Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English
Synopsis
When Austin brought his newly hired secretary into our marital home for the sixth time, he looked down his nose at me and scoffed.
"No offense, Chloe, but you're just so boring. Why don't you find someone younger? Maybe get rid of that stale, old-lady vibe you've got going on?"
Hearing that, I just nodded in agreement.
Honestly, I thought so too. Maybe it was time for me to find someone young and vibrant to bring some passion back into my life.
But why did Austin's eyes well up with tears, begging me not to divorce him, when I finally brought Julian to stand right in front of him?
For our sixth anniversary, I lovingly prepared a full-course, home-cooked dinner.
"Beep. Unlocked."
The digital chime of the smart lock echoed through the house. I looked up toward the front door.
Austin stumbled in, completely drunk, his arm wrapped tightly around a young girl's slender waist as they lurched toward me.
The girl was wearing a white button-down shirt, unbuttoned just enough to show off her generous cleavage. Her face was flushed as she giggled, playfully tapping Austin's chest.
"Oh, Mr. Miller, don't be so impatient~"
Then, she caught my eye and feigned a gasp of panic.
"Oh... you must be Mrs. Miller? Please don't misunderstand! There's nothing going on between Mr. Miller and me. I'm just his new secretary, Amber. He had too much to drink, so I was just making sure he got home safe."
Austin chuckled, his hand sliding down to squeeze her hip.
"Is that so, Amber?" he smirked. "So we're just a boss and his secretary? Nothing more?"
"Oh, stop it!" Amber teased, stamping her foot. "You love teasing me, Austin. You know exactly how I feel about you."
Austin laughed and finally looked over at me.
My expression didn't change. I just smiled and gave him a polite nod.
In my head, I counted on my fingers.
Including Amber here, she was number six.
Austin stared at me, then at the dishes I had spent hours preparing.
He let out a dry laugh. "Seriously? You're still doing this?" he asked, pointing at the plate of cheap spaghetti sitting in the center of the table.
Years ago, when we first started our business, we were just broke kids from ordinary families. We didn't have a penny to spare. We used to buy those massive bags of generic store-brand pasta for a dollar. If we rationed it carefully, it could last us a whole week.
Back then, Austin looked at me like I was his entire world. He would tell me, "I love your cooking so much, Chloe! I want to eat this pasta for the rest of my life!"
I would just laugh and tell him to slow down.
Whenever he found a tiny piece of beef in his bowl, he would look so surprised. He'd quickly pick it up and put it in my bowl. "Babe, you eat it!"
I would always stop him, kiss him on the cheek, and lie, telling him I had already eaten and was completely full.
Austin's eyes would well up with tears back then, and he’d promise me that once he made it big, he would treat me like a queen, a million times better than this.
I would just smile, nod, and say, "Okay! I trust you."
We were so happy back then. We were so deeply in love.
And God, I was so incredibly stupid. I didn't even take a single bite of the meat just so he wouldn't feel guilty, lying that I was full. And because of his sweet words of "love," I willingly stepped down from the company's executive board.
Nobody knew that the business proposal and marketing strategy that launched Austin's career and made him famous were actually created by me, after countless sleepless nights.But now, whenever I showed up at the office, people just whispered about how "understanding" and "sweet" Austin Miller’s wife was.
Nobody knew my actual name, Chloe. I was just a title—a "saintly" woman who patiently put up with her husband's constant cheating.
All the memories, the lies, and the truths flashed before my eyes.
I looked up at the man standing in front of me, reeking of another woman’s perfume, with a faint lipstick smudge on his collar.
He scoffed, curling his lip. "Chloe, can you stop being so naive?"
He swept his eyes up and down my body. "You practically radiate this stale, old-lady vibe now. I have young, gorgeous women throwing themselves at me. Why on earth would I choose you? I don't owe you a lifetime of devotion."
He seemed to think of something and laughed mockingly.
"Actually, why don't you find some young guy yourself? Maybe it'll wash that grandma scent off you."
The girl next to him giggled, covering her mouth. I could see the smug triumph flashing in her eyes.
Austin looked down at her and leaned in for a messy kiss. With one hand gripping her soft waist, his other hand began to slide down the zipper of her dress. "You little devil, what are you laughing at? You better work hard to please me tonight."
"Ah~" she gasped, her eyes darting over to me with a mock-bashful smirk. "But your wife is right there."
"Ignore her," Austin grunted impatiently. He scooped her up in his arms and strode toward our master bedroom—the room we were supposed to share.
"Sleep in the guest room tonight," he threw over his shoulder.
"Slam." The door shut in my face.
I stood there, staring at the closed door, while the faint sounds of her giggles and his heavy breathing began to drift through the walls.
