Boss, I Want a Divorce!

Serena

"Ser, what's going on?"

Lucien stood silent in the doorway of the apartment. I approached him with confidence-or at least, I tried to project it.

I chuckled. "We canceled our date last week, so what's the harm in making it happen now?"

Lucien's eyes were fixed on my chest. His throat moved up and down.

Tonight I was wearing only lingerie. It was very skimpy; even where it covered anything, the fabric was sheer. I was wearing only a tiny pair of panties underneath.

I took advantage of his fixation. "Luce, I'm glad that after three years of marriage, our relationship is finally warming up. We even kissed last week. I'm ready to take things to the next level."

I could hear my own voice trembling as I spoke. My hands were sweaty, and even my back was tense. My fingers twisted the side of my lingerie.

Lucien closed his eyes. When he opened them, his eyes were as dark as the night sky.

"Ser, I've already told you-what happened over the last month was a mistake. You remember our agreement, right?" he asked in a heavy voice.

"That was your one-sided statement," I replied weakly.

"And that became the basis of our marriage. If it weren't for Grandpa, I wouldn't have married you. All of this was so I could fulfill Grandpa's ridiculous condition-that I could become CEO as long as I married you."

Lucien's jaw tightened as he said that. He turned his gaze to the side.

"Why are you backing out again, Luce? A month ago you were different-it was as if you'd changed your mind. We had dinner together, walked hand in hand, with no one else around. Not just in front of everyone, like usual," I insisted, stroking his arm.

"Because none of that was supposed to happen." He gently brushed away my hand resting on his arm.

My eyes began to blur. My chest felt as if it were being crushed by a massive boulder, choking me. My mouth hung open, yet no words could come out.

How humiliating!

I wanted the ground to swallow me up right then and there. I instinctively hugged myself. My tears finally fell.

All this time, Lucien had often rejected my advances. My heart had grown numb as a result. But humiliating myself like this-that had never happened before.

"Listen, Ser. I want us to go back to how things were a month ago. All this time, I... made a mistake," he said firmly, his piercing gaze fixed directly on my eyes.

For a moment, I thought I saw doubt in his eyes. But it must have been my imagination. That gaze was so cold, piercing like a dagger.

A mistake?

Was being intimate with his own wife really that shameful to him?

"Don't ever let this happen again. Or-"

"Or what?" I snapped, quickly wiping the tears from my cheeks.

Lucien paused for a moment. "Or you'll be even more heartbroken. Bury all your hopes, Ser."

"No, Luce! Don't say another word," I sobbed, hugging him. My body betrayed me.

I felt Lucien's body tense. Yet, he remained silent. His chest was wet with my tears.

"Our three years of marriage have been perfect, Ser. You've earned a prestigious title as Mrs. Hubert, a prestigious job, and plenty of money. And none of that should have been yours. You realize that, don't you?"

My heart felt as if it had been pierced by his words.

Yes, of course. I wasn't his choice from the start. His eyes never truly saw me from the moment we met when I was still an intern at the Hubert Group.

"Look at me like you have for the past month, Luce."

I cupped his cheek. My thumb slid across his thin, red lips.

Lucien closed his eyes again. His breathing quickened.

I felt something change down there. I looked down and smiled faintly.

Lucien's face flushed all the way to his ears. His hand pushed me away, causing me to stagger slightly.

"Don't you dare repeat this game, Ser. You'll regret it later!" he threatened as he walked toward his room. His footsteps thudded loudly on the floor.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed, sobbing again. I hugged my knees tightly and buried my head in them.

Still choking back sobs, I dragged myself toward my own room. My body curled up on the bed like a baby's.

I shouldn't have let myself do something like that. It was like pouring vinegar on my wounds.

Lucien will never change. Even though he seemed different for a moment, it was just a brief lapse for him.

My hopes were too high. I knew he was as hard as a rock, yet I foolishly believed I could chip away at him.

Stupid!

***

The next day, I was back in professional mode. No more tears, even though my eyes were still a little puffy.

I walked over to Lucien's office. As his personal assistant, I intended to invite him to lunch with our client from Norway.

"How does it feel to know your true love is back?"

I stopped in my tracks and immediately slipped behind the wall next to the large door that wasn't quite closed. I pricked up my ears to catch the conversation that pierced my heart.

That was Daniel's voice-Lucien's cousin and best friend. He's also the Marketing Director at Hubert Group, who's always felt threatened by my presence.

"I don't know."

Lucien's voice sounded uncertain.

"Has she contacted you?" Daniel asked again.

"Yes, a week ago."

My eyes widened. So this was why Lucien had grown cold toward me again.

Camille was back.

"Have you two met?" Daniel was still curious.

"Yes..." Lucien replied softly.

"And?" Daniel pressed further.

"She's still the same as before. I don't know, Daniel. Stop asking so many questions!" Lucien protested.

Daniel laughed loudly as if it were the best joke of the century.

What should I do?

Even without her around, I'm always pushed to the sidelines-let alone now that she's right in front of Lucien.

Should I stick it out in this toxic relationship?

Or should I just end our marriage before I die from having my heart constantly torn apart by Lucien?

