The Divorce Play
I stood in the corner, holding my wine glass, my gaze unwillingly drawn to my husband Mark Lewis.
He wore a dark gray suit today—the one I had tailored for him just last month.
But at that moment, the person standing next to him wasn't me.
It was Mindy Xavier, his ex-girlfriend.
They were pressed so close together, Mindy's hand resting on his arm.
"Stacy, what are you staring at?" A classmate beside me tapped my arm.
I snapped out of it, shook my head, and said it was nothing.
Turning around to find somewhere to calm down, my phone suddenly buzzed.
It was a photo from my best friend. The moment I opened it, my blood ran cold.
In the photo, Mark Lewis had his arm around Mindy's waist, kissing her on a hotel balcony.
The neon sign in the background was glaringly clear—it was the same hotel where we had stayed on our wedding anniversary.
I clenched my phone, my knuckles turning white.
I hurried up to Mark Lewis and thrust the phone in front of his eyes.
"What is this?" My voice trembled.
Mark glanced at the photo, his expression unchanged but his brow furrowed.
"It's just some fun at the reunion. Don't make a big deal out of it," he said flatly.
Mindy Xavier stood beside him, a provocative smile curling at the corner of her mouth.
"Just some fun? Does that mean kissing like that?" I locked eyes with him.
The classmates around us turned to look, whispering nonstop.
Mark Lewis's face finally darkened as he dragged me toward the corridor.
Mindy Xavier trailed behind, looking like a conqueror.
"Stacy Shaw, can't you give me some face?" He yanked his hand away from mine.
"Respect is something you earn, not something I give." I bit my lip and said.
Mark suddenly smiled, his gaze sharp with calculation.
"Since you've seen it, I won't keep it from you. Mindy has returned, and I want to be with her."
My heart felt like it had been smashed by a sledgehammer.
"So, what do you want? A divorce?"
"Divorce is fine, but you'll have to hand over the downtown apartment from your dowry, plus 5% of the Shaw Group shares, to Mindy as a parting gift." He said it with complete brazenness.
I could hardly believe my ears.
"Mark Lewis, are you out of your mind?" I raised my voice.
"I was the one who picked that apartment for you, and your father only gave you the shares out of respect for me. So what if I transfer them to Mindy?" He shot back.
Looking at this familiar yet strange man before me, I was suddenly overwhelmed by a bitter sense of irony.
Back then, he had nothing; it was my father who lent him a hand and got him appointed general manager at the Shaw Group.
Now, he acts as if all of this is rightfully his.
"Impossible." I said, firm and resolute.
"Stacy Shaw, don't take my kindness for weakness!" Mark Lewis's voice grew savage.
Mindy Xavier stepped forward, hooking her arm around his, and said softly, "Mark, don't argue with her. Maybe she just doesn't understand yet."
Their pretentious display made my stomach turn.
"Mark Lewis, we're getting a divorce." I spoke again, my voice unnervingly calm.
Mark Lewis froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard by my bluntness.
"Fine, we'll get a divorce, but don't think you'll walk away with anything!" he snarled.
"I don't want a thing. I just want to sever all ties with you." I turned and walked away, not looking back for a second.
Behind me, Mindy Xavier's laugh rang out—sharp, grating, and sickening.
I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms.
Mark Lewis, Mindy Xavier, just you wait.
By the time I got home, it was already late at night.
The living room light was still on; Mark Lewis sat on the sofa, smoking, cigarette butts scattered all over the floor.
I slipped off my shoes and headed straight to the bedroom.
"Stop." He spoke suddenly.
I didn't stop, just kept walking forward.
He lunged at me, grabbing my wrist with a grip so fierce it felt like he might crush my bones.
"Stacy Shaw, do you really want a divorce?"
"Yes." I struggled, trying to pull free.
"Do you think divorce is that easy?" He sneered, "Without my consent, your father won't let you divorce me."
"My dad respects my decisions." I looked him straight in the eyes.
Just then, the door opened, and Mark Lewis's mother walked in.
Seeing the tense standoff between us, she immediately rushed over to take sides.
"Stacy, what's wrong with you? Mark just said a few words to an old classmate. Is that really a reason to demand a divorce?" She pushed me away forcefully.
I staggered back several steps, nearly losing my balance.
"Ms., it's not just a few words between him and Mindy Xavier." I steadied myself.
