Chapter 1

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On the night of our sixth wedding anniversary, my husband, Ethan, was caught by the paparazzi on a private yacht with his first love, Melody. The news instantly went viral on Instagram.

The headline read: *"Billionaire Spends Millions on a Romantic Yacht Night to Make His Muse Smile."*

In the photo, Melody wore a dazzling diamond ring, her fingers tightly locked with Ethan’s.

Melody reposted the article. I calmly liked her post.

But when I refreshed the page, I realized she had already blocked me.

A moment later, Ethan called me. His voice was cold. "Stop stalking the people around me, Chloe. You’re scaring Melody. She’s almost in tears."

Through the receiver, I heard Melody’s sweet, dripping voice in the background. "Ethan, baby, the moonlight is so beautiful tonight."

I guess six years of devotion really couldn't beat the return of "the one that got away."

I had lost completely. And this time, I chose to let go.

...

The next morning, Ethan came home reeking of alcohol.

He shouted toward the upstairs bedroom, "Chloe, get down here and take my shoes."

After we got married, I had essentially become his personal maid. Taking off his coat, untying his shoes—I did it all for him.

I walked downstairs, my eyes heavy with sleep. Seeing the dark circles under his eyes, I stood still. I didn't bend down.

He kicked my foot lightly, his face darkening with annoyance. "What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and get my slippers."

"I'm exhausted, Chloe. Can you have some common sense?!"

Listening to his usual demanding tone, I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

On our anniversary, my husband was trending online for a secret yacht date with his first love.

And when he finally came home, instead of explaining, he looked at me with nothing but disgust.

Did he really think I would never fight back?

Seeing me standing there with a cold expression, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a small jewelry box, and tossed it to me.

"Melody bought this for you. She was worried you'd misunderstand us. Consider it her apology gift."

I opened the box. It was a cheap, plastic brooch. I sneered. "Must have been hard for her to dig through a dollar store to find this trash."

Ethan immediately snatched it back, his eyes flashing with anger. "It’s the thought that counts! What do you know? She stayed up late to pick this out for you. Don't be so ungrateful."

Looking at how carefully he held that cheap piece of plastic, as if it were a priceless treasure, my eyes welled up with tears of bitter laughter.

In our social circle, I had a nickname: "Ethan’s loyal doormat."

I chased him for three years. We were married for six. I honestly believed my devotion had earned me his equal love.

But the moment Melody came back, everything changed.

I was just a clown, wagging my tail, begging for scraps of his attention.

No matter when or where, as long as Melody snapped her fingers, Ethan would drop everything and run to her.

At this very moment, I felt an overwhelming, bone-deep exhaustion.

Seeing my attitude, Ethan snapped. "Chloe, who gave you the right to throw a tantrum at me first thing in the morning?"

"Are you deaf or blind? Go make me some hangover tea!"

With that, he gave me a rough push.

I clutched my lower abdomen, where a dull pain was radiating, and shook my head.

"Make it yourself. I’m not feeling well."

Beads of cold sweat began to form on my forehead. He stepped closer, sniffing the air, and pinched his nose in disgust. "Chloe, you’re sweating. You smell."

Ethan was a neat freak and extremely sensitive to odors.

He couldn't stand the smell of sweat on me. He even forced me to wear only the woody perfume he liked.

My stomach had been hurting all night, and I had been breaking out in cold sweats.

If this were before, I would have rushed upstairs to take a shower immediately.

But now? I didn't care anymore.

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