"Wade, look at the news!"

My mother-in-law's sharp voice startled me so much that my game controller slipped from my hands.

I quickly grabbed my phone and checked the trending headlines on Instagram.

[New York socialite Rianne Scott splurges on a luxury yacht for Finn Cooper, sparking rumors of a high-profile romance.]

Rianne was my wife, and I was her live-in husband.

When we got married, she had promised that even though I was moving into her family, she would stay loyal.

But after we tied the knot, scandal after scandal surfaced about her. Every time, she brushed them off as mere publicity stunts, scolding me for being overly sensitive.

I loved her—loved her enough to give up my career for her, and enough to sever ties with my own family.

But in the end, she still spent a fortune on some young actor.

I let out a bitter laugh, ready to close my phone—until another headline caught my eye.

"You should check the news too," I deadpanned as I turned to my mother-in-law, my expression was filled with sympathy.

Allison, my mother-in-law, who was three years younger than me, picked up her phone. Immediately, her expression darkened.

[New York business tycoon Lincoln Scott spotted watching the sunrise in the Maldives with his new lover.]

Lincoln was my father-in-law.

Allison and I exchanged glances.

We had both reached the same conclusion.

——

"I'm done being a second option!"

I gritted my teeth and shut off my phone.

Before, no matter how many rumors swirled around Rianne, they had always been fleeting. This time, however, she had actually gifted Finn a yacht.

It was obvious—this wasn’t just a game anymore.

And then, I saw Finn's latest Instagram post.

He had uploaded a photo.

Rianne was sitting on a plush bed. Even though it was only her back, I recognized her immediately. That alluring curve of her waist was unmistakable.

His caption? [No regrets in this lifetime.]

I was about to comment when Allison grabbed my hand.

"If you start a fight now, do you think Rianne will let you walk away unscathed?" She frowned, her delicate brows knitting together.

Allison was Rianne’s stepmother, the young trophy wife Lincoln had married four years ago.

Even though she was three years younger than me, she was far more cunning.

I looked at her blankly. "Mom, what are you suggesting?"

Addressing her as "Mom" always felt weird.

She thought for a moment before speaking. "I have three billion. How much do you have?"

"Uh… about five hundred thousand."

The difference between a live-in husband and a pampered young wife was painfully clear.

Lincoln truly spoiled Allison, giving her access to an enormous fortune.

She pondered for a moment before saying, "You create a mess. I'll move the money. Then, we run away together."

"Alright." I nodded, then hesitated. "You won’t just take the money and ditch me, right?"

She smirked. "Relax. I see you as my own son."

Allison and I had always gotten along well.

Rianne and Lincoln were constantly busy—work, business meetings, social events, so they rarely came home.

That left just the two of us—one unwanted live-in husband and one disregarded young wife. The Scott family didn’t like us making public appearances, so we spent most of our time together.

We were close in age, had similar personalities, and actually got along. I was the comedic type; she was lively and mischievous.

In fact, we had been through life-and-death situations together.

Once, when we went grocery shopping, we were ambushed by enemies of the Scott family. Armed men chased us down with knives.

I grabbed two blades and fought them off, shielding Allison until the police arrived.

After that, she started treating me even better. But being the playful person she was, when she took care of me in the hospital, she would always joke, "Don’t worry, my dear eldest son. Your wife may be off fooling around, but your mother will take good care of you."

That night, I was gaming in the villa when Rianne stumbled in, reeking of alcohol.

And the one who had brought her home? It was none other than that pretty-boy, Finn.

As soon as she stepped inside, she spotted me playing Black Gammon and frowned. "Wade, is gaming the only thing you're good at?"

Finn sneered, his tone dripping with mockery. "Wade sure is lucky. He only had a weak stomach but was still living off his wife. Unlike me, working myself to the bone for my career."

Rianne’s expression darkened further. She shook off Finn’s hand and staggered toward me. "Wade, you weren’t like this before. You used to be ambitious. Look at you now—what have you become?"

…Seriously?

She had the audacity to ask me that?

I used to be a high-earning tech executive, pulling in millions a year with company shares to my name. And who was it that made me quit my job? Who cried about being afraid I’d cheat if I stayed out working?

Now she was complaining that I played online games?

Before I could fire back, Finn snickered and stepped closer.

