Chapter 2

Jack was one of Robin's closest friends. Back when they started the game studio, Jack was their in-house legal counsel. Later, when Robin stepped back to focus on family, Jack spent a year drifting around and having fun.

Maybe he eventually realized he couldn't keep going like that forever, because he returned to Molto after that, took a share of his profit from the game studio, and opened his own law firm.

The firm wasn't as big or prestigious as the one Angeline had built, but it specialized in divorce cases. In an era with sky-high divorce rates, he was raking it in—easily making several million dollars a year.

Back then, when Robin asked why he focused on divorce work, Jack joked it was for Robin's sake. Ironically, what had been a throwaway line back then had somehow become reality. It was insane how life was just one big joke.

Time slipped by. After a long while, Angeline and the others came out of the police station. She looked at Robin and parted her lips as if to say something, but no words came out.

Oscar took in the scene from beside her and cleared his throat. He said, "Robin, I think you've misunderstood some things. If you're willing to listen, I can explain. I can even step out of your family's life."

What a sanctimonious hypocrite. If he truly meant any of that, then why had he done everything he'd done up to now? And even as he said the words, the taunting in his eyes was obvious.

"I don't want that. I don't want Mr. Linden to leave. The one who should leave is him! Mr. Linden is my real dad!" Sam cried.

He grabbed Oscar's hand, terrified the latter might actually leave. Even though he was still a kid, he understood far more than the adults thought he did.

When Angeline heard Sam's words, she expected Robin to explode. To her surprise, he didn't. His eyes stayed calm and distant, as if he were listening to a stranger. She looked straight at him, took a deep breath, and asked, "Robin, can we talk?"

He shook his head and said evenly, "There's no need. If there's anything that needs to be discussed, you can talk to my attorney."

"Robin, can you just stop causing a scene? Sam is so big now—are you really going to divorce me? Do you want us to become the laughingstock of our whole circle?" Angeline's patience had never been great, and now it was fraying. Irritation crept into her voice.

A scene, huh? So in her mind, Robin was just acting out.

How ridiculous. If he really wanted to "cause a scene", there were a thousand other ways to do it. Why would he use divorce, of all methods?

He sighed. "Angeline."

She met his eyes at the mention of her name.

"Even after all these years, you really don't know me at all," he said quietly.

Just as the words left his mouth, a sports car rolled to a stop in front of them. Jack was here. He stepped out of the driver's seat and walked over to Robin.

"You're here," Robin said.

"Yeah." Jack turned and looked at Oscar with a sneer. "So, this is the homewrecker? Seriously? Angeline, you have horrible taste. You think a clown like him can compare to Robin?"

His voice dripped with contempt, and his eyes were openly scornful as he fixed his gaze on Angeline. That made her deeply uncomfortable.

She didn't need to speak, though. Someone else stepped up. Oscar snapped, "Sir, watch your mouth, or I'll have no choice but to get nasty."

Nasty? What a joke.

"Please. I thought I heard a dog barking, but it turns out it was you. How nasty can you be to me? Don't think I haven't looked into you. Do you have the nerve to run your mouth in front of me now that your family's company has gone under? I could bury you in cash right now.

"Honestly, I'm intrigued now. Come on, then. Show me what your version of 'being nasty' looks like. You came crawling back here looking for this idiot now because you've got nothing left and need someone to bankroll you, right? How pathetic," Jack retorted.

Maybe he'd hit a nerve, because Oscar's face went from red to pale, then back again. Back when Robin and his friends had first started the game studio, Jack had always had the sharpest tongue. He was a lawyer, after all. When he insulted someone, he could easily give them an aneurysm. He clearly hadn't lost his edge over the years.

"Robin, are you going to just let your friend talk to my friend like that?" Angeline demanded.

"Yeah," Robin replied.

That one word made Angeline fall silent.

"The divorce papers will be in your inbox by tomorrow. Make sure you check your email," he added.

With that, he glanced at Jack. One look was all it took for the two of them to understand each other. They got into Jack's car and drove off without another look back.

Angeline's gaze was complicated as she watched them leave.

Did she want a divorce? No, of course not. In her mind, bringing Sam out on excursions with Oscar was nothing more than hanging out with a close friend and letting her kid tag along. She didn't have any ulterior motives.

But truth be told, she was just lying to herself. Deep down, she'd probably imagined countless times that Sam was actually her and Oscar's child, that the three of them were a family. Why else had her arguments with Robin increased after Oscar's return?

