Chapter 2

Ethan had just walked out of the bathroom, his hair still damp.

The moment he saw me, the tips of his ears turned red again.

"Chloe... I just finished showering."

I stood up, staring at him.

Julian had really chosen a boy who blushed easily this time.

The boys before him always had resentment in their eyes when I paid them to leave.

One had even screamed at me, "Are you two psycho? One pushes us in, the other kicks us out! What do you think we are? Toys?"

At the time, I only looked at him coldly. "Take the money and shut up."

Thinking back, he was right.

We were the ones who were sick.

Julian was addicted to pushing my boundaries, and I was obsessed with a fake sense of emotional purity.

My phone lit up.

A message from Julian: [Go to sleep early.]

I stared at those words, finding them hilarious.

He never used to send me messages like this. But today, he did.

Was it because I let Ethan stay?

Was it because he finally realized that the "pure" Chloe, who would never touch another man, might actually do it this time?

I didn't reply.

The lights outside went off, and the entire estate fell into a deep silence.

Vivian had moved in, and Ethan had moved in.

This house had finally turned into a garbage dump, taking in everyone and anyone.

Including myself.

I turned off the lights, a mocking smile on my face that even the darkness couldn't hide.

Julian thought I was still the same Chloe.

He thought I didn't dare. He thought I wouldn't.

He thought I would always keep my hands clean.

But he was wrong.

The next morning, my neck still felt stiff.

When I walked downstairs, Ethan was in the kitchen helping the housekeeper.

Seeing me, he almost dropped the spatula in his hand.

I smiled.

Where did all that shyness from last night go?

Just as I sat down at the dining table, Julian came down.

"Up so early?" He sat opposite me, a mysterious smirk on his lips. "How was last night?"

Before I could answer, the front door was pushed open.

Zach rushed in first. "Julian! Who won the bet?"

"I bet twenty grand she wouldn't last until noon!"

"I bet she kicked him out last night! Three-to-one odds, Julian is the dealer—"

The voices cut off instantly.

Seeing me sitting there, their excited faces froze into pure embarrassment.

"Chloe... morning!"

Julian picked up his coffee cup and took a sip.

He acted as if his friends weren't treating our marriage like a joke, but rather some proud achievement of his.

"Sit down," I said calmly. "Breakfast is ready."

I stood up and walked toward the kitchen. "Ethan, you should get to class."

Ethan blinked, startled, then quickly untied his apron and left.

As the front door closed, the living room fell silent for a few seconds.

Zach lowered his voice, "See? I told you, she sent him away anyway!"

Marcus laughed. "What did you expect? Julian knows Chloe like the back of his hand."

"Julian really knows how to train a wife," Zach said, his voice full of admiration. "If you want a wife, get one like Chloe. She keeps her head down and guards the house."

Julian sat at the table, having finished his eggs. Listening to their praise, his smirk widened. He looked incredibly pleased with himself.

I took a deep breath and walked out of the kitchen.

Julian and I spoke at the exact same time.

"Come back to my parents' estate for dinner tonight..."

"Meet me at the lawyer's office at 2:00 PM..."

The room went dead silent.

I placed the signed divorce papers on the table.

"Let's get this done first."