Chapter 4

The next day was supposed to be the day I was discharged from the hospital.

After she left, Shannon called me, but the tenderness that filled her voice over the past few days was gone.

“Micah has been suspended. Did you have someone do this? He’s threatening to end his life now. If anything happens to him… don’t blame me for showing no mercy, Jude.”

Before I could respond, Shannon hung up.

News about Micah spread rapidly, with one viral post after another dominating the trending page.

[You keep calling Micah the other man. Where’s your proof? Shannon has clearly wanted to divorce Jude for a long time.]

[A woman who follows her heart without hesitation is what a true strong female lead looks like. Jude is so petty that he would even target a younger man.]

[Hasn’t Jude always lived off Shannon? He stayed home as a househusband. Men like that are the most useless.]

The entire online narrative had turned against me.

However, that was not all. Shannon, who rarely posted anything on social media, made a post of her own.

[The bond Jude and I shared for more than twenty years ends today. I can no longer tolerate a man who has achieved nothing.]

Her words undoubtedly pushed me straight into the fire.

I quickly completed the discharge paperwork, but the moment I stepped out of the hospital, I was surrounded by reporters.

The constant flashes from their cameras made it impossible for me to keep my eyes open.

It was as if I had committed some unforgivable crime.

I forced my way out of the crowd and returned home in a miserable state.

When I opened the door, I saw Shannon sitting on the couch with a tablet in her hands.

The news was playing on the screen, and my own pale face stared back at me.

“Were you behind all of this?”

My voice was frighteningly hoarse.

Shannon did not deny it. Instead, she slid a new agreement toward me.

“Was I wrong, Jude? Haven’t I been the one supporting you all these years?

“You had people spread rumors that he was a kept lover and the other man. He ended up losing his scholarship because of it.

“I never realized you could be this jealous.”

A laugh escaped my lips as all the resentment and anguish I had bottled up over the past few days finally erupted.

“So, that’s why you twisted the truth in front of the media? Micah is the other man. We’re still married!

“You know better than anyone why I have no job. As for how your company got to where it is today, I built it by sacrificing my own health!”

Shannon’s expression instantly darkened as she struck me across the face without a moment’s hesitation.

The force of the slap left my ears ringing.

“I never asked you to do any of that. You chose to. I could’ve kept the company going even without you.

“Haven’t I treated you well all these years?

“You lived in a big house and drove a luxury car. But what can you do? All you ever do is keep bringing up these things to make me feel guilty and get my attention.

“Jude, you brought this on yourself. You’re the one who enjoys making these self-sacrificing gestures just to feel like a martyr!”

She seemed to be pouring out every complaint she had buried over the years.

“You really embarrass me. At least Micah is young and handsome. I can be seen with him in public without people mocking me. What about you? What do you have to offer me?”

My eyes reddened, and the tiny flame of hope I had held onto finally died.

Everything I had endured and every lie I had told myself over the past few days suddenly seemed like a cruel joke.

People often revealed their truest thoughts when they were consumed by anger.

Shannon still seemed to have more to say, but I picked up the pen beside me and signed my name on the agreement.

She parted her lips, but no words came out.

Then, she picked up the divorce agreement and flipped through the pages. Her fingers tightened around my name at the bottom of the page.

“We’ll meet at the courthouse once the waiting period is over. Half of your company shares will go to me.”

With that, I dropped the pen and turned away, leaving the home I had lived in for ten years.

I could feel Shannon’s gaze following me as I walked away.

However, this time, I would never look back.