I looked around the empty living room, at the anniversary dinner that had now gone completely cold.
I sat at the table for a long moment, then slowly got up, cleared everything away, and walked into the guest bedroom.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Loud pounding on the door woke me up the next morning. Groggy, I dragged myself out of bed and opened it. Austin was standing there.
"Do you know what time it is?" he frowned. "Why are you still in bed?"
I studied his face. He looked refreshed, a smug, satisfied glow about him. Clearly, Amber had served him well last night.
"What do you want?" I asked quietly.
"Amber said she wants to try your home-cooked breakfast."
He gave me an impatient look. "Hurry up and get dressed. Don't make us late for work."
I was about to refuse when he cut me off.
"Don't even say no. I gave you the title of Mrs. Miller, so you should be grateful. Don't forget, a few years ago, when that rich heiress, Victoria Vance, offered me a hundred thousand dollars in seed money just to dump you, I chose you without a second thought, didn't I?"
He let out a frustrated sigh. "Do you have any idea how many women would kill to be in your shoes?"
Always the same old guilt trip.
I rubbed my aching temples. "I didn't say no. I'll be out in a minute."
I whipped up breakfast in a daze.
Austin sat at the head of the dining table, with Amber draped over him. When I looked up from the kitchen, she was snuggling against his shoulder.
"Please, pretty please?" she cooed, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "Buy it for me. It's only a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I know a generous CEO like you wouldn't say no to his favorite girl."
Then, she whispered audibly, "And... I promise I'll work extra hard to make sure you have fun tonight."
I rubbed the goosebumps on my arms. Austin, however, was absolutely eating it up.
He reached out, pulled her onto his lap, his hand wandering inappropriately.
"Done!" Austin laughed loudly. "I'll buy you whatever you want."
Hearing this, she squealed with delight, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek. He wasted no time pulling her into a passionate make-out session right there. Gross, wet kissing sounds filled the room.
I waited until the noises died down before walking out.
Austin, with her red lipstick smeared across his mouth, just raised an eyebrow at me.
"Finally decided to show your face?"
I nodded silently, ignoring his sarcasm, and started carrying the dishes back to the kitchen. But as I passed by him, he suddenly reached out and blocked my way.His eyes swept over me with a critical look, finally locking onto the new scarf wrapped around my neck.
I had bought it a week ago while shopping by myself. It had been nearly three years since I last bought any new clothes, let alone went out just for fun.
I had been walking past a boutique window when I saw this scarf. For some reason, I couldn't take my eyes off it. I walked in, but after waiting for several minutes, no salesperson came over. Just as I was about to leave, a young man, around twenty-four or five, called out to me.
Honestly, he was incredibly handsome.
I found it a bit strange; with his striking looks and classy vibe, he didn't look like a typical retail worker at all. He looked more like a rich heir who had been pampered his entire life.
And for some reason, his eyes lit up the moment he saw me.
"Hi there! Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked, walking over with a warm smile that revealed a cute snaggletooth.
I snapped out of my daze and pointed at the window. "I'd like to try on that scarf, please."
"Of course!" he said quickly.
He hurried over to the display, looking a bit clumsy as he carefully untangled the scarf from the mannequin's neck. Watching him, I couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
Hearing my laugh, his cheeks turned slightly pink.
"Here you go. You're so beautiful, this scarf will look amazing on you."
"Beautiful?" I whispered. I couldn't even remember the last time someone had complimented me. All I ever heard from Austin was how old, tired, and plain I looked. Hearing it so suddenly made me freeze.
The young man nodded eagerly. "Yes! Beautiful! You really are gorgeous."
I laughed again, draped it around my neck, and realized I absolutely loved it.
But then, hesitation crept in. Years of being extremely frugal had been hardwired into my brain. Even though we had plenty of money now, I couldn't shake the guilt of spending on myself.
Seeing my hesitation, the boy quickly said, "Actually, we're having a special sale today! This scarf is heavily discounted—like, almost fifty percent off!"
"Really?" My eyes lit up. If it was on sale, I didn't have to feel so guilty.
He nodded vigorously. "Absolutely!"
I happily told him to ring it up. When he handed me the receipt, it was only about eighty dollars. A warm sense of satisfaction washed over me.
"I'm Julian, by the way. It was really nice meeting you," he smiled as he handed me the shopping bag. "If you ever need anything else, just come back to this store. I'll make sure you get the best discounts."
I nodded and gave him a warm smile back.
My mind snapped back to the present. Austin was still glaring at my scarf, his brows knitted tightly.
I tried to walk past him, but his arm remained firmly in my way.
