“Emma, you see now, don’t you? In Daniel’s heart, I’m still the most important one—even though you two are married.”

With no outsiders around, Chloe Miller dropped her mask completely. Her eyes were full of disdain, a faint sneer playing on her lips as she looked at me with open provocation.

“Does it hurt? If you kneel down and beg me, maybe I’ll consider giving this dress back to you.”

For a moment I wavered, unsure whether she was talking about the dress—or about Daniel himself.

I suddenly remembered how, back when I married Daniel, not only had my parents opposed it, but Chloe had also thrown a fit for months. She threatened to kill herself while also making it clear she hated me.

Though she was only the Brooks family’s adopted daughter, she had grown up with Daniel since childhood.

My mother-in-law despised me for it, convinced I must have bullied Chloe in private, which was why she resisted me so fiercely.

At the time, I thought Chloe’s tantrums were nothing more than childish possessiveness, the inability to accept that her closest “brother” suddenly had someone closer in his life.

But after disappointment upon disappointment, I began to realize the truth.

The feelings between those two were far from innocent.

I let out a cold laugh. Since I’d already decided to divorce Daniel, there was no need to keep tiptoeing around his family anymore.

“No thanks. I don’t want anything used by someone else. And this dress isn’t yours. Just like Daniel—he’ll never be yours.”

Over the years of my marriage to Daniel, the only one who supported us being together had been Thomas Brooks, his father.

Back then, I thought Thomas truly valued me as a daughter-in-law. But later I understood—he had noticed the inappropriate bond between his son and his adopted daughter. For a family of their standing, such a scandal could never see the light of day.

So when he learned of my quiet crush on Daniel, he rushed to lock down our marriage, forcing Daniel to wed me in hopes that Chloe would finally give up.

Chloe’s face twisted, her eyes burning with venom as she glared at me.

“How dare you say that! If it weren’t for you standing in the way, Daniel and I could’ve been living happily together all these years.”

“You think quitting your job is some clever trick, so my brother will come chasing after you? I see through your little schemes completely.”

Then, all of a sudden, she lunged forward, gripping my arm tightly.

“You have no family background. If you lose this good job too, are you planning to end up on the streets just so my brother will pity you?”

Her words, so twisted and shameless, only deepened my exhaustion.

“Let go of me!” Feeling her nails dig into my skin, I instinctively shook her off.

Chloe fell to the floor with a thud. Just then, from outside the door, I heard the HR manager greeting Daniel.

In an instant, Chloe’s expression changed. Right in front of me, she began clawing at her own clothes and hair, transforming herself into a pitiful, disheveled mess in just a few breaths.

“Sister-in-law, I really know I was wrong. I’ll never touch your things again. That day I only dirtied my clothes while cooking, so I borrowed yours for a moment.”

“How could you accuse me like this? He’s my brother. How could you suspect anything improper between us?”

“Sister-in-law, if your words spread, how could I possibly keep on living?”

“These clothes—I can pay for them! Please don’t tear at me, don’t strip me!”

I stood there, stunned, as Chloe Miller staged her pathetic performance. Moments later, hurried footsteps sounded, and the door was shoved open.

Daniel Brooks stormed in. Without a word, he shoved me aside and rushed to Chloe, lifting her up with a face full of concern.

“Chloe, are you alright? With your brother here, no one will ever hurt you!”

Then he turned toward me, his eyes brimming with disappointment.

“Emma, when did you become this petty and disgusting? When we first married, you seemed so understanding and kind. I can’t believe it was all just an act. Over a dress, really? Did you have to make it this ugly?”

He took a deep breath, clearly suppressing his anger.

“I’ll admit, Chloe is wearing the dress you just bought. I shouldn’t have given it to her without asking you. But it was a special situation. And honestly, it’s just a dress. If you want another, I’ll buy one for you.”

His words made my breath quicken, a sharp ache rising in my chest. After years of marriage, he dared to call me disgusting—over this?

If it had only been this one time, I might not have been upset. But this wasn’t the first, nor the second. Every single time Chloe wanted something—whether from our home or from me—it always ended up in her hands.

