Two days later, there was a knock at the door. Kelly, hearing the sound, creaked it open to find Lucy standing outside. When he saw who was knocking, his face immediately hardened with a haughty expression, and he questioned arrogantly, “What the hell are you doing here after blocking my number?”
Lucy replied calmly, “Is your dad in?”
Kelly stared at her in disbelief. His lips twitched as he realized Lucy was unnervingly calm—too calm, which made him feel uneasy. He crossed his arms aggressively and sneered, “You now realize your mistake. Trying to get my dad to talk to me won’t make me forgive you easily. You’ll have to buy a new phone, then some movie tickets, and maybe then I’ll consider forgiving you.”
Having made his outrageous demands, he lifted his chin proudly like a peacock.
Lucy looked at him with disgust. She thought she must really be out of her mind to have fallen for Kelly. It made her feel sick that she often went along with his ridiculous tantrums and requests just to keep the peace.
Without saying a word, she took a step forward and walked past him, ignoring his shocked face. Kelly snapped, “Lucy, if you dare involve my dad, I’ll never forgive you. And I’m breaking up with you—you’ll never be my girlfriend.”
Finished speaking, he turned and strode into his room with an air of arrogance, locking the door behind him.
He muttered to himself with a smirk, “She’ll come and beg. Hehehe.” This tactic had always worked before—whenever he threatened to break up with Lucy, she’d usually do whatever he demanded to avoid losing him.
He sat on his bed, waiting patiently for her to knock or for the doorknob to turn. But neither happened. After three minutes, he glanced at his watch and realized Lucy hadn’t come. Usually, she’d be running after him, begging.
Annoyed, Kelly stood up to check on her. But as he approached the door, he hesitated.
“I’m getting too impatient,” he muttered. With a confident sneer, he added, “I’ll make her regret wasting my time. I’ll ask her to get me more stuff.”
He rubbed his palms together in anticipation and sat back down on the bed. But after five minutes, something felt off. He got up again, this time more cautiously, to see what was going on.
Kelly hesitated at the door, hearing laughter from his dad’s room. Suddenly, he overheard his father’s voice, which sounded unusually affectionate.
“Babe, I bought the movie tickets. Since you’re here, let’s go and watch it together,” his father said warmly.
His eyes widened in disbelief, and his mouth fell open as Lucy responded, “Alright, baby, let’s go together.”
Kelly’s mind raced. Doubt crept in. That can’t be Lucy’s voice, right? And she’s calling my dad "baby"? he wondered.
Despite his internal struggle, his legs moved of their own accord. Before he knew it, he was standing at the door.
His face flushed with embarrassment. He hesitated, uncertain whether to open it or not. Suddenly, the door creaked open.
What he saw made his jaw drop. His father, Mr. Andrew, and Lucy emerged from his room, arm in arm. Lucy leaned comfortably against him, as if they were a couple in love.
Kelly’s eyes widened in shock, and his mouth parted in disbelief.
“Kelly, since you’re here, I’m going out with my girlfriend,” Mr. Andrew said with a smile, patting Kelly’s shoulder. “Take care of the house while I’m gone.” Then, he and Lucy left, stepping out the door.
Kelly stood frozen, stunned. He watched as they drove away, the car disappearing down the street.
He raised his hands and rubbed his eyes, pinching himself as if to confirm he wasn’t dreaming. The reality was hard to accept.
His face remained clouded with doubt. Driven by a mix of shock and anger, he rushed outside, chasing after the departing car.
“Dad!” he yelled, desperation in his voice, but the car didn’t stop.
He kept shouting, “Dad!”
Desperate, he broke into a sprint, trying to catch up, but the car sped ahead, vanishing around the corner.
Breathless, sweat pouring down his face, Kelly finally slowed to a stop. Frustration and fury flooded him.
He kicked an electric pole beside the road, grimacing as pain shot through his foot.
“Ouch!” he cried out, wincing. His eyes filled with bloodshot rage as he watched the car turn down another street.
With clenched fists, he cursed under his breath, “Fuck!”
Turning around, he went back inside the house, changed clothes, locked the front door, and then took a taxi directly to Jude's house.
After he had recounted what had happened at his home to Jude, they sat inside Jude's room. Jude stared at him with his mouth hanging open, unable to say a word for an entire three minutes.
His silence irritated Kelly, who impatiently rebuked him, "What’s with the wide mouth and dumbfounded look? Say something, dude. Are you just going to stare at me all day?"
Jude snapped out of his shock and apologized. "Sorry, but… is what you’re saying really true?"
Kelly, looking embarrassed, retorted, "Do you think I’d come here and make up such lies? I couldn’t believe it myself either. But it really happened — Lucy called my dad 'baby,' and my dad addressed her as his girlfriend."
Frustrated, Kelly pulled at his hair, got up, and paced around the room. He walked over to the window and said, "I’m going crazy."
Jude then suggested, "Maybe they’re not really a couple. Maybe your dad is upset with you for cheating on a good girl like Lucy, and he’s trying to make you jealous by coming up with this plan?"
Hearing this, Kelly’s eyes lit up. He nodded in realization, laughed, and gave Jude a thumb-up, praising him. "Man, you’re a genius. I never thought of that."
But then Jude suddenly asked, "What if they really are dating? What are you going to do then?"
