After my husband publicly admitted to having a love child, I divorced him.

My husband walked onto the press stage with another woman and a child at his side.

after working through the night to prepare for the announcement of our marriage and the launch of the company's new flagship technology,

Ten years of a hidden marriage.

I was the one who kept the company running.

After that public humiliation, I didn't scream.

I did three things instead:

I filed for divorce.

I resigned.

And I took the core research with me.

From that moment on,

his life entered its final countdown.

At the press conference, David Blackwell, my husband, was about to announce his love for someone else when Ella Carter, his new executive assistant, suddenly stepped onto the stage holding a little girl.

"Sweetie, Daddy's calling you up here!" she said.

The crowd instantly erupted, bombarding David with questions about his new romance.

David didn't deny it. Instead, he affectionately pulled the little girl into his arms. The display screens even showcased the company's newest, multi-million-dollar prototype, developed from my research, dedicated to her.

"Yes, we have a child," he confirmed.

Seeing me, Victoria Hayes, standing frozen, the reporters were only too eager to stir the pot.

"Ms. Hayes, you've been the Lead Researcher for so long. On such an important day, shouldn't you say something?"

I smiled faintly, then handed the access key for the year's foundational research to the new assistant.

"Good things come in pairs," I said. "Consider this the gift for your daughter."

When I gave the key to Ella Carter, everyone paused for a moment before murmuring in surprise.

"Only Ms. Hayes could be so generous. That research was your life's work!"

"Ms. Hayes, you spoil Mr. Blackwell's daughter so much."

Ella, hearing this, tilted her chin up and shot me a smug look.

David, on the other hand, clenched his jaw, his deep, cold eyes fixed on me.

Seeing him so uncomfortable only amused me.

We'd been married for ten years. Yet, he'd always avoided officially announcing our marriage, using the company's interests as an excuse.

He never acknowledged my role publicly, leaving my contributions in the shadows.

At the office, he kept a strict professional distance, refusing any personal acknowledgment. I was only allowed to address him as Mr. Blackwell.

I never complained, quietly staying in this hidden marriage for a decade, supporting him as we built the company from the ground up.

It wasn't until yesterday, when the proprietary framework I developed secured the landmark deal, bringing in unprecedented investment, that he finally agreed to officially announce me as his wife at today's press conference.

I couldn't believe it. After all these years, he was finally going to recognize me publicly. I'd stayed up all night finalizing the data packs.

The next day, I woke up early, hoping to look perfect beside David.

But in the end, the woman standing next to him wasn't me. I was the punchline.

If this had happened before, I would've been furious.

But now, I just stood there, calmly watching the family of three on stage.

"Wishing you all a lifetime of happiness," I said, my voice steady.

David's eyes turned icy. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the little girl's crying.

Ella tugged at David's sleeve. "David, I think Hannah's scared..."

At her words, David shot me a cold glance. "Look at what you've done."

He waved his hand dismissively, shoving me aside as he scooped up Hannah and took Ella's hand, leaving without looking back.

The push threw me off balance. My heels twisted, and I fell, my head hitting the edge of the display console.

A sharp pain shot through my back. Yet David didn't even glance back.

Watching his indifferent back, I couldn't help but feel a bitter irony.

He was kinder to a stranger than to his wife.

Hannah Carter was only crying from being startled. But when our own daughter had a high fever, delirious and on the brink of death, he did nothing.

Once, David and I had a five-year-old daughter.

That year, while I was at a remote research facility, I asked David to take care of her. He promised he would.

But instead of staying with her, he went out for meetings, leaving our daughter alone at home, burning with fever for hours.

By the time I rushed back, it was too late.

We fought terribly that day.

Later, he knelt, crying and apologizing. I softened because of our shared history, and I forgave him.

I was foolish back then, but not anymore.

I turned and left the venue.

After leaving, I took a taxi home, planning to tend to my wounds.

As soon as I walked in, I saw Ella and Hannah on the couch. Hannah was holding my daughter's favorite stuffed toy.

When Ella saw me, she smiled. "Victoria, you're back! Hannah wanted to see your place, so David brought us here. He said to make ourselves at home!"

She then pulled out a data drive, waving it. "I heard this holds your life's work, the core schematics? And the neural interface prototype Hannah's testing is based on your daughter's project, right?

"I only mentioned it, and David just handed everything over.

"Victoria, if you know what's good for you, just leave already!"

Before, I would have been furious.

But now, I just gave her a cold glance and turned to head upstairs.

I had no time for her games.

But Ella blocked my path.

The next moment, she roughly disconnected the prototype interface from Hannah's temple and slapped her across the face.

Hannah's face turned red, and she burst into tears.

Ella held Hannah and shouted, "Victoria, if you have a problem, come at me! But Hannah's just a child!"

