Chapter 1

On the night I decided to divorce, my protégé — a scholarship recipient I'd supported for eight years — was stealing the show at a charity gala, wearing a limited-edition necklace my husband had bought.

She sweetly posted on Ins:

"He said he has an instinctive attraction to me. Is this what it feels like to be truly adored?"

I tapped the 'like' button, then casually tossed the divorce papers onto his face.

Ethan sneered, "Eleanor, you're just using that old debt of gratitude to manipulate me. Without me, you won't last a day in this social circle."

He thought ten years as a stay-at-home wife had turned me into a useless mess.

But he had no idea.

Like that ungrateful snake, I'd supported three hundred.

Now, they were all top professionals in various industries.

One word from me, and I could make him lose everything.

The lights of the charity gala were dazzling.

I stood on the VIP terrace on the second floor, holding a glass of champagne, watching the girl at the center of attention in the grand hall downstairs.

Chloe.

The scholarship recipient I'd supported for eight years.

She was wearing a couture gown, a dazzling sapphire necklace around her neck, smiling innocently for the cameras.

That necklace.

Ethan Hayes had bid fifty million for it at an auction last month.

The news was everywhere, saying Ethan had splashed millions on it to surprise his beloved wife for their tenth wedding anniversary.

Now, that surprise was around a twenty-two-year-old girl's neck.

My phone vibrated.

Chloe had posted an update. It was a selfie of her wearing the necklace, with the blurry side profile of a man in a suit in the background.

"He said he has an instinctive attraction to me. I've never been in love before — is instinctive attraction a good thing or a bad thing?"

Dozens of comments were already underneath, all teasing her.

I stared blankly at the screen, then gently tapped my finger, leaving a comment.

"Great. Just like a dog to its own filth — also purely instinctive."

After posting, I drained the champagne from my glass and turned towards the backstage area.

Within five minutes, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Ethan pushed open the lounge door, his face ashen.

"Eleanor Vance, what the hell are you doing?"

He strode over, slamming his phone onto the table. My comment was right there on the screen.

"Chloe is still young, just getting started in the industry. Your comment will be screenshotted and used against her. Do you know this could ruin her?"

I leaned back on the sofa, coldly looking at the man I'd loved for ten years.

"Ruin her? When she was wearing my husband's necklace and showing off her affection, why wasn't she afraid of ruining herself?"

Ethan frowned, a flicker of impatience in his eyes.

"She borrowed that necklace just to wear. Young girls like to look pretty, it's just vanity. Do you really have to be so petty about it?"

"Besides, you sponsored her. It's normal for her to be attached to us. I've been with you for ten years, I treat her like a sister. What's wrong with taking care of her a bit more?"

A sister?

His 'sister' with an instinctive attraction?

I laughed, exasperated, and pulled a pre-prepared document from my bag, tossing it at his chest.

"Since you're so fond of taking care of her, then you can officially take care of her from now on."

The papers scattered on the floor. The cover clearly read: "Divorce Agreement."