Serena

"Get out here," Lucien said coldly as he braked the car.

My eyebrows shot up. "What? It's already late, Luce," I protested.

It was so heartbreaking-I was being kicked out after we'd just pretended to be a loving married couple in front of our Swiss clients during dinner. They showered us with praise, seeing us as the perfect, ideal couple.

It was all nonsense.

A rotten lie.

"There's a taxi up ahead. If you want, you can also order an Uber. Don't act like some country girl with a curfew," he snapped.

My mouth clamped shut. My chest felt hot and tight. I blinked, trying to dispel the fog that was beginning to cloud my eyes.

"Get out now, Ser!" Lucien's tone rose.

"Where are you even going?" I asked, clutching the seatbelt across my chest.

"None of your business," he replied flatly, his mouth half-closed.

My grip tightened. I glared at him so intensely my eyes narrowed. "I'm the one who manages your entire schedule. I remind you of everything-work or personal matters. And now you're telling me this isn't my business?"

Lucien's jaw clenched. He glared back at me, even more sharply. "So what?" he challenged.

"You want to meet Camille, don't you?" I accused him directly.

Lucien's jaw seemed to throb and clench even tighter. He gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white.

"I know she's back. You want to get back together with her, don't you?" I accused again, leaning forward slightly.

"She's none of your business," Lucien hissed, his eyes darkening.

"Oh, of course I do," I retorted immediately. "Before that happens, I want us to get a divorce." I emphasized the last word as I leaned back.

Finally, the words came out of my mouth. I couldn't take it anymore.

Lucien had been drifting away and changing. He'd been coming home less and less over the past week. He'd often been late to important meetings lately. He'd also been leaving work early frequently.

Something he'd never done before.

And it was all because of one name: Camille.

I was sure of it. What else could it be?

"There's going to be no divorce. Now get out," he said, his voice almost a growl.

My mouth fell open. What did he mean?

I stood frozen.

Lucien pressed the button for my seatbelt. "Get out, Ser. Do you want to stay out even later?"

My lips trembled. I clutched my handbag tightly and got out without closing the car door.

I heard Lucien curse. He slammed the passenger door shut and sped off, the tires screeching.

The tears I'd been desperately holding back finally broke free. I hugged myself. My coat was left in the car and had now slid away without a care for me.

I was even more convinced that my decision was the right one. Before I fell apart completely, I had to end this marriage.

***

The door to my office swung open; my neighbor from the next room walked in.

Great. After not coming home last night, now he shows up with a blank expression, showing no sign of guilt.

"Let's have lunch together later, okay?" His invitation sounded like a threat.

"Sorry, I already have plans," I declined, keeping my eyes on my computer screen.

Lucien's eyebrows shot up. "With who?" he asked sharply.

"None of your business," I replied in the same tone.

Is he the only one who's allowed to do that?

"A guy or a girl?" he asked again, his tone slightly demanding.

Did I hear that right?

I chuckled without answering him.

"Have lunch with me. Don't go making a big deal out of having lunch with someone else. Be in my office at 12."

He turned away after making his demand.

I scoffed at his behavior. Back then, I would have always obeyed.

Now? Of course not!

At 11:30, I slipped out of my office. To hell with Lucien. My meeting with my best friend, Émilie, was very important.

As soon as I arrived at the restaurant where we'd agreed to meet, I immediately stated my intention.

"What? Are you sure you want to divorce Lucifer? I mean, Lucien," Émilie grimaced.

I gave a faint smile. "Please draft the divorce petition for me, Ém. I'm not asking for anything. The main thing is that we get divorced quickly."

Émilie was a lawyer. She had a pretty good track record as a divorce attorney, so I trust her.

She let out a long sigh. "Finally, Ser, your smarts are coming to the surface. You've been a love-struck fool for three years. It makes me want to smack you on the head," she blurted out without hesitation.

"Why did you suddenly come to your senses, Ser?" Émilie asked again, sipping her coffee.

I was silent for a moment. "She... came back," I replied weakly, looking down.

Émilie immediately pushed her coffee cup away. "That bitch! The manipulative one who loves to take advantage of you?"

Émilie's loud voice drew the attention of the people around us. I kicked her shin. She immediately shut her mouth. I gave her a brief summary-I was too lazy to dig up the sores of my marriage.

"I'll be waiting for the documents as soon as possible, Ém," I concluded as I stood up. The break was almost over.

She gave me a thumbs-up while curling her lips.

I drove back to the office at a leisurely pace. As I walked into my office, a baritone voice immediately pierced my ears.

"Why was your phone off? Where were you, anyway?" Lucien asked in a booming voice. He stood up from my office chair.

"I forgot to charge it," I replied briefly.

"You ignored my invitation to lunch. What's more, I've been trying to reach you for a while because there's something important," he said as he approached me and grabbed my arm.

I furrowed my brow. "What?"

"Grandpa had a seizure. Come on, we have to go to the hospital," he urged, pulling my hand.

Serena

"Well, well, well, the golden grandson and granddaughter-in-law have just arrived. If I were Grandpa, I'd cross you both off the inheritance list."

