From Spouse to Business Rival
It began when my mother, before her passing, expressed a wish to see Vivian and her grandson. I rushed home, only to discover her in bed with her former lover, Michael Green C her haunting crush.
I quietly closed the door, arranged my mother's funeral in my hometown, and subsequently called Vivian to propose a Divorce.
Instead, Michael Green's voice, laced with provocation, answered the phone: "I'm sorry, Mr. Sullivan, but she's quite exhausted. She just drifted off to sleep with my assistance. Please don't disturb her."
I said calmly, "Please tell her I want a divorce."
The haunting crush sneered, "I will convey the message!"
A few days later, Vivian returned from her business trip.
I saw her, but didn't greet her with my usual enthusiasm. I simply continued watching television.
"Fetch me a nightgown; I'm exhausted." Vivian ordered me as always, then shed her clothes and walked towards the bathroom.
We were alone. Her clothes fell to the floor, piece by piece, revealing her graceful figure and snow-white skin.
In the past, I wouldn't have been able to resist fawning over her, offering to scrub her back.
But now, my heart is devoid of any emotion.
After her shower, she opened the bathroom door and found me still on the sofa watching television. She frowned slightly and asked, "Why haven't you gotten your pajamas? How about wearing your favorite cartoon ones?"
"When will we file for divorce?"
I asked, my voice flat.
"Don't be absurd. You called so late last time; I was already asleep."
Vivian said with a dismissive air, "Michael Green, as my Assistant, simply answered the phone for me. I spoke to him about it afterward. Can you please stop being jealous?"
"Jealous?"
She assumed I was still jealous, just as I had been before.
But she doesn't know my heart has long since died.
"Alright, fetch my pajamas, I'm quite tired. Let's rest early; we'll visit your mother in the hospital tomorrow." Vivian said.
Her words were like a thorn, piercing my heart anew.
I regarded her coldly: "Visit my mother? Where exactly are you planning to visit her?"
"The hospital, of course."
Vivian stated matter-of-factly: "Oh, and while I was away on business, I made some inquiries. There's a rather good hospital; I can arrange for your mother to be transferred there. The medical facilities are superior in every respect..."
"But my mother is already deceased!"
Before she could finish speaking, I couldn't help but shout.
Vivian trembled, startled by my outburst...
She stared at me in disbelief, even suspecting I was deceiving her.
"You... Your mother... Why was I not informed of this?"
Vivian inquired.
Naturally, she wouldn't know.
When my mother passed, she was here, in bed with some man, enjoying herself without a care in the world.
"Does it even matter now if you knew or not?"
I turned to her, questioning coldly, "You are well aware of what you were doing when my mother was alive and wished to see you."
"Now that she has passed, you claim you want to see her. Do you find this pretense meaningful?"
My outburst silenced her.
She said nothing further, leaving the bathroom in silence and retiring to the dressing room.
Shortly, she reappeared in my favorite pajamas, the ones with the cartoon characters, and, standing at a distance, said, "I'm sorry, I truly didn't know."
Having said that, she turned and went back inside.
Once again, a sharp pain pierced my heart...
We met in high school.
It's amusing to recall that we were in the same class; she was the class monitor, and I, the deputy.
Initially, she consistently ranked first in the class.
Then, one day, my total Exam score was just a single point shy of hers.
She proactively taunted me: "Even if it's only by a point, I'll always be superior, just as I'm the monitor and you're merely the deputy!"
I never understood why she felt the need to provoke me in that way.
But she completely ignited my competitive drive.
Consequently, I dedicated more time to studying each day, often working late into the night. I would send her messages, inquiring if she had fallen asleep.
This inquiry was not born of concern for her well-being.
Rather, it served to gauge the extent of her efforts.
It was also to outwork her by a minute, and then surpass her by a point, to prove my own worth.
She, too, seemed to share this sentiment at the time, reciprocating with messages asking if I had fallen asleep. Despite being a woman, she possessed a fiercely competitive spirit.
We would even stay up until the early hours for this, each determined to outwork the other by a single minute.
However, extremes often lead to their opposite. Such a cutthroat rivalry, coupled with insufficient sleep, resulted in daytime drowsiness.
A day or two is manageable, but over the long term, it becomes unbearable.
Finally, she reached her limit and approached me again: "We need to establish some ground rules. We must be in bed by 10:30 PM every night, and neither of us is allowed to secretly study for even a minute longer!"
I regarded her skeptically, saying, "I'm perfectly capable of that, but I fear you'll resort to trickery!"