"How much was that scarf?" he demanded.
I blinked. "Just around eighty dollars. Why?"
"Seriously?" He snapped his head up to glare at me.
"Yes, seriously," I replied, completely honest. "Do you want to see the receipt?"
"Hah! Unbelievable!"
Austin suddenly lunged forward, shoving me hard. I stumbled back, my back crashing into the wall. The bowl of hot oatmeal I was holding spilled all over my forearm, and a searing, burning pain immediately shot up my arm.
"Chloe! How did you become so disgusting?!" Austin pointed a finger in my face, screaming. "You're so vain, so greedy! And you have the nerve to lie to me?!"
I fought back the tears stinging my eyes, leaning against the wall as I struggled to stand. "What are you talking about?!"
I couldn't suppress the years of resentment and pain bubbling up inside me anymore.
"I've been with you since I was sixteen, Austin! You're willing to throw a hundred and fifty thousand dollars at your side chick, but you're screaming at your legal wife over an eighty-dollar scarf?!"
"Slap!" Austin lunged forward and slapped me across the face.
"I've been way too nice to you, Chloe! If you're so starved for attention, why don't you go sell your body on the streets? Let's see if any man would even look at you!"
Then, he sneered, "You're not young anymore, and that's not my fault. Trust me, once you get a taste of someone younger, you'll do the exact same thing. I haven't done anything wrong!"
My head whipped to the side, my ears ringing from the impact. My forearm was already blistering and turning a nasty shade of red.
"Let's go," Austin barked, grabbing Amber's arm and pulling her toward the exit.
The front door slammed shut behind them with a deafening "thud" that shook me to my core.
I slid down the wall onto the cold floor and finally burst into tears. Looking at the spilled food and the absolute trainwreck of my marriage, I felt completely hollow inside."Chloe! What on earth is wrong with you?!"
My best friend, Sarah, slammed her hand on the table after I finished telling her everything. People at the surrounding tables turned to stare. Blushing, I gently tugged her sleeve with my uninjured hand.
Sarah was shaking with pure rage after hearing about Austin's disgusting behavior, but she was even angrier at me for taking it.
"Are you out of your mind?!" she gasped, suddenly throwing her arms around me. I froze for a second before wrapping my arms back around her.
I felt her warm tears spilling onto my neck. "Why didn't you tell us sooner, Chloe?" she sobbed, holding onto my painfully thin body. "That monster... look what he's done to you."
My other close friends, Emily and Jessica, were sitting there with red, teary eyes, too.
"You need to file for divorce right now! I don't care, you have to leave him!"
"Chloe, if you don't divorce him, I'm cutting you off!"
Their voices overlapped, filled with protective anger, washing over me in a chaotic wave.
I forced a small, weak smile, trying to blink away my own tears. But somewhere deep down, a spark of courage ignited. I was going to divorce Austin.
Images of Austin at sixteen and Austin now, at twenty-six, blurred together in my mind. But in the end, only the sweet, boyish face of sixteen-year-old Austin remained, smiling softly at me as if whispering, "Don't forgive him."
His phantom self seemed to step forward, wrapping me in a warm embrace. "Be happy, Chloe."
I looked at my crying friends, and then at the ghost of the boy I once loved.
"Okay," I whispered. "I'm leaving him."
My friends cried tears of relief, their loud sniffling drawing more looks from the other diners. I offered an apologetic smile to the waiter.
When I looked up again, the young boy from my memories shed a single tear and faded into the bustling crowd.
Once I made the decision to get a divorce, a massive weight lifted off my chest.
I hired a lawyer, had the divorce papers drawn up, and had them served to his office. But I heard nothing back. He hadn't come home in two weeks, which was honestly a blessing. I was glad I didn't have to look at his face.
Still, the tabloids kept posting photos and videos of him entering and leaving luxury hotels with different women. Online, people mocked me, calling me a pathetic, discarded wife. I just shrugged it off and went about my life.
One afternoon, while out shopping, Julian's handsome face and his cute snaggletooth smile popped into my head.
I grabbed Sarah's arm and promised her that there was an absolute snack of a sales clerk working at this boutique. Sarah's eyes instantly lit up, and she dragged me toward the store before I could even finish my sentence.
"Hi! Welcome in!"
Unlike last time, a gorgeous young woman greeted us at the door. I looked around and noticed that all the employees working today were young girls.
The second we stepped inside, Sarah completely forgot about the "snack" of a clerk and went straight for the racks. She was totally absorbed in picking out outfits. Hearing the other salesgirls giggling softly at her excitement, I blushed and looked down.
"Excuse me, is Julian in today?" I asked the stunning girl who was smiling warmly at me.
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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