Chapter 3

Water was dripping from my hair. I felt freezing cold, my fingertips numb.

I slammed my hand onto the main light switch.

The blinding chandelier light flooded the room, cutting them apart. Pierre and Bella jumped, startled.

A flash of panic crossed their faces, but they quickly recovered.

Bella slowly slid out of Pierre's lap, giving me a triumphant, mocking look.

My heart was pounding, and my voice shook as I screamed:

"Bella, get the hell out of my house!"

Pierre let out a soft chuckle and walked over. He looked at my soaking-wet, miserable state and smirked.

"Ellis, this is my house, not yours."

"I let you live here, but don't get ahead of yourself. You are not the mistress of this estate."

Bella stood behind him, looking smug.

"Ellis, where were you fooling around to end up looking like a drowned rat?" she sneered.

I was shaking with rage, tears burning my eyes as I glared at Pierre.

"Pierre, why are you doing this to me? Why?"

Before Pierre could speak, Bella whimpered, her eyes filling with fake tears:

"Ellis, don't act like you don't know why."

"You were the one who tore Pierre and me apart years ago! We loved each other so much!"

Me? Tearing them apart? Our marriage was a completely normal arrangement between two families.

Before I met Pierre, his parents swore to me that he was single.

They only mentioned he had an gold-digging ex-girlfriend who was ancient history.

Besides, Pierre had dated several other girls before marrying me.

How was any of this my fault?

I looked Bella up and down, letting out a disgusted laugh.

"Oh, so you're that gold-digging ex-girlfriend?"

"Didn't you take five million dollars from his mother to leave him? Why are you acting like a saint now?"

Bella's face went pale. Her eyes darted around nervously.

But she quickly recovered her innocent act.

"What nonsense! Do you have any proof? You're just throwing dirt on me!"

Pierre glared at me, stepping in front of Bella defensively.

"Shut up, Ellis. Bella would never do that. Don't make up lies because you're jealous."

"You ruined our lives. If you hadn't showed up, Bella and I would have been back together years ago."

His brow furrowed, his face twisting with a deep, bitter resentment.

"You've always been so proud, so arrogant. Even when we got married, you looked down on me."

"Now your family is broke, and you're just an employee in my company. Yet you still act like you're above me."

"You have no value left to me."

"Let's get a divorce."

So this was what my husband had been thinking all these years.

The sheer weight of his accusations felt like a physical blow. I could barely breathe.

I blinked hard, forcing my tears back, and kept my voice steady:

"Fine. Let's divorce. But we split all marital assets 50/50. Including this house."

Pierre's eyes widened in disbelief, his voice rising in anger:

"You're agreeing just like that?"

"Keep dreaming! I'm not giving you a single penny!"

"I've been supporting you ever since the Hendersons went under. Your family really is a bunch of greedy merchants."

Bella chimed in right on cue:

"See? She's the real gold digger here! How dare you accuse me?"

I walked right up to Pierre, looking him dead in the eye. "If I don't get my money, I'm not signing anything."

I slammed my shoulder into his as I walked past him, heading straight upstairs to my room.

I wasn't going to let them win this easily.

Once, he had given me a fairytale wedding. He had been gentle and sweet.

I thought we could live a quiet, peaceful life together. When did he turn into this monster?

Downstairs, I heard the sound of a glass smashing against the wall, followed by the heavy slam of the front door.

He had left with Bella.