She scoffed, "Do you think I would debase myself like that? If I intend to win, it will be through honest means!"
I did not adhere to the agreement.
Although each day at 10:30 PM, we would promptly message each other, confirming that we had ceased studying as agreed.
Yet, I still secretly studied for an extra half hour, even if it was just an extra half hour of reading. I remained convinced that every minute of extra effort would be rewarded.
Once again, the exam results were released.
Unsurprisingly.
I scored two points higher than she did!
She was furious with the exam results.
After school, she told me to wait for her at the bubble tea shop outside the school.
The moment she entered the bubble tea shop, she tore up the exam paper in front of me, threw it at my face, and demanded to know if I had been secretly studying overtime!
Her accusations made me feel somewhat ashamed, and I admitted to studying an extra half hour each day.
I had expected her to be even more enraged upon hearing this.
But upon hearing it, she departed without a word.
Even after another practice exam, she still couldn't surpass me.
She wept in the classroom, inconsolably, and was comforted by teachers and classmates.
That evening, she asked to meet me at the small park.
She questioned me again, asking if I had secretly been extending my study time.
I readily admitted that I was still studying an extra half hour each day.
Upon hearing this, she wept.
Only then did I realize that her tears stemmed from the fact that, in her desire to defeat me, she had been studying until one in the morning every day, working even harder than I, yet was repeatedly surpassed.
Back then, we were both so naive. I simply watched her weep and lament her grievances, unsure how to offer solace.
Another exam loomed.
I intentionally answered two questions incorrectly, allowing her to win.
The two incorrect answers were quite childish. I was publicly reprimanded by the teacher and summoned to the office.
While I was in the office, Vivian examined my exam paper and realized I had deliberately let her win.
She requested a meeting that weekend.
However, she was late and unresponsive to my calls. After searching for her, I found her cornered in an alley by two petty thugs.
I rushed to her rescue without a second thought, only to be beaten and hospitalized.
In those days, she visited me in the hospital after school every day, sharing her notes, and we studied and did homework together.
Eventually, we were both accepted into the same university.
She took the initiative to confess her feelings; she pursued me.
It was after we became a couple that I discovered she was a wealthy heiress...
On graduation day, we decided to marry, but her family vehemently opposed the union.
Her younger sister, in particular, looked down on me for being a commoner, speaking with veiled sarcasm and even openly deriding me as a gold digger, only interested in their family's wealth.
Only Vivian and I truly know the reality of our situation.
It began as a pure friendship between us, which eventually blossomed into love. Throughout this, I remained unaware of her status as a wealthy heiress.
I felt profoundly lost during that period.
Concerned for my feelings, Vivian defied her family's objections and secretly obtained her household registration document so we could marry.
Her parents were initially enraged upon discovering this. It was only after Vivian presented proof of her pregnancy that they reluctantly accepted the situation.
However, they continued to look down upon me. I was frequently met with cold indifference; regardless of my efforts, her family consistently subjected me to ridicule and treated me with a distinct lack of respect.
In the early years, Vivian would often comfort and encourage me.
But gradually, as time passed, especially after the birth of our child, she grew indifferent, drifting further away, and even developed an ambiguous relationship with her Assistant.
I repeatedly tried to salvage the situation, becoming more attentive and caring.
But all my efforts seemed futile, only increasing her resentment.
She began to find fault with everything I did, sometimes even comparing me unfavorably to her Assistant, making me feel utterly worthless.
It was only after my mother's passing in the hospital that I became completely disillusioned.
It's only now that I fully comprehend that the pure, innocent feelings between Vivian and me have long been eroded by time, and that special connection between us is gone.
This relationship has soured; there's no point in prolonging it.
It was late, and I was long accustomed to going to sleep at eleven.
I didn't return to our bedroom; I chose a complete separation.
Because whenever I went back to that room and saw that bed, I couldn't help but picture the scene I witnessed that day.
The next morning, Vivian and I opened our respective doors, which faced each other, almost simultaneously.
She stared at me, momentarily taken aback: "Why didn't you sleep in the bedroom last night?"
"Do you think it even matters anymore?"
I inquired.
Vivian's expression soured: "You're always so petty and utterly incapable of understanding me!"
"Indeed, I am incapable of understanding you."
"When my mother was in the hospital, wishing to see her grandson one last time!"
"When your assistant was sleeping in this very bed!"
"I'm seriously considering how I could ever forgive you!"
I turned to leave, and as I reached the doorway, I asked: "Regarding the Divorce Agreement, will you have your Lawyer prepare it, or shall I?"
