Chapter 5

Cora was shell-shocked. Instinctively, she asked, "Do you really not want her anymore?"

I raised my head to meet her gaze. "Yes."

Then, I pointed at Giselle. "Her, and you. I don't want either of you anymore."

After a moment of silence, Cora softened her tone. "I know you're just throwing a tantrum again, Galen. Giselle is our daughter, after all. So long as you behave and stop targeting Callum, you can become our neighbor. Giselle can visit you once a month, too."

Giselle also hesitated before chiming in, "That's right. Even though I like Cal the most, you can still become my second dad."

"That won't be necessary." I shook my head. "I only have one condition, and that's to divide our marital assets."

Cora's expression instantly hardened.

Giselle froze. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she lunged at me and hit me. "You really were trying to sell me off, you horrible man! You never loved me or Mommy. You were only in it for the money!"

She still wanted to hit me, but I deftly caught her hand and pushed her toward Callum. "Keep a tighter leash on your child in the future!" I spat.

Then, I shifted my attention to Cora. "Where's my money?"

Her chest heaved. Moments later, she pulled out a card from her wallet and hurled it at my face. "Is that enough?"

Cora whipped another card at me. "I asked you, is that enough? Answer me!"

Card after card pelted my face like a succession of slaps. The sharp edges sliced across my cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood.

"Get down on your knees and pick them up, Galen. Let me see just how low you'll sink for money!" With that, she spun on her heel and stormed off with Giselle and Callum.

Staring at the cards on the ground, I made no move to pick them up.

My phone chimed. It was the evidence sent by Mr. Hill.

The first thing that came into view was a transfer statement showing Cora purchasing an eight-figure villa for Callum. It was dated a year ago.

That was around the exact time Giselle's tuition had bounced. I had sold the ancestral home Mom left me to cover her tuition for the next two years.

Further down was a receipt for an 800-thousand-dollar postpartum care center, along with a series of expenses for pregnancy supplements, royal jelly, and an exclusive maternity and postpartum caregiver who was paid a monthly salary of 30 grand.

After doing the math, I realized that Cora had already been pregnant when I was involved in a car accident. At that time, I had been suffering terribly from the aftereffects of the accident. I had asked Cora to hire a physical therapist for me, but all she did was call me to tell me, "I'm sorry, Galen. I just invested all my money into the company. Besides, I have to go overseas on a business trip."

I was in so much pain that I couldn't even stand up. Next to me lay Giselle, who cried every night with weak, shallow breaths. Meanwhile, my wife, who had disappeared for more than half a year, was actually pregnant with another man's child.

My heart ached so unbearably that I could barely breathe. I touched my face, only to realize that at some point, it had already been streaked with tears. I wiped them away and no longer hesitated.

"I have one more piece of evidence, Mr. Hill. I want her to be left with nothing to her name!"

…

Three days later, on the day of the company's new product launch event, all the prominent figures in the tech industry had gathered. Noticing Giselle sitting glumly in the corner, Cora checked on her.

Looking up with eyes full of unshed tears, Giselle asked, "Mommy, does Daddy really not want us anymore?"

Cora froze for a moment before comforting her. "No, of course not! He could never bear to part with you. Don't you know that?"

After hearing that, Giselle immediately broke into a smile and ran off to play with her classmates.

Cora also took the stage and began her presentation. Even though she sensed something was off, she reassured herself inwardly.

How could I possibly be willing to give Giselle and her up?

Below the stage, one of Giselle's classmates buttered her up. "My birthday's around the corner, Giselle. Since you're so rich, can you give me the latest phone model as a gift?"

Giselle grinned, practically floating on air. "Of course! Mommy gave me a credit card with no spending limit."

After selecting the most expensive phone available, she proceeded with the payment. However, the screen flashed brightly. "Insufficient Balance."

"How's that possible?" Giselle gasped.

The second payment attempt failed. The third and fourth attempts… also failed.

Just then, Cora, who was on stage introducing the third-generation humanoid robot, received a phone call. She flashed the audience an apologetic smile, frowned, and answered the call, only to blanch in an instant.

"What did you just say? All of the company's assets have been frozen?" she blurted instinctively.