Chapter 4

I looked down at the document. It was an investment agreement from three years ago, signed seven days before my wedding.

It stated that Wright Group would invest 30 million dollars in Manning Corporation. The terms also clearly specified that as long as Calista and I remained married, Manning Corporation was entitled to continued financial support from Wright Group and would receive priority in business partnerships.

Gloria's, Peter's, and Calista's signatures were all there on the last page.

I thought back to the night before the wedding. Peter had picked out a tie for me, looking emotional as he said, "Joel, Calista is a good woman. Since she wants to marry you, it means she does care about you."

Gloria had stood at the door, saying, "Once you marry Calista, make sure you make a good impression on the Wrights. With a family like theirs, you'll be set for life."

At the time, I'd sobbed my heart out, thinking that my parents couldn't bear to part with me. But now it was clear to me they were afraid I, the sold commodity, would suddenly change my mind and ruin the deal they'd made behind my back.

Looking at them now, I asked, "So this is the contract that proves you sold me off?"

Gloria's expression turned livid. "What do you mean, we sold you off? You've lived off the family for decades now! What's the big deal about expecting you to do something for the family in return?"

"Then why didn't Tyler marry Calista instead?"

"Tyler was already married by then!" Peter blurted out.

But the moment he finished speaking, his face paled. I chuckled. "So if he'd been single, I wouldn't be the one who got married."

A faint sound came from outside the study.

Tyler stood in the doorway. He had obviously heard everything. There was no shock on his face, only the humiliation of having been exposed.

I looked at him. "You knew about it as well."

"I tried my best to persuade Mom and Dad, Joel," he said tearfully.

"Persuade them to do what?" I slowly approached him. "Persuade them not to tell me? Or persuade them not to make things even uglier for me by demanding too high a price?"

Tyler looked hurt. "I was having a really hard time with the Hudsons then. They looked down on our family and on me."

"So I deserved what I got?"

He started shaking his head. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" I fixed my eyes on his pitiful expression. "You knew full well that Calista loved you. You knew she only married me so that you could hold your head up high with your in-laws.

"You knew that I'd just come out of surgery, and that the cross necklace mattered more to me than anything else I owned.

"However, despite everything you knew, you kept showing up in front of her at 6:20 am anyway. You put on that necklace, claiming that it was to help you feel safe."

Tyler's face went pale.

My voice turned quiet as I continued, "Tyler, all you wanted to do was confirm that, no matter who I marry, I would always lose to you anyway."

"Enough!" Gloria screeched. "Joel Manning, if you get a divorce, you can forget about ever calling me your mother again!"

I nodded. "It's a deal."

Peter froze. "Joel…"

I took out my phone and took pictures of the agreement. When Gloria lunged for my phone, I simply stepped back and said, "I've already sent everything to my lawyer."

For a moment, there was complete silence. Peter looked ashen as he gripped my hand. "Please, Joel. I'm begging you. If you turn this into a whole spectacle, our family will be done for!"

I glanced down at his hand. "You guys weren't the least bit concerned about what would happen to me when you sold me off to the Wrights."

After pulling my hand free, I turned to leave.

Suddenly, Tyler called out, "Calista won't agree to a divorce, Joel."

I paused in my tracks, having picked up on the certainty in his voice.

"You know what she's like. She has a strong sense of duty and responsibility."

Turning around to look at him, I replied, "Then we'll just have to see how much her sense of responsibility is worth."

…

When I returned to the villa, Calista was waiting for me in the living room. The divorce papers were still on the coffee table.

Her expression was dark and icy as she questioned me, "You went back to the Manning residence?"

"Yes."

"You contacted a lawyer?"

"I did."

She stared at me. "Who said you could look into that agreement?"

I pulled out my suitcase. "You lied to me for three years, and now you're blowing up at me because I finally found out the truth?"

For a moment, Calista was silent. "Things were complicated back then."

"Complicated enough that you had to trick me into standing at the altar with you?"

Her brows drew together. "I didn't trick you."

"On our wedding day, you whispered in my ear that you'd treat me well." I looked at her. "Calista, were you thinking about me then, or about how Tyler could finally hold his head high in front of the Hudsons?"

At last, her expression shifted.

I started dragging my suitcase toward the door, but she grabbed the handle. "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving."

"If you leave this house, where can you even go?" Her voice had dropped a little, and she didn't seem to notice the arrogance in her tone. "The Mannings won't let you move back in with them. If you storm out of here like this, who do you think you can rely on for help?"

I looked at her and said, "I can rely on myself."

Calista looked like she thought I was being absurd. She abruptly pulled me into a hug and said, "Stop being so irrational, Joel."

For the first time, she spoke to me in a coaxing tone. "I won't see Tyler anymore. I admit that I shouldn't have done that with your necklace. Tell me how you want me to make it up to you. I'll give you anything you want."

There'd been a time when I dreamed of hearing such words from her, but right now, even as she held me close, my heart remained cold and stony.

"I don't love you anymore, Calista," I said quietly.

Calista's hoarse voice rang out behind me. "Say that again, Joel."

I didn't even bother turning to look at her as I repeated, "I don't love you anymore."

The moment I walked out the door, the fitness watch on Calista's wrist began vibrating. She looked down and saw that her heart rate had spiked to 168.

A health alert appeared on her phone. "High level of stress detected."

It was the first time in our three-year marriage that her heart rate spiked because of me. This was also the moment it finally hit her that I truly didn't want her anymore.