I almost laughed. This was one of her usual tricks.

Before I could react, David rushed over.

His face darkened when he saw Hannah, and he slapped me. "Victoria, you've gone too far! How could you hurt a child?

"Hannah is Ella's niece! They were just lightening the mood. Why make such a big deal?"

Pathetic acting, but David bought it.

If this had happened before, I would have been furious.

But now, I felt nothing.

I picked up the prototype module from the floor, handed it back to Ella, and smiled faintly. "You were just lightening the mood. How could I hold it against you?

"To show my appreciation, I even booked a five-star restaurant for us."

I showed them the reservation on my phoneoriginally booked to celebrate with David.

Seeing it was real, David said awkwardly, "I'll transfer you the money."

I refused.

David's tone softened. "Victoria, you've changed. I'll make it up to you after the announcement."

But he didn't realize that when a woman suddenly became more understanding, it was not because she was weaker.

It was because she no longer loved him.

This time, I was determined to be the one who walked away first.

After that, David took Ella and Hannah to the restaurant.

I went upstairs. When I took off my heels, my ankles were swollen and red, covered in blisters.

When the antiseptic touched the wounds, I sucked in a breath.

I never liked heels, but David did. Over the years, I forced myself to wear them to please him.

Looking back now, I realize how foolish I was.

After treating my wounds, I slipped on comfortable flats and threw the heels away.

This time, I wasn't going to cater to anyone.

With that thought, I took out my phone and sent a message to a major corporation that had been pursuing me: [I've agreed to the collaboration.]

The reply came instantly: [Victoria, you've finally decided. Set the date. We'll be ready.]

This corporation was the leading enterprise in Larkhaven. Their CEO had always valued my expertise. Their offers were very attractive.

But I had turned them all down.

Because David needed me. The company's operations and all its new products relied on my core research.

I gave up my future, working tirelessly for him.

But once the company grew stronger, he kicked me to the curb.

It was then I realized that devotion wasn't always reciprocated.

Thinking of this, I replied: [I'll report tomorrow.]

I bought the earliest flight and began packing.

As I packed, I realized I couldn't even fill a suitcase. The closet was full of David's suits. My clothes were few and worn.

The only thing of value was the watch he had given mean old model from over a decade ago. I treasured it. It was a gift from David, bought with his first bonus.

Back then, he smiled brightly as he gave it to me, promising to love me forever, saying one day he'd buy me everything.

But once he had money, he never bought me anything nice again.

On our seventh anniversary, I asked him for a proper anniversary gift.

He got angry, scolding me for being wasteful.

After that, to "correct" my spending, he set a strict budget. Any expense over a certain amount needed finance approval.

The man I loved had become a stranger.

When did everything change? Maybe when Ella appeared.

He restricted every penny I spent.

But for Ella, he was generous. When Ella said, "I want this," he bought her a limited edition smartwatch worth millions.

He was always clear about boundaries with me at the office. But with Ella, he let her call him David casually. He took her out during work hours...

As I was thinking, the watch slipped from my hand and fell.

I picked it up and saw the surface was scratched, revealing cheap material inside.

The watch was fake.

I couldn't help but laugh. This relationship was a mistake from the start.

At least now, it wasn't too late.

I threw the watch away and cut up all our photos.

Just then, my phone rang. An Instagram update from Ella.

In the photo, David was holding Hannah, letting her messy hands touch his expensive suit, looking at her with doting eyes.

Ella was leaning against him, feeding him a bite of food, and he ate it without disgust.

It was so ironic.

He had always been a clean freak. Once, when our daughter accidentally spilled juice on his shoes, he yelled at her and locked her in a room.

And when I once mistakenly used his glass, he smashed it in front of me. "How disgusting!"

But he only had a problem with our hygiene.

I let out a cold laugh and gave a 'like'.

That only strengthened my resolve to leave.

Once finished, I went to bed.

I hadn't been asleep long when I was woken by knocking.

It was David. He hated using the passcode, so he always had me open the door.

Before, he never even needed to knock. He'd just shout, and I'd run.

But now, I just turned over and continued sleeping.

The next second, David angrily kicked the door open, flipped the light on, and shouted, "Victoria, are you deaf? Why didn't you open the door!"

The sudden light woke me. I had been sleeping deeply.

Seeing David's dark expression, I was a little surprised. Did he actually come back?

Every time he went out with Ella, he'd always stay at her place.

But once, when our five-year-old daughter said she was scared of the dark and wanted him to stay, he'd said she was being melodramatic.

Back then, I would get into huge arguments with him.

But now, I didn't care.

I gave a faint "Hmm," pulled the blanket over my head, and went back to sleep.

