Chapter 3

Jason had been waiting downstairs. When nothing happened for a while, he came up with several men.

Grandma no longer dared block their way.

Ethan left without the slightest hesitation.

As if I had disappointed him beyond repair.

I only snapped out of it when Grandma kicked me.

“Claire Hayes, he’s openly carrying on with another woman, and you’re still standing here like a spineless fool!”

“If he won’t give you the money, make a scene! Divorce him! Your share of his assets would be worth more than ten million!”

The word “divorce” hit me so hard I nearly lost my balance.

From the moment I learned who Ethan really was, I knew this day would come.

But I had never considered bringing it up myself. I was waiting for him to say it.

Every day he didn’t was one more day of happiness I could steal.

I refused without thinking.

“No. You and I have nothing to do with each other anymore. Stay out of my life!”

All it had taken was fifty thousand dollars for her to cut ties with me without hesitation.

Even as she signed the written agreement, she had spat:

“When you were born, I told them to throw you away. My only regret is that I didn’t insist!”

Yet someone else had paid thirty thousand to marry me, just to spend these years as my husband and treat me well.

So I didn’t blame Ethan at all.

Even if his kindness had been wrapped in lies, the happiness I’d felt had been real.

I cleaned myself up and went to work.

After our afternoon meeting, my supervisor asked me to stay behind.

“Our plant in Southeast Asia needs an experienced technical specialist. The conditions aren’t as good as they are here, but the salary and benefits are more than triple.”

“But I know you and your husband are close, so take some time to think about whether you want to go.”

Honestly, I didn’t know why I was hesitating.

Maybe I thought moving overseas would put even more distance between Ethan and me.

Or maybe some part of me still clung to an impossible fantasy.

But when I finished work, Jason was waiting for me.

He had come specifically to pick me up. Without a word, he drove me to the most exclusive restaurant in the city.

I spotted Ethan and Olivia immediately. They were sitting at the table with the best view.

Even if I spent every cent in my savings, I couldn’t have afforded the clothes they were wearing.

I’d always known Ethan had a certain presence. But with those clothes and that setting, he looked even more untouchable.

Like someone high above the clouds. As if a person like me would tarnish him just by reaching out.

“Did you see the car in the garage on the way in? Fifty million, all in. Ethan gave it to Olivia when she turned eighteen.”

“This restaurant is about the lowest-end place anyone in our circle would choose. But we’re not in New York, so it’ll have to do.”

“Meals that cost tens of thousands, hotel rooms that cost over a hundred thousand a night—that’s normal for Ethan.”

“He spent the last two or three years slumming it with you because some broke college student was pursuing Olivia. He wanted to get back at her. Otherwise, the two of you would never even have met.”

I curled my fingers into my palms.

I watched their every move.

I saw Ethan cut Olivia’s steak for her.

The owner brought out the restaurant’s finest red wine. It cost eighty thousand dollars a bottle. Olivia took one sip and stuck out her tongue.

“This doesn’t come close to what you have in your wine cellar.”

I remembered getting my year-end bonus and wanting to treat Ethan to a nice meal.

I’d surprised him with a trip to a buffet that cost two hundred dollars per person.

But the moment we reached the entrance, he’d wanted to leave.

“This place looks pretty mediocre. We’d be better off cooking at home.”

At the time, I’d thought he was saying it because he didn’t want me to spend so much.

Only now did I understand.

Maybe he’d called it mediocre because he really did think it was beneath him.

As Jason drove me away, he said:

“I’m not trying to hurt you, but you and Ethan really don’t belong in the same world. And you’re not the one he loves.”

“He talks tough, but he’s softhearted. He’s dragging this out because he feels he owes you. But if you brought it up yourself, it might be better for everyone.”

He handed me a bank card.

“Ten million is nothing to him. He set aside eighty million for you. Claire, he only got angry because he hated feeling like you saw him as an ATM. He doesn’t want your family using you and bleeding you dry, either.”

I stared at the card for a long time without saying anything.