She knew how much of a cheating bastard he was, but she didn't expect him to cheat on the day their daughter turned 7!
"You're fucking crazy, Vincent. Mackenzie's been waiting for you to return home! All she wants for her birthday is a beautiful cake with us by her side!" Chloe started yelling on the phone, expressing her frustration to her husband.
"Oh, shut up, Chloe! Just get her something from Amazon. I gave you my credit card so you can take care of her!" Vincent retorted. "Buy her something expensive, or things that she likes, I don't know. Whatever makes her happy!"
"You—" Chloe was speechless. She knew that her husband didn't care about her anymore. This marriage was doomed after 10 years. Yet, she didn't expect her husband to ignore their only daughter, the fruit of their passionate love.
"Vincent, who's on the phone? Is it your fat wife again?"
"Sshh!" Vincent tried to silence the woman he was with right now.
"Geez, Vincent, why do you need to hide it anyway? She literally caught us fucking in your office. She knows everything already," the woman snatched the phone from Vincent's hand and talked to Chloe.
"Hey, fat lady~ Vincent and I are in the hotel. We're having a loooot of fun~."
"…"
The woman realized that Chloe must've been so shocked right now, "Why the silence, blobby? I thought you've seen us plenty of times already."
"…"
"Oh well, I'm going to hang up now. We're in the middle of the fun. Don't disturb us!"
BEEEEEP.
Chloe's body trembled. She clenched her phone and bit her lower lip until it bled. She didn't want to cry in the night and woke Mackenzie up.
She didn't want her daughter to know about this problem. The more she tried to cover it, the more painful it was in her heart. It felt like a knife plunged into it the more she was processing what was happening right now. A tear dropped from the edge of her eyes, falling to the glass of white wine in her hand.
It was stupid to even think about, but Chloe wanted her marriage to be intact. She wanted to mend things and work it out with Vincent, because they were married from love. Chloe always idolized a stable married life with her husband.
Vincent rarely came home these days, saying that he went on a business trip. "Fucking his secretary in the office or a hotel." seemed to be part of his business trip now.
She thought she could tolerate everything, but when he refused to come home for their daughter's birthday dinner, that was the end of the line.
She could tolerate it no more. She was done, sick and tired of everything.
She wanted to break free from this unhappy marriage.
She didn't know if she would find another man after this, nor did she want to have one after such a painful experience. And she would be a divorcée, something frowned upon in her big family.
She was also worried for Mackenzie. She didn't know how Mackenzie would react, knowing that her parents would be separated. What would she think of them? How would this affect her, even?
But…
"I can't. I can't stay like this forever. I will go crazy if I let him torment me with his bullshit."
Chloe drank the wine in one gulp to drink her tears. She put the glass on the table, right beside a divorce paper filled for her part.
There was only one spot left, the signature.
She stared at the divorce paper for a while and picked the pen.
She signed the divorce paper with her maiden name since she wouldn't be Mrs. Gray any longer;
Chloe Carlson.
Chapter 2
Vincent returned home, his head was banging as he stepped out of the car. He had a blast last night in the hotel room with Priscilla— his secretary and a longtime affair of 4 years. Priscilla mentioned something about the wedding ring, but he shook his head to ward off the thought, maybe he had too many drinks in the morning.
"Just divorce your fatass wife already. You don't like her anymore, right? Heck, you can't even look at her for more than 10 seconds!" Priscilla shouted, which pricked a sensitive topic for Vincent.
"She is still a good wife. Just became ugly after getting pregnant and giving birth to our daughter," Vincent replied. As crazy as it sounded, he still took his wife's side when he got cornered by Priscilla.
"Oh, come on, if it's just cooking, washing dishes, doing the laundry. You can just hire maids!" Priscilla rolled her eyes. "I've been with you for 4 years, don't be a wishy-washy little bitch!"
…
Vincent stayed silent, seemingly ignoring her, much to Priscilla's disdain.
"Urrgh! Fine, I'm audi! I don't like going like this forever, you better commit to our relationship! Oh, I want my ring, and make sure it's a diamond!"
He didn't give her a look by the time she wrapped her hair into a ponytail, took her bag, and left, making her remark by smashing the door. Meanwhile, Vincent just stared at the city below from the balcony, with another shot of gin for breakfast before he returned home.
**
Vincent parked his car in the garage. He might've hit the bumper. He wasn't sure. But he didn't care. For now, he just wanted to see his daughter, Mackenzie.
He felt guilty for missing out on his daughter's special day. He was so caught up in the mood with Priscilla that he had abandoned everything else last night.