Vivian stood there, watching me silently: "Whatever."
This weekend, I visited a Lawyer's office and requested assistance in drafting a Divorce Agreement.
With that task completed, I returned home.
As I prepared to unlock the door, I hesitated.
Perhaps I no longer wished to return here.
I withdrew the key and chose to go back to my own place.
The house was empty. Since my mother's departure, I've been alone here.
I searched through a drawer and found some old photographs.
It was a group photo of my mother, my son, and myself. My mother was smiling, looking happy and kind, but my son appeared worried and displeased.
After our son was born, my mother was overjoyed.
However, Vivian's family was exceedingly assertive. They told my mother directly that our son wouldn't have a promising future with us, and therefore, he had to take their family name.
They assumed full responsibility for our son's upbringing and education, leaving my mother, his grandmother, able to see him only once a month.
Initially, although disheartened, my mother was always particularly happy on the day she could see her grandson.
But as the child grew older, he was raised to be just like Vivian's family: snobbish and disdainful of his own grandmother.
I flew into a rage over this, even striking my son.
Ultimately, I was ostracized by the entire family, subjected to a barrage of insults.
Even Vivian began to say, "You're making far too much of this. It's only natural that our son is somewhat distant, having not grown up with his grandmother!"
The Foster Family has long since molded my son into someone I barely recognize.
He's been influenced by his surroundings; he's even become distant with me.
Perhaps he now looks down not only on his impoverished grandmother, but also on his poor father.
There was a time when my mother was overjoyed that I had found such an accomplished and wealthy wife, and she boasted about it to everyone.
But after the arrival of her grandson, she, who should have been even more delighted, perhaps found no more joy.
Perhaps it was the chronic distress that led to her illness, and she departed this world far too soon...
One o'clock in the morning.
Vivian called, seeing that I hadn't returned: "Where are you? Why aren't you home?"
Responding to her question, I said with a quiet composure: "I consulted a Lawyer today to draft a Divorce Agreement."
Vivian paused, then asked, "Is there any way we can avoid a divorce?"
Her words caused another sharp pang in my heart.
I had thought I could remain completely indifferent.
But after so many years, how could our affection simply vanish?
People are so complex, riddled with contradictions.
I didn't answer; I simply hung up.
A few days later.
She called again, saying it was her mother's birthday and asking me to attend.
I hadn't intended to go.
But after glancing at the Divorce Agreement in my hand, I decided to go nonetheless; there needed to be a resolution, regardless.
I find myself at the Foster Family's old residence once more.
Visiting this villa used to fill me with a sense of unease.
But that feeling has dissipated.
Perhaps it's the Divorce Agreement in my hand that grants me this liberation, freeing me from all constraints.
My arrival was belated.
The Foster Family was already alive with activity; guests celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday, bestowing gifts and well wishes, while the younger generation knelt, soliciting red envelopes.
My arrival prompted the crowd to part, clearing a path.
Divorce Agreement in hand, I approached my mother-in-law.
Vivian and her sister stood behind my mother-in-law, her haunting crush beside them, appearing every bit the family.
My mother-in-law's expression was decidedly displeased at my late arrival.
True to form, she reprimanded me with haughtiness: "Why are you so late? Do you even respect your Mother-in-law anymore!"
Vivian, uncharacteristically, attempted to smooth things over, saying with a smile: "Mom, calm down. I'm sure Ethan was preparing a gift for you, wanting to surprise you, which is why he's late."
Hearing this, my mother-in-law's expression softened slightly, and she asked coldly, "What gift have you brought?"
Within the Foster Family, my mother-in-law never treated me with kindness, nor did she ever afford me face or respect.
I once attempted to alter her perception of me.
But now, there is no need.
I offered a faint smile, handing her the Divorce Agreement. "This may be the finest gift I can offer you after all these years."
Upon seeing the words "Divorce Agreement" on the document, my mother-in-law's expression underwent a drastic change.
No one anticipated that the gift I presented was a Divorce Agreement.
The surrounding guests and relatives fell silent, watching Vivian and me in disbelief.
Vivian's face paled instantly...
The Divorce Agreement I presented caused a brief silence.
Vivian then roared at me, "Ethan, have you lost your mind? Today is my mother's birthday. Even if we have marital issues, do you have to do this in front of all our relatives and friends on her birthday?"
"Do you think it's unnecessary? Don't delude yourself. The affection between us has long been a mere formality, hasn't it?"
Vivian's roar left me unmoved.
I was once timid and subservient before her and the Foster Family.