A sharp-tongued cousin of Lucien's greeted our arrival. Lucien's grip tightened. A grip I'd been resisting ever since we got out of the car, but Lucien kept forcing on me-until he threatened to carry me if I kept refusing.

What a crazy image-conscious jerk!

"Where have you been, dear? Why are you just now arriving?" asked Valérie, my mother-in-law, with a worried tone. She glanced at me briefly.

"Sorry, Mom. I was in a teleconference meeting with a client from Dubai. So you couldn't reach me on my cell right away," Lucien replied, hugging his mother.

I pursed my lips slightly, unmoved by his excuse, which seemed meant to protect me. In the end, it was all for his own benefit.

"Having a personal assistant is pointless if you're just as unreachable," Valérie complained again, shooting me a sharp glance.

"I'm the one who asked for it, Mom. It's not Serena's fault," Lucien insisted, staring at me.

I turned away, refusing to respond.

Valérie's eyebrows arched as she saw me look away. "You-"

"Grandpa, how's he doing, Mom?" Lucien interrupted.

Valérie looked at the white door in front of us. "Your grandpa's stable, but the doctor said not to stress him out. Well, he's getting on in years, isn't he? He's already lived a long life."

I shook my head slowly. What an insolent daughter-in-law. He's just putting on a show in front of Albert, acting all sweet.

"Let's go see Grandpa," I asked Lucien.

"Be patient, honey. I'll check with the medical team first, okay? Wait here for a moment." Lucien let go of my hand, ruffled my hair, and walked toward the nurses' station.

Valérie pouted slightly as she watched her son leave.

"Once Albert is gone, you'll have no one to protect you. I'll force Luce to divorce you. I know for sure he still loves Camille very much," she said in a strained voice.

I remained silent; I couldn't say anything that might cause a scene. This is a hospital.

"You've made all of us look useless in front of Albert. You're such a brown-noser!" she hissed right in my face.

"Brown-nosing won't bring in high profits for the company," I replied firmly with a wry smile.

With a sour expression, Valérie grabbed my wrist, unable to accept what I'd said. "We'll see just how long your arrogance lasts."

She twisted my wrist with a sly smile.

I winced in pain and instinctively stomped on my mother-in-law's instep with my stiletto.

Valérie screamed in pain. Her grip on my wrist slipped.

Lucien's sister and cousin, who had initially been laughing at my mother-in-law's behavior, fell silent immediately. They hurried over to Valérie.

"Mom, are you okay?" asked Niki, Lucien's sister.

"Mom, what happened?" asked Lucien when he returned.

"I'm fine," Valérie replied, glaring at me. "I almost fell-I was startled," she claimed.

Lucien looked at me. He knew his family didn't like me. In front of them, he always stood up for me-of course, so he'd look good in Albert's eyes.

"Come on, let's go see Grandpa, Ser," he said, wrapping his arm around my waist.

My breath caught in my throat as we entered Albert's intensive care room.

His old eyes caught sight of us. A faint smile tugged at his pale lips.

"My dearest grandchildren," he said softly, trying to sit up from his bed.

I immediately approached him, reaching out my hand. "Shh, Grandpa, don't get up." I stroked his sturdy shoulder, now showing signs of age.

Albert chuckled softly. "I'm fine. I just want you guys to pay me a little more attention," he teased, pouting his lips.

Lucien slid the small round sofa toward Albert's bed and gently pulled me to sit there. Albert smiled at him.

"I think I could run all the way around the Eiffel Tower if you two brought news about my future great-grandchild," teased the man with the thick mustache.

Lucien laughed. I just gave a stiff grimace.

"Be patient, Grandpa," Lucien replied, massaging my shoulder.

I shifted uncomfortably. Your patience will never end, Albert. There'll never be any great-grandchildren.

"Could it be that you're not very fertile, Luce? Or... Ser, is Luce not very good in bed? It seems he didn't inherit my charm." Albert narrowed his eyes at his grandson with a condescending expression.

I burst out laughing at the old man's joke-he was still able to joke around despite his pale face.

Lucien just pursed his lips slightly.

Of course-what else could he do?

"Ser?" Albert looked at me, his expression demanding an answer.

I glanced at Lucien, who was looking at me gently. I knew that look was actually a command for me to play along.

"Maybe Lucien really does need a tutor, Grandpa," I finally replied, looking at my husband with a satisfied expression.

Lucien's eyes darkened for a moment before he finally laughed again and kissed the top of my head.

"My wife is adorable, isn't she, Grandpa?" he said, giving my back a gentle squeeze.

Albert chuckled softly. "I know-she's the only one worthy of being by your side. She has all the qualities needed to be the lady of the Hubert household." He looked at me with genuine tenderness, unlike his grandson.

"I'm happy to see you two happy. Promise me you'll always stay together. Prove that my intuition all this time has been right. Okay, Lucien, Serena."

Lucien nodded firmly. I fell silent and could only look down.

"Serena?" Albert realized I hadn't answered him.

I tried to give a small smile. "Yes, Grandpa."

Albert smiled broadly and then asked me to hug him.

I hugged him and, without realizing it, tears began to fall.