While giving a client a tour of my hot spring business, I never expected to stumble upon my husband, tangled in pleasure with a seductive woman in the steaming pool.

For the sake of his dignity, I held back my fury and waited until he returned home before confronting him. But instead of guilt, he wore arrogance like a shield.

"It’s a good thing you didn’t go crazy on the spot this time. If you hurt Ophelia again like before, I wouldn’t have forgiven you."

"After all, isn’t it because of me that you have everything you own today?"

Our daughter, startled awake by our argument, came running with tear-filled eyes, reaching out for her father’s embrace. But he shoved her aside without a shred of warmth.

"Get lost!" he spat. "You and your mother both annoy me just by existing."

I scooped up my daughter from the floor, holding her close as I soothed her trembling sobs. I met his gaze and demanded a divorce.

But he only smirked, his arrogance dripping like venom.

"Divorce? Without me, you’re nothing. Isn’t it better to keep playing the role of the so-called legitimate wife? After all, if you leave me, you’ll be nothing more than a beggar."

Yet, in the end, he was the one who ended up begging on the streets.

——

This wasn’t the first time I had uncovered his betrayal.

The first time I caught him cheating was at my mother’s birthday banquet. He had claimed he had an urgent business trip. Yet, I later saw him in the room next door, throwing a lavish celebration for Ophelia Grayson.

As I passed by, a crack in the door revealed a sight I could never erase. He and Ophelia were feeding each other red wine, their lips brushing in an intimate exchange.

Because I had been raised in a single-parent home, I understood all too well the void that came from growing up without love. I couldn’t bear to let my daughter suffer the same fate.

So I endured. Again and again, I swallowed my pain, hoping, foolishly, that one day he would come to his senses. That he would regret it all and find his way back to us.

But he never did. He continued indulging in his own pleasures, oblivious to the cracks he had carved into our family, until I finally snapped. For the first time, I stormed in and beat up his so-called "true love."

I hadn’t expected him to turn on me. To protect her, he struck me across the head with a wooden stick, the impact sending a sharp pain radiating through my skull. But that wasn’t enough for him.

He went home and took his rage out on our daughter.

He locked her in a dark room, forcing her to watch horror movies, her cries echoing through the walls.

"Clara, this is the price you pay for daring to touch Ophelia.”

"Remember, for every time you hurt her, I will hurt your daughter in return."

He spoke as if she meant nothing to him.

"Nathaniel, you’re heartless! She’s your daughter, too!"

"No. She’s a bastard child, an obstacle that kept me from being with Ophelia."

Seven years ago, he had been drugged and drunk at a business dinner when a female client tried to take advantage of him. And from that night, our daughter was born, a child he had never wanted.

At the time, his family’s business was still struggling.

When he fell into trouble that night, I was the one who saved him, taking him to a nearby hotel to rest. But in his drunken haze, he suddenly lost control, pulling me into a desperate kiss.

I tried to resist, but then he whispered my name, his voice raw with longing. He said I was the one he loved most.

Nathaniel Carter had been my dream for years and that night, I surrendered to him.

We married soon after and for a while, it felt like a dream. But the moment I became pregnant, everything changed.

That was when Ophelia returned from abroad and suddenly, the man who once adored me turned cold.

His late nights became more frequent and his presence at home was a rare occurrence.

Then, one night, he stumbled in, reeking of alcohol, his eyes filled with hatred. Without warning, he lunged at me, his fists clenched.

"You damn bad luck! You never should’ve been here!"

"Because of you, Ophelia won’t touch me!"

"She said that if she got together with me now, she’d be the other woman!"

A sharp pain ripped through my abdomen and I realized he didn’t care if he killed us both.

I stared at the man I had once loved with every fiber of my being, my heart shattering into pieces.

He had struck the child in my belly, not out of anger toward me, but because he couldn’t sleep with Ophelia.