So many years I endured.
Only for it to amount to nothing.
Only to be met with the indifference of her entire family.
Now, it must all end.
Faced with my questioning, Vivian's expression shifted repeatedly before she finally said, "Ethan! You've disappointed me greatly today, even disgusted me. You are beyond redemption!"
"Disgusted?"
I laughed, and meeting everyone's gaze, I tore into her: "You find me disgusting? Then what of you sleeping with a man in our home, in our Marital Home, in the very bed we were married in? Isn't that disgusting!?"
I have never been this resolute within these walls.
My stance immediately rendered Vivian's expression most unpleasant.
She recoiled, nearly losing her balance, and was steadied by her Assistant.
I disregarded Vivian, turning my gaze towards my mother-in-law, who clutched the Divorce Agreement.
Evidently, she had not foreseen my orchestration of this scene, let alone the exposure of her daughter's indiscretion; her hands trembled with rage.
I inquired, with calculated intent, "You must find this all rather pleasing, wouldn't you agree?"
"Silence yourself!"
My mother-in-law could no longer contain herself; she bellowed at me.
She is a woman who deeply values her reputation, and today I ensured she lost face in front of everyone.
I not only presented her with the Divorce Agreement, a slap in the face in itself, but also exposed her daughter's indiscretion, leaving her utterly humiliated.
"Ethan, I command you to retract this Divorce Agreement!"
My mother-in-law's face was taut, issuing commands to me as per usual.
Formerly, for Vivian, for my son, and for the sake of this family, I would have yielded to her, accommodating this mother-in-law who held me in such low regard.
But not anymore.
I retreated a step, disregarding her demands.
Just then, Vivian's sister, Sophie, suddenly stepped forward and snatched the Divorce Agreement.
She tore the Divorce Agreement to shreds, declaring, "You're just a live-in son-in-law to our family. Even if my sister is unfaithful, she's the one dumping you. You have no right to file for Divorce!"
Sophie tore the agreement to shreds and then shouted at me, "I order you to apologize to my sister and my mother immediately!"
Smack!
I would no longer tolerate Sophie's domineering behavior as I had in the past.
I slapped her across the face.
Sophie covered her face, staring at me in disbelief.
I had wanted to do that for a long time.
When Vivian and I first decided to marry, she was the one who looked down on me the most.
She even mocked me publicly, but for love, for Vivian who was already pregnant, I endured it.
But what I found most intolerable was Sophie's blatant humiliation of my mother during her first visit to the Foster Family.
She not only voiced her disdain constantly, but even claimed her necklace was missing and falsely accused my mother of theft.
While my family isn't affluent, we would never steal; of that I am certain.
Yet, Sophie found her missing necklace in my mother's bag.
Brandishing the necklace, she loudly berated my mother for being poor and lacking dignity, and threatened to call the police.
I pleaded with her to stop.
Instead, she demanded my mother kneel and beg for forgiveness.
My mother was so incensed she was hospitalized. Even there, she clutched my hand, weeping, and said, "Ethan, Mom truly didn't steal anything..."
Naturally, I believe my mother.
However, the necklace was discovered in her bag, leaving me unable to vouch for her innocence.
This remained the case until a family gathering a year later.
Sophie, having imbibed a bit too much, confessed that she had planted the necklace in my mother's bag, deliberately framing her.
She even took pride in it, stating, "I merely intended to trifle with your mother; I hadn't anticipated such a delicate constitution, resulting in immediate hospitalization!"
Confronted with her brazenness.
I erupted in anger, overturning the table.
Yet, no one would side with me to condemn Sophie's actions.
The Foster Family all sided with Sophie, claiming I was making a mountain out of a molehill.
Even Vivian, the only one from whom I'd hoped for support, remained silent after learning the truth.
In the presence of the Foster Family, I possessed no dignity whatsoever.
Upon returning home, Vivian even reproached me for my rudeness, arguing that even if her sister was in the wrong, I shouldn't have overturned the table.
That marked the beginning of the decline in my relationship with Vivian.
It could be argued that Vivian's younger sister played a significant role in the predicament Vivian and I now face.
This insult, I have endured for years!
"How dare you strike me! I'll fight you to the death!"
Sophie covered her face. Pampered since childhood, she was the apple of the Foster Family's eye; even her parents hesitated to strike her.
Yet today, she had been soundly slapped by her brother-in-law, whom she had always regarded with disdain.
Unable to accept this, she attacked me, clawing like a madwoman.
Her long nails easily broke the skin on my face.