"What, Mindy? She's Mark's old classmate. Don't jump to conclusions." She stepped in front of Mark Lewis to protect him.
Mark Lewis seized the chance to pull his hand away and took a step back.
"Mom, she wants to divorce me but won't transfer the apartment and shares to Mindy." He played the victim right away.
Mark's mother immediately glared at me. "Stacy Shaw, you're so selfish! Keeping those things with you is just pointless. What's wrong with transferring them to Mindy? Mark's happiness is what matters most!"
I was so angry, I almost laughed.
"Those are my things, and I have the right to decide who gets them."
"Your things? If it weren't for Mark, where would you be today?" Mark's mother raised her voice, "If Mark hadn't been willing to marry you back then, do you really think you'd have married so well now?"
That sentence stabbed like a thorn deep into my heart.
Back then, I defied my family's opposition and insisted on marrying him. Now, looking back, I see how blind I was.
"I married him because I loved him, not because he was outstanding." I fought back my tears.
"Can love put food on the table? Mark is successful now—you should be more understanding of him." Mark's mother was relentless.
Mark Lewis chimed in beside her, 'Exactly. Don't always make a fuss over nothing; it's affecting our relationship.'
"There's no feeling left between us anymore." I said coldly.
"Just because you say there isn't, that means there isn't?" Mark took a step forward. "Stacy Shaw, I'm telling you, this marriage—whether you want a divorce or not, it's happening. But you have to hand over the dowry to Mindy!"
I looked at his arrogant expression and suddenly calmed down.
"Mark Lewis, don't forget, everything you have now comes from the Shaw family."
"I earned it all myself!" he said defiantly.
"By skill? Without my dad giving you the chance, could you have ever become general manager at Shaw Corporation?" I retorted.
His expression darkened instantly.
"Since you're so ungrateful, don't blame me for being ruthless." I pulled out my phone and called Assistant Clark.
"Hello, Assistant Clark, first thing tomorrow morning, inform HR to remove Mark Lewis from the position of general manager at the Shaw Group, and to reclaim the company car and apartment assigned to him."
Mark's face fell sharply at my words.
"Stacy Shaw, how dare you!"
"What am I afraid of?" I hung up. "The Shaw Group is my family's company. I can make anyone leave if I want."
Mark's mother grew agitated and grabbed my clothes. "You ungrateful wretch! Mark has done so much for the Shaw Group, and you just say it's over?"
I shrugged off her hand and stepped back. "Doing things? I haven't even settled the score with him for what he's done."
"What do you want?" Mark Lewis stared at me warily.
"Nothing much, just sending you back to where you belong." I turned and walked into the bedroom, locking the door behind me.
From outside came curses from Mark and his mother, but I didn't care in the slightest.
From today on, I won't let anyone push me around anymore.
To avoid Mark Lewis, I used a business trip as an excuse and went to Mindy Xavier's hometown.
It was a remote small county with very inconvenient transportation.
I found a small inn to stay at and began asking around about Mindy Xavier's situation.
When the locals mentioned Mindy Xavier, their expressions became complicated.
"You're talking about Mindy Xavier? She's not an easy person," the boss's wife at the grocery store said as she handed me my change.
"What do you mean?" I quickly pressed her for more.
"She used to date several guys in the county, each of whom spent a lot on her, but in the end, she ran off with someone else." The boss's wife lowered her voice.
My heart sank. I pressed on, "So how did she end up moving to the big city later?"
"I heard she got involved with a boss, but not long after, the boss's wife showed up, sparking a huge scandal." The boss's wife shook her head. "After that, she never came back. I never expected she'd be doing so well now."
I took out my phone and secretly recorded our conversation.
I asked several others who knew Mindy Xavier, and their answers were all the same.
It turned out Mindy had been lying all along. She wasn't some innocent girl—she was a calculating, scheming woman.
After collecting all the evidence, I immediately bought a return ticket.
I thought Mark Lewis might rein himself in a bit, but as soon as I opened the front door, loud voices spilled from the living room.
Pushing the door open, I found the living room packed with people, the floor scattered with empty wine bottles and snack wrappers.
Mindy Xavier was wearing my pajamas, sitting on the sofa, clutching my limited edition bag.
Mark Lewis sat beside her, peeling an orange for her.
"Stacy Shaw? Why are you back?" Mark Lewis froze when he saw me.
Mindy Xavier looked up, her eyes wide with surprise, then quickly masked it with calm.
