Victor fell silent instantly. He wasn't sure how to answer. He didn't hate Gloria. When they had first married, he had cherished her. He had believed he would love her forever and build a big family together. Having a child had been appealing, but during her pregnancy, her appearance started changing. She wasn't as beautiful as she used to be in his eyes anymore. He loathed the idea of having sex with her.

That first affair had unleashed an ecstasy he couldn't resist. He'd spiraled, sleeping with woman after woman while neglecting Gloria. After Annabel was born, it only worsened; he had new women to fuck every day.

If he claimed he loved her now, she'd see through the lie, and she'd be right.

Gloria bit her lip, tears streaming down her cheeks freely. "Fine, I will ask a simpler question," she stammered. "Are you willing to make love to me like you used to, before I got pregnant?"

The question hung unanswered.

Victor almost gagged, but he wouldn't admit that the thought repulsed him-her body changed by pregnancy, then motherhood, making her seem unkempt and undesirable. Even after she'd slimmed down and gotten back her hourglass shape, the damage was done. It gave him every excuse to seek out his secretary and the other women, with their tight pussies.

He gulped, completely at a loss for words, not knowing what to say to her.

Gloria's heart sank at his silence. She knew she was no longer attractive to him. There was no point in staying.

"I will take your silence as a no," she said, her face flushed with rage. "That's reason enough for a divorce. Sign the papers. I will handle the rest."

"No, I'm not signing any fucking papers."

Gloria was stunned by his firm refusal.

"What do you want then? What do you want from this loveless marriage? If it's about Annabel, we can share custody and make her believe everything's fine. Simple as that," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. She couldn't fathom him. "I can't do this anymore, Victor. You don't want me, yet you expect me to play the perfect wife while you sleep around. Am I just furniture to you? Are you insane?!"

She struggled against his grip, and finally, he released her wrists. She glared at him through tear-glazed eyes.

Victor took a deep breath. He had to turn this back on her. She shouldn't talk to him like that!

"Do you think I'm stupid? I know you, you just want half my money in the settlement so you can sleep with other men, right?" he accused calmly.

"Leech," he spat.

"How dare you! I don't need your money-not after everything you have done to me!" Gloria yelled. "I will only take my belongings and my daughter. Nothing else. You can keep your property and your money; I don't need them."

She stormed off to their bedroom, where she'd already packed her essentials into large suitcases-clothes, a few bags, shoes. She returned, dragging them behind her, while Victor watched her in disbelief.

"Sign the divorce papers," she demanded. "I can't wait for this to end in court."

She headed for the front door, and Victor finally reacted.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Anywhere but here. If I stay any longer in this house, I will go crazy. I will pick up Annabel's things once I find a place. It won't take long," Gloria said firmly, dragging her bag out.

"You won't survive without me, Gloria. You're thirty, too old for anyone to hire. No one wants a washed-up ugly housewife like you," Victor said ruthlessly, smirking.

Gloria stopped and glanced over her shoulder, the words cutting deep. She wanted to cry, but she had no tears left to shed for him. She was done with him.

"I hope you don't say the same to the next unlucky woman that will accept to marry you, Victor Anderson," she replied, then walked out, leaving him alone in the home they had built together.

She hailed a taxi to her friend's house. She didn't have much cash on her. Jada had offered to accommodate Gloria and her daughter until she got a job. As the car pulled away, Gloria looked back once more at the beautiful house she had once cherished. So many memories, but the bad ones overshadowed the good.

"My beautiful family," she murmured, mourning the shattered life.

Meanwhile, Victor stood in a daze, collapsing onto the sofa with the divorce papers in hand. He rubbed his temples, wondering if he'd said those cruel things just to lash out.

His gut screamed not to divorce her, even though he knew he didn't love her anymore. The settlement wasn't a concern; he's a billionaire, with wealth from his company and inheritance. Even splitting it, he would still remain a billionaire. Signing would free him from the guilt of cheating on her every day, and he would finally be free to fuck anyone he wanted without any consequences. He could even bring those women to his house instead of hotels. Gloria had said she would take Annabel with her, leaving him free as a bird.

