Chapter 1

Ethan swirled the amber liquid in his glass, the ice clinking softly in Mark' s noisy sports bar.

"It's simple, Mark," Ethan said, his voice confident, cutting through the background cheer of a game. "Relationships, marriage, it's all a game. And the one who cares less, wins."

Mark, wiping down the polished wood of the bar, sighed. His own recent divorce was a raw wound.

"Ethan, that's a dangerous way to think. Chloe's a good woman."

"Exactly," Ethan snapped his fingers. "And good women get taken for granted if you let them. You gotta maintain distance, never show weakness. That's rule number one. My old man, three divorces, he knew a thing or two. He always said, 'Son, keep 'em guessing, keep 'em needing.'"

"Your father was miserable, Ethan."

Ethan shrugged, taking a large gulp of his whiskey. "He was rich. And he was never the one left crying."

He leaned forward, a smirk playing on his lips. "Chloe knows the deal. Or she learns it. You give an inch, they take a mile."

Mark just shook his head, his expression troubled.

"You're playing with fire, man. One day, you'll look around, and she won't be there."

Ethan laughed, a short, sharp sound. "She's not going anywhere. She loves me too much."

The bar's noise seemed to fade for a moment, replaced by a different scene, a different voice.

Chloe, her eyes red-rimmed, her face pale, stood in their pristine living room.

"Ethan," her voice trembled, but there was a new firmness in it. "Let's get a divorce."