Chapter 2
Ethan's voice was calm, but even a little bit of concern from him was too much for me to handle.
I forced a smile and shook my head, tears welling at the corners of my eyes.
"No need. Don't trouble yourself," I said.
He looked like he had more to say, but I'd already slipped into the car next to us.
It was my new car, only costing 60 thousand dollars.
It was nothing fancy, but it was reliable and low-key.
A flicker of pain crossed Ethan's eyes, but he didn't say a word.
Back when I was with Ethan, I was lazy as hell.
Even just lying around felt exhausting, let alone driving.
But now, I acted all tough and stubborn, like I was hell-bent on being independent.
I had just gotten home when Ethan transferred me 3 million dollars.
He texted: [Hire a driver. I'll pay for it.]
I replied: [We just got divorced. Isn't this a bit much?]
Even though I said that, I didn't send the money back.
I stared at my phone for a while, waiting for Ethan to reply. When he didn't, I put it down.
Men, always so fickle!
I swapped into something nice and made my way to a fancy restaurant.
My driver was the one behind the wheel. I'd hired him a while back.
I gave him a two-hour break today.
If I could squeeze a little cash out of Ethan, you bet I would.
After all, raising kids cost a fortune.
As soon as I got in the car, I got a 300 thousand dollars transfer.
Giana texted me: [I'll pay you the remaining 2.7 million dollars in installments.]
I sent her an OK emoji.
I tried to hold back, but in the end, I couldn't resist and ended up giving her some more advice.
I typed: [Ask him for what you want when he's getting a massage and totally relaxed. He'll usually agree to anything.
[Don't go big all at once. Start with ten or twenty grand, then ask for more next time.]
She didn't reply.
Maybe she didn't need my help.
The car pulled up, and someone from the restaurant led me straight to the private room.
Inside, Ethan's ex-wife, Leah, was already waiting for me.
Five years had gone by, and she looked exactly the same.
If anything, she looked even younger and prettier than before.
Honestly, money and good looks were the ultimate cheat codes for women.
I sat down across from her.
"Leah, this is for you," I said.
I picked out the priciest set of jewelry I owned and slid it over to her.
Leah gave it a quick look, then pushed it right back at me.
"I'm not taking something Ethan blew a ton of cash on for you," she said.
I looked a bit embarrassed.
Truth was, everything I owned came from him.
As for buying another set of jewelry worth several hundred thousand dollars? No way there was a chance I'd shell out that much myself.
Leah laughed. "You're so easy to please. Five years with Ethan and you still haven't learned a single trick to make money?"
She shot me a look, half pissed, half disappointed.
I pouted.
"It's not like I never tried to learn," I protested.
I'd really busted my ass trying to figure it out but I was just not cut out for that kind of thing.
Even when Ethan spelled out the stock codes for me, I'd still mess it up and buy the wrong one.
Over the past five years, Ethan opened three shops for me, pouring in hundreds of thousands for each one.
The longest survived three months, and the shortest didn't even open.
I didn't have the guts to ask him to invest again.
I was scared he'd think I was too dumb and just ditch me.
Of course, in the end, it all ended up the same anyway.
I still got dumped.
But to be exact, I was the one who ditched him first.
Ever since I saw Ethan start caring about Giana, I'd been waiting for this day.
I'd already been prepared.
It all started one year ago.
Ethan went to Giana's school to give a talk.
He was classy, witty, totally aloof and mysterious. And on top of all that, he was ridiculously handsome with a body to die for.
For an entrepreneur his age, one could count on one hand the guys who looked as good as he did.
As expected, he caused quite a stir on campus.
Giana was a student council member, running around serving drinks during the lecture.
That was all it took for her to catch Ethan's eye.
Ethan was the kind of guy who always played by the rules.
He never used schemes or tried to force anything.
Besides, he was still married to me.
But Ethan always got what he wanted. And so, even with his packed schedule, it only took him three brief meetings, totaling an hour, to win Giana over.
"But hey, I did learn a thing or two," I defended myself.
Thinking about Giana made me blurt it out, unwilling to back down.
Leah raised an eyebrow, surprised. She didn't buy it for a second.
Determined to prove myself, I was ready to spill everything I'd been plotting.
But just as I started to explain, mentioning Ethan's infertility, Leah's face changed in an instant.
"Who told you Ethan's infertile?" she asked.
I looked thunderstruck.
"W-wait, he's not?" I stammered.
Leah shook her head, her expression firm.
"You guys were married for ten years. How come you never had kids?" I pressed, still confused.
Her face clouded over, looking a little complicated.
"Because I can't have kids," she said quietly.
"No way. Isn't he the one who's infertile?" I said.
Leah shot me a look, speechless.
What? Was there really a man who allowed others to think he was infertile so they wouldn't suspect it was his wife who was so?
"So why did you leave him?" I asked. "He took on the blame for you. Why did you still want a divorce?"
Leah took a sip of her drink, speaking with a cool indifference.
"We never loved each other," she said.