Since Talia said she wouldn’t arrive for another three days, I had no choice but to stay at the Wilkins family’s mansion. I didn’t want to be here, but I had nowhere else to go.
I thought I would be left alone for those few days. But to my surprise, Suzanne came into my room that very night. She walked in calmly, sat across from me and looked me in the eyes. There was no guilt in her expression. Only coldness remained.
“Alexander,” she called my name in a quiet but firm voice.
After that, she continued to speak, “If you behave and don’t cause any trouble, I promise I’ll divorce you after my company goes public.”
I stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.
“But at that time,” she said as she kept looking at me in the eyes.
She then spoke, “You’ll have to sign an agreement. I’ll give you one million dollars. After that, you’ll take the money and disappear from my life. Forever.”
Suzanne paused and stared at me like I was a stranger.
“I’m with Gregory Wilkins now. We have children. All of my assets belong to me and the kids I have with him. That’s how it should be.”
Her words felt like a knife to my chest.
I couldn’t help but laugh. It was a bitter, empty laugh. So, this was the woman I had once loved so deeply. The woman I had sacrificed everything for.
Six years ago, I had sold all my assets in the U.S. so that Suzanne could escape. I stayed behind, willing to face an unknown fate because I thought she would keep her promise to come back for me. I remembered clearly how she hugged me tightly before leaving.
After that, Suzanne cried and told me to wait for her, no matter what. She promised she would raise the money to bring me home. But the truth was? She never tried. She never planned to.
Instead, Suzanne returned to the U.S. and quickly got together with Gregory. Their oldest child was already five years old by now. That meant she started her new life with him not long after she returned. She had completely erased me from her life.
It seemed that Suzanne had always seen me as someone weak and useless. I was someone not worth fighting for. The thought really hurt me.
But if it wasn’t for Suzanne, I would have never been in that situation to begin with. I never wanted to go on that trip. It was her idea. And when things went wrong, it was my house I sold to pay for her freedom.
And now she stood before me, offering a small piece of money like I was some beggar.
I looked at her and gave a cold smile.
“Suzanne, I know. I understand.”
It was just three more days. Talia had powerful connections here in the U.S. Once she arrived, everything would change. I just had to be patient.
“Good,” Suzanne said as she pulled out a paper from her bag.
“Sign this, then.”
I looked at the document. It was a divorce agreement. It said that I would receive one million dollars in exchange for giving up all rights to her or her property.
I didn’t hesitate. I took the pen and signed it.
“I’ve signed it. Now, can I leave?” I asked her, my voice calm but full of cold anger.
She narrowed her eyes as she answered, “Of course not. You’ll stay here until the company goes public. Once it’s done, then you can leave.”
After saying this, Suzanne turned around and left the room. I tried to follow her, but the two bodyguards at the door stepped in front of me and blocked the way. There was no chance I could get out.
I stood there for a moment, then sat back down with a sigh. Of course, she wouldn’t let me go. Not yet. I was just a piece in her game. A husband on paper. She needed me to keep quiet until her plans were safe.
I sat in the room alone, thinking about everything I had given up for Suzanne. My youth, my money and my freedom. And in return, I got betrayal.
By nightfall, I was hungry. I hadn’t eaten anything since the afternoon. My stomach growled loudly.
I opened the door and looked at the guards.
“I need to eat,” I said, trying to stay calm.
But they only looked at me without any emotion. One of them shook his head.
“You’re not allowed out,” he said coldly.
I felt my heart go colder than before. Suzanne had put me under house arrest and didn’t even care if I starved. Just as I was about to argue, the door opened again. A man walked in, holding a small basin of food. He smiled politely at me.
Behind him were two children.
They were Suzanne’s kids.
The older boy stared at me with wide eyes. Then, he pointed at me and said loudly, “Dad, is this the bad man who wants to take Mommy away? Is this Mommy’s secret lover?”
I froze. For a moment, I couldn’t speak. Then, I realized who the children were.
Suzanne’s children. Her children with Gregory. The older boy had called me a bad man. His mother’s secret lover. Even the children had been taught to hate me.
My hands clenched into fists and I looked away. This woman had not only betrayed me. She had turned me into a villain in the eyes of her new family.
But it was fine.
The clock was ticking.
In just three days, everything would change.