David froze, then frowned. "Don't play around. I'm tired. Get up and draw a bath for me. And wash this."

He tossed his jacket at me. The collar had lipstick stains and smelled strongly of Ella's perfume.

It was disgusting.

If this had been before, I would've eagerly gotten up to serve him.

But now, he was just a nuisance. I tossed the jacket back. "You're not disabled. Do it yourself."

David was stunned, then pulled a gift box from his pocket and threw it at me. "I know you're upset. Here, this is for you."

Inside was a silver necklace. But he forgot I was allergic to silver.

What was more ridiculous was that this necklace was something Ella had discarded. I'd seen it on her Instagram.

I laughed coldly and tossed it in the trash. "If someone else doesn't want it, I don't either."

David's patience ran out. "Victoria, have I spoiled you too much?"

I yawned. "I'm tired. I'm going back to sleep."

Seeing my indifference, David gritted his teeth. "Fine! You're pushing me away, don't regret it!"

He turned to leave, but I called out. "Wait."

He smiled, thinking I was playing hard to get.

The next moment, I took a pen and paper from the drawer and handed them to him. "Sign this."

David's eyes turned cold. "You stopped me for some meaningless contract?"

I smirked. "Read it properly first."

After looking, David froze, then snapped the pen in his hand.

"Divorce Agreement? You want a divorce?"

David narrowed his eyes, looking at me coldly. "Victoria, there's a limit to jealousy."

I responded indifferently, "I'm serious."

David's face darkened as he slammed the papers down. "I won't sign."

I spoke calmly, "If you don't sign, I can still leave. It's just a matter of time."

Unable to argue, David gritted his teeth, snorted, and stormed off, stomping his feet.

I knew what he wanted. He wanted me to chase him.

In the past, whenever he got angry, I would rush to apologize.

But now? Who cared? I had more important things to do, like sleeping.

The footsteps faded, and I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, I woke naturally. As expected, David hadn't come home.

After breakfast, I took a taxi to the office and submitted my resignation to HR.

Once done, I took out my phone and sent a message to our key partner. When we signed, their only request was for me to be the point of contact. Now that I was leaving, I needed to inform them.

After taking care of that, I turned to leave.

Just outside, I ran into David and Ella. So, he really did go to Ella.

They were standing close, chatting and laughing.

"David, I'm sorry about Hannah yesterday. Victoria wouldn't mind, would she?"

David scoffed. "What's there for her to mind? She should learn to be more understanding."

I found it amusing. He wanted me to be understanding? Then why didn't he apply that to our own daughter?

When they saw me, both fell silent. The air froze.

Soon, colleagues broke the awkwardness, crowding around, complimenting Ella and David.

"Wow, Ella, you and Mr. Blackwell kept it a secret! You even have a daughter!"

"So when are you two having a second child?"

Ella chuckled softly, casting a shy glance at David.

David didn't object, letting them tease.

But when my daughter and I came to the company before, and she called him "Daddy," he angrily scolded her and told her to avoid causing trouble.

Yet now, with everyone teasing, he didn't say a word.

What a hypocrite!

As I thought this, Ella swayed over to me. "Victoria, why are you only just getting to the office? It's already eleven. You should set an example."

David immediately grew cold. "Victoria, what's with your attitude?

"If you don't want to work, just give your position to Ella. In terms of ability, she's far above you."

I almost laughed. David knew the company depended on me. Ella couldn't even handle basic data entry, yet he said she was more capable.

I knew what he was trying to do: humiliate me and pressure me to give in.

But I was in a rush to catch a flight. "It's not complicated. I've resigned. I can give up the position right now."

Ella pretended to try to convince me. "Victoria, don't be impulsive. At your age, after you quit, where will you find such a good job? You might even struggle to get a janitor role.

"Besides, the company's new product is about to launch. Leaving now would be a loss."

Her words made David angrier. He snapped, "Ella, don't try to convince her! Let her go. The company will be fine without her!

"Just one thing, Victoria. Once the new product launches, the company will soar. Don't come crying to me when you regret it."

It was hard to say who would regret it.

They had no idea I was the only one who held the core research. Without me, they couldn't even prepare the prototypes.

If he wanted to launch, maybe in his next life.

I sneered. "You probably won't even make it that far."

David frowned. "What do you mean?"

At that moment, his phone rang. It was our partner.

David immediately smiled, his eyes smug. "The partner must be calling about the launch. Now you'll regret it, but it's too late."

To provoke me, he put the call on speaker.

But the next second, the partner's words burst his bubble. "Why haven't the latest prototypes been delivered? If you don't send them today, your company will be facing a three-hundred-million-dollar penalty!"

David stood frozen. "What prototypes..."

Before he could finish, the partner hung up impatiently.