s bedroom. The sounds of their indulgence were a disturbing backdrop to my thoughts. I felt a surge of nausea; their complete disregard for my daughters’ well-being was maddening. The noise was not just an intrusion but a stark reminder of their callousness.

Determined to act, I quietly made my way to Chris’s study. My hands trembled as I attempted to crack the safe’s code. I entered several incorrect passwords, each failure fueling my frustration. In a moment of desperation, I entered Jennifer’s birthday as the code. To my shock, it worked. Inside, I found the ticket that had won Chris the 100 million jackpot. I carefully swapped it with the ticket I had just purchased, ensuring that the numbers were identical but with different dates.

Their revelry continued into the early hours, relentless and unbridled. As dawn approached, I knew I had to confront Chris. The driver had taken our daughters to school, leaving me alone with Chris and Jennifer. I dialed Chris’s number, my voice steady with determination.

"Divorce," I declared, my tone brooking no argument.

"Divorce?" Chris’s voice was thick with disbelief and irritation. "Eloise, are you still half-asleep? This is absurd. How could you possibly manage as a housewife without me?"

His response was laced with condescension and mockery. Jennifer, standing nearby, watched with wide, innocent eyes, her gaze shifting nervously between Chris and me.

"I’m serious," I insisted, my resolve unshakable.

Seeing that I wasn’t joking, Chris’s demeanor shifted to one of seriousness. "Eloise, think this through."

I had no time for further discussion. I reached into my bag and placed a photograph on the table between us. "I’ve thought it through, Chris. Divorce."

The photograph captured a raw and explicit image of Chris and Jennifer engaged in intimate acts from the previous night. Chris’s face darkened instantly, his anger and guilt palpable.

Jennifer’s eyes welled with tears and she raised her hands in a futile attempt to cover her face from the damning evidence. Her innocence was a farce and the reality of her betrayal was laid bare.

Chris’s rage erupted. "Eloise, what are you doing?! You can come up with any reason to divorce me, but using such a sordid method to drag Jennifer’s name through the mud is despicable!"

His anger was a mask for his discomfort and guilt. I stood my ground, resolute and unwavering. The confrontation had begun in earnest and the balance of power was shifting. The wheels of justice were set in motion and I was prepared to see this through to the end.

A bitter, almost manic laugh escaped my lips. "Chris, you truly are the epitome of a ‘flower protector,’ aren’t you? Can you honestly claim you’re unaware of the sordid things you and Jennifer have been doing?"

Chris’s face contorted with rage, his eyes flashing with indignation. "I don’t agree to divorce!" His voice was a thunderclap and he pounded the table with such force that the room seemed to shake.

Of course, he would resist the divorce. Chris had always leveraged my connections and resources to build his own empire while treating me with disdain. As a housewife, I had devoted myself to maintaining our home and supporting his career, but in his eyes, I was merely a convenient fool.

"It’s perfectly fine if you don’t want to proceed with the divorce," I said coldly, my voice a chilling contrast to the heated argument. "However, you should be prepared for the consequences if these photos and videos get released. You’ll need to devise a strategy to handle the fallout."

Chris’s meticulously crafted image of the devoted husband and loving father was his most prized asset. For over a decade, he had cultivated this facade, using it to gain wealth and power. The collapse of this image would mean the dissolution of everything he had worked for—his reputation, his social standing and his career.

Chris’s face darkened further, his frustration giving way to a dangerous edge. "Eloise, you’re threatening me."

I met his gaze with a steely resolve, no longer swayed by his smooth words. My once blind adoration had given way to a clear-eyed view of his true nature—a manipulative, deceitful man who had taken everything for granted.

"Chris, you’ve ignored my dignity, trampled on the respect I deserve and conducted yourself in the most despicable manner right before our eyes. If you maintain your false image, who will hold you accountable for your actions?"

At that moment, with her eyes swollen from tears, Jennifer reached into her bag and retrieved a pregnancy test. She handed it to Chris with a trembling hand. "Chris, I’m pregnant," she said, her voice fraught with desperation.

"What?!" Chris’s voice was a mix of shock and disbelief, his composure shattering.

