The next morning, Everard came back to the bedroom. When he saw I was already awake, he immediately put on a gentle smile and reached out to stroke my hair.
"Iris, did you sleep well? I had the housekeeper make your favorite breakfast."
I tilted my head away, my expression calm and still.
"Everard, let's get a divorce."
The smile on his face froze instantly. A flicker of panic darted through his eyes.
"Iris, what are you talking about? Are you feeling unwell again?"
I pulled out my phone without a trace of emotion on my face.
I held the screen up for him to see.
"Madge sent these last night."
Then I pressed play on the voice messages.
Madge's taunting, triumphant voice filled the room.
"Iris, aren't you supposed to be depressed? How come you haven't offed yourself yet?"
"So what if you came home? Last night, your husband and I had ourselves a nice, passionate little session right in front of you."
"You probably thought he actually hated me when he threw that wine on me at your birthday party, didn't you?"
"What you don't know is that he spent the whole night in my bed afterward, coaxing me back into a good mood."
"He dropped tens of thousands on handbags and necklaces for me before I even started to calm down."
"He even got on his knees and wrote me an apology letter."
"Said he only did it to earn your trust. That he had no choice. That it nearly broke his heart to treat me that way."
With every sentence, another shade of color drained from Everard's face.
He lunged at me, his expression dark as a storm, trying to snatch the phone from my hand. When he couldn't get it, he dropped to his knees in front of me.
"It's all lies."
"It's Madge. It has to be Madge! She can't stand seeing us happy, so she's making things up to turn you against me."
"Iris, you know how much I've loved you all these years."
"I know you two have never gotten along. When have I ever been anything but cold to her? Don't let her get inside your head..."
Watching that earnest, heartfelt performance, I let out a scoff.
"Everard, I never realized what a talented actor you were."
If I hadn't forced myself to throw up that glass of juice in the bathroom last night, I might never have seen what Everard looked like on that couch with another woman, completely shameless and unrestrained.
"You don't think that's enough evidence? Fine."
I opened my photo gallery and showed him the whole sordid show I'd captured the night before.
"You went through three condoms. The whole thing lasted two hours. So tell me, Everard, what do you have to say for yourself?"
With the evidence staring him right in the face, Everard finally dropped the act.
He was silent for a long time. Then his voice turned cold and threatening.
"Iris, are you sure you really want a divorce? Every cent of Delgado money you've spent in these three years of marriage, you'll pay back."
"Otherwise, you're not walking out that door."
I was shaking with rage.
"Everard, have you lost every shred of decency?"
"This company was founded with my mother's money while she was still alive. Thirty million dollars in startup capital, every last cent from the Pruitt family!"
"For three years, I gave up my career to manage this household for you, to handle your clients, to clean up your PR disasters. How many of your company's messes did I fix?"
"And my three children... You're going to sit here and nickel-and-dime me over living expenses? How can those words even come out of your mouth?"
Everard's expression darkened, and a cruel smirk twisted his lips.
"That's all in the past. The law only cares about evidence. I'm the legal representative of the company. The shares are in my name. You don't own a single one."
"If you behave yourself, I can let you keep the title of Mrs. Delgado."
"But if you insist on a divorce, I have ways to make sure the world sees you as nothing more than a freeloader who lived in my house like an unpaid maid."
