Chapter 3

After that night, I threw myself entirely into my work. A few days later, a cousin of mine suddenly sent me a message:

"Ethan, why is Chloe going around asking everyone in the family for loans? Did something happen to you guys?"

I was shocked. I immediately sent a mass Snapchat message to all my relatives and friends: *Do not lend Chloe any money.*

Then, I dialed her number. The moment she picked up, I suppressed my anger and demanded, "Why are you borrowing money from my family?"

"I have an emergency," Chloe replied, her tone icy and condescending. "This is a personal loan. It has nothing to do with you. And don't worry, when I get rich off this, it won't have anything to do with you either."

"Are you investing in something? Don't let Marcus scam you!" I said urgently.

"Yes, I invested in his new project. But that’s because I believe in his capability. It's a high-yield opportunity. Not everyone is like you, Ethan, spending their whole lives working a miserable job. You call it 'hard work,' but honestly, it’s just slave labor."

"High-yield? Chloe, you know exactly how much savings we have. High-yield means high risk. It's a scam!" My voice cracked with genuine worry.

She dismissed me with a scoff. "No risk, no reward, Ethan. You can’t be a coward your whole life."

She hung up on me. But the dread in my stomach only grew.

I decided to look into Marcus myself. I was done with Chloe, but I wasn’t going to let that bastard steal my hard-earned marital assets.

Over the next few days, I used every connection I had to investigate Marcus’s background.

As it turned out, his so-called "high-yield" project was nothing but a textbook Ponzi scheme.

He was using money from new investors to pay off older ones, creating a fake illusion of high returns.

And Chloe had not only dumped our entire joint savings into it, but she had also taken out massive loans from her friends and family.

I felt like I had been struck by lightning. To protect whatever assets I had left, I went looking for them. I "coincidentally" ran into Chloe and Marcus at a high-end mall.

They were holding hands, browsing the jewelry section of Tiffany & Co. like a blissful, wealthy couple.

I couldn't control myself. I marched right up and blocked their path.

"Chloe, do you have any idea this guy is scamming you?" I yelled, pointing directly at Marcus.

Chloe looked like I had poked a raw nerve. She instantly flared up.

"Ethan, who the hell do you think you are? Marcus is a brilliant businessman! His project is fully vetted!"

"Vetted? Vetted to steal people's money?"

My voice echoed through the department store, drawing stares from other shoppers.

Marcus stood by, a smug, entertained grin on his face, as if watching a comedy show that had nothing to do with him.

In that moment, I realized Chloe was completely brainwashed by his sweet talk. Anything I said would just sound like bitter jealousy.

"Chloe, wake up! This man is using you!" I practically screamed.

But she only gave me a look of pure disgust, took Marcus's hand, and walked away without looking back.

I felt a profound sense of helplessness. She was too far gone.

When I got home, I sat quietly on the living room couch, waiting for her.

The moment she walked through the door, I looked up. "Let's get a divorce."

She froze, clearly not expecting me to pull the trigger so fast.

"Ethan... what did you say?" her voice trembled.