The way Chloe Miller acted, it was as if she thought I might harm my own son. She clung to him protectively, pretending so well that anyone who didn’t know better would think she was Lucas’s real mother.
Daniel Brooks frowned at me in displeasure.
“You’re not a child anymore. Throwing a tantrum over something so small and refusing to make dinner—what’s the point?”
“This time, at Lucas’s kindergarten graduation ceremony, it wasn’t that we didn’t want to bring you. The truth is, with the way you look now, you’re just not fit to appear at such an event.”
“Look at yourself. You’re barely in your twenties, yet your skin is rough, and you look old and ugly—like some woman selling vegetables on the street. If you had gone, our son would’ve been even more embarrassed in front of his classmates.”
“As for the things Lucas and I said at the ceremony, don’t take them seriously. Don’t be petty and lose your temper over it.”
“Now hurry up and cook. Lucas and I are hungry. And make more dishes tonight—especially sweet and sour ribs. Lucas and Chloe both love them.”
Hearing Daniel’s words filled me with bitterness.
Even though I had already lost all hope in him and his son, I still couldn’t stop the surge of anger and sorrow that rose within me.
This—this was the man I once loved so deeply.
How blind had I been to fall for him back then?
I took a deep breath, pulled out the divorce papers I had prepared, and threw them at Daniel. Holding back the storm of emotions in my chest, I said coldly,
“Sign it.”
For a split second, Daniel’s pupils narrowed. Then his face darkened, and he snapped,
“Emma Carter, what nonsense is this? Just because we didn’t bring you to our son’s graduation, you want a divorce? Are you out of your mind?”
I answered calmly,
“If you sign this agreement, we can separate peacefully, saving face for both of us. If you refuse, I’ll file for divorce in court. By then, everyone will know I am your legal wife, and that I am Lucas’s biological mother. The lies you and your son spread at the ceremony will be exposed, your reputations destroyed, and the Brooks Corporation will suffer the fallout as well.”
“Daniel, I’m not joking. The choice is yours.”
Daniel’s face turned dark blue with fury.
Lucas’s eyes lit up as he eagerly said to him,
“Dad, sign it! Once she’s gone, Aunt Chloe can move in, and she’ll be my mom from now on—”
Before he could finish, Daniel shot him a fierce glare.
“Shut up! Go to your room!”
Lucas froze. Never in his life had his father scolded him so harshly. His eyes welled with tears, his face full of wounded grievance.
Chloe, playing the part of a gentle comforter, softly patted Lucas while turning to me with a pitiful expression.
“Emma, don’t use this kind of threat against Daniel. I know you’ve always disliked me, and not telling you in advance about Lucas’s graduation must have made you hate me even more.”
“But don’t worry. I’ll resign right away. I’ll never appear in front of Daniel and Lucas again, so you won’t have to be upset.”
“You and Daniel should live peacefully together, especially for Lucas. He’s still so young… if you two divorce, it’ll hurt him deeply…”