"This is my home. Why can't I come back?" I stepped inside, frowning as I took in the mess before me.
"We're having a party. You should go back to the bedroom first." Mark Lewis stood up, trying to push me toward the bedroom.
"A party? A party in my own house—did you even ask for my permission?" I shook off his hand.
Mindy Xavier stood up, stepped in front of me, and deliberately swung the bag in her hand. "Stacy, this bag is really nice. Mark said you didn't need it anymore, so I asked to use it first."
"My things—since when did you get to decide what happens to them?" I reached out to take the bag back.
She dodged backward and deliberately threw herself to the ground.
"Ah!" she cried out in surprise.
Mark Lewis immediately rushed over, helped Mindy Xavier up, and glared at me fiercely. "Stacy Shaw, what do you think you're doing?"
"What am I doing? She fell all on her own!" I trembled with rage.
"Do you take me for a fool? I clearly saw you push her!" Mark shielded Mindy as if she were a treasure.
The crowd around us began whispering—some said I was petty, others pitied Mindy.
"Mark Lewis, take a good look. This is my home, and all of you need to get out!" I pointed toward the door.
"Don't overstep!" Mark's friend stood up, pointing at my nose. "Mark is cutting you some slack—don't make a mockery of his goodwill!"
"Cutting me slack? You're making a mess in my own home, and you call that giving me face?" I sneered, "If you don't leave right now, I'll call the police."
With that, I pulled out my phone and pretended to dial.
Mark's friends' faces fell; they all glanced anxiously at him.
"You're ruthless," Mark ground out through clenched teeth. "Let's get out of here."
Before leaving, Mindy Xavier shot me a glare. "Stacy Shaw, just you wait."
I watched their backs disappear, gripping the voice recorder tightly in my hand.
Mindy Xavier, your good days are coming to an end.
Sitting at my desk, I stared at the evidence I'd gathered, lost in thought.
A simple divorce would be far too easy on Mark Lewis and Mindy Xavier.
I will destroy them completely and make them pay what they deserve.
Early the next morning, I called Assistant Clark.
"Assistant Clark, reinstate Mark Lewis as general manager, and return the car and apartment that were taken from her."
Assistant Clark on the other end paused for a moment: "Ms. Shaw, are you sure?"
"Yes, do exactly as I say." My tone was steady and resolute.
After hanging up, I leaned back in my chair, a cold smile twitching at the corner of my mouth.
Mark Lewis, this is just the beginning.
Before long, Mark Lewis called me.
"Stacy, why have you suddenly changed your mind?" His voice carried a trace of doubt.
"I've thought it through. I was too impulsive before." I deliberately put on a fragile front. "After all, we're still husband and wife. I don't want to make things too harsh."
Mark Lewis on the other end of the line clearly let out a relieved sigh.
"I always knew you still loved me." His tone turned arrogant. "About that apartment and the shares..."
"Let's discuss that once our relationship calms down a bit." I cut him off. "Right now, the most important thing is to live well."
Although Mark Lewis was somewhat displeased, he said no more.
After hanging up, I immediately contacted a private detective.
"Help me look into Mark Lewis's financial condition at the company, especially the projects he's handled."
"Understood, Ms. Shaw. I'll get back to you as soon as possible."
In the days that followed, I pretended nothing had happened, returned home on time each day, and even cooked dinner for Mark Lewis.
He thought I had truly changed my mind and had let down my guard around him.
The private detective worked quickly and soon sent me the information.
Seeing the data in the file, my whole body shook with rage.
Mark Lewis had actually abused his position, embezzling company funds and lining his pockets through fake projects, to the tune of millions.
I organized the information and placed it in a folder.
Thinking of Mindy Xavier again, I called someone I had met earlier in her hometown.
"Help me find some old photos of Mindy Xavier, especially those with her and the men she was involved with, and also any pictures of her being chased and beaten by their wives."
"Alright, Ms. Shaw, I'll do my best to find it."
After hanging up, I stared out at the night, my eyes turning icy cold.
Mark Lewis, Mindy Xavier—you owe me. I will take it all back, piece by piece.
That night, Mark Lewis came home late, smelling of alcohol and perfume.
"Where have you been?" I asked casually, feigning indifference.
"There was a company event. I drank too much," he replied. He said it offhandedly and headed toward the bedroom.
I watched his retreating figure and clenched the folder tightly.
Mark Lewis, savor your final moments while you can.
Soon, you'll have nothing left.
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