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Chapter 2

Author: Jellyfish
Early the next morning, Ethan came home and pounded on the door.

I had already changed the locks, so he could only kick the door twice from outside.

"Claire Lane, open the damn door! Stop pretending you're not in there! If you post any more of that garbage, I'll make sure you can't survive in this city! I'll see to it that you never work as an accountant again!"

I opened the notes app on my phone and wrote down every word.

One more piece of material.

After wearing himself out shouting, he had to hurry off to work.

After all, he was still an "executive" with an image to uphold.

Once he left, I leisurely got out of bed, washed up, and had breakfast.

Then I opened the video that had gone viral the day before.

The top comment read, "You should name his workplace too. Otherwise, innocent people might get caught in the crossfire."

"Exactly. There are so many Ethan Tanners out there. How are we supposed to know which pig you're talking about?"

I took their advice and began my second recording.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Claire Lane.

"Yesterday, some kind netizens criticized me for not clearly identifying the person I was apologizing to.

"I humbly accept their criticism.

"Today, I would like to formally apologize to Mr. Ethan Tanner, sales director of the WM Motor Sales Center on Chancer Road in North District, Shaybrook City."

I paused.

"I would also like to apologize to Ms. Sophie Shaw, the company's administrative receptionist.

"I shouldn't have gone there and caused a scene after seeing the leaked video of the two of you having sex in a car in the company's underground parking garage."

I held up a tablet.

A censored screenshot was displayed on the screen.

Although the intimate areas had been pixelated, the license plate, the decals on the car, and the company logo in the background were all clearly visible.

It was a test-drive vehicle belonging to Ethan's company.

"I shouldn't have interfered with your efforts to meet your year-end sales targets.

"After all, Mr. Tanner did say he thought of the company as his family and was conducting in-depth testing to better understand how its products performed.

"As an outsider, I had no right to criticize your professional testing procedures.

"Ms. Shaw is also remarkably dedicated. She was still assisting her superior with his work late at night. I was the one with the filthy mind."

This time, I made a point of tagging the company's official account and the general manager for their region.

It took only ten minutes for the company's official comment section to blow up.

"So this is your test-drive experience? That certainly is in-depth."

"Does the receptionist come free with the car? If not, I'm not buying."

"Mr. Tanner is impressively hands-on. The suspension seems pretty good too."

Half an hour later, Sophie sent me a private message.

She had always acted meek and delicate around me, barely daring to raise her voice. But this time, her messages were full of vicious insults.

"You crazy bitch! Just wait for the letter from my lawyer! You violated my privacy! I'll sue you until you have nothing left!"

A lawyer's letter?

They were the ones who had sued me and demanded an apology in the first place.

I was merely fulfilling my obligation to "apologize."

I was explaining the facts behind why I needed to apologize.

The judgment only said that I had to apologize. It never said my apology couldn't include the truth.

I replied, "Sure. Just remember to have Ethan cover your legal fees. If he can afford a thirty-thousand-dollar handbag, I'm sure he can spare the money."

My phone rang again.

This time, it was Ethan.

"Claire, I'm begging you. Stop posting these videos. My bosses have called me in for a meeting.

"Can't we just end things on good terms?"

End things on good terms?

Why hadn't he said that when he threw the court summons in my face?

Why hadn't he said that when he took Sophie to our favorite restaurant and hid the post from me on social media?

"Honey, it's only the second day. We still have thirteen days left. Relax," I said lightly.

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  • 15 Days of Court-Ordered Apologies Until My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Stop   Chapter 8

    Fifteen days into the new year, it was finally the last day of my court-ordered apologies.Everyone online was waiting for the grand finale.My inbox had exploded. Every one of those ninety-nine-plus notifications was someone demanding an update.Some people had even started betting on whether I would go soft and back down or keep fanning the flames until everything was razed to the ground.At eight that evening, I turned my ring light up as high as it would go.I took off the pilled pajamas I had worn for three years and put on a mustard-yellow sweater.Ethan had always hated seeing me in yellow. He said it washed me out and made my skin look sallow and sickly.Back then, I had been foolish enough to seek his approval. Everything in my closet was gray, white, or blue.Now, I looked at myself in the mirror and liked what I saw.I applied some lipstick and pressed my lips together.I looked radiant.My son sat on the carpet holding a little light-up horse he had just made.His eyes curv

  • 15 Days of Court-Ordered Apologies Until My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Stop   Chapter 7

