Chapter 2 The Reason for the Divorce—He Can’t?

"What have you given up?" Theodore looked at her, his tone mocking. "All these years, have I ever let you go hungry or poorly dressed? I let you be Mrs. Baker for three years, living in comfort and luxury. What more could you want?"

The moment he finished speaking, a sharp "slap" rang out. Heat spread across his cheek as the person who'd been sitting on the sofa now stood right in front of him.

Sienna bit her lip hard, her eyes red as she glared at him. "So you slept with Chloe? Cheating is one thing, but why did it have to be her?"

Seven years of love—from when she was sixteen and first saw Theodore at that party. That boy in the white shirt, the melancholy in his eyes, had instantly captured all her attention.

Back then, the Baker family was barely a blip on the social radar. Many people warned her that Theodore wasn't good enough for her, but she wouldn't listen. She threw herself headlong into this whirlpool of love, step by step helping Theodore become CEO of a publicly traded company.

Every time Sienna thought about this, her heart felt like it was being sliced with knives.

Having been slapped, Theodore's expression finally darkened. He was losing patience, his voice cold and low. "Chloe is smart and independent, and she's New York's youngest chief designer. Besides her background not being as good as yours, what do you have that's better than her?"

Sienna looked at him in disbelief, never imagining this was how he saw her.

Who had turned her from the glamorous Miss Nelson into a housewife who only knew how to do laundry and cook?

If it weren't for him, Sienna would already be on the international stage by now, an even better designer than Chloe.

But Theodore couldn't see any of this. Or rather, he'd never cared.

Sienna closed her eyes in despair and said softly, "Let's get divorced."

Theodore frowned slightly.

Sienna looked at him, her expression numb. "Since you like Chloe so much, I'll make it easy for you. I'll have my lawyer send you the divorce papers soon."

Theodore looked at her for a few seconds, then let out a soft laugh, full of contempt.

"Divorce?" He walked closer, looking down at her. "Sienna, you think you can threaten me with this cheap trick?"

Sienna said nothing.

"Where would you even go after a divorce? You think the Nelson family would accept a divorced daughter?" Theodore leaned down slightly, his voice low and cold near her ear. "Sienna, without me, you're nothing."

He straightened up and headed upstairs. "You'd better think this through. If you act like nothing happened, I can still let you continue being Mrs. Baker."

Sienna stood there, watching his broad back disappear up the stairs.

She lowered her head and quietly removed the ring from her finger, then slowly clenched her fist.

She raised her eyes to look at her reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window.

The woman in the glass wore simple loungewear, her hair loose, her face bare. She was completely different from the radiant woman she'd been three years ago.

No wonder Theodore chose Chloe. Even she hated what she'd become.

Thinking about how Theodore had said she was nothing without him, Sienna couldn't stop trembling.

She needed to end this marriage that existed in name only and become herself again.

The next day, Sienna went to New York's top law firm.

The person who met with her was her college senior, Alexander Clark—New York's most famous divorce lawyer, in his early thirties, handsome, wearing frameless glasses, with an elegant air about him.

Alexander had once pursued Sienna, but back then her heart and eyes were full of Theodore, so he'd had to give up. That's why he was surprised when Sienna called about a divorce.

Seeing Sienna again, she'd changed into someone he barely recognized. Her eyes seemed covered with a layer of fog, no longer holding their former brightness.

"I need to know the reason for the divorce," Alexander said, looking at her with concern.

Sienna was silent for a few seconds. "He... can't fulfill his marital duties."

"Can you be more specific?"

Sienna pressed her lips together. "We haven't had a physical relationship since we got married."

Alexander froze, looking at Sienna with some surprise. "You mean, after marriage, he never touched you?"

Sienna nodded.

Alexander was silent for a long time, then said gently, "Sienna, don't worry. I'll make sure you get this divorce from Theodore."

Sienna lowered her eyes and replied quietly, "Thank you."

That evening, when Theodore got home, it was almost eleven.

He tugged at his tie and said wearily, "Sienna, get me some hot water."

No response.

Theodore paused, only then noticing that something was missing from the room.

The little decorations Sienna had collected from everywhere were gone from the mantelpiece. The art magazines on the coffee table were gone. Even Sienna's favorite cream-colored heels were missing from the shoe cabinet.

Theodore stood in the middle of the living room, feeling momentarily disoriented.

Usually at this time when he came home, Sienna would come to greet him.

She'd take his coat, ask if he was tired, then go to the kitchen to pour him a glass of warm water—always just the right temperature.

Though she didn't talk much, just quietly keeping him company, now that this companionship had suddenly disappeared, Theodore felt strangely empty inside.

This feeling made him uncomfortable, inexplicably irritated.

"Sir?" The housekeeper Ruth walked over.

"Where's Sienna?" Theodore asked.

Ruth looked at him carefully. "Mrs. Baker moved out this morning."

Theodore frowned slightly.

"Mrs. Baker asked me to give you this." Ruth handed him an envelope.

Theodore took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a divorce agreement.

When he flipped to the last page, Theodore's expression immediately darkened, because there was a line that read:

[Reason for divorce: Due to the husband's inability to perform, failure to fulfill marital duties after marriage, the marital relationship has irretrievably broken down. After consultation between both parties...]

Theodore's eyes widened, his fingertips trembling with anger as he tore the divorce agreement to shreds.

Sienna must have a death wish, daring to say he was impotent!

He paced back and forth for a while, then pulled out his phone, found that familiar number, and dialed.

The phone rang a few times, then connected.

It was noisy on the other end—he could vaguely hear music and laughter.

"Hello?" Sienna's voice came through, carrying a lazy tone.

"Sienna." Theodore's voice was low. "What's the meaning of this divorce agreement?"

There was silence for a few seconds, then Sienna's light laugh came through. "What? Can't Mr. Baker read?"

Theodore's fingers tightened around the phone. "I'm asking why you wrote that I'm impotent and can't fulfill my marital duties in the reason for divorce."

"Did I say something wrong?" Sienna's tone was lazy. "Mr. Baker, please hurry up and sign it. Don't waste my time when I'm trying to enjoy myself."