Chapter 2

I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and kept my voice calm. "He's a man who doesn't know how to mind his boundaries with my wife, and I'm supposed to be the one apologizing?"

Natasha was incensed, glaring at me as she growled, "First of all, there's nothing between us, and second, Stanley is the young heir of the Rogers family. What gives you the right to offend him?"

She demanded, "Now, go apologize immediately!"

Her tone was domineering, her eyes cold and distant, carrying that superior attitude she always had.

I stared at her angry expression, feeling somewhat dazed. Borned with a silver spoon in the Bates family, she had always been overbearing. Back in college, she was already involved in company affairs, going to business dinners, negotiating deals, and securing contracts.

Later, she smoothly inherited the company and became an admirable female CEO.

Meanwhile, I was just an orphan who had lost both parents young and was lucky enough to be sponsored by her for my education.

We met through her sponsorship, then fell in love, and got married after graduation.

Everyone said I was not good enough for her—a broke nobody marrying a wealthy heiress.

I knew it too. Hence, for all these years, I followed her lead in everything, whether in business or personal life, practically bent over backward just to make her happy.

However, I did not want to listen to her anymore this time.

"No!" I locked eyes with Natasha and said the word slowly, firmly.

She looked at me in disbelief, never expecting that someone as meek as me would actually refuse her. Anger flashed across her face, and she was about to explode when Stanley's call came in, breaking the tense atmosphere.

I answered and put it on speaker, and his upbeat voice rang out. "Nattie, are you there? You left your necklace on my bed. Do you want me to drop it off tomorrow?"

A sarcastic smile tugged at my lips.

Natasha's face immediately tensed up in panic as she rushed to explain, "I went out drinking with him. I just crashed on his bed for a bit, nothing happened—"

"Cut ties with him," I said softly, wanting to give her one last chance.

However, Stanley's voice suddenly spiked through the phone. He shouted, "Kieran, who the hell do you think you are to control who Nattie hangs out with? Don't forget your place—you're just a freeloader!"

Finally, he added dismissively, "And stop being so paranoid. If Nattie and I had something going on, you think she would've married you?"

I handed the phone back to Natasha and repeated myself. "Cut ties with him!"

"Are you done making a scene?" Natasha barked as she hung up the phone, her eyes blazing as she looked at me impatiently.

She continued, "The Rogers and Bates families go way back! Our companies are closely tied. Do you have any idea what kind of financial damage it would cause if I cut Stanley off?

"Kieran Grant, you're thirty years old. Can you stop being so childish? It's just some photos. Do you really have to make this a big deal?"

Her fury only made me calmer, and I felt nothing. Then, I heard myself say, "Let's get a divorce."