Chapter 1
I stared at them, my wife and her father, in utter disbelief.
Chloe used to just run a small nail salon out of a tiny storefront. If I hadn’t been secretly propping them up all these years, they’d never have lived such a comfortable life.
I pushed the door open and quickly strode to Liam’s bedside, my voice thick with emotion. “Chloe, let’s take Liam to the best hospital in the city, the capital! I’d sell everything I own, go broke trying to save him! My company… I can sell it!”
Chloe and Frank exchanged a quick glance, clearly not expecting me to burst in like that. They were about to speak.
But then Brenda, as if on cue, stormed in. She pointed at Chloe and started tearing into her.
“You fool! What more do you want? Are you seriously going to sacrifice your entire life for this sick child? This kid is a lost cause, do you hear me! Divorce Alex, right now!”
What a perfectly coordinated act between mother and daughter. They played it so well.
Chloe immediately lowered her head, wiping away fake tears. She looked like a poor victim, forced by her mother. Then, she turned to me.
“Alex, let’s get a divorce. You walk away with nothing, that way… that way you can start a new life without any burdens.”
I’d already seen through their whole charade, but I pretended to be heartbroken, unable to believe what I was hearing. I looked at her, my voice strained.
“Chloe, you… you really think that too? Tell me, do you genuinely want to get our son treatment?”
Frank immediately stepped forward, looking pained as he pointed at me.
“Alex! How can you even think that about Chloe? How much has she sacrificed for you, for this family? She’s doing this for your own good, afraid you’ll lose everything, financially and emotionally! And you dare question her noble intentions?!”
I scoffed inwardly. This was the true face of their family.
I decided to give her one last chance. I looked at Chloe, speaking each word slowly and deliberately.
“I’m not afraid of losing everything. Chloe, as long as you’re willing, we can work through this together, face it head-on. We can definitely cure Liam’s illness.”
A flicker of panic crossed Chloe’s eyes, but she quickly hid it. She shook her head with a chilling finality. “No, I can’t do it. I can’t accept that outcome.”
After saying that, she turned and collapsed onto the bed, staring at our unconscious son. Her tears instantly gushed, and her sobs turned into a heart-wrenching wail.
“Alex, don’t push me… I don’t want to hold you back. Liam doesn’t want to be a burden on you. The only reason I want these assets is because… I just want to cling to that last shred of hope. What if, what if there’s a new treatment method in the future? I could still use that money to save my son’s life! This is all for Liam!”
She delivered that speech with such passion and emotion, as if she were the long-suffering, sacrificing mother.
It was laughable. Beyond ridiculous.
My heart, at that very moment, withered and died. Every last shred of warmth, gone.
I looked at her, my face devoid of emotion, my voice as cold as ice.
“Chloe, I’m asking you one last time. Are you truly set on this divorce?”
Seeing how calm I was, Chloe paused, then nodded firmly.
“Fine, I agree to the divorce.” I stated flatly. “The house, the car, the savings. I want nothing. I can walk away with absolutely nothing.”
The eyes of Chloe’s family instantly glinted with greedy satisfaction.
Then, I changed my tone, adding coldly, “But, I will have sole custody of our son, Liam.”