As for all that talk about them just being friends… It felt like a massive joke. Again, she was just deceiving herself, or maybe she was shoving all the blame onto Robin. He wasn't an idiot, though.

…

"Damn, that felt good. It's been ages since I got to curse someone out that hard." In the car, Jack's tone was full of excitement.

Robin chuckled at his words. "You're the owner of a law firm now. Maybe try maintaining your image a little."

"It's not like you don't know what I'm like. This is who I am. And what do you mean, maintain my image? You want me to be refined and gentlemanly? Sorry, but I'm incapable of that. When I see someone I can't stand, I just go off. Who cares about a useless image?"

Fair point. That was exactly what Jack was like. He was the same guy Robin had known for years.

"So, you're really going through with the divorce this time?" Jack glanced at Robin in the passenger seat.

"Yeah, I am. I wanted to leave the moment I found out I was just a stand-in. I only convinced myself to stay for Sam's sake. But now, he wants Oscar to be his dad, so what's there for me to hesitate over? Divorce it is. I'll set her free and set myself free as well."

Robin watched the city pass by outside the window, his voice calm.

Jack sighed.

Back then, Robin and Angeline had gotten married right after graduation. Everyone had been wildly jealous of how fast they'd moved. People called them the golden couple. No one would've guessed that the whole relationship had been built on a lie.

"Alright, then. I'll handle your divorce agreement myself," Jack said. "Don't worry. She's not getting a cent of your premarital assets."

Before getting married, Robin already had 1.86 billion dollars in savings, plus some real estate—one house and over a dozen storefronts, among others. All of that counted as premarital property. Even if they divorced, Angeline wouldn't be able to touch any of that.

The tricky part was everything they'd built up after the marriage.

"Thanks. I'm counting on you this time," Robin said.

"Say things like that again, and I'll personally kick your ugly ass out of this car," Jack snapped.

Robin couldn't help but smile at that. Jack was right. True friends didn't need that kind of polite nonsense.

"So what's your plan now?" Jack asked.

"I've been thinking… I'm going back to making games," Robin replied.

Jack looked at him. "Then the ruler of the gaming world is making his comeback."

They shared a look and smiled. Nothing more needed to be said. Robin only truly shone when he was developing games.

"Where are you staying tonight? If you don't have anywhere, you can crash at my place," Jack offered.

"No need. You know I bought a place before getting married. I'll move in there," Robin said.

"How about this—I'll call everyone in. Let's have a get-together tonight and celebrate your return to single life."

"Sounds good to me. We can grab dinner together," Robin said after a moment of thought, nodding.

Right then, he felt genuinely relaxed. He felt so much lighter with the weight of his so-called family and all the disgusting things that had happened lifted from his shoulders.

Meanwhile, Angeline spoke to her best friend, Zoe Somner. Her mind was a mess. She had no idea what to do. The only thing she could think of was to run to Zoe and beg her to come up with a plan.

Things had already spiraled down a path she'd never imagined. Maybe, in her heart, she'd always believed that Robin would never leave her. But how was that possible? In this world, there wasn't a single person whom one absolutely couldn't live without. It all came down to whether they wanted to stay.

Zoe frowned as she listened to Angeline's rundown on what had happened.

"How could you do something like this? Yes, Oscar's your teenage crush and first love, but don't forget that Robin is your husband now. You two have a son. When you two were newlyweds, your career was just taking off. It was Robin who gave up his own booming career to focus on the family and care for Sam.

"All these years, you've never had to worry about anything at home. And half the time, Robin even tapped into his old connections to help you," Zoe said.

"But…" Angeline started.

Zoe honestly wanted to crack open her skull and see what was inside. Air? How could she be this foolish?

From her perspective as Angeline's best friend, she genuinely thought Robin was leagues above Oscar. He was thoughtful, gentle, ridiculously handsome—on par with the most popular male celebrities—and incredibly capable. He wasn't a male chauvinist pig either. He respected and supported Angeline's career.

Sometimes, even Zoe wondered what Angeline had done to end up with such a perfect man. And yet, the latter had managed to blow it.

Angeline continued, "When Oscar came back, I just thought that since we were old friends, meeting up with him wasn't—"

"Angie, do you really think I'll buy that?" Zoe cut her off, looking straight at her. "Don't blame me for being harsh, but you've been hung up on what happened back then this whole time. You tried to mold Robin into another Oscar, but they're two different people.

"That's a fact, no matter how you try to change him. And I told you from the start that it's not fair to Robin. Besides, do you really think Oscar loves you? Sure, he broke up with you because he was going abroad. But with all the ways people can travel and keep in touch now, was it really that hard for him to see you? Was a breakup necessary?

