Chapter 2

Everyone thought I was with Harley for his money. But in truth, all my cards were in his hands. He claimed his money had to be used for the company, so for all these years, every expense and payment came from my salary and side income. I believed that a family should be built and maintained by both people together. It wasn't about who gave more or who gave less, so I never argued with him over it. Then, recently, I realized something strange. Despite having a high income, I never managed to save any money. In fact, I was constantly running short. I couldn't hold back anymore and went through my transaction history. That was when I discovered that Harley had been using my card to buy gifts for Megan. He'd bought her limited-edition lipsticks worth over a grand and luxury brand bags costing tens of thousands of dollars. He even booked out an entire five-star hotel to celebrate her birthday—spending well over a hundred thousand that night. Meanwhile, he couldn't even bear to buy me new clothes to replace the ones I'd worn for two years after all these years. He'd call anything over 100 dollars expensive. Instead, he'd scribble a card for me and say we needed to save money for "our future". I couldn't stop myself from confronting him about it. At the time, Harley's face turned dark. He yelled at me for not trusting him, gave me the silent treatment, and swore he'd never spend another cent of my money again. Thinking about all that, I still wanted to give Harley a call. I dialed over ten times, yet he didn't answer once. Since this was the case, I didn't hesitate anymore. I went straight to the bank and froze the card. Just like that, Harley called me less than a minute later. "I was busy just now and didn't see your calls. What's going on?" he asked, feigning innocence. My tone was calm as I said, "It's fine now." "Oh. By the way, your card's having issues. It's been frozen," he said. "I know." I didn't hide it and told him directly, "I froze it." "Why'd you freeze it for no reason? Do you have nothing better to do?" "Take it that way if you want. But didn't you say before that you wouldn't use my card again?" Harley paused for a moment. After all, I never used to argue with him about money. Back when the company had just started, I fell seriously ill and needed surgery that cost about 100 grand. At the same time, he secretly invested all our money into a project that failed completely. He thought I'd be furious and apologized with red-rimmed eyes. But I only comforted him and told him money was just a small thing, and that my money would always be his to use first. I thought if I gave him my sincerity, it would strengthen our relationship. But I hadn't expected it would only make him more reckless and more entitled. Still, Harley didn't seem to reflect much. After two seconds of silence, he let out a sigh. He seemed to feel guilty. Yet, he was still trying to stay defiant. "Fine, I get it. You're still mad I didn't go on the honeymoon with you, so now you're throwing a tantrum. "Tiana Lancaster, I really thought you'd grown more mature, but you're still this petty. I promise you—after this, I'll drop everything and go on the honeymoon with you, okay? "I didn't bring a card with me today. Go unfreeze it now, and don't be so unreasonable. That dinner tonight is really important. "I'm giving you ten minutes. Otherwise, I'll be angry." Afraid I wouldn't cooperate, Harley added that last threat right before hanging up. Every time he said he'd be angry, I always gave in and did what he wanted. But what he didn't know was—I was never afraid of his anger. I only stayed quiet because I knew he was busy with the company and didn't want to add to his stress. Only now did I realize that while I tried so hard to ease his burden, he brought all that stress upon himself. And if that was the case, why should I keep cleaning up after him? "If you didn't bring your card, you can ask your secretary or Megan. This business trip was for her project anyway. It's not unreasonable to let her cover the cost," I replied. After sending the message, I turned off my phone and drove straight home to pack. The apartment was fully paid for by me, and I had chosen the layout and floor he liked. Back then, I'd originally planned to include his name on the property deed. But on a whim—almost like a whisper of instinct—I decided to register it under mine alone. Looking back now, I was grateful I'd left myself that way out. Once I finished packing, I listed the apartment with an agent. The next day, I went to the state court and handed the already-signed divorce agreement to the clerk. When I first signed it, I'd still been wondering how to explain it to Harley. But as it turned out, he had rushed out of the house that day with his luggage in hand and barely glanced at the papers. He just flipped to the last page and signed his name. "Why don't you take a look at it first?" I had said, still clinging to a sliver of hope. "There's no need. You're my wife—don't tell me I can't trust you," he replied. I gave a bitter smile. The trust he claimed to have in me had never even come close to what he gave Megan. That so-called trust was just an excuse to brush me off. He was simply too busy catching a flight or too eager to rush off on a honeymoon with Megan. I handed in the documents, and the clerk, Eloise Turner, told me she still needed Harley himself to confirm that the relationship had broken down before proceeding with the divorce process. I pulled out photos of Harley and Megan being affectionate together. Then I showed them the wedding portrait he had smashed because of Megan. But Eloise still shook her head. "He must confirm it in person. That's the rule." Feeling helpless, I turned my phone back on. The moment it powered up, a flood of missed calls and unread messages from Harley popped up on the screen. Since I didn't unfreeze the bank card, he said everything he could—pleading, threatening, sweet-talking, then scolding. The final message was a furious rant, filled with curses, ending with a threat to divorce me. I then showed the messages to Eloise, but she still shook her head. I had no choice but to make the call. It rang for a long time before he finally picked up. "Harley, our relationship—" "There is no relationship! Nothing you say now will matter. Unless you apologize to Megs, I'm definitely divorcing you this time!" he snapped coldly, thinking I was just trying to comfort him like before. Then he hung up. Only then did Eloise believe me. Her expression shifted to one of sympathy as she accepted my paperwork and told me the divorce certificate would be ready in a month. I knew Harley didn't actually mean what he said about divorce. He was just using it as a threat. Any time he was unhappy with me, this was his go-to move. And every time, it was me who gave in by apologizing over and over. I would agree to all his demands just to make him back down. He was sure I didn't want a divorce. That's why it became his ultimate weapon. He thought he could always get what he wanted by dangling it over my head. Yet what he seemed to forget was that feelings were like money in a piggy bank. If you only ever withdrew from it and never deposited, one day, there would be nothing left. As I had listed the apartment at a low price, it sold in less than a week. I then visited the real estate agency to sign the paperwork. We agreed on the handover date with the buyer, and I returned home. Yet the moment I opened the door, I was met with a burst of laughter and cheerful voices echoing from inside.