Chapter 1
When I was six months pregnant, Matthew tossed my luggage out just because I said his childhood friend Elaine Lynn had two hands and two feet—she could totally take care of herself, but instead she shamelessly chose to depend on a man.
Matthew Quinn tossed my luggage out.
Matthew said, "Since you think women can take care of themselves, why don't you show me?"
"You said you don't need a man to support you."
"So prove it."
Later, Matthew's eyes were red as he stared at me and demanded, "You've got two hands and two feet—so why are you still relying on a man?"
"If you're so capable, why do you need a guy to support you?"
I shot him a glare. "Is it a crime to depend on my own husband?"
After that, Matthew started showing up at my gate every single day, but all he could do was steal a glance at our daughter through the iron bars.
All he could do was steal a glance at our daughter through the iron bars.
*****
Elaine sent me a photo of Matthew passed out on her bed.
The next moment, I barged into her place with a bunch of friends, my six-month baby bump leading the charge.
I trashed the whole room.
I shouted, "Elaine, aren't you embarrassed?
"Seriously, you've got two hands and two feet—why can't you just handle things yourself?
"Can't you manage on your own?
"Why can't you just leave Matthew alone?
"Is your life over if you don't have a man to rely on?"
Matthew soothed Elaine right in front of me.
He said, "I'm sorry you had to suffer this. I'll take care of it."
Then he dragged me back home.
I thought he'd explain why he was in Elaine's bed, or try to comfort me like he always did.
Instead, he just gave me a cold look and handed me two choices.
"Rachel, I've really spoiled you. You get two options. "
"First, apologize to Elaine and never target her again to keep your title as Mrs. Quinn.
"Second, pack your bags and see how you fare on your own."
We'd been together for four years and married for three.
To everyone else, he was a cold-hearted billionaire
But with me, he'd always been the gentle husband.
This was the first time he'd ever given me the cold shoulder.
When I barged into Elaine's room, I realized I'd played right into her hands.
Matthew was sprawled out on her bed, his face twisted in pain.
He was clearly suffering from another bout of his migraines.
Elaine stood there with a glass of water and some pills, looking all concerned.
But so what? That didn't change anything.
He was still lying in another woman's bed.
I was pissed.
Elaine sent that photo just to get under my skin, so I played right into her hands.
I trashed the place and even slapped Elaine.
She always flaunted her elite background, so I had no problem exposing just how shameless she really was.
Of course, that just made Matthew even angrier.
But honestly, he was right—I really had been spoiled by him.
My emotions blew up, and I just went for the jugular, saying whatever would hurt most.
I said, "If you had any decency as a man, you wouldn't be lying in another woman's bed. "
"If Elaine actually had boundaries, she wouldn't have sent me that photo of you in her bed."
"I did nothing wrong. I'm not apologizing. She was the one who started this mess."
Matthew took a deep breath.
He said, "So you don't even care about me—you just want to lash out and let off steam."
I glared at him, my eyes burning.
"If you're not feeling well, you've got me, the hospital, your assistant, or any of your buddies."
"You know I can't stand Elaine, but you still went to her place and even slept in her bed."
"You say I don't care about you? Have you ever thought about how I feel?"
"Before you start questioning me, maybe you should explain why you were at her place in the first place."
He looked at me like I was just being unreasonable.
He said, "I've explained my relationship with Elaine to you so many times. I broke off our engagement, and she rushed into another marriage because of it."
"Now her marriage has ended in divorce, and I feel partly responsible. I just feel guilty and want to make it up to her. How many times do I have to say this?"
"In the end, you only care about yourself. You don't really care about me, do you?"
His idea of 'making it up to her' was just absurd.
Any time Elaine so much as said she felt unwell, he'd drop me, his pregnant wife, in a heartbeat and rush her straight to the hospital.
When Elaine complained that people looked down on her for being divorced, Matthew made her his personal secretary and had her by his side 24/7.
She said her place was too far from the office, so Matthew dropped thousands of dollars on a huge luxury apartment right across from the company—just for her.
As Matthew kept questioning me, I just didn't have the energy to fight anymore.
I shot him a cold look and said, "If that's what you think, whatever. But apologizing to Elaine? Not a chance."
Matthew's eyes were full of disappointment.
Matthew said, "So you're going with the second option, huh?"
I stared at Matthew in disbelief.
I asked, "Are you really going to divorce me?"
He didn't say it outright, but the second option was basically kicking me out and making me a single woman.
"Divorce?" Matthew gave a cold, unsettling smile that sent chills down my spine. "You think it's that easy?"
"You think you can get off that easy?"
He packed up my stuff himself and tossed it right out the door.
He said, "Since you think women can handle things on their own, why don't you show me?"
"You said you don't need a guy to help you out."
"So let's see you prove it."
"You can come back when you finally apologize."
The door slammed shut.