Naturally, I would no longer indulge her, nor would I show leniency simply because she was a woman.
I seized her hair and, repeatedly, struck her face a dozen times, each slap delivered with considerable force.
I felt not the slightest incongruity.
I felt only exhilaration.
It was like drinking ice water in summer.
A refreshing sensation throughout my entire body!
But my exhilaration was short-lived.
The surrounding guests quickly separated Sophie and me.
Half of Sophie's face was swollen from the blow, and she roared at me like a madwoman: "Let me go! Let me go! I'll beat him to death! Beat him to death! Let me go!"
Watching Sophie's hysterical outburst.
I felt a sense of satisfaction.
I even entertained the hope that those around us would release her, allowing her to charge at me again, so I could continue to strike her face with force!
"Get this beast out! Throw him out!"
Amidst my mother-in-law's furious roars, I was dragged from the Foster Family residence.
One of Vivian's cousins regarded me with a sympathetic expression: "Ethan, did things really have to escalate to this point?"
I didn't reply, stating instead, "Please inform Vivian that I will have another Divorce Agreement drafted. If she finds it acceptable, let's proceed with the Divorce promptly."
Upon returning, I promptly instructed the Lawyer to print another copy of the Divorce Agreement, which I then mailed to Vivian.
Three evenings later, I returned home from work.
Downstairs, I noticed a familiar car.
It belonged to Vivian.
However, it wasn't her who emerged, but her young Assistant, Michael Green.
Michael Green was a recent college graduate, undeniably handsome.
He approached me and extended his hand.
"A handshake seems rather unnecessary, wouldn't you agree?"
I kept my hands in my pockets, observing Michael Green.
"Indeed."
Sensing my detachment, Michael Green also returned his hands to his pockets, stating, "I merely wished for a peaceful handover. After all, you are planning to divorce Vivian, and I will be taking care of her from now on."
"Did you come here deliberately to assert your dominance?"
I inquired.
His words displeased me greatly.
Although I have already resolved to Divorce.
Yet, his words felt like needles, cruelly piercing my wound!
"Not at all. I am merely offering you a promise, so you may Divorce her with peace of mind."
Michael Green regarded me with a provocative smile.
I fail to comprehend why, having already achieved his aim, he would deliberately seek to provoke me.
If comprehension eludes me, I shall cease to dwell on it.
I clenched my fist and delivered a direct punch.
He unexpectedly suffered a silent blow.
I'm not even sure when it began, but I transformed from a gentle and refined man into someone violent. My temper is no longer as controlled as it once was, and I am easily agitated.
After knocking him down, I didn't stop there. I straddled him and relentlessly punched him in the face.
My blows broke his nose, and he bled profusely. Only then did I cease: "Get out! Don't ever let me see you again!"
I ignored him and simply turned and left.
Back home, I stood by the upstairs window, watching Michael Green below.
He lay on the ground for a long time, drawing whispers and stares from passersby. It took him half an hour to scramble to his feet, looking up towards the building.
I couldn't understand it; he was bruised and battered from my doing, yet his face held the cold smirk of a victor.
It was late at night when I received a call from Vivian.
She launched into a tirade the moment she spoke: "Ethan, have you lost your mind?"
"I think you've become a violent brute!"
"I asked Michael Green to find you, to bring you home so we could talk things through. How could you attack him the moment you saw him?"
"He's already hospitalized!"
After hearing Vivian's words.
Only then did I understand why Michael Green had come specifically to provoke me.
He did it deliberately, of course.
He feared Vivian still harbored feelings for me.
He feared complications in my divorce from Vivian.
So he seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, ensuring Vivian's utter disgust for me and accelerating our divorce.
That way, he, the mistress, could legitimately take my place.
But he overestimates his chances.
My heart is long since dead.
There will be no wavering.
"Really?"
Facing Vivian's accusations over the phone, I said with studied indifference, "You certainly chose well when you had him pick me up for this conversation. Do you know what the first thing he said to me was?"
"What did he say?"
Vivian inquired.
"He said your property was as good as his, and that I shouldn't be proposing a division of assets in the Divorce Agreement."
Having said that, I hung up.
Michael Green never actually said that.
But that single sentence is enough to make this treacherous individual pay the price!
After all, no matter how wealthy the Foster Family is, who ever complains about having more money?
A mistress, not yet even part of the household, already covets the Foster Family's wealth. This breeds resentment and fuels the suspicion that his affection for Vivian is purely mercenary.
Vivian called again shortly after.
I ignored the call, switched off my phone, and went to shower.
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