Chapter 2: THE WIFE WHO REFUSED TO OBEY

POV: PHINA

Harrison stared at me for three long seconds, his face blank with sheer disbelief. Then, a harsh, mocking laugh burst from his chest.  

"A divorce?" He shook his head, looking at me with the smug, patronizing amusement he usually reserved for unruly children. "Phina, stop this ridiculous, embarrassing display. You're throwing a temper tantrum because I brought Vera home? Grow up."  

Beside him, Vera stepped forward, her eyes brimming with sudden, delicate tears. She reached out, her fingers trembling as she lightly touched Harrison's sleeve.  

"Phina, please... don't do this," Vera whimpered, her voice dripping with artificial innocence. "It's all my fault. I'll just leave and find a hotel. I never meant to stand between you and Harrison. Please don't let me ruin your marriage..."  

In my previous life, Vera's pathetic act would have driven me into an emotional frenzy. I would have raised my voice, tried to defend myself, and made myself look like the crazy, jealous wife while Harrison played her brave protector.  

This time, I didn't even waste a breath on her. I stood entirely still, watching her theatrical routine with a cold, detached silence that immediately made Vera's fake crying falter.  

Harrison’s expression hardened, annoyed that I wasn't taking the bait. He stepped closer, towering over me with threatening authority.  

"Look at yourself, Phina," he sneered, pointing a finger at my chest. "You think you can just walk away from me? You own nothing! The roof over your head, the car you drive, the black card in your wallet, the social standing you enjoy, every single thing in your life is tied to the Bennet family name. Without me, you are a penniless nobody whose father lost everything. If you leave this house, you walk out into the street with zero."  

He was so confident, so completely convinced that I was a helpless bird trapped in his gilded cage. He believed he held all the power because he had spent five years brainwashing me into believing I was nothing without him.  

I didn't argue. I didn't yell. I didn't expose his secret affair, his offshore accounts, or the horrifying truth about Vera’s pregnancy. Revealing my cards now would only give him a chance to prepare a defense. Silence was my greatest weapon.  

"My decision isn't up for debate, Harrison," I said calmly, my voice steady as steel. "Our marriage is over."  

Harrison flinched slightly, a flicker of genuine unease passing through his dark eyes. The absolute lack of fear in my expression was something he had never seen before. The obedient, desperate wife who lived for his approval was gone, and the stranger standing in her place rattled him far more than any shouting match could have.  

I turned my back on him, walked over to the nightstand, and picked up my silver wristlet. From inside, I pulled out the master black card linked to the Bennet account and tossed it onto the bed.  

"Keep your money, Harrison," I said softly. "I won't be needing a single cent from your family ever again."  

"Phina! Stop right there!" Harrison yelled, stepping forward to grab my wrist, but I pivoted smoothly out of his reach, giving him a look so frigid it froze him in his tracks.  

I unlatched the heavy master suite doors and walked down the sweeping marble staircase toward the grand entrance hall. Before leaving this mansion, I was going to reclaim every part of myself Harrison had once convinced me I didn't own, my freedom, my identity, and my dignity.  

As I pushed open the massive front doors, the crisp morning air rushed over my skin, washing away the suffocating scent of Harrison's fake lifestyle. I pulled my smartphone from my coat pocket and dialed a private number I hadn't called in years.  

"Pendelton & Associates," a sharp, professional voice answered on the second ring.  

"Arthur," I said quietly. "It's Phina."  

There was a sudden, sharp intake of breath on the line. Arthur Pendleton had been my grandfather’s most trusted personal attorney, a man who had watched in silent frustration as I handed over my life to the Bennet family.  

"Miss Hastings," Arthur said, his tone instantly shifting into crisp, lethal professionalism. "It has been a long time. How may I serve you?"  

"I am divorcing Harrison Bennet," I stated without hesitation. "I need you to initiate the legal severance immediately, freeze all joint authorizations, and prepare a full asset audit."  

Arthur went quiet for a brief moment before responding. "I am relieved to hear you say that, Phina. However, I must warn you: Harrison Bennet is a ruthless man. The moment he realizes you are truly leaving, his legal team will attempt to freeze your personal funds and claim that your holdings are marital property."  

A cold, dangerous smile touched my lips as I walked down the stone driveway toward the main gates. In my previous life, I had been so naive, so foolishly trusting, that I had never bothered to look into my family's estate, blindly believing Harrison when he said my father's bankruptcy left me with nothing.  

"Let him try," I replied calmly into the receiver. "I am prepared for anything he throws at me."  

Arthur let out a low, satisfied chuckle over the line.  

"I don't think you fully understand yet, Miss Hastings," Arthur said, his voice dropping into a solemn, heavy tone. "Your grandfather knew exactly what kind of snakes were lurking around you before he passed. Before he died, he sealed your true inheritance behind a bloodline clause. Your grandfather left you something Harrison can never touch."