Chapter 3

"Divorce?" 

Vincent's mind, along with his sight and hearing, sharpened instantly. He frowned and peered disbelievingly at Chloe.

"Yes. I will not repeat myself after this." Chloe said venomously, trying to look confident and strong in front of her cheating husband, and not like a desperate wife he saw her as. 

Vincent had been cheating on her since she was 7 months pregnant, and she had to remind herself of his infidelity to remain firm in her decision. She wasn't in the wrong. 

But only God knew how much her heart was bleeding when she shoved that divorce paper at Vincent. One more signature, and their marriage would be over.

Divorce. 

That word triggered Vincent. He blinked a few times, skimming through the paper. This was a legitimate divorce document! 

Chloe wasn't lying when she said that she wanted a divorce, but the idea of divorce was the furthest thing from Vincent's mind.

He would never divorce this woman!

Vincent wanted his stable life with her to remain. Despite his cheating, he had always given her a comfortable life, a life that almost all women dreamed of. How could she dare to ask for divorce!

In a life of riches, she could get all that she wanted. She could even get a yacht if she wanted to! 

However, Vincent also acknowledged that Chloe wasn't as extravagant as he expected. He wished that Chloe could be more wasteful of their money, so he could also have a reason to call her out.

But that was all he got as a man— money.

"Tch, is this about money? If you're angry at me just because I slept with another woman, just buy yourself something nice. I don't know, new bag, dress, car. Heck, you can even raid Louis Vuitton or Hermes if you want! Whatever floats your boat, so, stop messing around with something like this—" Vincent waved the divorce paper arrogantly at Chloe's dumbfounded face. "If this is a joke, then I'm not laughing, Chloe Gray."

"I am not Chloe Gray anymore, dumbass!" Chloe snatched the divorce paper waved in front of her and turned it around, pointing with her index finger to a spot she had signed on. "I'm going by my maiden name. You can see it for yourself. I don't want anything to do with you, ever."

Vincent squinted and saw the name written under the signature. It really was Chloe Carlson. 

Chloe was serious about divorce, and he didn't understand why. 

"Fuck this, I'm not really in good shape right now," Vincent cursed. He gritted his teeth. The headache was getting worse with every word from Chloe's mouth. "Stop talking nonsense, Chloe. I gave you everything. I gave you money! What else do you need!?"

Chloe covered her gaping mouth. She was speechless, and she realized that Vincent still didn't understand things from her point of view. He didn't see how severe the pain he caused her! 

10 years of marriage, and 8 years were nothing but torture. 

Vincent had forced her to be a good little housewife, taking care of their daughter while he fucked around with every woman he found, and he saw nothing wrong with his actions. 

"I gave you a stable life, a luxurious mansion, and a daughter! So stop beating around the bush and trying to blackmail me with this divorce nonsense. Tell me what you want already!" Vincent yelled at her. 

"I WANT A DIVORCE! I WANT A FUCKING DIVORCE, YOU BASTARD!" Chloe screamed, hitting Vincent's chest with all her might, but she was a small lady, nothing compared to the man in front of her. She couldn't hurt him at all.

Instead, Vincent got annoyed by Chloe hitting his chest. He grabbed her wrists and clenched them tightly, causing her to scream in pain. 

Vincent looked down at Chloe and leaned in until his face was only a few inches away from hers. He repeated his question as if he still didn't understand her words. 

"You want a divorce? Don't be stupid. Let me remind you where you came from, you little bitch. I saved you from poverty. You were dirt poor when I met you in high school. Without me, you wouldn't be able to even pay off your university student loan. You've been using my money ever since we got married. Do you think you can live well without me?"

"Chloe, I know it's hard, but use that small brain of yours for a second.  You're just a dumb housewife, so leave the thinking to me. I'm doing you a big favor," Vincent continued, thinking that it would be enough to intimidate and deter Chloe from a divorce. "Sure, I'm sleeping around with another woman, but did I ever do it inside our house?"

"Did I ever let Mackie see my affair? Did I ever stop giving money to you and Mackie?"

"So, tell me, what do you need to stop this whole divorce thing, Chloe. You'll have nothing if you decide to go through with this divorce."

Chloe stared at the man she had loved since high school, with whom she had shared her bed and her virginity. The man who gave her an adorable daughter and promised that he would be her one and only. 

Her eyes started pooling with tears, and a drop streamed down her cheek, "Love."

"What?" 

"I need love, Vincent Gray," Chloe replied firmly.

…

This time, Vincent was the one who got speechless. That word sounded foreign in his ear, as he hadn't heard that from Chloe for a long time.

"Vincent Gray, look into my eyes and tell me truthfully, do you still love, and think of me as your rightful wife?"