Chapter 1
Casper Fowler's pampered darling was acting up again.
He slid the divorce papers across the table to me.
"Go ahead and sign it. Just for appearances, to pacify the kid," he said.
I clenched the hem of my dress and nodded quietly.
I signed it decisively.
As I was leaving, I overheard one of Casper's buddies joking around. "Casper's wife is way too obedient. Is she really gonna do whatever you tell her?"
Casper took a graceful sip of his red wine and said, "Wanna bet on it?"
They made a bet that in twenty days, at the city hall, no matter how tear-stained my face was, I'd still quietly go through with the divorce.
When my marriage certificate turned into divorce papers, I traced my phone with my fingers.
I calmly replied to the message I had just received.
It said: [Will you marry me?]
I wrote: [Yes.]
*****
After I hit send, the guys in the room kept chatting.
"Let's all bet a brand new supercar that she'll agree to the divorce."
"I doubt it. Natalie is head over heels for Casper. No way she'd agree to a divorce."
"You have no idea, huh? Natalie is Casper's lapdog. If Casper tells her to go east, she wouldn't dare go west."
"Whoever loses has to cough up two supercars," Casper said, his voice icy.
The room erupted in laughter.
I bolted out of there in a panic.
Just then, my phone pinged with a new message. [Really?]
I replied: [Yes.]
Half a year ago, Casper set his sights on an eighteen-line starlet, Stella Davila.
He showered her with resources, buying her a house and a car in Ablale.
The villa downtown was stuffed with jewelry and trinkets any girl would swoon over.
But Stella was always lukewarm toward him.
Casper patiently coaxed her for days.
But Stella stubbornly insisted she wouldn't be the other woman.
Dressed in the latest seasonal collection, her cheeks were burning with anger.
"Casper, I admit you treat me well, and yeah, I like you, but I'm not gonna be your side chick!" she snapped.
Casper had been a big shot in the business world for years, and he'd met more women than he could count.
Most of them would practically throw themselves at him the moment they saw his money.
But Stella was different. She had her own standards. No matter how much money Casper spent on her, she refused to be a kept woman.
Casper found her fascinating. He even ditched me again and again for her.
I remember the first time it happened. It was my birthday.
It was rare for Casper to actually be there for my birthday.
He'd even dressed up and got me my favorite little cake.
Right as I was making my wish, his phone suddenly rang.
He stood up to take the call, telling me he'd be right back to celebrate.
But when he hung up, he left me sitting there alone.
He said he had something urgent to take care of, and I believed him.
Ten minutes later, I got a friend request.
After Stella added me, she didn't send me a message.
Out of curiosity, I checked out her social media. Her feed was full of photos of her and Casper.
That was when I realized Casper was cheating on me.
I showed him the photos and asked him about it, but Casper insisted they were just friends.
I didn't buy it, but Casper brushed me off, saying I was overreacting.
"Whatever happens between us, you'll always be my wife. Isn't that enough for you?" he said.
I was taken aback for a moment.
So, in his eyes, as long as I was his wife, that was all he cared about?
But he always said I was the one he loved most. How could he get involved with someone else?
It felt like something was stuck in my chest, making me feel awful.
But I couldn't even manage to say a word in protest.
Until he handed me the divorce papers in front of everyone.
"Just sign it. It's just for show, to keep Stella happy," Casper said.
I signed my name in silence, then walked out.
When Casper got home, he still reeked of alcohol.
Seeing me sitting on the couch, he frowned at me.
"Why aren't you in bed?" he asked.
I looked up at him and finally broke the silence between us that day.
"I'm not sleepy," I said.
He replied, "Even if you're not sleepy, you still need to get some rest. The doctor said you should be sleeping more."
Without looking at him, I turned and headed to my room.
"Wait," Casper called after me.
"Tomorrow, I need you for something," he said.
The next morning, Casper woke me up while I was still asleep.
"Natalie, let's go get divorced today," he said.
I was stunned for a moment, then nodded.
"Okay," Natalie replied.
On the way, Casper kept talking about what he wanted to do for our fourth anniversary.
He said, "Let's get you checked up first. The doctor said that your condition was way more stable the last time. Just a bit longer and you'll be back to normal."