"Wade, at least try to act a little more motivated. Rianne is so busy every day, and yet here you are, lounging around."

He raised an eyebrow and casually draped an arm over Rianne’s shoulder.

I clenched my jaw—then caught sight of Allison standing at the staircase, subtly balling her fist.

It was signal.

Cause a scene.

Fine.

I’d been holding back my anger for years. It was time to let loose.

I dropped the game controller, grabbed the wooden Golden Cudgel from beside the couch, and swung it onto my shoulder.

"Oi! You little gigolo! You dare seduce my wife and even have the guts to come to my house? Eat this, you bastard!"

With Rianne and Finn still frozen in shock, I swung the cudgel and landed a clean hit on Finn’s head.

"Ahhh!"

He collapsed to the ground, clutching his head and wailing in pain.

I didn’t give him the chance to recover. The moment he opened his mouth to scream, I shoved the cudgel between his teeth and twisted it hard.

With a sickening crunch, half his pearly white teeth were gone.

Finn snapped back to his senses and tried to crawl away, shrieking, "Rianne, help! Your husband’s lost his mind!"

I smirked at his pathetic attempt to flee.

Lunging forward, I thrust the cudgel at him like a spear—right into his ass.

"Aaahhhhhh!"

Finn rolled on the floor, clutching his rear and wailing like a dying pig.

Rianne finally snapped out of her daze. She rushed over, grabbing my arm. "Wade, have you lost it?!"

I scoffed, poking Finn one last time before pulling back the cudgel. Then, I turned to Rianne and asked coldly, "Yes, I’ve lost it. For years, I’ve tolerated your endless scandals. But this time? You bought Finn a yacht. Clearly, you’re serious about him. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have brought him home, would you?"

"Bullshit!" she roared. "It’s not what you think!"

"And right now, I’m talking about you attacking someone. You need to apologize to Finn!" Rianne shouted at me, her face livid.

I let out a cold laugh. "Yeah, I hit him. And no, I won’t apologize. What are you gonna do, Rianne? Call the cops? Go ahead—get me arrested."

"You—!" She faltered.

Finn, still curled up on the floor, wailed, "Rianne, call the police! You can’t let him get away with this!"

"Shut up!" Rianne snapped.

Finn gawked at her, completely baffled.

I sneered. "Finn, did you really think it’s that easy to play the rich family game? I’m Rianne’s husband. For the sake of appearances, she won’t have me arrested. But you? Even if I beat you half to death, she’ll still clean up my mess. Because a wealthy family like hers can’t afford a scandal."

"I..." Finn was speechless.

And Rianne? Her silence was the best confirmation of my words.

"Take Finn to the hospital," she finally said, waving her hand impatiently. "Tell the media it was an attack by an obsessed fan."

As the villa finally quieted down, Rianne sank onto the couch and stared at me, her gaze piercing. "Wade, how many times do I have to tell you? My social engagements are just an act. Can you stop overreacting?"

I pulled out my phone, opened Finn’s Instagram post, and tossed it onto her lap.

"An act, huh? Then why the hell is your ‘act’ happening in bed?" I sneered.

Rianne picked up her phone, and her face instantly turned pale.

She looked at me in a panic. “Wade, it’s not what you think! I just borrowed Finn’s room to change clothes. I had no idea he would secretly take photos of me. Besides, I was wearing a swimsuit!”

“Who knows? Maybe you had just finished exercising.” I sneered.

Rianne gritted her teeth and spat, “Must you always assume the worst about me, Wade?”

“Am I assuming?” My voice turned cold. “Rianne, we’ve been married for years, and I’ve followed every rule you set. I kept my distance from all my female friends. Hell, you even insisted that if I got a pet, it had to be a male cat.”

“But you? You’re always surrounded by men—financial tycoons, tech geniuses, or pretty boys like Finn. Has there ever been a time when you didn’t have a man hovering around you?”

Her face turned paler and paler under my accusations. But in the end, all she could say was: “What do you want?”

“What do I want?” I let out a cold laugh. “I’m done being your live-in husband. I want a divorce.”

I crossed my arms and stared her down. “Before I married you, I was a top tech expert in the industry. If I return now, companies will fight to recruit me.”

