Chapter 3

The next morning, I calmly packed my suitcase.

As I wheeled my luggage out of the room, the Chen family was sitting at the dining table, eating the bagels and drinking the coffee I'd prepared last night.

They didn’t even glance at me.

Carol spoke in a passive-aggressive tone, “Oh, so you’ve come to your senses? Ready to get lost?”

Brandon took a sip of his coffee and snorted, “Good, she knows her place.”

I ignored them and walked straight to the door to change my shoes.

Seeing my silence, Carol assumed I’d caved, and a hint of smugness entered her voice.

“Eleanor, that fifty thousand dollars? You’ll get it after you sign the divorce papers. Don’t try any tricks, or you won’t get a single cent.”

My back to them, I quietly hummed in acknowledgment.

This response completely put them at ease.

Carol even feigned concern, “After you leave, find a decent job. Don’t always think about shady ways to make money.”

I finished changing my shoes, opened the door, and looked back at them one last time.

The three of them were sitting together, seemingly happy, as if they were about to get rid of a huge problem. Their faces held undisguised relief and pleasure.

I smiled, then closed the door.

Goodbye, my foolish three years of youth.

I didn’t go back to my parents' house. Instead, I used the last bit of money in my account to rent a small studio apartment near my company.

After settling in, the first thing I did was send Brandon a message.

“A divorce is fine. I’ll leave with nothing. But I have one condition.”

Brandon replied almost instantly, his tone wary.

“What condition? I’m telling you, no money!”

“Don’t worry, it’s not about money.”

I typed, “Tomorrow is your company’s Family Day, right? I want to come and see it, since I won’t have another chance. Think of it as a final farewell.”

Brandon’s company held an annual Family Day event, inviting employees’ families. It was an important occasion to showcase the company’s humanistic care and employees’ family happiness.

He was always concerned about appearances. In previous years, he would force me to dress up and play the loving wife in front of his colleagues.

Sure enough, he hesitated.

If I caused a scene today, and he showed up alone tomorrow, his colleagues would question him, and he’d lose face.

If I cooperated with him for this last act and we parted ways amicably, it would be the best outcome for him.

A few minutes later, he replied.

“Fine. But remember this: don’t try anything funny, or I’ll make you regret it!”

“Don’t worry.”

I put away my phone and looked out the window.

The calm before the storm.

Brandon, Carol, Rick, and Tiffany.

What you owe me, I will collect, every single cent, with interest.

And this Family Day is the first stage I’ve meticulously prepared for all of you.

I opened the system panel, looking at the “B. Public Settlement (requires a $100,000 activation fee)” option.

The money in my account wasn’t enough.

But I knew it would be soon.

I clicked on “Information Inquiry” and typed “Brandon, secret stash.”

The system quickly provided results.

A bank account I’d never heard of, with $153,000 quietly sitting in it.

His secret savings.

The system even thoughtfully added a small line of text.

[These funds in this account are marital assets.]

I smiled.

Perfect.

The activation fee for the public settlement. I had it.

Brandon’s company’s Family Day was held on a massive lawn.

The sun was shining, and balloons, streamers, and laughter filled the air.