"But why?" he muttered to himself. "Why can't I sign these papers?"

He sat there, lost in thought, until his phone vibrated. He checked the caller, hoping it was Gloria calling to say that she had changed her mind and wanted to fix things.

But it was someone else.

He answered, greeted by a familiar voice-the man who had vanished for ten years after he inherited the Anderson Group. His stepbrother.

Back then, his father had fathered a child with one of his mistresses and brought the same child back for his mother to take care of. His father never hid his favoritism toward his illegitimate son. When their father died ten years ago, he had left all the properties, including the Anderson Group, to his illegitimate son.

But his mother was smart enough to bribe the lawyer to change the will in his favor, leaving his stepbrother with nothing. But recently, his stepbrother had come back as a CEO of a new company.

"What is it, Lukas?" Victor asked impatiently.

"Hey, big brother, you free today? It's been ages since we caught up. How about lunch?"

Victor sighed. He knew not to trust his stepbrother.

"I can't right now. I'm busy."

"Come on, big brother, what could be more important to you than spending some quality time with your little bro?"

"It's not that big. I'll fill you in later. Let's have lunch together another day, okay?"

"Sure, big bro."

Lukas hung up, his eyes fixed on his sister-in-law lugging suitcases into a taxi. The driver loaded them, and as the car drove off from the mansion, Lukas smiled coldly.

"Not that important? Then let me turn her into a real problem for you, big bro. I have finally gotten the right weapon to take my revenge on you and my dearest stepmother." Lukas muttered to himself smiling.

Gloria sat in the taxi. She felt dizzy. She thought about Victor and how to explain their divorce to her daughter. She wanted Annabel to not be too shocked when she learned her parents were splitting up.

In Gloria's mind, Annabel was the real victim of their divorce. In every divorce, kids suffered the most. Gloria knew this pain; she had experienced it when her own parents divorced. She was just ten years old. Her mother cheated on her father with their neighbor. After the messy divorce between her parents, her father remarried and relocated to another state with his new family. While her mother turned their house into a mini brothel, bringing different men into the house every night, she locked Gloria and her siblings inside another room.

"Victor was her safe place when her parents split; he was there to comfort her, even buying food for Gloria and her siblings. What went wrong?" She asked herself in a low voice.

The taxi driver looked at her through the rearview mirror. "Ma'am, are you okay?"

"Yes, just concentrate on driving," Gloria said in a gentle voice.

"Ma'am, we are here," the taxi driver said. He turned left and stopped at the lobby. "It's far from your rich neighborhood. Are you sure?"

"Yes, thanks," Gloria said. She paid him and took her bag. She stood and looked at the building in front of her, it's a shared apartment in a decent neighborhood too. She was not scared of it. She never liked fancy things. She was happy with a simple life and her family.

But she worried about her daughter. Annabel lived in a nice home. This new house might make her upset.

"I'll let her stay at Mom's for now," Gloria said to herself. "Until I find a new place." She went inside the house.

Her friend had already given her a spare key before she traveled. She unlocked the door and dragged her bag inside. The little savings she had would only last her for a month or two. She needed to get a job as soon as possible. Or else, if Victor decides to fight for Annabel's custody, she will surely lose in court.

She opened her room door and sat on the bed. She stared at the wall blankly, then turned and saw herself in a tall mirror.

She stood up. She pulled her big shirt tight at her waist. She looked at her body.

She was not fat now. Four years ago, after her pregnancy, she gained weight. It was hard to lose it after the baby. Taking care of Annabel alone was tough. She never had time for herself, and Victor had refused to hire a maid for her. Victor hated her body while she was pregnant, and it became worse after she gave birth.

But as Annabel grew older and their marriage broke, three years of sadness made her lose weight. She could not eat. She remembered Victor calling her "fat pig" and always making fun of her stretch marks whenever he saw her eating. And because of his constant insults, Gloria had developed a serious eating disorder.