“Divorce? Are you insane?” Rianne sputtered, but after realizing her harsh reaction, she took a deep breath and suddenly softened her tone as she tugged at my arm. “Wade, let’s go to our room. I’ll explain everything.”

Explain? Explain what?

What was there to explain?

I wanted nothing more than to shake her off and file for divorce right away. But I knew Rianne too well—she had a twisted, possessive nature. If I pushed too hard, she wouldn’t let me leave so easily.

So, I followed Allison’s advice. Make a scene, but keep things controlled.

In other words, make sure all of Rianne’s attention was on me. And more importantly, make sure Lincoln—her father—knew I was making a scene.

With that in mind, I followed Rianne back to our bedroom.

As soon as we got there, she went to retrieve her “battle gear.”

Every time she made me angry, she would put on a maid outfit, attach a fox tail, and kneel before me, calling me “Master.”

Maybe it was the years of being a powerless live-in husband, but this contrast had always satisfied me.

Even now, I couldn’t deny feeling a bit excited.

After all, Rianne was stunning—an absolute knockout. She knew exactly how to seduce men.

In my life, the only woman I’d ever met who could match her beauty was Allison.

“Master, don’t be mad at me anymore, okay?” she cooed.

Dressed in her maid outfit, Rianne knelt before me, rubbing her face against my leg. “Master, are you still upset?”

I took a deep breath and decided to let my body answer for me.

Two hours later, I leaned against the headboard, smoking a cigarette.

Rianne, now as soft as a puddle, curled into my arms. “Master, are you still angry?”

I ignored her and picked up my phone, sending a message to Lincoln.

[Father-in-law, your daughter’s been fooling around again. She even bought a yacht for some guy and brought him home. I hope you’ll agree to our divorce. I don’t want a single penny—just let me leave.]

Rianne, half-asleep, peeked at me suspiciously. “Who are you texting?”

I turned my screen toward her. “I’m reporting you. Don’t think calling me ‘Master’ will make me let this slide. This marriage is over.”

She froze for a moment. Then, suddenly, she let out a shriek.

In the next second, she straddled me, raising her hand to slap me while screaming, “Wade! Who the hell do you think you are? Even if I was cheating, you’re just a worthless live-in husband! You have no right to complain! You think you can divorce me? Keep dreaming!”

I moved fast—before her palm could land, I grabbed her wrist and twisted it away.

With all my time at home, aside from gaming, I had taken up fitness. After nearly being hacked to death last time, I even hired a professional combat instructor.

In short, unless I allowed it, Rianne wouldn’t be able to lay a finger on me.

“You—you actually hit me?”

Rianne’s eyes widened in disbelief as tears welled up in her eyes.

Then, she bolted out of the bedroom.

Just then, I received a reply from Lincoln.

[Wade, you must be mistaken. Rianne was just entertaining clients. By the way, I saw the trending news about me. Did your mother-in-law say anything?]

[She hasn’t seen it yet.] I replied casually.

Lincoln responded quickly.

[If she does, try to calm her down for me. As for Rianne, I’ll handle her.]

And just like that, Lincoln sent Rianne abroad.

Meanwhile, Allison and I sped up our financial transfers.

But the Scott family’s influence was too strong. Just being rich wasn’t enough to escape them.

So, we made a plan.

On a moonless, windy night, we decided to take a yacht trip—to 'clear our minds.'

Many people on the yacht knew us.

Including Finn.

He had recovered from the brutal beating I gave him and was back to his usual self.

Seeing Allison and me standing by the railing, he walked over with a sinister smile.

“Wade, did you think you could just beat me and walk away?”

He leaned in and whispered, “Mark my words—Rianne will be mine sooner or later. And I will take your place.”

Allison and I suddenly grabbed his wrists and pulled him toward us.

“Finn, what are you doing?!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice filled with terror.

“I already told you, I don’t care about Rianne anymore! Why are you still after me? Please, Finn, don’t kill me!”

My desperate cries caught the attention of everyone on board.

Then, right on cue, Allison and I let go—tumbling backward into the water.

Splash!

We disappeared into the dark sea.

That night, the top trending Instagram headline read: [New York elite Scott family’s live-in son-in-law, Wade Morgan, and his lover, Allison Kelly, were pushed off a yacht by Rianne’s alleged lover. Their whereabouts remain unknown.]