That night, we fought. His words were venom, his rage a wildfire that burned through the last remnants of my hope. In the end, he stormed out, the door slamming so hard it rattled the walls.

The next time he returned was the day I gave birth to our daughter.

But he hadn’t come for us.

He had only come to take back the Infinity necklace he had once bought for me at an auction.

He had said that since Ophelia liked it, I should return it to its rightful owner.

And after that, he vanished more often than not, leaving nothing but a lingering emptiness behind.

Looking back on everything, I drew in a deep breath, slipped off my wedding ring and placed it on the table.

This suffocating, shattered marriage had to end.

Just then, Nathaniel walked in. The moment his eyes landed on me sitting on the sofa, they turned to ice.

He strode over, looming over me with an air of cold detachment.

"You saw everything at the hot spring, didn’t you?"

"It’s a good thing you didn’t lose control this time. If you’d laid a hand on Ophelia again, I wouldn’t have let you off so easily."

"Oh and I almost forgot, she’s moving in tomorrow. Her place is under renovation."

My fingers curled into fists, rage searing away the last remnants of restraint.

"Nathaniel, let’s get a divorce."

"I’ll step aside for you and Ophelia."

I rose to my feet and handed him the divorce papers. But instead of relief, he just stood there, staring at them in stunned silence.

Even now, a foolish part of me had clung to the hope that he might say something, anything, to change my mind.

But the first thing he did upon returning was announce that he was bringing Ophelia into our home, crushing any last ridiculous expectation I should’ve never held onto.

"What game are you playing now, you pathetic woman?"

"Divorce? You might as well be signing your own death sentence."

And with that, he tore the divorce papers to shreds.

I stared at him, disbelief washing over me. Hadn’t this been what he wanted all along?

For a fleeting moment, I thought, maybe, just maybe, he was doing this for our daughter.

But his next words shattered that illusion.

"In the past, I forced you to get a divorce, but you refused. Now, the moment you hear that Ophelia is moving in, you suddenly can’t wait to leave?"

"We’ll talk about the divorce later. Ophelia is coming tomorrow and there won’t be anyone around to take care of her. She’s always been pampered, not like you. You’ll stay and look after her. After all, that’s about the only thing you’re good for."

A furious heat surged through me. My hands slammed down on the glass coffee table and with a deafening crash, it shattered beneath my palms.

How could anyone be as shameless as Nathaniel?

He hadn’t even divorced me, yet he was already bringing his mistress into our home.

Our daughter was still here, yet he paraded his affair without the slightest shame.

He had crushed my love beneath his feet so completely that there was nothing left, not even sorrow. Only hate.

At that moment, all I wanted was to wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze until every last trace of arrogance drained from his face.

"You crazy wench, what the hell are you doing?!"

His palm struck my face with a sharp crack, the impact snapping my head to the side.

His nails scraped my skin, leaving behind a searing sting.

"Besides throwing tantrums, what else can you do?" His voice dripped with contempt.

"I let you manage my company and gave you status and respect; what more do you want?"

A blistering fury ignited inside me, burning away the last shred of restraint.

He had tossed everything aside to chase after Ophelia. She dumped the company on me, then drained its funds just to build her business from the ground up.

Because of him, the company had teetered on the edge of collapse.

And in the end, it wasn’t him who saved it. It was me, through my own connections and my own efforts.

Status? Respect?

Who would ever want the so-called privileges he spoke of when they were nothing more than shackles meant to keep me bound?

If I hadn’t spent years propping him up, pouring my talent into his company, I would have built my own empire long ago.

Why would I have ever willingly stayed trapped in something so small?

The shattering glass and our heated argument pierced the silence, stirring our sleeping daughter.

She peeked out of her room, her small hands gripping the doorframe. The moment her eyes landed on her father, the longing she had buried for so long overwhelmed her.

Summoning every ounce of courage, she rushed toward him.

"Daddy, you're back!"

"Hug me!"

"Get lost! You and your mother both make me sick."