Ethan watched with shock as Clara obediently signed the divorce papers, then quietly walked into the kitchen. He was too shocked and in total disbelief because he had lived with Clara for many years, and he could tell she was a stubborn lady who would always refuse to obey his commands.But she actually listened to another man without complaint. She obeyed a loser, an ex-convict. The more he thought about this, the more he regretted all he had done for Clara—the number of times he had washed plates, cleaned the house, given her money, taken her on expensive dates, shopping. He regretted it all."Hey! Hey! She have signed the divorce. Take this loser out of my house. I don't want to ever see you both here again, or I am going to make sure you both go to hell," Greg threatened ferociously.Ethan looked at him and didn't say a word. He felt like Greg was right—he was actually a loser. He couldn't even compare to a man who had gone to jail and had nothing to his name apart from the crimes
Ethan wasn’t in the mood to discuss anything. He asked directly, “Are you going to help me get a divorce or not?”When Ken heard the tone in Ethan’s voice, he realized immediately that Ethan had already made up his mind. There was no persuading him otherwise.“Alright, let’s meet tomorrow. I’ll draft the divorce papers, and once you both sign, I’ll process it. Did she agree?” Ken asked cautiously.But Ethan’s thoughts suddenly drifted to Clara. His anger flared. “That damn bitch knows everything. I don’t care if she agrees or not. I’m not staying married to a known cheat. She deserves to die and rot in hell.”He abruptly ended the call, his breathing heavy with rage. Frustration boiled over as he grabbed a handful of sand and hurled it toward the river. He clenched his teeth tightly, feeling helpless.He sat there in the cold, unmoved, lost in his turmoil. When he finally left the riverbank, dawn was breaking. His appearance was disheveled, his mood bleak. His phone rang—Ken’s call.“
Ethan slowly got to his feet, a heavy weight settling in his chest. In that moment, the harsh truth hit him—how foolish he had been. He had abandoned Jade and clung desperately to Clara, only to end up filled with regret. He regretted betraying Jade, using her for his own selfish desires. And all he had done, all his sacrifices, had been for Clara—who not only cheated on him but showed no fear of losing him.Tears streamed down his face.“You’re such a—” Ethan’s voice cracked with anger and pain, “you’re such a damn hoe, Clara. I regret ever betraying Jade for you. You’re cheap, a piece of shit.” His fists clenched tightly, trembling as memories of everything he’d done for her flooded his mind, fueling his fury.Clara crossed her arms, cool and unbothered, meeting his rage with a smirk. “A pimp calling me a hoe? Please. You expect me to feel hurt? You’re no better, Ethan. Now, you need to leave. Greg will be back any minute.”Ethan’s eyes widened in disbelief. What? He paid for this h
Clara panicked when she looked towards the wall-clock. When she saw it was the time that Ethan usually returned from work, she panicked.And flusteredly explained, "Greg, please, don't do it, my hus—"Greg grabbed her neck tightly, stopping her from saying whatever she wanted to. His grip on her neck was tight. Clara struggled to breathe, but he didn't let go. He sneered, "What dog-shit husband? When I want you, you should be asking how many hours, not giving me excuses. Do you forget who you are? You are my bitch, my personal bitch. Get that."Then Greg turned her around and bent her over on the couch. Clara placed her hands on it while she arched her back.Greg pulled up her gown, exposing her G-string-covered ass. He rubbed his palms on her butt while hissing in satisfaction, "I missed your fucking butts. No soft ass, just some dumb shit dudes trying to piss me off all day. It's good they're back. I know they missed Daddy."He raised his hand and spanked her butt."Argh!" Clara cri
Ethan watched with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows as Clara reached for his briefcase, placing it carefully on the table. Then, she reached out to unbutton his coat. Ethan immediately grasped her arms, his gaze cold and penetrating.“What are you up to, Clara? You seem too nice,” he said, suspicion evident in his voice.Clara’s cheeks trembled, her facial expression nearly bursting with emotion, but she held it in, forcing a smile.“What do you mean? I’m your wife. It’s what I’m supposed to do,” she explained calmly, trying to sound convincing.Ethan didn’t buy her explanation. He raised an eyebrow, eyes narrowing further. “Really?”Clara’s fists clenched tightly as she fought to maintain her composure.“Look, Ethan,” she said softly but with conviction, “I realize I haven’t been the wife I should have been. I’ve been neglectful, unfair. I’ve decided to change—for you and our unborn child. I want to be a better wife, a better mother.” Her smile was bright, earnest.But Ethan remained
Clara returned inside the house, worried and anxious. She picked up her phone to call Ethan, but suddenly froze, remembering that she didn't have Ethan's current number.She pulled her hair in frustration and paced around with her phone in her hand.Furious, she kept calling his name with anger. "Ethan! Ethan!"She didn't expect Ethan to change suddenly. She was used to bossing him around and couldn't understand why he had changed so much.Suddenly, Clara cursed, "Damn it!"She realized it was after the marriage that Ethan had become a different person entirely. He wasn't as caring as he used to be. In fact, she could hardly recognize him now.After pacing around in frustration, she reluctantly went to bed, but she couldn't close her eyes. She kept staring at the wall clock.The next day, when she heard a knock at the door, she jumped out of bed and ran to the entrance.She pulled the door open and saw Ethan standing there with an expressionless face.Clara immediately flew into a rag