Chapter 2

“I just can’t bear to lose you, so I’m not getting a divorce.

“No matter how much debt you owe, I’ll stay and help you pay it off.”

The moment I said that, Julian and Madeline panicked.

Madeline clutched Julian’s sleeve, her face turning deathly pale.

Julian patted her hand reassuringly, then turned to me.

“Vivian, don’t be foolish.

“I know you love me, which is why I can’t drag you down with me!

“I’ve already told the finance department to transfer the money. It should be in your account any minute now.

“Take the money and leave. I’m begging you. I can’t have anything holding me back.”

I deliberately gave him a wounded look and stared at him for a full thirty seconds.

By the time the cold sweat on his forehead was about to drip, and he could barely withstand the pressure, I finally pretended to be heartbroken and reluctantly nodded.

“All right, Julian. Take care of yourself.”

With that, I turned around and picked up the suitcase I’d packed long ago.

Without looking back, I walked out the front door.

The moment I stepped outside the gates of the apartment complex, my phone chimed.

[Your account has received a deposit of $9,000,000.00.]

I stared at the long string of zeros on my screen, a cold smile curling across my lips.

Julian, you have thirty days left before you go bankrupt.

Enjoy your final month of happiness.

After receiving the money, I rented an apartment and, the next morning, took a cab straight to Silverbrook Residences in the western district of Riverton.

It was an abandoned, half-finished housing development that no one wanted.

The sales office was so deserted that there wasn’t a soul in sight. A few sales agents were dozing off at their desks.

But I remembered what would happen in my previous life.

Three days from now, Riverton would issue a confidential government development announcement.

This rundown district would be designated as one of the city’s most prestigious school zones.

A top-ranked elementary school and a prestigious high school would both open new campuses here.

When that happened, property prices would skyrocket.

They would triple practically overnight.

I walked into the sales office and immediately roused the half-asleep sales manager.

“Building Three, Unit Two. I want the entire floor.”

The sales manager jolted awake and rubbed his eyes, certain he’d misheard me.

“Ma’am, are you sure? This development is—”

“Don’t waste my time. I’m paying in full. Bring me the contract.”

I cut him off coldly.

Just then, a deliberately sweet voice came from behind me.

“Well, well. Isn’t that Vivian?”

I turned around and saw Julian walking in with Madeline.

Madeline had her arm linked through Julian’s, looking utterly pleased with herself.

They had obviously come to buy the luxury penthouse across the street.

Apparently, now that Madeline thought she’d successfully taken my place, she no longer bothered pretending to be the innocent, helpless type.

Her eyes were filled with undisguised mockery and pity.

“Vivian, you took the money Julian gave you and came here to buy a place in this dump?

“Unlike you, I have Julian insisting on buying me a 2,000-square-foot luxury penthouse across the street.

“He says the river view and the location have such great energy. It’s almost too much.”

She covered her mouth and giggled, practically dripping with fake sweetness.

Julian stood beside her, looking at me with a condescending expression, as if he were generously offering charity to someone beneath him.

“Vivian, you should be careful when buying property. If you buy a half-finished development like this, you’ll only end up losing your money.

“If you’re short on cash, I can lend you some. After all, we were married for five years.”

I looked at the two of them putting on their little performance and felt nothing.

If anything, I wanted to laugh.

“No need. You should worry about your own company.”

I looked him straight in the eye. My voice was quiet, but every word hit its mark.

“The final payment on your Eastside development has been outstanding for almost six months, hasn’t it?

“And what about the company’s tax records from last month? Are you sure they could withstand an audit?”

Julian’s expression changed instantly.

His eyes widened as he stared at me in disbelief.

“How... how do you know?”

Those were the two biggest threats to his company’s cash flow, and they were supposed to be absolute secrets.

In my previous life, those very problems had eventually crushed him, triggering a complete collapse of his company’s finances.