.00 P.M.

Chloe waited for her husband— Vincent, to come home for dinner to celebrate their daughter's 7th birthday, yet he was nowhere to be seen despite already promising Mackenzie— their daughter, that he would return home before 5.

Chloe had put her daughter to bed at 9. She was especially gentle and careful while taking care of Mackenzie, knowing that Mackenzie was so disappointed and sulked for the whole night after realizing Dad lied to her.

She checked the clock and couldn't wait any longer. She went on her phone and called her husband.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Hello?" Vincent picked up the call, and the first thing she noticed was his heavy breath, as if he was in the middle of a heavy exercise. God knew what kind of exercise he did before midnight.

But Chloe didn't show any reaction except a little disappointment, something that she was used to hearing.

"Vincent, when will you return home?" she asked.

"Huh? Uh…"

It was a simple question, but there was a long pause from him on the call. Chloe knew that wasn't a good sign.

She knew how much of a cheating bastard he was, but she didn't expect him to cheat on the day their daughter turned 7!

"You're fucking crazy, Vincent. Mackenzie's been waiting for you to return home! All she wants for her birthday is a beautiful cake with us by her side!" Chloe started yelling on the phone, expressing her frustration to her husband."Oh, shut up, Chloe! Just get her something from Amazon. I gave you my credit card so you can take care of her!" Vincent retorted. "Buy her something expensive, or things that she likes, I don't know. Whatever makes her happy!"

"You—" Chloe was speechless. She knew that her husband didn't care about her anymore. This marriage was doomed after 10 years. Yet, she didn't expect her husband to ignore their only daughter, the fruit of their passionate love.

"Vincent, who's on the phone? Is it your fat wife again?"

"Sshh!" Vincent tried to silence the woman he was with right now.

"Geez, Vincent, why do you need to hide it anyway? She literally caught us fucking in your office. She knows everything already," the woman snatched the phone from Vincent's hand and talked to Chloe.

"Hey, fat lady~ Vincent and I are in the hotel. We're having a loooot of fun~."

"…"

The woman realized that Chloe must've been so shocked right now, "Why the silence, blobby? I thought you've seen us plenty of times already."

"…"

"Oh well, I'm going to hang up now. We're in the middle of the fun. Don't disturb us!"

BEEEEEP. Chloe's body trembled. She clenched her phone and bit her lower lip until it bled. She didn't want to cry in the night and woke Mackenzie up.

She didn't want her daughter to know about this problem. The more she tried to cover it, the more painful it was in her heart. It felt like a knife plunged into it the more she was processing what was happening right now. A tear dropped from the edge of her eyes, falling to the glass of white wine in her hand.

It was stupid to even think about, but Chloe wanted her marriage to be intact. She wanted to mend things and work it out with Vincent, because they were married from love. Chloe always idolized a stable married life with her husband.

Vincent rarely came home these days, saying that he went on a business trip. "Fucking his secretary in the office or a hotel." seemed to be part of his business trip now.

She thought she could tolerate everything, but when he refused to come home for their daughter's birthday dinner, that was the end of the line.

She could tolerate it no more. She was done, sick and tired of everything.

She wanted to break free from this unhappy marriage.

She didn't know if she would find another man after this, nor did she want to have one after such a painful experience. And she would be a divorcée, something frowned upon in her big family.

She was also worried for Mackenzie. She didn't know how Mackenzie would react, knowing that her parents would be separated. What would she think of them? How would this affect her, even?

But…

"I can't. I can't stay like this forever. I will go crazy if I let him torment me with his bullshit."

Chloe drank the wine in one gulp to drink her tears. She put the glass on the table, right beside a divorce paper filled for her part.

There was only one spot left, the signature.

She stared at the divorce paper for a while and picked the pen.

She signed the divorce paper with her maiden name since she wouldn't be Mrs. Gray any longer;

Chloe Carlson.