I regarded him with a sardonic smile, enjoying the spectacle of his unraveling facade. "You accused me of smearing Jennifer’s reputation, claiming there was nothing between you two. But now, with this revelation, it remains uncertain whether the child she carries is even yours."

Jennifer’s patience wore thin. She glared at me, her face contorted with frustration. "It’s his, it’s definitely his. For years, Chris has been the only man in my life. Eloise, stop making trouble."

Chris’s reaction shifted from stunned disbelief to reluctant acceptance. His face, once set in anger, now showed a mixture of surprise and indecision. Jennifer, sensing the shifting dynamics, clung to Chris’s sleeve, her tears flowing freely. "Chris, I don’t want our child to be born without a father," she sobbed, her voice filled with genuine distress. "Please, don’t leave us now."

Chris was caught in a tumultuous internal battle, torn between his anger towards me and the sudden complication of Jennifer’s pregnancy. His phone rang, cutting through the tension like a jolt. He glanced at the screen, his eyes lighting up with unexpected joy.

In a swift, decisive move, Chris made his choice. "Divorce, Eloise. Let’s do it. Immediately!" His voice was sharp, the decision made with a newfound urgency.

The abrupt change in his demeanor left me momentarily stunned. The revelation of Jennifer’s pregnancy and the looming threat of exposure had clearly shifted Chris’s priorities. The once resolute opposition to divorce had crumbled under the weight of impending scandal and the need to preserve his interests.

Jennifer flung herself into Chris’s arms, her tears mingling with a triumphant smile. I knew that Chris had received the winning lottery information. Calmly, I pushed the divorce agreement toward him, my demeanor unwavering. "Sign it," I said, my voice steady.

Chris held Jennifer with one arm and took the agreement in his other hand, scrutinizing it carefully. His face twisted in anger as he read through the terms. "Eloise, you vile woman. You’re trying to take away so much of my property!"

Last night, after purchasing the lottery ticket, I hadn’t been idle. I had arranged for a thorough investigation into all of Chris’s assets and enlisted a lawyer to draft a comprehensive divorce agreement. The villa, which had been left to me by my father, was not up for negotiation. Chris would retain control of the company, but I had demanded 30% of his shares and 20 million in cash. Most importantly, I sought custody of my daughter.

Unfazed, I leaned back, my posture relaxed. "Chris, whether you agree or not is irrelevant. We’re getting divorced."

With the upper hand, Chris was left with no real choice but to comply. As I waited for his response, Jennifer resumed her melodramatic crying, her sobs echoing through the room.

Chris hurriedly wrapped his arms around her, his voice soft and soothing. "What happened last night? Didn’t you add something to her milk?"

Jennifer looked at Chris, her expression one of concern mingled with fear. "I don’t know what went wrong. Joana’s mental state seemed off this morning. Could it be...?"

Their whispered conversation was clearly audible to me. I could see them exchanging worried glances, clearly uneasy about the unfolding situation.

"Sign or not?" I pressed, my patience thin. I started to reach for the agreement, preparing to retract it if necessary.

Chris’s grip tightened on the document. "Jennifer, it’s just money. I can give you whatever you want. Money is not an issue—I can always make more. But I can't let my son down."

Jennifer, still clinging to Chris, suddenly burst into laughter, her voice full of glee. She leaned in and planted a sweet kiss on Chris’s lips. "Don’t worry, Chris. We won 100 million in the lottery. We’ll claim the prize tomorrow. Even though that vile woman took a lot, I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve to ensure she doesn’t benefit."

Their low-voiced, conspiratorial conversation was unmistakably clear to me. Jennifer’s flushed excitement was evident and for once, her façade of subservience was completely dropped. The once meek and compliant Jennifer was now overtly celebrating her victory.

Chris signed the agreement quickly, his expression a mixture of resignation and frustration. I took the signed document and tucked it away. Then I said to them, "You need to move out today. If you don’t, I’ll have your belongings disposed of as if they were trash."

Jennifer stood up from Chris’s lap, her eyes narrowed in contempt. She inspected me with disdain, her new manicure catching the light. "Eloise, you’re such a failure. You couldn’t even keep your man. Take a good look in the mirror—what man would be interested in your current state?"

Without hesitation, I slapped Jennifer hard across the face. The sharp sound of the impact echoed through the room.