Chapter 2

Ethan had handed me those divorce papers on our wedding night.

"You're my best friend, Sarah," he'd said, his smile charming and disarming. "This marriage, it's for the IPO, for my family. A stable image. Once Hayes Capital is public, we'll quietly dissolve it. No fuss. We're buddies, right? This doesn't change us."

He' d kissed me then, a deep, passionate kiss that made me believe him.

Made me believe that "buddy" could eventually turn into "wife" in his heart too.

I had held onto that belief for three long years.

Now, standing in our bedroom, watching him with Chloe, I knew.

He wasn't indifferent to me. Indifference would have been kinder.

He simply didn't see me as a woman he was married to, not in any real emotional sense.

I was convenient. Reliable. His "buddy."

Chloe was... something else. Something he looked at with an intensity he never showed me.

The hope I'd nurtured for fifteen years finally shattered.

Ethan saw the papers in my hand.

His eyes narrowed. "What's that?"

"The divorce agreement," I said, my voice flat. "The one you gave me."

He strode towards me, his face darkening.

"What are you doing, Sarah? Are you trying to cause trouble now? After everything today?"

He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging in. "Chloe is upset enough."

Pain shot up my arm, but it was nothing compared to the hollowness inside.

"I'm not causing trouble, Ethan. I'm just... tired."

Chloe came up behind him, her eyes wide and innocent.

"Sarah, I am so, so sorry about the presentation. And the bathrobe... I just admire you so much. I didn't mean any harm."

Her voice was soft, trembling.

I looked at her, really looked at her. The wide eyes, the slight pout. It was a performance.

"Save it, Chloe," I said.

Ethan pulled me away from Chloe, shielding her as if I were a threat.

"Sarah, apologize to Chloe. She's been through a lot today because of your mistake."

My mistake?

He was still blaming me for the photos.

He was publicly belittling me, his wife, to protect his assistant.

The injustice of it was a fresh wave of pain.

The colleagues who saw him do this would talk. My humiliation was complete.

Chloe peeked around Ethan.

"It's okay, Ethan. Sarah's probably just stressed. I don't need an apology."

She sounded so magnanimous.

Ethan looked at her with admiration. "You're too good, Chloe."

Then he turned back to me, his eyes cold. "See? Chloe is being the bigger person. Why can't you be more like her? Why are you always so difficult?"

Difficult? For wanting respect? For being humiliated?

I said nothing. There were no words.

Chloe then said, "To show how sorry I am, I'll cook dinner tonight. For all of us. My treat."

She smiled sweetly at Ethan, then at me.

Ethan beamed. "That's a great idea, Chloe! Sarah, you hear that? Chloe is making an effort."

He was challenging me. Daring me to refuse, to be "difficult" again.

I just nodded, a numb acceptance settling in.

Chloe wanted to cook. In my kitchen. In my home.

A home that was no longer mine.

Chloe's idea of an apology dinner was a spread of extremely spicy Szechuan dishes.

She knew I had a sensitive stomach. I couldn't handle anything too spicy.

Ethan loved spicy food. He was digging in with gusto.

"Chloe, this is amazing!" he exclaimed. "You're a fantastic cook."

Chloe blushed. "I'm glad you like it, Ethan."

She placed a large spoonful of chili-laden fish onto my plate. "Sarah, you have to try this. It's my specialty."

I looked at the fiery red dish. My stomach churned just looking at it.

"No, thank you, Chloe. I can't eat spicy food."

Ethan's face hardened. "Sarah, don't be rude. Chloe went to all this trouble."

"It's not about being rude, Ethan. It will make me sick."

"Don't be dramatic," he snapped. "It's just a little spice. Eat it."

His voice was low, but the threat was clear.

"Your team at the office, they're counting on that new project, right? It would be a shame if funding got... difficult."

He was using my team, my colleagues, against me.

My stomach twisted into a knot of anger and helplessness.