“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.

Mark Thompson, our longtime driver, dropped me off in front of the company building. The moment I stepped out of the car, a familiar voice rang out.

“Sister-in-law, no wonder you’d rather leave the marriage with nothing—you must have found someone else.”

Chloe Miller deliberately raised her voice so that everyone nearby turned to look. She put on a worried expression, furrowing her brows as though she were concerned for me.

“Sister-in-law, when you married my brother, you said it was because you loved him—not our family’s money. Everyone at home thought you were a woman with strong self-respect, which is why we never gave you any allowance all these years.”

“But I didn’t expect that now, just because of a dress, you’d divorce him and then turn around and find some much older man. I’m so disappointed—you actually sold yourself for money.”

From the moment I got out of the car, I hadn’t said a single word. Yet she had already poured buckets of filth onto me. Every sentence was laced with insinuation, twisting the truth to paint me as an unfaithful wife.

At that moment, Daniel Brooks came rushing up, seizing my arm. “Come back with me. No matter what, you shouldn’t sink this low.”

I yanked my arm free, utterly baffled. “And who are you to control me?”

His ears flushed red. After a long pause, he forced out, “Even though we’ve signed the divorce papers, there’s still a mandatory separation period. Until it’s over, I’m still your legal husband.”

“We’ve been married for years. I can’t just stand by and watch you throw yourself away. If you come home with me now, I’ll forgive you.”

I looked at Daniel, then shifted my gaze to Chloe beside him. Her eyes were filled with guarded hostility.

A laugh burst out of me. “Since you insist on speaking to me as my husband, then let me ask you again: if only one of us can stay in the house—your sister or me—who do you choose?”

Daniel’s face darkened with rage. “Stop being unreasonable! Chloe is my sister. Why are you always suspicious? What could there possibly be between us?”

Right on cue, Chloe’s eyes filled with tears, her words dripping with wounded innocence.

“Sister-in-law, I’ve lived with my brother for decades. If anything improper existed between us, how could he have ever married you?”

“We’re brother and sister! I know you like to compete with women, but I never thought you’d fall so far into obsession.”

Her words carried a heavy implication. The people watching began to whisper in disgust.

“This woman is sick—competing with her husband’s sister? How twisted.”

“I once heard of someone who even competed with her own daughter for affection. These people must be crazy.”

Voices all around condemned me, branding me insane.

Meanwhile, others rushed to console Chloe.

“This has nothing to do with you, Chloe. Your sister-in-law is just unstable. Don’t take her words to heart.”

“If you ask me, you should be tougher. You and Daniel are real family—you need to stand united. Honestly, you should’ve never let her marry into the family in the first place.”

“I’ve seen women like this before—shameless. After marriage, they not only drive their sister-in-law out of the house but also try to seize all the family property.”

“Didn’t you see? The man who dropped her off just now was old, driving a luxury car. She’s clearly just greedy for money.”