It was not good, but she got back to her old shape. She was even thinner. Sadness and not eating hurt her inside. She looked good outside, but her heart was empty.

Gloria smiled sadly. "Why look good if Victor won't touch me? He won't even look at me. His harsh words have broken me beyond repair."

She had not looked in the mirror for a long time. Victor always said bad things about her body. He called her dirty and not good enough. She avoided looking at her face in the mirror, scared to hate it more.

Now, she moved closer to the mirror. Her eyes looked sad and tired. She had dark circles. The person in the mirror looked like a scary stranger.

"It's been a long time since I smiled without Annabel," she said to herself. She was not the prettiest, but she was certainly not ugly. Life's sadness and a bad husband made her look messy and unkempt.

"Maybe I can use makeup to hide spots and tired eyes," she thought. "I should get a good skincare routine if I save money. That and my college degree might get me a job."

Gloria sighed. She was worried about the future. Victor was right. She was a housewife for 10 years. Without him, she had nothing. She could have worked as a teacher at 24 after college. But Victor proposed to her, and she said yes-and that was the biggest mistake of her life.

"I can't wait. I need a job for me and my daughter. I hope he signs the papers so I can move on. I won't take his money, so it should be fast." Gloria muttered to herself.

She took out her phone and called her sister. She answered on the third ring.

"Gloria, where are you?"

"I'm at a friend's place," Gloria answered. Her mother snatched the phone from her.

"Gloria, why are you at a friend's place? Why are you not at home with Victor?" her mother asked.

"Mom, it's nothing. I just went to pay my friend a visit. Is Annabel there?" Gloria asked, changing the topic before her mother could probe any longer.

"I want to talk to Annabel. Please put her on the line."

"Annabel? Victor picked her up five minutes ago," her mom said. "He said you asked him to, and he also said you are waiting for them at the park."

Gloria's heart beat fast and hard. She looked at her phone, her mind full of fear. What was Victor doing? And why was he acting like a good dad all of a sudden, taking Annabel to the children's park for her birthday? Something he has never done before, no matter how much Gloria pleaded with him to spend time with Annabel. Panic filled her stomach-what is Victor up to?

Gloria remained quiet, still clutching the phone tightly to her ear. Her mother spoke up. "Gloria, darling, what's wrong? You sound upset."

Gloria wanted to say everything was fine, like always. But she had never told the truth about her sad life with Victor to anyone. Her family didn't know about his mean words or the many women he slept with. Now, she is leaving him. Maybe she should tell her mom a little. She needed help. And she hoped her mom would understand!

"Mom, Victor and I are getting-" she trailed off. Gloria knew she had to be careful of what she said. Her mom loves Victor a lot because he never fails to impress her with cash. He even bought her mother a house in one of the rich neighborhoods and also bought her a car. Her mother had been able to join the Elite women club because of Victor. But Gloria still hoped her mom would change after hearing the truth.

"Mom, what do you think of Victor?" Gloria asked.

"About Victor?" Her mother sounded surprised. "Is there a problem with you two?"

"Well, yes... I-" Gloria swallowed hard. She felt sick. "-I want a divorce."

"DIVORCE?!" Her mother almost dropped the phone. "Gloria! What's wrong with you?! How dare you say you want to divorce Victor after everything he has done for us?"

"Mom, by us, you mean you?" Gloria said calmly.

"Oh, stop it, Gloria. If it wasn't for Victor, we would still be rotting in poverty right now. He's too good for you. He's the perfect husband. In fact, you should thank him for marrying you!" Her mother kept yelling on the phone, not letting Gloria speak. "If you two had a fight, then go and apologize to him right now-you can even go on your knees if need be. That's how to be a good wife!" Do you want us to go back to poverty? I'm used to the good life just because of my wonderful and generous son-in-law; you better not spoil it for me.