“Daniel,” I said coldly, “I told you before. If in your heart your sister will always come first, then I’ll step aside. You two can love each other as much as you want. We’re done. I want a divorce. My lawyer will get you the papers soon.”

I thought saying those words would crush me. But instead, I felt nothing—no tears, no heartbreak. Just emptiness.

When Daniel once gave me a pet, Chloe saw it and insisted she wanted to raise it. She nagged until she took it from me—only to tell me two days later she had killed it. She even brought the tiny corpse back just to show off.

Whether it was birthday gifts from my parents or anniversary presents from Daniel—if Chloe wanted them, she always got them.

And Daniel always had an excuse: “Chloe’s just a child at heart. She’s my sister, which makes her your sister too. Do you really have to be so petty with family? It’s just a gift, what’s the harm in letting her have it?”

At first, I swallowed my hurt in silence. Later, I began to argue. Now, I was simply too drained to fight anymore.

Daniel’s expression flickered with hesitation. He stared at me in disbelief.

“You want to divorce me… over a dress?”

“Yes.”

Our argument was loud enough for the entire office to hear, especially since Daniel hadn’t even closed the door when he entered.

Everyone outside had seen and heard everything. The whispers grew louder and louder.

“So he’s been married to her all this time? I thought she was just an ordinary employee. Turns out she’s the boss’s wife. Funny how she never got any special treatment—no one even knew.”

“Can’t you see? The boss’s wife is nothing more than decoration. If she really mattered to him, he wouldn’t let her suffer as a low-level employee.”

“Unbelievable—her jealousy runs so deep she’s even competing with Mr. Brooks’s sister. Divorcing over a dress? Bringing a woman like that home is like bringing home a ticking time bomb.”

“Poor Mr. Brooks. But no matter what, a wife is never as important as family. Blood ties come first.”

The murmurs around us grew louder. Suddenly, Chloe Miller rushed forward, dropping to her knees before me, knocking her forehead against the ground again and again.

“Sister-in-law, I know this is all my fault. Please, I beg you, don’t divorce my brother. If you leave him over this, he’ll blame me for the rest of his life.”

“And besides, you love him so much. Don’t throw it all away in a fit of anger. You’ve had a crush on him for years—how can you just end it like this?”

Then, as if struck by inspiration, she gasped and forced a smile through her tears.

“I get it now. Sister-in-law, you just want Daniel to coax you, right?”

She turned, clutching Daniel’s arm, bruises still visible on her forehead, though her demeanor was soft and self-sacrificing.

“Brother, she’s only upset. If you just comfort her a little, it’ll be fine. This is all my fault. If I’d just worn my dirty clothes, none of this would’ve happened. I didn’t realize she minded me so much.”

“So please, go comfort her. If you two really divorced over this, I’d never forgive myself.”

The more she played the humble, understanding sister, the more Daniel pitied her.

Right in front of me, he pulled her to her feet, his eyes glistening, his voice trembling.

“Even if I divorced, it wouldn’t be your fault. You’re my only sister—don’t ever think like that.”

“Some people just want to make trouble. Let her. I’m not going to coax her.”

“Emma, in the past I forgave your temper. But Chloe is my family. I won’t allow you to treat her this way. If you apologize now, I’ll still forgive you.”

Watching the two of them, so intent on acting the part of devoted siblings, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Their bond had long crossed the line, yet they still pretended to care about appearances, playing the perfect act for outsiders.

Chloe really had missed her calling as an actress.

“I said I want a divorce. Did you hear me clearly this time?” My tone was steady, unwavering.

Daniel’s face darkened, his gaze sharp as a blade.

“Fine! You said it yourself. No one forced you. Even if you regret it later and crawl back to me begging, I’ll never take you back.”

I didn’t bother replying. I simply turned and walked away.

Back home, I immediately contacted a lawyer and had the divorce papers sent to Daniel.

He had never known much about my family, since I’d fought with my parents to be with him. But the Carter family was just as influential as the Brooks family—if not more.

So in this divorce agreement, I chose to leave with nothing.

I didn’t care about the Brooks family’s wealth. These years of marriage? I’d rather write them off as feeding a stray dog.

Fearing I’d drown in heartbreak, my father stepped in the very next morning and arranged for me to take over as a manager in the Carter Group.