Chapter 2

I put away the divorce agreement and property deed and stood up.

Alice clung intimately to his arm and said in a saccharine voice, "Wesley, please don't blame me for speaking out of turn. These past few years you've been at home living off Cedric. It's only because Cedric is kind-hearted that he's willing to give you a house at all—otherwise you'd be out on the streets."

I ignored her and looked at Cedric. "Is that what you think too?"

Cedric looked completely at ease. "Is Alice wrong? You've been enjoying an easy life at home every day while having no idea how exhausted I am at the company."

Looking at him, I felt nothing but bitter irony.

These past three years, living in this so-called wealthy family mansion, I'd been treated like a high-class housekeeper.

My father-in-law Anderson had serious patriarchal attitudes. Because my first child was a daughter, he'd never given me a single kind look.

My mother-in-law Judith was a status-obsessed snob who looked down on my ordinary background and resented that I was no help to Cedric's career.

As for my husband Cedric, at first I thought I'd found a good man. He said I made him feel the warmth of home.

He said I only needed to take care of the household for him, and I didn't need to worry about anything else.

I agreed. Outsiders all thought I was living the good life.

Only I knew he gave me just ten thousand a month to cover all household shopping and social obligations—even the housekeeper's wages had to come out of that.

Meanwhile, he could turn around and buy his first love Alice a boutique studio in the city center.

After our daughter Betty was born, they got even worse. Using the excuse that girls were delicate, they forbade me from taking the child to visit my parents, yet never bothered to help care for her themselves.

"Oh, by the way," Alice smiled maliciously at me, "Wesley, you absolutely must keep Betty under control. Don't use Betty's issues to bother Cedric."

She placed a hand on her belly. "After all, I'm carrying Cedric's family's eldest grandson. I'm afraid the family might not have enough attention to spare afterward."

So that's why they were in such a rush to divorce me.

I suppressed my emotions and responded calmly, "Don't worry. Once I walk out this door, my daughter and I will have nothing more to do with Cedric."

I turned and left without looking back at their reactions.

The demolition household communication notice with its bright red stamp in my bag was all the confidence I needed right now.

Taking my daughter with this fortune about to land in my hands, completely rid of this family of horrible people—it was like winning life's biggest lottery.

The taxi stopped with my daughter and me in a narrow alley.

I got out and looked at the dilapidated two-story building before me.

This was the wedding gift my parents had scraped together everything to prepare for me when I married Cedric. They feared I'd be mistreated at my in-laws' and wanted me to at least have a way out.

At the time, to give me face in Cedric's family, both our names were on the property deed.

Now, it had returned to my hands.

I took out the key and opened the rust-covered door.

Betty asked in her sweet little voice, "Mommy, aren't we going back to Daddy's house anymore?"

Holding her small body, my heart ached.

"That's right. From now on, we'll have our own home."

The next day, I took all my documents to the real estate company.

After verifying my information, the staff warmly received me. "Ms. Wesley, your property's size and location are both excellent. According to current compensation policy, you can receive around ten million dollars."

I chose the latter without hesitation.

"I want the money."

That afternoon after signing, I took Betty for her favorite strawberry cake.

Watching Betty's happy face covered in cream, I felt more at peace than ever before.

Thank you for your charity, Cedric.

You used a run-down house you looked down on to buy out our three-year marriage.

And I used the key you handed me to open the door to a new world.