Chapter 5

The schedule to level this house was finalized. My family's asset management team informed me that by this Friday morning, the demolition crew would wipe this place completely flat.

Julian treated our marriage like a joint business venture. I acted as a hidden, bleeding investor, putting all my cards on the table. And him? He only squandered the dividends without ever investing a single cent.

Since that was how it was, this so-called marital home was just a final bad debt that needed to be liquidated. I was going to erase it physically, down to zero.

I came home and opened the front door, only to be hit by the pungent, cloying scent of sweet perfume.

On the entryway mat, a strange pair of stilettos rested directly against custom men's oxfords. The two pairs of shoes were pressed close together, giving off a brazen intimacy, just like a loving couple returning from their honeymoon.

They were supposed to be "on a business trip" in another city until the weekend. Now, not only had they come back early, but they had dragged their luggage straight into my house without a second thought.

I walked into the living room.

Vanessa was sprawled across the cushions, wearing my sheet mask on her face and wrapped in my silk robe.

But what really caught my eye was the necklace resting against her collarbone.

It was Julian's gift to me for our first wedding anniversary. He had told me it was too precious and to keep it safe. I was so careful when cleaning it, always keeping it buried at the bottom of my jewelry box, entirely too scared to wear it.

"This makes me look so old," Vanessa complained, pouting.

Then, she casually pinched the necklace and gave it a hard yank.

The necklace hit the hardwood floor.

I stared at the path the necklace took, feeling the absolute absurdity of it all.

The thing I had cherished as a totem of our love was, to them, just cheap garbage to be tossed aside. The last thread of nostalgia in my heart snapped entirely clean.

Vanessa gasped, jerking upright. "Ch-Chloe! Why are you home from work so early? I... I was just borrowing some of your things, are you mad at me?"

Julian walked out of the master bedroom.

The moment he saw me, a brief flash of surprise crossed his eyes before his face froze into ice. He glanced at the necklace on the floor and walked straight to Vanessa.

"It's just a necklace. Who are you pulling that long face for the second you walk in?" Julian turned, glaring down at me.

"I haven't said a word," I said, staring at him coldly.

"You don't need to speak, your vicious attitude is written all over your face!" His voice suddenly escalated, echoing through the room. "Are you still throwing this tantrum over the credit cards? The card declined again on our trip, and Vanessa had to pay the bill!"

Vanessa immediately started sobbing. "Julian, don't yell at her. It's all my fault. My depression flared up again recently, and I've just become a burden. That's why Chloe is upset..."

"This has nothing to do with you, you're the victim here!" Julian turned to comfort her.

When he looked back at me, his eyes held a strict command. "Vanessa could have an episode at any time, she can't live alone. I've already moved her in. For the foreseeable future, she's staying here. She needs someone to take care of her."

I stared at his self-righteous face, saving myself the trouble of even scoffing.

"This house is about to be leveled."

Julian froze, his brows knitting tightly together.

Beside him, Vanessa's eyes darted around before she suddenly clapped her hands, dramatically covering her mouth in a gasp. "Oh my god, Julian! Don't you see? Chloe must think this small house is beneath your current status. She's tearing it down to build you a huge mansion with a pool! She's compensating you!"

Julian's expression looked as if someone hit a reset button. Instantly, the anger in his eyes receded like the tide, replaced by an immensely inflated ego.

"At least you have some sense." Julian adjusted his shirt cuffs like a king giving orders. "Since it's for a new house, put the demolition on hold. Vanessa's health comes first. She has to stay here for now."

"I really don't want to be a bother..." Vanessa murmured softly. "Chloe, what if I pay a little rent? Two hundred dollars a month, is that okay?"

"Nonsense," Julian interrupted without hesitation, his tone doting. "You really think you're paying to stay here?"

I watched the two of them, hyping each other up in the exact same delusional frequency.

"A house with the same square footage in this downtown zip code starts at seven thousand a month," I dropped the realistic number.

Julian rolled his eyes, utterly unbothered. "Always talking about money. Can't you have a shred of human decency? Do you have to be this petty over pocket change?"

I suddenly laughed internally. Back when we first started dating and went to cheap diners, he made sure to split a twelve-dollar bill with me down to the exact cent.

"Listen, Chloe. Drop this cheap talk about rent. As long as you let Vanessa stay here and stop throwing tantrums, I'll be generous and withdraw my decision to divorce you."

He stared at me intently, as if he held my life in his hands. In his mind, the word "divorce" was a noose around my neck. The second he pulled it tight, I'd panic and throw away all my boundaries.

Julian assumed I was panicking and backing down just like old times. He scoffed. "But remember this—just because I take divorce off the table doesn't mean you can lose your manners. You need to learn your lesson."

"Go over there and get on your knees for Vanessa. Apologize properly for insulting her and causing her episode. As long as she forgives you, I'll pretend the divorce never happened."

Vanessa bit down hard on her lower lip, suppressing a grin that practically reached her ears. Her eyes locked onto my knees like a vulture waiting for me to fall into the mud.

"I don't think you heard me."

I pulled the divorce papers directly out of my bag and tossed them onto the coffee table, cutting off his pathetic charity.

"Julian, we are already divorced."