"And after he went overseas, did he send you a single message? When you had surgery, did he text you once to ask how you were? Wasn't it Robin who sat by your hospital bed the whole time? Now that Oscar's shown up again, you're willing to throw away the years you've spent with Robin over some teenage infatuation. Honestly…"

Zoe inhaled sharply and went on, "Angie, I seriously think you've made a huge mistake. Really."

She sighed. Robin was only 29 years old and the textbook definition of an eligible bachelor. Once a guy like him got divorced, there would be hordes of women throwing themselves at him.

"Then what do you think I should do? I really don't want to get divorced. And Sam is already so big…" Angeline's tone was full of helplessness. She truly didn't know what to do anymore.

Zoe sighed again when she saw the state Angeline was in. She could scold her, sure, but at the end of the day, Angeline was still her best friend. She had to help.

"Call your parents. Ask them to step in and talk to Robin. They've treated him well all these years, so he'll probably listen to them. Plus, you two have Sam. That kind of bond isn't easy to sever. There's a good chance he'll soften.

"One more thing—and this is the most important part—cut things off with Oscar, effective immediately. I mean completely. No more contact, nothing. He's already wrecked your life once. You can't let him ruin it a second time."

There was one more thing Zoe didn't say. If even what she'd suggested didn't work, then there might really be nothing left that could be done. But right now, she couldn't say something like that.

"Okay. Got it." Angeline nodded. She pulled out her phone and called her parents' home. The call connected quickly, and she blurted, "Mom, Robin wants to divorce me."

With that one sentence, the whole house exploded into chaos.

…

Jack had called in every available lawyer at his law firm. He was determined to have Robin's divorce agreement drafted before the end of the workday.

Robin had nothing to do as he watched everyone bustle around, so he just sat on the couch to the side. Just then, a voice came from outside the office.

"Ms. Gardner."

A second later, someone knocked on the door.

"I'll get it," Robin said. He stood, walked over, and opened the door. Then, he was surprised to see the person standing there.

It was Sasha Gardner. She'd also been one of the original members of the game studio.

She'd majored in the arts, and her voice range was incredibly versatile. Back in the day, she'd voiced every female character in their games, and she'd handled the theme songs and all of the in-game music, too. When it came to music, she was a natural.

As their games blew up in popularity, she became more widely known as well. Tons of record labels tried to sign her, but she hated being tied down and rejected them all, choosing to become an independent musician instead.

Even without a label backing her, she still became a household-name singer. She'd released more than a dozen albums, each selling in the multi-million range, proving both her talent and her popularity.

"What are you doing here?" Robin asked, still surprised. It wasn't time for the get-together yet, so why…

"Wow, rude. That's a real warm welcome," Sasha said, just as mischievous as ever.

"My bad." He smiled. He looked at the little girl who was half-hiding behind Sasha. "Hey there, Nat. Don't you remember me anymore? Did you finish the math workbook I bought you last time? Want me to get you another one?"

The little girl, Natalie Camden, was shy and adorable. The moment she heard Robin mention homework, she burst into tears. "Aunt Sasha, Mr. Weisz is bullying me."

That did the trick.

Natalie was an incredibly cute kid, and Robin couldn't resist teasing her each time he saw her.

"Shoo, you. You're a grown man bullying a kid," Sasha chided, rolling her eyes.

Natalie wasn't actually hers—she was her niece. Sasha's sister and brother-in-law had died in a car crash, just like their own parents when they were much younger. Sasha and her sister had grown up with no one but each other.

To afford Sasha's schooling, her older sister had dropped out and worked herself to the bone. Because of that, Sasha and her sister had always been close—she was grateful for her sister's sacrifices.

Natalie was the only thing Sasha's sister had left in this world, and she couldn't bear to send the girl to an orphanage. So, she kept Natalie by her side and raised her as her own.

Because of that, at the beginning of Sasha's career, rumors had spread online about her being an unwed mother who'd secretly had a child. Sasha had never responded to those rumors, afraid that if everyone knew Natalie had lost her parents, she would suffer further emotional damage.

"She's too cute to resist," Robin said, completely unapologetic.

Seeing that he seemed to be in a decent state put Sasha at ease. She carried Natalie over to the couch, and the three of them started chatting. For a while, it felt like they'd gone back in time.

But good moments were usually short-lived.

Sure enough, Robin's phone rang. It was a call from Stu Sharpe and Helen McCarthy, his in-laws. Or, more accurately now, his former in-laws.