Chapter 2

I pushed away the hand Bianca was furiously pointing at me. I was speechless. The smart lock we used at home was one of my designs, and it clearly showed that Bianca had only been home five minutes ago. All I had done was finish up a single cigarette in the car. Yet, Bianca claimed she had been waiting for me at home for a long time. I scoffed internally. She was just trying to pin the blame on me and get me to apologize to her again. I didn't bother playing along to her tune. Instead, I asked, "What about you? Do you even care about us?" As expected, Bianca looked away and avoided my gaze. She then threw a new box of games at me and said, "I went to every game store in the city and bought everything I could find. Are you happy now?" Her tone softened a little, obviously trying to get me to go along with her once more. However, I looked at the games in my hand and saw that all the games inside the box were limited editions that had to be pre-ordered in advance. In other words, it was impossible for her to have found any of them at any game store as ready stock. Obviously, someone had given them to her. And who else could it have been? I opened up my phone and saw that Jaxon had just posted a new photo online. The photo showed a limited edition animation figurine. He had posted it along with a dancing puppy sticker and a caption that read, "Got this baby in exchange for some dusty trash. I love you, my little Doramonk!" I scoffed as my eyes turned cold. I didn't think anything mattered anymore. So, I held myself back from interrogating Bianca any further and just threw the games straight into the trash. "I don't need trash. They should be thrown away." Bianca was so mad that she jumped to her feet and slapped me across the cheek. "Do you know how hard it was for me to get these? How could you just throw them away as you please? Who gave you the right to throw my things? "Stop pretending anymore, Aston Daniels! I know that you're still salty about the Ferrari, but get it in your head that the company is registered under my name, so you have no right whatsoever to meddle with my decisions! "Sales incentives and rewards like these are all managerial decisions that have nothing to do with you. You get that?" She yelled at me so loudly that I felt like my head was about to burst. However, I refused to get physical with her. Instead, I pushed her aside and restrained my temper. "How you reward your employees has nothing to do with me, and I don't care either. Your company—" Before I had even managed to finish my sentence, she grabbed my phone and flung it onto the ground in a temper. "I've had enough of this! How many times do I have to tell you to stop poking your nose into my business? So what if we're married? That doesn't give you the right to control my life! "Look at yourself! You can't even maintain your image because you keep pulling all-nighters! You're going to be a fat old man with a bald head and a bulging beer belly in a few years! "Now look at Jaxon! He still works out every day no matter how busy he is! You're so sluggish and messy that you don't even hold a candle to him! You're such a fucking clown!" At this point, I was so mad that I started to laugh. I used to be captain of the basketball club with a muscular, well-toned body back in college. Otherwise, Bianca wouldn't have even married me. It was the mountains and mountains of data, programming, and nightlong overtimes that had reduced me to who I was today. Jaxon was a salesman. If he was busy with sales, then why would he even have time to work out so often? Hadn't Bianca even thought about it? I used to think that she would be able to see how hardworking I was as long as I poured my heart and soul into my job. However, I only felt sorry for myself now. There wasn't any type of love that would be reciprocated by lowering oneself down and hoping the other would accept them. Also, there weren't any marriages that could last long with only one side putting in effort. I was tired and exhausted. I turned to leave. "Whatever you say. I won't be going to the company anymore." Bianca didn't come after me. Instead, she started throwing and smashing things in the living room. After she was done venting out her anger, she made a call. In a flash, the living room was filled with her giggles and loud laughter once more. I packed up my things in my suitcase and headed toward the door. It wasn't until then that her laughter finally stopped. She frowned and glared at me. "You're moving out just because of an argument that we had? Fine! You're just a fat, greasy old balding man anyway who doesn't care about his image! I feel like throwing up just by looking at your dark circles! "Did you really think I'd beg you to stay? I've been wanting to kick you out for a long time. Get out, fuck off, and don't you dare beg me for another chance to come back!" I shut the door behind me, finally cutting off her cursing and swearing at me. I had severe anxiety. In the past, whenever Bianca still hadn't come home despite it being late at night, I would get insomnia and spam her phone non-stop with calls. I would then beg and plead for her to come home. I wouldn't be able to fall asleep without her right next to me. However, now, I lay happily in my hotel bed and felt absolutely at peace without her. My therapist used to tell me that my reliance on her was like a rotting, malignant tumor. If I didn't get rid of it, it would throughout the rest of my body. But if I made the decision to cut it off, the pain would only last for a very short while before I was rewarded with a whole new painless body. After a wonderfully good night's sleep, my mind felt unexceptionally clear. Then, I handed in my notice at the company and contacted a divorce lawyer. I opened up my phone and saw that Bianca had sent me plenty of messages last night. Most of them were videos of her clubbing last night, and the person right next to her was none other than Jaxon. She would often add salt to my wounds like this and destroy the safe place I had always tried so hard to build for myself. But now, it didn't matter anymore. I ate my breakfast casually, watching the latest video she had sent me. She was wearing her formal office wear, looking extremely dapper with a professional smile on her face. It was for an event—we were celebrating the opening of our overseas branch and also the fact that the company was about to get listed very soon. Jaxon stood right next to her, wearing a full set of an expensive-looking designer suit and tie, looking like he was the company's CEO. That position was supposed to be mine, but I hadn't wanted it. But if there was something I didn't want, I would rather destroy it than just hand it over to anyone else.