Chapter 4

It seemed my silent treatment had driven Bianca insane. To my surprise, she didn't make a fuss and simply let me go.

I shook my head. This certainly saved me a lot of trouble.

Once my resignation was finalized, I reached into the drawer and pulled out a divorce agreement. It had been signed a few days before Bianca went on her trip. When I'd placed it in front of her, she had signed it without even looking at it.

Surprised, I had asked her, "Are you sure you don't want to read through the terms before signing it?"

Bianca had flashed me a sweet smile. "I don't need to do that. I know you'd never do anything to hurt me."

Meeting her gentle gaze, my heart skipped a beat. For a moment, I had thought I still held a place in her heart.

I was just about to say something when Jesse barged into the room, whining, "We're supposed to be going to the theater. Why are you still working? I'm counting to three; if you don't come out by then, I'm not going anymore!"

Being rushed was Bianca's ultimate pet peeve. Even when I asked her gently, she would lose her temper.

Yet, when Jesse yelled at her, not only did she not get upset, she even ran over to him with a beaming smile while grabbing her bag. "Don't be mad. I'm done with my work. Let's go."

As it turned out, Bianca hadn't signed it out of trust in me; she had just rushed through it so she wouldn't miss her movie date with Jesse. After being her husband for five years, in the end, my place in her heart wasn't even comparable to that of a mere assistant. How ridiculous it all was.

I lowered my gaze. Since she no longer loved me, I would grant her her freedom. Clutching the divorce agreement, I made my way to the courthouse.

"Mr. Wright, I need to confirm that your marriage is beyond repair before I can approve the divorce."

I nodded, pulled out my phone, and called Bianca. I knew she was still fuming and wouldn't pick up. Sure enough, just as I expected, my calls were declined over a dozen times.

Having verified the situation, the clerk approved my application and stamped the paperwork.

After waiting all afternoon, the divorce certificate was finally issued. I took a photo of it and sent it to Kate.

Kate was absolutely thrilled, insisting on dropping everything at work to come pick me up and take me home. My first instinct was to tell her it wasn't necessary.

However, after picking up on the sheer excitement in her voice, I couldn't bring myself to reject her kindness. I immediately got into my car and drove back home.

As soon as I reached the front door, a burst of lively laughter and joyful chatter drifted out from inside the house.

I gently pushed the door open and noticed that Bianca and Jesse, who were supposed to be traveling out of town, had returned. The house was filled with colorful balloons, and a massive, ten-tier birthday cake stood prominently next to the dining table.

Jesse, wearing a birthday hat, smiled and said, "I heard you've never once thrown a birthday party for Kieran, Bia. I really am honored!"

Bianca waved her hand dismissively. "He's a broke loser. What's there to celebrate for him? That would just be a waste of money.

"You're different. You ditched your family to spend your birthday with us. We're the ones who are honored to have you!"

My hand froze on the doorknob. I thought I was over her, but a dull ache still pierced through my chest.

Throughout our five-year marriage, she always conveniently had a business trip scheduled whenever my birthday rolled around. Bianca would claim she had a terrible memory and promise to make it up to me the following year, and I had foolishly believed every single word.

Now, the ugly truth was staring me in the face. She hadn't forgotten at all; she merely thought a nobody like me didn't deserve a party, and she had missed it on purpose.

I chose not to walk in. Safe to say, they were too wrapped up in each other to notice I was even there.

Bianca's best friends gleefully presented their gifts while badmouthing me. "Kieran's so useless. He's basically a kept man who can't even handle a minor project oversight. He even made Bia cut her vacation short and come back to deal with it. A deadbeat like him deserves to be divorced!"

"In terms of background and ability, he can't even hold a candle to Jesse."

"I can tell Jesse has a thing for you, Bia. Why don't you guys just get together?"

Bianca pursed her lips. "Forget it. He's been by my side through thick and thin. If I dump him now, people will talk."

She made it sound like she was standing up for me. Yet, she conveniently left out the fact that over 90% of the company's deals had actually been closed by me.

I wasn't a kept man. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the only reason she was living this life of luxury today was entirely because of me.