Chapter 2
I hinted subtly that my husband was the CEO of a publicly traded company, last name Herman.
The woman he cheated with was Aubrie, a rising starlet in entertainment.
I even attached all the affectionate photos Aubrie had sent me over the years. Faces pixelated, but sharp-eyed sleuths recognized them instantly.
Even though I'd pixelated their faces, some sharp-eyed online sleuths still managed to instantly figure out who they really were.
People flooded my comments section, backing me up and showing their support.
[Never thought the executive president of the Revitalis Group would be this kind of guy. Guess rich people really do play dirty.]
[Totally agree with the comment above. Marriages based on money and convenience are all about mutual benefit anyway. The president cheating? That's just business as usual. Honestly, you're just too sentimental, that's on you.]
Of course, Aubrie's rabid fans swarmed my comments section.
They went off, yelling: [Aubrie is young and beautiful, way better than you, you old lady. If you can't keep your man, don't go blaming Aubrie for it!]
[Plus, Aubrie and Mr. Herman grew up together. They're soulmates! If you hadn't barged in, they would've been together ages ago.]
*****
I didn't confront their nasty comments head-on. Instead, I leaned into the victim role, pouring my heart out with tears. As the poster, I said: [I know everything you're all saying… Honestly, I've just been fooling myself all these years. I guess I deserve what's happened to me.]
My pitiful act instantly started a full-on flame war between the outraged netizens and Aubrie's die-hard fans.
Just like I wanted, the news that Roland, the executive vice president of the Revitalis Group, was married and cheating shot straight to the top of the trending list.
Right behind it was the hashtag "Aubrie Wilkinson Homewrecker."
A faint, unreadable smile curved at the corner of my lips.
Just days earlier, Roland had been wining and dining a renowned director, sparing no effort to land Aubrie a rare audition. He was hell-bent on launching her straight to the top of the industry.
But fame without buzz was meaningless.
I had no doubt Aubrie would be thrilled with the "present" I had prepared for her.
Sure enough, less than three minutes after the topic exploded online, my phone vibrated nonstop, message after message from Roland.
He said: [After all these years, I never thought you'd turn out to be this vicious and underhanded, Emmalee.]
[So you can't have me, and now you're pulling this stunt just to force my attention? You're pathetic.]
[Even if you stripped naked and begged me, I wouldn't spare you a glance.]
[Delete that Instagram post immediately. If Aubrie gets hurt because of this, I'll make you pay tenfold.]
By then, I felt nothing at all. Whatever could be salvaged had already shattered beyond repair.
He really thought I would swallow everything quietly and disappear? Not a chance.
My gaze hardened as I called him back. "You want me to clarify things? Fine. Sign the divorce papers, and I'll vanish from your life completely."
A cold laugh crackled through the line. "I knew it. This is all about money, isn't it? The divorce is just your excuse to get your hands on my assets."
The accusation was absurd. If he had bothered to read the agreement, he'd know I wasn't taking a cent more than I deserved.
"I gave ten years of my life to you, to this family," I said, my words clipped and precise. "That's not greed. That's what I'm owed."
Roland snapped back immediately. "You? What have you ever contributed? You're just an ordinary woman who schemed her way into my life, and now you're acting like my success has anything to do with you? Wake up.
"Through all these years, the only one who stood by me while I climbed to the top was Aubrie. Haven't you seen what people are saying online? You're the one who forced your way in. You're the real homewrecker."
My fingers tightened around the phone.
I used to believe ten years of marriage had weight. Now I finally understood. I was nothing more than an obstacle in his way.
No matter how strong I was, humiliation like this still cut deep.
I swallowed the burn behind my eyes and forced a hollow calm. "You're right. I only care about money. I'm useless. Let's end it, then. I'll walk away with nothing, if that's what you want. Satisfied now?"
Even then, Roland refused to stop.