She stumbled to the floor, her tiny hands scraping against the cold, hard ground.

She didn’t cry. She didn’t even make a sound. But her wide, tear-brimmed eyes spoke of the silent wounds only a child could bear.

She was only six. Just a little girl longing for her father’s love.

Yet the man who should have cherished her had never once let her call him "Daddy."

One time, in kindergarten, a bigger classmate bullied her, mocking her for being a fatherless child.

She had come home in tears, her small hands wiping at her swollen eyes as she sobbed.

"Mommy, where is my daddy?"

"Why doesn't Daddy come home? Aurelia misses him so much."

For my daughter's sake, I had swallowed my pride again and again, forcing myself to seek out Nathaniel.

But by then, he had already made Ophelia’s place his home, shutting the door on us without a second thought.

I gathered my daughter into my arms, her tiny frame trembling against me.

The pain clenched at my heart like a vice, tightening until even breathing felt unbearable.

"Nathaniel, you're nothing but a beast."

"From now on, my daughter and I will never disturb your life again."

I flung the divorce papers at him, fully prepared for him to tear them apart like before.

But I had already anticipated that I had another copy waiting.

"I'm not the one making a scene. If you refuse to sign, then you're the one dragging this out."

Nathaniel’s eyes darkened with fury. "Don't play these games with me; I’m not an idiot."

"If you really wanted to leave, you would have done so long ago."

He turned to go, but just as he reached the door, he paused, throwing a glance over his shoulder, his eyes filled with cold amusement as if he were looking at a pair of beggars.

"Oh, right. If I remember correctly, your mother has a weak heart, doesn’t she?"

"What do you think would happen if she saw Ophelia and me being affectionate? Would she be so shocked she drops dead on the spot?"

I snapped my head up, locking eyes with Nathaniel. He stood there, grinning from ear to ear, his delight unmistakable.

At that moment, I saw him for what he truly was: shameless and cruel to the core.

I had once believed that marrying him would bring me happiness, only to find myself sinking into an abyss of despair.

My daughter clung to me, her small body trembling as she sobbed.

"Mommy, I’m sorry… Is it Grandma and me who have been holding you back?"

"No, Aurelia, don’t ever blame yourself. This has nothing to do with you."

That night, after putting her to bed, my phone rang. It was my mother.

"Clara! Did you and Nathaniel make up?"

"Listen to me; you must never argue with your husband. A wife should be more understanding. He works so hard outside; it’s not easy for him! Do you hear me?"

I opened my mouth to tell her about the divorce, but before I could, she broke into a violent fit of coughing.

I swallowed my words.

"My health is getting worse and worse. Looks like I’ll be joining your father soon."

We spoke for a while before I set my phone down. I walked out onto the balcony, letting the cold night air bite at my skin. Sleep never came.

By morning, Ophelia arrived.

When I opened the door, the first thing I saw was the dress she had on—one I had custom-made for myself.

"Good morning, Sister Clara!"

Following my gaze, she glanced down at the dress, then smiled even more smugly.

"You have such great taste, Sister Clara. This dress is beautiful. I casually mentioned liking it and Nathaniel handed it right over."

Faced with her mockery, I saw no reason to be polite.

"When it was finished, I realized it looked awful and planned to throw it out. I never expected him to pick it up. Thanks for saving me the trouble."

Her smile stiffened, then darkened into something sharp and venomous.

"But there’s one thing you can’t bear to throw away—Nathaniel."

She let out a slow, taunting laugh.

"Seven years, Clara. Every night since I came back, he’s been in my bed. He’s practically my husband now."

"But the funny thing is…" She leaned in slightly, her voice dipping into something sickly sweet. "Even when he holds me at night, I’m thinking of another man."

"Even if he's trash, I won’t let you have him, not even as scraps. I’d rather see your child mocked as a bastard."

At that moment, I finally understood Ophelia wasn’t in love with Nathaniel. She was only toying with him.