Vincent opened the door leading to the living room. His eyes scanned around and saw his wife— Chloe Gray - sitting on the couch, casting a look that could be described as a mix of anger and disappointment.
"Welcome home," Chloe greeted with a cold voice. "I'm surprised you found your way back here. I thought you'd forgotten already. It's already past noon, by the way."
Vincent held his head as he got dizzy, walking toward Chloe, "Where's Mackenzie? I will bring her to the Mall."
"She's in my mom's house right now," Chloe replied. "She didn't get the birthday she deserved, so I told her that she could celebrate with her grandma and cousins there."
Vincent frowned, "Why'd you do that? We'd always celebrate Mackie's birthday together. I just missed a day!"
"A day?!" Chloe glared at him. "Vincent Gray, do you not realize that you've been away for Months!? I can count with my fingers how many times you have returned home in the past 3 months! If you want to spend your time with that harpy of a secretary, JUST GO!"
"Oh, shut up, Chloe. I ain't got time for this shit! So what? I toy around with her on the job, don't fucking ignore the fact that I can be exhausted with work alone! Hell, arguing with you exhausts me even more!" Vincent was annoyed now. He came home today to celebrate his daughter's birthday, not listen to Chloe yelling about the same thing repeatedly.
"Exhausted?" Chloe bit her lower lip. Her fists had been clenched the whole time as she was so close to punching this estranged husband of hers.
But she was ready for a bigger hit than just a punch. She was ready for everything after she spent the whole night crying about it, thinking that the family she painstakingly tried to keep together finally crumbled down when she signed that paper.
She hadn't slept the whole night. No matter how many times she closed her eyes, they would burst open whenever she heard the sound of a car outside, hoping that it was Vincent's car.
But it was never Vincent, because that bastard of a man was spending his time ravaging his secretary in the hotel room, ignoring his real family.
Chloe took the divorce paper from the table and shoved it on Vincent's chest.
Vincent was taken aback, frowning. He was still dizzy and could hardly read such small words.
"What the hell is this?" he asked.
"I'm making you exhausted? Fine, let that thing be your remedy," Chloe said. "That's a divorce paper. I've filled in my part and signed it. You do your part, or should I call your secretary to help, seeing how you're drunk as a dog?"
Chapter 3
3 Chapter 3
"Divorce?"
Vincent's mind, alongside his sight and hearing, sharpened instantly. He frowned and peered at Chloe.
"Yes. I will not repeat myself after this." Chloe confirmed, speaking with venom in her mouth. She tried hard to stay strong as she didn't want to look desperate in front of her cheating husband, who had cheated on her since she was 7 months pregnant.
But God knew how much her heart was bleeding when she shoved that divorce paper to Vincent.
Divorce.
That word triggered Vincent. He blinked a few times to skim through the paper. It was all legit. Chloe wasn't lying when she said that she wanted a divorce, and the idea of divorce was out of Vincent's mind.
He would never divorce this woman!
Vincent thought that he had a stable life with her, despite him cheating, he had always given her a comfortable life, a life that almost all women dreamed of.
In a life of riches, she could get all that she wanted. She could 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 with a 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 to endure the headache. "Stop talking about weird stuff, Chloe. I gave you everything. I gave you money! What else do you need!?"
Chloe covered her gaping mouth. She was left speechless, and she realized that Vincent still didn't understand how serious this was. How serious the pain he had inflicted on Chloe's heart.
10 years of marriage, and 8 years were nothing but torture. Where Vincent forced her to be a good little housewife, taking care of their daughter while he fucked around with every woman he found.
"I gave you a stable life, a luxury house, and a daughter! Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you want already!" Vincent yelled at her.
"I WANT A DIVORCE! I WANT A FUCKING DIVORCE, YOU BASTARD!" Chloe started hitting Vincent's chest with all her might, but she was a small lady, nothing compared to the man in front of her
Vincent got annoyed by Chloe hitting his chest. He grabbed Chloe's wrists and clenched them tightly, "Ah!"
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 what went wrong.
"Let me remind you where you came from, you little bitch. I picked you up from poverty. You were dirt poor when you're in high school. I helped you pay your student loan, and we got hitched soon after. Do you think you can go out there and live well without me?"
"Chloe, use your small brain for a second. I know you're just a dumb housewife, but I'm doing you a favor," Vincent said, 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 saw my affair? Did I 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 without me if you decide to go through with this divorce."
Chloe stared at the man she had loved for 15 years, with whom she had shared her bed. The man who gave her an adorable daughter and promised that he would love her one and only.
Her eyes started pooling with tears, and a drop streamed on her cheek, "Love."
"What?"
