Chapter 1

My husband had been torn apart by his ex-girlfriend.

At our daughter's birthday celebration party, one of our mutual friends brought up his ex again.

He gritted his teeth and sneered, "I've got a kid now, and Stella is still single. A cold, heartless woman like her? She'll die alone, for sure."

My hand tightened around the beer bottle I was holding, my knuckles turning white.

He continued, "Missed a guy as caring and attentive as me? She will never find another one like me in a million years. She deserves to end up lonely and bitter."

I couldn't take it anymore. The only thing stopping me from smashing the bottle over his head was the thought of the murder charge.

Instead, I grabbed the plate of steak off the table and dumped it right on top of my husband's head.

Greasy sauce dripped from his hair down his neck.

He stared at me, completely dumbfounded.

"Leon Turner, that's the seventy-second time you've mentioned your ex-girlfriend," I said, furious.

Leon's face crumpled in fake hurt. He was trying so hard to hold onto his "devoted husband" image, even while holding back his anger.

Then he tried to explain. "Babe, is it postpartum rage or something? Seventy-two times? That's so specific, like you've actually been counting. There's nothing to be jealous of. That's all ancient history. Just saying her name now makes me sick."

To emphasize his point, he even spat on the floor in disgust.

I couldn't be bothered to argue anymore.

I grabbed the microphone from the emcee and announced the divorce right there in front of everyone.

Leon's buddies quickly tried to calm things down. "Don't be so mad. We weren't even talking about anything serious. Look at you two, all happy with your new baby. It made us think about how Stella totally messed up."

A few people were whispering nearby.

"Isn't this a huge overreaction? It's not like he's still hung up on Stella. He was just trash-talking his ex. Why make such a huge scene over it? Honestly, Leon's ex seemed way more sensible."

"Everyone knows Leon's like the president of the Ex-Girlfriend Hate Club. And she's getting jealous over this? Talk about unreasonable."

When Leon heard that, a flicker of regret crossed his face before he could hide it. I caught it perfectly.

I looked at Leon. "It's been three years since we started seeing each other. Now we are even married. From our first date to our daughter's birthday party today, you mentioned your ex-girlfriend on every single major occasion.

"If you can't get over her, why the hell did you even marry me?"

I used to think Leon's rants and put-downs about his ex came from a place of hate.

But today, I finally got it. Whether it was insults or just casual chat, every time that name slipped out, it was because he just couldn't let her go.

Just before, I was using his phone backstage to connect to the big screen to show off our daughter's photos.

Then a comment notification popped up.

[Dude, you're the man. This isn't hate, man, this is love, pure and simple.]

Curious, I tapped on the video it was replying to. Then I saw the question. [What's the best way to get revenge on your ex?]

Leon's comment was pinned as the top reply.

[Design your new house exactly like her dream home, but don't marry her. Put up huge billboards of you and your new wife's wedding photos at the bus stop right outside her apartment building, so she has to see your happiness every single day and regret everything. Name your daughter after her, and then just wait until she starts talking and calls me "Daddy."]

In that moment, the blood in my veins turned to ice.

I clutched his phone, my whole body shaking uncontrollably.

That reply made everything click.

For three years, every time Leon brought up his ex, it wasn't because he didn't love her anymore. It was because he loved her too much.

Leon named our daughter Stella. I never thought twice about it.

He lied to me. "I don't need our daughter to shine like the moon. I just want her to be as carefree as a little star."

I gritted my teeth so hard they hurt.

Naming your daughter after your ex-girlfriend? It wasn't just messed up. It was cruel.

That's not just insane—it's absolutely shameless.

"Irene, look at all these family and friends. Get a grip," Leon said.

"We were just talking. You know how much I hate her. This is really not a big deal," he added.

The sauce was starting to dry on Leon's face.

He was awkwardly dabbing at the grease with napkins, looking all helpless and pitiful. It made a bunch of our friends jump to his defense.

"Irene, it's a happy day. Let's just forget about it, okay?" one of his friends said.

One of his buddies apologized to me. "This is my bad. I'm the idiot who brought up his ex. This is on me.

"You guys have a kid now, and Leon broke up with her years ago. This is ancient history. It's not worth it.

"Honestly, even if Leon does have any feelings left for her, it's pure hate. Shouldn't that make you feel better, not worse?"

Leon nodded along like a bobblehead.

He reached out to put his arm around me, but the grease on his hands was disgusting, and his fake, apologetic face just made me sick.