Post-Divorce Remorse

My wife’s new assistant recently celebrated his birthday, and she splurged on a villa as a gift to him.

On the day he moved in, the assistant, Zachary Shaw, bragged on Instagram with a post and captioned: [Bagged myself a sugar mommy, just FYI.]

My wife, Ivy Bennett, commented on the post: [Happy birthday, my dear Zacky! 🫰]

The photo was Zachary wrapping his arm around my wife’s slender waist, looking incredibly intimate.

The work group chat blew up at once. Everyone expressed their envy toward Zachary, singing his praises for being so promising at such a young age.

Then, my childhood friend, Autumn Sinclair, tagged me in the group chat and teased, [Love is a blinding green light. Your wife’s cheating on you so hard it glows. Congrats, Julian!]

I smiled wryly and stubbed out my cigarette. Slowly, I typed my reply, [Want a house, Autumn? I’ll get you one too, better than her gift to him.]

The moment those words dropped in the group chat, the chat blew up with hundreds of messages.

[The deadbeat is spouting nonsense again hahaha]

[Only Autumn Sinclair, that fool, would be dumb enough to believe him.]

[It really does take all sorts to make the world. Can’t he pick a better time to brag?]

[This scumbag actually flirts right under Ms. Bennett’s nose. Imagine how wild he must be in private!]

Zachary Shaw, my wife’s new assistant, even lectured me with a superior tone: [Julian Ward, it’s been five years since you joined, yet there’s no progress!

[With a husband like you, even I’d feel ashamed if I were Ms. Bennett. Take a page from my book and step up your game.]

For all these years, to respect Ivy Bennett’s strong, independent personality, I had kept my capabilities hidden and quietly supported her in the company under the identity of an ordinary employee.

Leveraging my personal connections and private resources, she had closed deal after deal, climbing her way to where she was now as a director in the company.

On the other hand, I had earned the reputation of being a kept man.

Nevertheless, I never cared.

Never would I have imagined, though, that she would betray me one day.

Right then, Ivy publicly tagged me in the group chat with thousands of employees.

[Julian, take Shaw’s advice. He is, after all, better than you in every aspect.]

[Ms. Bennett’s words are telling! Does “every aspect” include that way too? Hahaha!]

[What a shame. Julian looks pretty muscular, yet he can’t perform in that department.]

[Looks like the Ward family line ends with him.]

The group erupted in laughter as the last comment hit the chat.

Several messages then appeared, each fiercer than the last.

Autumn Sinclair: [Bunch of fools.

[That old hag Ivy Bennett could fart and you lot would think it smells like roses.

[When she finally kicks the bucket, will you all line up to mourn her?]

I couldn’t help laughing at her messages.

Autumn had always been someone who couldn’t mince her words since we were young.

The group chat fell dead silent. No one had expected Autumn to actually unleash such bluntness here.

Ivy, however, was furious reading those messages, so livid she snapped: [Autumn Sinclair, you’re fired!]

I replied right after: [Since Autumn’s fired, I quit too.]

Everyone burst into another wave of laughter.

[What a pair of lovesick fools! Truly touching, hahaha!]

[This trash thinks he’s really something? Let me tell you, once you’re gone, our company will only thrive!]

[Hear, hear!]

Unexpectedly, three seconds later…

My phone rang. Ivy questioned me the moment I answered the call.

“Julian, what the hell are you doing? Delete your message immediately, and I can make sure everyone pretends as if nothing happened today.”

“There’s no need to delete. I genuinely want to resign.”

“Julian Ward! It’s only but a few things I said in public. Besides, Zachary is truly outstanding! Be a man and stop being so petty, alright?”

I was left speechless at those words.

After a brief pause, I made up my mind. “Fine, then I’ll be the bigger person. Let’s divorce, Ivy.”

This time, she fell silent for a moment.

Then, she let out a cold, contemptuous snort and said, “I’m warning you, Julian, don’t threaten me with divorce. I’m not falling for that!

“Anyway, I’m not coming home tonight. You stay home and reflect on yourself. Come back tomorrow once you’ve learned your place.”

She was as arrogant as ever.

As soon as she was done speaking, she hung up.

She seemed to have forgotten the person who had given her the ability to hold her head high and speak with such haughtiness in the first place.