Chapter 1 Let's Get Divorced

I watched my husband, Clarence Kirk, toss the glass I had just used into the trash. I saw it clearly, yet I felt nothing. We'd been married for three years, and he still couldn't bring himself to share a single glass with me. Even when I accidentally drank from his cup, he wouldn't hesitate to throw it away. It didn't matter if it was a rare, limited-edition one, he'd still discard it without a second thought. At that moment, it felt like something broke inside me, just like the glass. I sighed as images from a video I had received earlier flashed through my mind. If Ivana Todd hadn't sent me that video, I probably never would've known that Clarence's obsession with cleanliness wasn't as serious as he claimed. He could drink from the same bottle as someone else, after all. In the video, Ivana held up her phone, filming a vlog. "Hey, everyone! Welcome to Kirk Group's company gathering. This is our CEO, Mr. Kirk. Isn't he handsome? Yeah, I think so too. "Here's a little secret. He's actually my senior, and that makes me his junior. So, I guess my career will be smooth sailing from here." The scene then shifted to her taking a few sips from a bottle of water. Moments later, Clarence entered the frame. "Ivana, that's mine," he said. "Oh! Sorry, Mr. Kirk. I thought it was mine." Clarence shook his head in response, yet tenderness shone in his eyes. Even through the screen, I could feel it. What surprised me most was what he did next. He twisted open the cap and took a sip from the very same bottle Ivana had just used. He didn't throw it away. Instead, he drank straight from it, his lips touching the very spot hers had. I couldn't even begin to explain how heartbroken I felt in that moment. It turned out Clarence wasn't really obsessed with cleanliness. Or maybe he was, but only with me. That day, I was supposed to visit his mother at the Kirk residence on his behalf. But after watching that video, I just wasn't in the mood to deal with her. So, I didn't go. Less than half an hour later, Clarence called, demanding to know why I hadn't shown up. "I wasn't feeling well. I didn't want to go," I answered simply. He shot back, "Janelle Sawyer, I know exactly what you're up to. Do you think this little stunt will make me change my mind? Let me be clear. I'm not having children with you." His harsh words pierced through the phone and into my heart. Right then and there, I realized there was no point in continuing this relationship. I hummed softly, then said, "Come home. We need to talk." … And just like that, Clarence came home. I took a sip from his glass right in front of him. He couldn't stand it, not even for a second. His reflex to throw the glass only made me more determined to divorce him. I glanced at the glass, a faint smile tugging at my lips. Then, I slid a document across the table and said, "Take a look. If you have no objections, just sign it." "What are you trying to pull now?" Clarence snapped. "Haven't you caused enough trouble already? You've sabotaged multiple projects just to pressure me into having a child. Do you even understand what you've done?" I stared at him in disbelief. Did he really think I ruined his projects on purpose? How much must he have hated me to see me as someone so low? The truth was, the projects failed simply because the other party's price was too low. He wanted to push ahead anyway, but senior management thought it wasn't worth it at such a low price. When they couldn't talk sense into him, they turned to me. I managed to stop him from going through with the deal. Even though the project fell through, the company's cash flow was intact. I couldn't believe Clarence held a grudge against me ever since. But it didn't matter anymore. We were getting divorced, so I no longer cared what he thought of me. "This is the divorce agreement. Take a look. I'm not asking for anything that's yours. That small apartment in the south of the city is my premarital property. Everything else is yours," I stated. "What did you just say?" Clarence had just tossed the document on the table. But the moment he heard the word "divorce", he shot to his feet, confusion flickering across his face. His expression darkened further when he picked it up again and saw what it really was. "Janelle, are you threatening me with divorce just to get me to have children with you?" "It's not a threat. I truly want a divorce," I replied. "I've already signed it, so you'd better hurry up and do the same. Let's not waste time." As I spoke, I pointed to the signature line, my face devoid of emotion. "Why?" he asked with a frown. It took me a second to realize he was asking why I wanted the divorce. So, I played him the video Ivana had sent me. Clarence looked even more baffled after watching it. "You're doing this just because of a video Ivana made?" "She drank your water," I said while staring blankly at him. He let out an exasperated chuckle and shot back, "So, now no one's allowed to drink my water?" "It's not just that she drank it. You drank from the same bottle. Don't push me, Clarence. Have you forgotten what you did earlier? Or have you lost your damn memory?" I'd had enough. For three years, I shouldered the burden of the debt my family owed to his family. I humbled myself before the Kirks, but it was never appreciated. My family played a major role in Kirk Group's success, yet I was treated like I didn't matter. Even when his mother, Barbara Clark, pressured us to have kids, I had to beg Clarence just to be intimate with me. And still, he acted as if it were a favor, deciding when and how to acknowledge me. "I won't have children with you," he repeated. "And you want a divorce because Ivana drank from my water bottle?" His tone had softened slightly, but I had no desire to keep this going. After all, I was the only one trying in our marriage. I once believed that, given time, Clarence would come to see the good in me. Unfortunately, I was wrong. How could someone so heartless ever recognize another's worth? "We've been married for three years, and you wouldn't even let me drink from your glass. But with her, you shared a bottle." I hit back at him. That was when something finally seemed to register with him. "I—" Clarence began. I cut him off. "That's enough. I don't need your explanations anymore. I've suffered enough for three years. Let's get divorced." I pointed once more to the signature line. My steady tone made him falter. Whatever softness he had shown earlier vanished, replaced by his usual sharpness. "Fine. Just remember you're the one who wanted this. Don't regret it." "I won't," I said firmly. Three years had passed, and all my disappointments had turned to resentment. Back then, all I ever wanted was to marry Clarence. I had even spent half of my family's fortune to make it happen. Despite that, I never felt sorry for myself. Even when he treated me coldly after the wedding, I told myself, "Give it time. Sooner or later, he'll be won over by your sincerity." Alas, reality had proven me wrong.