"I need love, Vincent Gray," Chloe replied firmly.
…
This time, Vincent was the one who got speechless. That word sounded ancient 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?"
Chapter 4
"Vincent Gray, look into my eyes and tell me truthfully, do you still love, and think of me as your rightful wife?"
Vincent went silent instantly. He wasn't sure how to answer the question that was shot out of Chloe's mouth. When they first got married, he thought that he would love her forever and had many children with her. Having a family of his own was nice, but when she got pregnant, Vincent got impatient waiting to have sex, so he went outside and started fucking around to relieve himself.
That one time started the spiraling ecstasy of cheating that drowned him, making him addicted to repeatedly cheating with many women while ignoring his real family. Even after Mackenzie was born, his habit only got even stronger.
If he said he loved her, she might tear through it and call him out as insincere.
Chloe bit her lower lip, and the tears started streaming freely from the edge of her eyes, "Fine, I'll ask you a simple question!" She stammered. "Are you willing to fuck me just like you did before I got pregnant?"
…
Another question was left unanswered.
Vincent wouldn't lie that he felt so gross to even think about fucking Chloe when she got fat from pregnancy. Plus, the years of mothering Mackenzie made Chloe fatter and unkempt, giving Vincent more reasons to sleep with his secretary and even more women outside.
Even after Chloe had reverted back to her original body... he thought deeply.
Vincent gulped. He was absolutely tongue-tied right now, unable to answer any question from Chloe.
Chloe's heart sank when she realized that Vincent couldn't say anything now. She knew that she was already undesirable to him. There was no reason to stay.
"I'll take your silence as a no then." Chloe spat out, her face red with anger. "Fine then. That's a good reason for a divorce. Sign the paper. I'll handle the rest—"
"No."
Chloe was astonished when Vincent still firmly refused.
"What do you want then? What do you want from this kind of loveless marriage? If it's about Mackenzie, we can take turns parenting and make her feel there's nothing wrong between us. Simple as that," Chloe said. She shook her head out of disbelief, she just couldn't handle this man at all. "I just can't, Vincent. You don't desire me at all and you forced me to play little house while you fuck around outside. Do you think I'm just furniture in this house, your fucking mad!?"
Chloe struggled again, and Vincent finally released the grip on her wrists. She looked at Vincent still with eyes glazing with tears.
Vincent took a deep breath. He looked away and replied, "Do you think I'm stupid? I know that you just want to take my money from the divorce settlement, and you can sleep with other men, ain't that right?" Vincent said. He sounded calm when he accused Chloe of such a thing. "Leech."
"How dare you! I don't need your fucking money, not after all this!" Chloe yelled. "I will only take my belongings and my daughter. Nothing else!"
Chloe walked off from Vincent and went to their bedroom. She had already packed everything in big luggage— containing only her clothes and a few bags and shoes.
She returned to Vincent, who stood still, eyeing her like a hawk.
"Sign the divorce paper. I can't wait for us to officially end in the court," Chloe said. She walked to the front door, and Vincent finally reacted.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Anywhere not here, I will bring Mackenzie's stuff with me after finding a place to settle. It won't take long." Chloe said firmly.
"You won't survive, Chloe. You won't be able to work anywhere. You're 35 years old. Nobody wants an old woman like you-" Vincent said ruthlessly.
Chloe halted her step and looked over her shoulder. She was so hurt that she wanted to cry again. But there were no more tears to be shed. She was done with him.
"I hope you won't say the same thing to your next woman, Vincent Gray."
Chloe finally left the house, leaving Vincent alone in the home they built together. She called a taxi and asked the driver to go to the nearest motel because she didn't have much money.
Chloe turned her head and watched the beautiful home she treasured so much. She had a lot of memories there, but the bad memories outweighed the good ones.
'My beautiful family….' Chloe mumbled, lamenting over her shattered family.
**
Meanwhile, Vincent was still trying to process what had just happened. He sat on the sofa and put the divorce paper on the table.
He grumbled and placed his hands against his head. Did he really say those hurtful things to Chloe just to vent out his anger? His instinct told him not to divorce her, despite him being unsure if he still loved her or not.
The divorce settlement wasn't an issue. He had so much money from his company and inheritance. Even if Chloe had to get half, he would still be filthy rich.
Signing this paper would mean that he could be free from the guilt of cheating. He could sleep with anyone he liked without repercussions, and Chloe had already said that she would take Mackenzie with her.
He would be free...
"But why?" Vincent asked himself as he continued pondering. "Why can't I sign this divorce paper?"
