Chapter 4

I drove straight over.

Before I even reached the door, Kenneth's voice was already booming inside.

"Look at the kind of man you married! Just because we didn't move in right away, he threw a fit and sold the place? Does he have any respect for us? Useless. Always making things worse. No real career and no manners!"

Melissa patted his back and jumped in. "Exactly. Not nearly as thoughtful as Dillon. You've been married this long and still haven't given me a grandson. Is something wrong with him?

"If you ask me, just divorce him. Dillon's young and full of energy. Much better for you!"

Listening to them echo each other, I almost laughed.

No kids all these years—was that really my fault?

Jayda was the one who kept saying her career came first.

She's the one who kept postponing it.

Yet when her mom went after me, Jayda didn't defend me.

She just said lightly, "Mom, it's not that simple."

And when her mom suggested divorce, she didn't reject it.

She even lowered her head, like she was actually thinking about it.

"How is it not simple?" Melissa pressed on. "Holden's been dragging you down for years. No kids, and basically living off you!

"You're already the department chief. And him? Still stuck assisting—completely useless. His salary hasn't even gone up.

"Dillon's different. Young, driven, full of potential. Give it a few years and he'll be way ahead of that useless husband of yours."

She talked like I was nothing.

Like she'd forgotten how she used to flatter me and push me to marry her daughter.

Back then, I came from a well-known family and ran my own company. Jayda and I met in college.

Her family background wasn't great, so my parents strongly opposed the relationship.

To stay with her, I cut ties with my family and built my own business from scratch.

After I made it, I poured everything into building a hospital so she could chase her dream of becoming a doctor.

Back then, her parents treated me like their personal ATM—practically worshipped me.

And now?

Now I was the useless husband. The freeloader. The one holding Jayda back.

Yeah.

I wasn't taking it quietly anymore.

I pushed the door open and walked in.

The moment they saw me, the three of them went quiet. Faces stiff.

"I've already sold the house," I said flatly. "You shouldn't be here."

That set them off immediately.

"You bastard, listen to yourself!"

"My daughter suffered enough marrying you. Now we're using one house and you're complaining? How selfish can you be?"

"I must've been blind letting you marry her! Living off her isn't enough—you still want to walk all over us?"

I was beyond speechless.

I looked at Jayda. "I've supported your career all these years. Helped you get where you are. How did that turn into me living off you?"

Before she could answer, Kenneth lunged forward and grabbed my collar.

"You piece of trash. You couldn't get promoted, so now you blame my daughter? Are you even a man?"

I shoved him off and lifted my phone.

"Oh, she's very capable," I said. "Sleeping with her intern behind her husband's back."

What they didn't know was that just minutes earlier, my friend had already posted the PDF online.

It was spreading fast.

Jayda snatched my phone.

The second she saw the video, she screamed.

Dillon showed up at the door just then, carrying a fruit basket.

"Jayda, I heard your parents were here. I brought some fruit to visit."

Crash.

The fruit scattered across the floor as Jayda slapped the basket away. Her eyes were red.

"Dillon! What is this video?!"

He froze, shaking his head like a scared kid. "I—I don't know! I didn't post it! You have to believe me!"

I didn't bother arguing.

I took my phone back and started dialing the police. They were trespassing on a house that wasn't theirs anymore.

Jayda suddenly grabbed my arm. "Holden, it's not like that. Believe me. Someone's framing me! Did you sell the house because of this? Trust me—I have nothing with him!"

I looked straight into her eyes. My voice was ice-cold. "Doesn't matter. Even if you do, it has nothing to do with me."

She froze. Her lips trembled. "What... What do you mean?"

I pulled out the signed divorce agreement and flicked it at her face.

"Read it. We're divorced."