Chapter 1

When I saw the message, I didn't feel any anger or betrayal. All I felt was exhaustion.

Five years of marriage. I'd lost count of how many times this had happened.

Her so-called "tests" were just extreme games designed to break me down, so she could stand on moral high ground and lecture me afterward. And every time, I was left to piece my broken heart back together alone, while she proudly bragged about how well she had trained me.

This time, I didn't react. I calmly turned off my phone and drove home.

I opened the front door.

The living room lights were dim. Kathy Bolton was curled up on the couch, casually popping a plump strawberry into her mouth. When she heard the door open, she looked up at me. There was a flicker of anticipation in her eyes, along with a hint of smug confidence.

I knew exactly what was going through her mind.

She expected me to see the obvious clues she'd left behind and lose my mind—screaming, interrogating her, demanding answers. She expected me to fall apart so she could play the innocent victim and accuse me of not trusting her enough. She loves that sense of control. She loves trapping me in her twisted game and calling it "love."

But not this time. I'm tired. And I'm done.

I didn't rush to check her phone like I used to. I didn't ask where she'd been or who she'd seen. I didn't even give her a second look. I just walked to the entryway, set down my briefcase, and pulled out the divorce papers I'd spent the last month preparing.

The pages were thin, but they felt as heavy as the five-year weight crushing my chest.

I walked to the couch and placed the papers gently on the coffee table in front of her.

"Take a look," I said. My voice was calm. Completely flat. Like I was commenting on the weather.

"If everything looks good, sign it."

Kathy froze mid-bite, the strawberry still between her fingers. The smugness drained from her face. The anticipation in her eyes flickered and died, replaced by pure shock. She looked down at the papers, then snapped her head back up at me.

"What… did you just say?" Her voice wavered, thick with disbelief.

She shot up from the couch, her silk throw blanket sliding to the floor. "Sean, have you lost your mind? Do you even know what day it is today? It's our fifth wedding anniversary!"

Her voice kept rising, teetering on hysterical.

I looked at her, feeling nothing but cold sarcasm. "I know. And not just our anniversary. It's also the fifty-third time you've 'tested' me. Right on schedule."

Kathy went pale. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Her eyes darted away, unable to meet mine.

After a long pause, she grabbed her phone with trembling fingers and fumbled to unlock it. "Sean, please, let me explain. It's not what you think. That group photo on my feed—I Photoshopped it. I was just trying to get a rise out of you. And those texts from the random guy? That was my burner account. I didn't cheat on you, I swear. I just… I just wanted to see how much you still care about me. I wanted to see if you'd still fight for me like you used to."

Her voice cracked. Tears welled up in her eyes. She looked desperate.

I watched her performance and felt nothing but exhaustion and bitter self-contempt.

"Care about you? I cared about you so much that I put up with every single one of these stunts. I cared so much that I believed every pathetic excuse you threw at me. I cared so much that I turned myself into a paranoid, jealous wreck who couldn't trust his own judgment anymore.

"Well, congratulations, Kathy. You did it. You burned through every last ounce of love I had for you. You finally made sure I don't trust you anymore. And you made sure I don't love you anymore.

"So let's get a divorce."