Chapter 5Chloe sat in a daze in the taxi. She kept thinking about Vincent and her daughter. She was forming the right plan in her head, so Mackenzie wouldn't be too shocked once she realized that her parents would be separated.
Because Mackenzie was the true victim here, in every separation, the one who would suffer the most was the children. Chloe would understand the pain really well because her parents were also divorced when she was 15.
'Vincent was my safe haven when my parents divorced.' Chloe thought. 'I found solace in him, and I'm at peace, but now-'
"Ma'am, this is the nearest motel. Quite far from your expensive gated neighborhood if I have to be honest. '' The taxi driver said as he took a left turn to stop right in front of the motel lobby.
"Ah, thank you," Chloe paid the taxi driver and grabbed her bag. She stood for a while, looking at the shabby motel in front of her. No, she wasn't scared of what awaited her in the motel. She was never the kind of person who sought after luxury. As long as she had a normal comfortable and complete family, she would be more than happy.
She was just worried about her daughter. Since Mackenzie was used to living in their luxurious home, living in such a shabby motel might stress her out.
…
"'I'll have to let her stay at Mom's for a while, at least until I can find a permanent residence for us," Chloe said to herself, then she walked inside the motel lobby.
She checked in for a week and hoped to land a job right after three days, whatever that was, cause she didn't have enough savings for herself. Chloe unlocked her motel door and sat on the bed for a while, gazing at the wall. She turned to her left and saw her reflection in a tall mirror inches away.
She stood up and pressed her oversized shirt to accentuate her waist as she continued checking on herself in the mirror.
She wasn't fat— well, she used to be 4 years after she got pregnant. It was mostly because of pregnancy and the difficulty controlling her weight after giving birth. Taking care of baby Mackenzie wasn't an easy task as well. Combined with Vincent's disgust upon seeing her body, she lost all her will to lose weight.
However, as Mackenzie grew up and her marriage was on the brink of destruction, three years of depression drained Chloe of her weight.
She couldn't eat because she remembered how Vincent ridiculed her for being fat shit the moment she ate something. She developed an eating disorder, and ate very little, even to this day.
It wasn't a healthy way to lose weight, but she did return to her original shape. In fact, she got even thinner as time went by, that depression and eating disorder really started to eat her up.
Chloe chuckled mirthlessly, "What's the point of returning to my original shape when Vincent still refused to touch me? He didn't even want to look at me before."
It had been a while since Chloe paid attention to herself in the mirror. Before, Vincent continuously degraded her as a filthy woman (perhaps worse than filthy), undeserving of being his wife. So, she dared not look at her reflection further, afraid she would hate her appearance even more.
She walked closer to the mirror.
She looked at her face and noticed the trace of sadness, baggy eyes, and a somewhat downturned face. She tried to perk her lips up, hoping it would lighten her face a bit.
"It's been a while since I saw myself smiling…." Chloe mumbled. She might not be the most beautiful woman on Earth, but she wasn't bad-looking at all. She was just burdened with a lot of sadness in her life, which made her look unkempt.
"I think I can wear make-up to cover the dark spots and that tired eyes, maybe I should ask Allie about good skincare products if I have saved enough money later. And hopefully, that's enough to land me a good job, plus my university degree, of course."
Chloe sighed as she wondered about her future. As much as she hated it, Vincent was right. She was just a housewife for 10 years straight, and without him and his money, nothing wouldn't come her way.
She could get a job when she was 24 and graduated from university. But Vincent proposed to her right after she graduated with him, "And I stupidly say yes. That's tragic, Chloe. You could've worked on your dream job as a teacher."
…
"Anyway, I can't stay like this for too long. I need to quickly get a job for me and Mackenzies future. Hopefully that bastard signed the papers so I can just move on. Since I won't take a single dime from him, I guess the court process will be faster," Chloe said. "Right, time to check on Mackenzie."
She fished out her phone from her handbag and called her mom. It was the latest model of phones, a pricey one at that, more than she could ever afford. The phone beeped twice before her mom picked up the call:
—
"Chloe?"
"Hi mom. Is Mackie still in your house?"
"Slow down, dear. You sound worried. Is there something wrong?" Judith— Chloe's mom asked.
Chloe paused for a moment, thinking that she shouldn't tell such a shocking event to her mother too quickly because it might affect her declining health.
"Nothing's wrong mom, I just…need a breather that's all"
"I see."
"Mom, Mackie is still with you, right? Can you let her stay for a sleepover? I can't take her home. I have a little trouble right now," Chloe said.
"Ah, Vincent picked her up about 10 minutes ago," Judith replied. "I thought you were the one who asked Vincent to pick her up. He said they were going to the mall to buy Mackie a birthday gift."
