Chapter 7

Since Yvonne refused to clarify things, wasn't that essentially admitting Jared's identity? After all, the two of them had kissed in the street. Only couples did that, right? Since that was the case, there was no point for me to hold on to the position of being her husband. It was best to let them be together. I put away my phone and said, "No need. Jared can be your husband instead." Hearing this, Yvonne grew impatient and frowned. "Cole, haven't you had enough? I've told you that your position as my husband won't be affected either way!" "I don't want to be your husband anymore," I drawled out, staring at her. "I'm willingly giving this position up!" Stalking toward her, I couldn't help but smirk and continue, "You can be single again if you divorce me. Coincidentally, the public won't know that I'm your first husband either. You'll be able to be out in the open with Jared from now on. I'm helping you achieve what you've yearned for for years. You should be thanking me, shouldn't you?" I raised an eyebrow, my smile growing increasingly malicious. Only in this way could I hide the signs of my feelings for her and show her that I could actually leave this home! Yvonne was finally infuriated by my attitude. She shoved me aside and hissed, "Cole, if you keep this up, there's no turning back! While I still have some patience, you'd better quit the act. I'll pretend like nothing has ever happened. Otherwise, it'll be too late for you to regret it if it really comes to the point of divorce." I stopped smiling and said solemnly, "Haven't we already come to the point of divorce? Do you really think I'll regret it? Let me be absolutely clear with you—I want a divorce!" Yvonne flushed with anger. She seemed like she wanted to curse at me, but she held it back. She shot me a glare and slammed the door to the master bedroom in my face. I stood there for a while, recomposing myself before heading back to the guest room to shower and sleep. We had been married for five years, after all. Though I inevitably felt sad, I remained resolute in ending my marriage. It had been a mistake. After showering, I habitually checked my phone before going to bed. To my surprise, the trending articles had been removed. Yvonne's swift response somewhat stunned me, but I felt even more disappointed. She paid to have the trending news taken down, but she never denied the rumor about the four of them being a family. Didn't that imply that Jared was indeed her husband? While traces of such news could be erased, the memory of netizens could not. Now, and likely forever, the netizens would just assume that Jared was Yvonne's legal husband. It would've been more efficient if she had chosen to make a clarification statement instead. She could've done so but was simply reluctant. Realizing this, I couldn't help but smile wryly. Bitterness pooled deep in my chest, but whether Yvonne was going to explain no longer mattered to me. We were getting a divorce anyway. Taking down the trending articles didn't quell the buzz; instead, it only boosted Jared's popularity. In fact, he was Yvonne's first love. They got together when they were teenagers and were almost at the point of getting married. But when Jared had the opportunity to go abroad to develop his career in Haleywood, he didn't want to give it up and asked Yvonne to wait for him. Arrogant and ambitious as she was, how could she really wait for him for five years? She broke into a huge fight with him, saying that she would break up with him if he left and proceed with the arranged marriage her family had planned—which ultimately meant marrying me. Men always prioritized themselves. When it came to women and career, most normal men would choose the latter. In the end, Jared chose to break up with Yvonne. After he went abroad, Yvonne and I quickly got married. And then, things developed into what they were now.