Chapter 1

I earned $50,000 a month, yet I was standing at the hospital billing desk with my face burning because my balance was too low.

I quickly texted my wife.

“Send me $300. I need to buy medicine, and I’m waiting to pay!”

A moment later, she sent me a spreadsheet.

“Baby, don’t forget to fill out the advance request form!”

That was the moment I realized our marriage had reached its end.

I set down the bill and walked straight out of the hospital. Then I turned around and headed for a law firm.

“I want a divorce.”

During our three years of marriage, I had put every asset under my name into our joint account.

It had been Ava’s idea.

“Marriage should be equal,” she’d told me. “Our incomes are so different. That can easily cause conflict.”

“So let’s put all our money together. I’ll manage it, and we’ll have one person handle all expenses. That way, we can cut down on unnecessary spending.”

I had agreed.

And now I was suffering from a severe stomach flare-up. The money in my health savings account wasn’t enough. I was still short $200.

The woman at the billing desk was starting to lose patience.

“Well? Are you paying or not? There are people waiting behind you!”

I awkwardly folded up the bill.

“Sorry. I won’t get the medicine today.”

Under her stunned gaze, I turned around and clutched my stomach. Every step sent another sharp cramp through me.

Ava’s messages kept coming.

“Baby, why haven’t you filled out the form yet? If you miss the approval window, you won’t get the money!”

I glanced at my phone and laughed bitterly.

According to her rules, once I received the form, I had ten minutes to fill it out. Otherwise, I would lose my advance allowance for the day.

If I needed money after that, I had to wait until the next day.

I took a deep breath and opened my phone again. Then I asked one of my closest friends for a loan of $1,000.

He called me immediately.

“Ethan, what happened? Are you in trouble?”

I gave him a quick explanation. He transferred $50,000 to me without hesitation.

“If you need more, just tell me!”

I stared at the numbers on my phone, and my heart turned cold.

My own wife made me submit an application for $200.

My friend had sent me $50,000 in one shot.

That was the difference between people.

I bought my medicine and started feeling better. Only then did I head home, silently making up my mind.

The moment I walked through the door, I ran into Ava. She was sitting on the couch, showing off a new purse.

“What do you think? It just came out, and I fell in love with it.”

“It was 10% off, so I paid in full!”

She looked so proud of herself that my expression darkened.

“Ava, I’m never letting you manage my money again.”

She froze.

“Baby, what are you talking about? With the way you spend, do you think you can save even $10,000 out of $50,000 a month?”

“I know you’re upset, but calm down. This purse will hold its value.”

I laughed coldly inside.

When I spent money, I was reckless.

When she spent money, it was an investment.

What a double standard. I had seriously underestimated her.

I pushed past her and went into the bathroom. Then I opened our joint account.

There was only $300 left inside.

Ava’s voice came from outside.

“Baby, I know you’re feeling bad. You don’t have to fill out a request for this $300. I’ll give it to you directly.”

“See? Your wife takes good care of you, doesn’t she?”

I said nothing. I simply contacted a lawyer and asked him to help me file for divorce.

After reading my message, the lawyer gave me some advice.

“First, we need to figure out exactly how much property you have. Dividing assets fairly—and getting back most of what you legally earned—won’t be easy.”

“And since you’re the one asking for the divorce, you may have to give up some money.”

I clenched my fists and checked all of Ava’s social media accounts.

That was when I discovered that her brother had moved into a new house.

It was in the best neighborhood in the city, a prime school district, and the entire property had been paid for in cash.

Her brother was in his thirties and had no real job. His wife stayed home with their child.

How could they possibly afford to pay for such an expensive house outright?

The answer was obvious.

Ava.

She had transferred money out of our joint account and was still planning to bleed me dry.

She could keep dreaming.

My first instinct was to storm in and confront her, but my lawyer’s warning stopped me.

I needed evidence.

If I exposed everything too early, I would be the one at a disadvantage.

So I forced myself to calm down and reported all my bank cards as lost through online banking.