All Chapters of Divorce After Betrayal: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

I returned home.The home Daphne and I had once decorated together with our own hands.Now it was filled with a stranger's presence.At the entryway sat a pair of limited-edition men's sneakers I didn't recognize.On the coffee table in the living room lay a half-finished box of cigars—definitely not the brand I smoked.The studio I treasured most, the one dedicated entirely to my design drafts, was locked shut.I walked over and pressed my thumb against the fingerprint lock."Beep. Verification failed." The cold mechanical voice echoed in the quiet apartment.My fingerprint had already been deleted.My heart sank, little by little.Instinctively, I moved toward the master bedroom. Inside the walk-in closet, the half that used to belong to me had been completely cleared out.In its place hung rows of luxury men's clothing from brands I didn't recognize. Every piece carried the same gaudy, arrogant style that suited Ronan perfectly.So while I had been away for half a month,

They dragged me roughly toward the elevator lobby. Every violent tug pulled at the wounds across my body.Ronan still wasn't satisfied. He chased after us and drove several brutal kicks into my stomach."That's for harassing Daphne again! "That's for not knowing your place!"Aren't you a designer?" he sneered. "Let's see how you draw after this."He planted his foot on the back of my right hand. The hard heel of his leather shoe twisted slowly.Blinding pain exploded through my nerves, darkening my vision.These hands had once drawn countless designs for Daphne. They had created one-of-a-kind jewelry just for her. They had sketched the dream home we planned to build together.Now her new lover was trampling them in the most humiliating way possible.In the struggle, a rolled-up set of drawings slipped from the inner pocket of my jacket and fell onto the floor.It was the wedding gown sketch I had stayed up several sleepless nights designing for Daphne.Ronan noticed. He ben

Inside the top conference room of the Stellar Club, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating.Victor Ashford, chairman of the Ashford Group, sat restlessly in his chair, waiting. When the conference room doors were pushed open, he looked up.The first thing he saw was his son being dragged in by two men in black suits. Ronan looked like a beaten dog.Victor froze in shock. Then his gaze shifted.Behind them, surrounded by a group of executives, was me. Even with injuries still visible on my face, the presence I carried filled the entire room.Victor's face instantly drained of color. "M-Mr. Cross?!"With a loud thud, he slid straight off his chair and rushed toward me, scrambling across the floor."Mr. Cross! W-what is going on? Why is that ingrate with you?"Before I could say anything, he spun around and swung his arm with full force. The slap cracked loudly across Ronan's face."You worthless animal! Did you offend Mr. Cross? I'll beat you to death, you useless

I thought everything would end there, but a few days later, Lucas handed me a background investigation report about Daphne.The report uncovered the roots behind her obsession and materialism.Daphne's father, Elias Sinclair, had once been a brilliant oil painter who spent his entire life in poverty.When Daphne was still in college, her father's paintings continued to go unsold. Combined with years of poverty and depression, he eventually chose to end his life inside his own studio.That incident became an eternal scar in Daphne's heart. She believed that the vulgar world, which was obsessed only with money, had killed her father's art.So she became obsessed and desperate for success, eager to prove herself with wealth and status, and to prove her father's worth as well.To her, the boyfriend who ran a "small design studio"—me—looked like a repeat of her father's failed life.Meanwhile, Ronan's extravagant life as a wealthy heir looked like success.At the end of the report,