Gloria's heart broke into pieces. It hurt so much. But it wasn't new. Her mom always took Victor's side, not even bothering to listen to her. Her mother was turning a blind eye on her daughter's pain for her own selfishness. Gloria decided not to say anything to her mother again until after the divorce.

"It's nothing, Mom. I will call you later. I still need to go and meet Victor and Annabel at the park," Gloria said, her voice shaking. She was on the verge of breaking down.

"Good! Don't think about divorce. I did not raise an ungrateful daughter!" Her mother yelled one more time and hung up.

Gloria stared at her phone and sighed deeply. She hated hiding things; she just wanted her mother to take her side once. But what could she do? She was her mother's cash cow. She squeezed the phone hard, her anger growing.

Bad thoughts filled her head. She feared Victor might hurt Annabel just to get back at her. She hated calling him right after leaving, but she didn't have a choice in this situation.

She called Victor, and he answered on the first ring.

"Yes, Mrs. Anderson?" Victor asked, like nothing was wrong, like their big fight didn't happen.

"Cut the crap, Victor. Where is my daughter?" Gloria asked, her voice sharp with fear and anger.

"You mean our sweet daughter?" Victor looked left and smiled in a mean way. "She's on the swing, and I'm pushing her."

"Give her the phone. NOW!" Gloria yelled.

"Okay." Victor gave the phone to Annabel.

"Hi, Mommy!" Annabel sounded so happy. "Where are you? Daddy said you are on your way."

"Ah, baby, are you okay?" Gloria asked, trying to sound normal.

"Yes! I'm with Daddy! Why aren't you here? I want to celebrate with both of you!"

"Ah-Uh... Mommy is stuck in traffic. Have fun with Dad. Buy what you want," Gloria lied. She knew her daughter loves to ask so many questions.

"Baby, give the phone back to Dad."

"Okay, Mommy! I love you!"

"I love you too, baby."

Annabel gave it back. Victor's happy voice made Gloria mad. He enjoys seeing her in so much pain. He had no heart. Even after she signed the divorce papers and showed her anger, he acted like nothing happened.

"So, what else?" Victor asked.

"What do you want, Victor?" Gloria asked, full of doubt.

"What do you mean? I missed Annabel's birthday because I was getting my dick sucked by my secretary. And as a good dad, I had to make it up," he said. "What? Just because you want a divorce, you think you can keep me from her?"

Victor went on. "I'm not dumb, Gloria. If we divorce, you will certainly stop me from seeing Annabel, unless I pay you. You're using our daughter to trick me, you stupid bitch. I know your plan! You are just after my money!"

"If you want to be a good mom and give Annabel the life she deserves, then you need me, Gloria. Without me, you are nothing. You are just a poor middle-aged woman."

Gloria closed her eyes, fighting her anger at his mean words. He always talked like that, looking down on everyone, especially her. She had put up with his nonsense for far too long.

"Victor, tell me which park you took Annabel. I will come and take Annabel," she said.

"To where? To your friend's shared apartment? You are not taking my daughter there. Stay there alone. Enjoy leaving our nice and comfortable home." Victor said.

"Any place is better than with you!" Gloria shouted back. "Tell me where you are. I'm coming for my daughter!"

"Well, if you must..." Victor leaned on the wall and smiled. He still hated her, couldn't look at her like before, but he didn't want to sign the papers. He still needed her to maintain his image as a perfect husband in the public eyes.

"If you want to see your daughter, come home now or meet us at my mom's banquet tomorrow. I will be there with Annabel."

"You!" Gloria hissed.

"Not my idea, but Mom invited you. You're her good daughter-in-law," Victor said, his voice full of hate.

"Oh, how wrong she is."

Gloria bit her lip hard. Victor had trapped her.

She couldn't go home. Or Victor might just lock her up in one of the rooms. So, the party was her only choice. She could take Annabel and slowly tell her they would live apart from Dad.

"So, bitch. Where do you want to meet Annabel? Home, or the party?" Victor asked. "That's it, or you don't see her at all, and be fast with your decisions. My daughter wants to play with me."