    Five days into the new year, while everyone else was focused on fresh starts and getting ahead, I headed to the last place anyone wanted to be, the county jail.I was there to rid myself of a deadbeat.The steel door swung open with a clang, and I saw Ethan through the glass.His hair had been shaved into a close buzz cut. His jail uniform hung loosely from his body, his eyes were sunken, and his face was covered in stubble.The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up. He lunged toward the glass."Honey! Honey, you finally came!"I know I was wrong. I really do!"Tears and snot streamed down his face."I've had time to think in here. No fling could ever compare to my wife. I don't know what came over me."Please help me, Claire. You're an auditor. You understand this stuff. If you write a letter asking the judge for leniency and help me replace the missing money, I could get a lighter sentence. I might even get probation!"Once I'm out, we can renew our vows. I'll be at your every whim. We c

  • 15 Days of Court-Ordered Apologies Until My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Stop   Chapter 6

    The words "that old bat" kept playing on a loop in the video.My mother-in-law let out a howl.She grabbed a small plate from the table and hurled it at Sophie's face."You homewrecker! You put him up to all this!"You're not even part of this family yet, and you're already after my retirement savings? I'll kill you, you little bitch! And Ethan, how dare you drug Claire?""Ah!"Sophie's petite frame was no match for a woman who had spent years fighting other shoppers over clearance items.She screamed as my mother-in-law yanked at her hair, leaving her scalp raw and several bloody scratches across her face."You crazy old hag! Let go of me!"Ethan's eyes were bloodshot as he charged at me."Claire Lane! I'll kill you!"He reached for my throat."You ruined me, you bitch! Give me the remote!"Just as his fingers were about to reach my face, a dark figure shot in from the side.Bang!Ethan was sent flying and crashed into the wooden chair behind him, knocking it over.He lay on the floor

  • 15 Days of Court-Ordered Apologies Until My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Stop   Chapter 5

    On New Year's Eve, the Tanner family home was decked out in lights and festive decorations.Their extended family filled three entire tables.Ethan arrived with Sophie, introduced her as his special assistant, and claimed she had come to deliver New Year gifts.The elders simply went along with it. No one mentioned what had happened online, as though ignoring the awkwardness would somehow make it mine alone.Ethan's grandfather, the unquestioned patriarch of the family, sat at the head of the table.He tapped his cane against the floor, and the entire room fell silent."Claire, you've suffered this past year."You've caused enough commotion online. It's time to let the matter rest. The important thing is to keep this family together. Regardless of who was right or wrong, life must go on."His sharp gaze settled on me."Raise a glass to everyone later, and we'll put this whole matter behind us. Do it for Ethan's sake, as well as mine."Sophie sat beside Ethan with a smug expression.My

  • 15 Days of Court-Ordered Apologies Until My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Stop   Chapter 4

    Under mounting pressure, Ethan's company released an official statement.Ethan Tanner had been suspended from all duties pending an investigation, while Sophie Shaw had been asked to resign.Internet sleuths uncovered irregularities in the hiring process that had landed Sophie her position.Others found clues suggesting that Ethan had abused his authority to accept kickbacks.This time, they had hit Ethan where it hurt most.On the night before New Year's Eve, the distant sound of fireworks echoed outside.I had sent my son to stay with my mother and was sitting alone in the living room when Ethan came home reeking of alcohol."Claire Lane, are you done?"Will you only be satisfied when you've completely destroyed me? Huh?"He charged over and flipped the coffee table.Cups, the fruit bowl, and the remote control crashed to the floor, scattering broken pieces everywhere.He had subjected me to the silent treatment before, but he rarely became physically violent.This time, he lunged at

  • 15 Days of Court-Ordered Apologies Until My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Stop   Chapter 3

    Two days before New Year's Eve, my mother-in-law showed up.She was the kind of old woman who had to win every argument, no matter how trivial.Carrying a bag of wilted vegetable scraps left over from a supermarket clearance sale, she stood outside my door and began wailing."What did I do to deserve this? My son married a jinx who doesn't respect her in-laws or care about her husband's reputation! She won't be satisfied until she's torn this family apart!"Everyone, come and see! This daughter-in-law of mine is trying to drive us to our deaths!"It was the evening rush hour, and neighbors were constantly coming and going.Quite a few stopped to stare and whisper.I opened the door, looking both surprised and aggrieved."Mom, what brings you here? Come inside. It's cold out."I didn't argue with her and simply invited her in. That only encouraged her.She marched inside, dropped heavily onto the sofa, and tossed the bag of wilted vegetables onto the coffee table."Claire Lane, delete

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