Part 3The Woman He Couldn't Afford

That was the incident that changed everything. For slapping his mistress, Ethan didn't just fire me from the executive position I held at our company; he moved out of our home and into hers.

I screamed. I cried. I pleaded. I fell apart.

In response, he blocked my number, blocked my email, and vanished from my life completely.

That was my "lesson."

The only way to see him, the only way to force him to face me, was to drag his new life into the harsh light of a courtroom. So I filed suit against Jasmine, for misappropriation of marital assets.

It was the one thing he couldn't ignore. He couldn't stand the thought of her name being dragged through legal proceedings. So he would appear. He would finally see me.

And each time, it was the same. He would demand to know when I was going to stop. He would warn me that next time, he wouldn't be so lenient. He would slide a divorce settlement across the table, his only goal to make her an honest woman.

I stared at him now, the pain in my knee a dull throb. "What other lessons do you have for me, Ethan? Bring them on. Do you really think there's anything left for me to be afraid of?"

His jaw tightened, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.

Jasmine, nestled in his arms, chose that moment to look up, her eyes shimmering with perfectly formed tears. "E, it's all my fault… I shouldn't have come to see her. I was just so worried about your reputation, about the company you worked so hard to build…"

She pressed her cheek against his chest, her voice choked with emotion. "I don't care about any of it. The cars, the condos, everything… I'll give it all to her. If she'll just leave you in peace, I'll give up everything…"

It was a masterful performance.

"Bianca, it's been three years," Ethan said, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "Haven't you had enough?"

He looked at me, his eyes dark and clouded. "You've tortured us for three years. Isn't it time to let go of your anger?"

He had ignored me for three years. Frozen me out for three years. Flaunted his love for another woman for three years. Ground my dignity into dust for three years.

And now he was accusing me of torturing him.