Chapter 2

The next morning, I didn't make any oatmeal.

I applied flawless makeup, changed into a designer suit, and sat on the sofa waiting for him.

When Ethan emerged from the guest room, his clothes were disheveled, but his eyes held a satisfied, tender glow. When he saw me, the softness instantly vanished, replaced by cold formality.

He sat across from me, pulled a document from his briefcase, and pushed it toward me.

Divorce Agreement.

"Sign it." He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and through the curling smoke, his features looked especially blurred. "Name your terms. As long as they're reasonable, I'll agree."

I stared at the black text on white paper, feeling utterly absurd.

"Why?" My voice came out hoarse.

Ethan was silent for a moment. He tapped ash from his cigarette, his tone as calm as if discussing the weather.

"Natalie, the first half of my life was too hard, and the second half too smooth. You paved the way for me, and I'm grateful. But I've never experienced what real love feels like."

He looked up, his eyes carrying a cruel sincerity.

"Until I met Bella. She'll argue with security guards on the street over a homeless person. She'll run across half the city to bring me a sandwich when I'm working late. She showed me what it means to find beauty in suffering."

"But you, Natalie---you're too perfect. Perfect like a doll. Your love is full of calculation and charity. I'm sick of always being beneath you."

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms, drawing blood.

Calculation? Charity?

To clear his parents' names, I'd knelt at the victims' families' doors for three days and nights. To secure investment for him, I'd drunk until I had a stomach hemorrhage and was rushed to the ER.

In the end, my devotion became "condescension" in his eyes, while Bella's cheap sandwich was "true love born from hardship."

I grabbed the glass of water from the table and hurled it at his face.

*Crash!*

The glass shattered against the wall, grazing his brow and cutting it open. Blood immediately seeped out.

"Ethan, you disgust me!" My whole body shook as I pointed at his nose. "You want love? Fine! Then give back everything you have now! Without me, you'd still be picking through garbage in the slums!"

Ethan didn't dodge.

He let the blood flow, his eyes growing colder.

"Natalie, you're finally showing your true colors." He pulled out a tissue and casually wiped the blood. "You always act like you're doing me favors. Sign the papers. It's better for both of us. Don't make me go nuclear."

He stood up, glancing down at me dismissively.

"Bella is still sleeping. Don't disturb her. I'll send my lawyer this afternoon."

With that, he strode out of the villa.

I collapsed on the sofa, staring at the words "no-fault party" on the agreement, suddenly laughing hysterically until tears streamed down my face.

I hated my own stupidity, and even more, his heartlessness.

My hand moved to my flat abdomen as I took a deep breath.

Baby, Mommy will take you away from this.