Enjoy Your Prison Cell, Ex-Husband!

Julian’s secretary’s husband had died in a tragic car accident. The shock sent Chloe, who was eight months pregnant, into early labor. Being a woman and a mother myself, I knew how brutal childbirth could be. I made some homemade chicken soup, thinking I’d drop by the hospital to show some support. But when I reached the door of the recovery room, my heart stopped. Through the glass, I saw my husband, Julian, half-kneeling by the bed. He was holding a piece of gauze, gently and carefully wiping away the postpartum blood from Chloe’s thighs. Julian, a man with extreme OCD who couldn't stand a speck of dust, now had dark red blood stains splattered all over the hem of his crisp white shirt. I stood there, frozen. It felt like a physical blow. When I was giving birth, he refused to set foot in the delivery room. He claimed witnessing childbirth would ruin our sex life and that the blood grossed him out. Yet here he was, wiping another woman’s postpartum discharge. The thermos in my hand slipped, hitting the floor with a loud clatter. Chicken soup spilled everywhere. Both of them snapped their heads toward the door. Panic flashed in Julian’s eyes. He quickly pulled his hand back, hiding the bloody gauze behind his back. He stammered, "Audrey? What... what are you doing here? I was just... checking on my employee." I stared at his pathetic, flustered face. My heart grew ice-cold. It turned out he wasn't incapable of gentleness. His gentleness was just never meant for me. Before he could utter another lie, I curled my lips into a cold smile. My voice was dead calm. "Save it, Julian. Let's get a divorce." Julian’s brows furrowed instantly, his face twisting into annoyance. "What are you throwing a tantrum for now? Chloe’s husband just died, and her family lives halfway across the country. As her boss, I’m just helping her out. It’s corporate empathy. Can't you be a little supportive?" "Supporting her?" I let out a harsh laugh. "By wiping your female subordinate’s postpartum fluids? Is that in the employee handbook?" Chloe’s eyes immediately filled with tears. She weak-fully propped herself up against the headboard, looking like she might faint at any second. "I’m so sorry, Audrey. It’s all my fault. I’m causing trouble for Julian. I’ll check out of the hospital right now..." As expected, Julian rushed to her side, gently pushing her back onto the pillows. His eyes were filled with raw concern. "Chloe, stay down! Don't move!" When he spun back to face me, his gaze turned vicious. "You’re a mother too, Audrey! You know how weak a woman is after giving birth! Where is your goddamn compassion?" He gently patted Chloe’s back to soothe her, his voice dropping to a tender whisper. "Don't worry, Chloe. I’m here. Just focus on recovering. You’re not going anywhere." Watching this disgusting display, my heart ached so much it felt numb. Our seven years together felt like a giant, pathetic joke. From college to the corporate world, we had eaten cheap instant noodles and pulled all-nighters together to build our company. He had never once looked at me with that kind of tenderness. It was laughable. Chloe leaned weakly into Julian’s chest, sobbing like a victim. She looked at me with a face full of guilt, but the triumph in her eyes was hard to miss. "Audrey, I swear, as soon as I’m strong enough, I’ll leave. I will never show my face to you again." "Please, just live happily with Julian. If you two divorce because of me, I’ll never forgive myself!" She spoke with such self-righteous drama. As if I were the villain tearing her family apart. Julian’s heart bled for her. He shielded her immediately. "You don't need to apologize to her, Chloe! She’s just eaten up by jealousy!" I couldn't help but burst into a cold laugh. Julian froze. Chloe stopped her sobbing, looking up at me in confusion. "Julian." I met his gaze, my eyes completely void of affection. "Are you delusional?" He frowned. "What?" I spoke clearly, emphasizing every single word. "The disgusting trash between you two isn't worth my jealousy. You aren't even worth my anger. I only regret one thing—that I was blind enough to waste seven years of my life with a useless, brainless loser like you." Seven years of love. It was time to put it in the trash. Julian’s face flushed a deep, angry purple. He pointed a shaking finger at me. "Audrey Collins! I already explained everything! Don't you dare push your luck!" "Respect is earned, Julian, not given." I didn't want to waste another breath on him. I turned my gaze to Chloe, who was still trembling like a delicate leaf. "And you, Chloe. You just popped a baby out, yet you already have the energy to seduce another woman's husband. You seem to be recovering spectacularly." Chloe’s face turned paper-white. Seeing this, Julian exploded. "Audrey, shut your mouth! Chloe just gave birth—" "Then she should keep her hands off what’s mine!" I snapped, cutting him off. "Julian, my lawyer will deliver the divorce papers shortly. I will take every single share of the company that belongs to me. Not a single penny less." Without waiting for their responses, I turned on my heel and walked out. At the threshold, I paused and threw a cold glance over my shoulder. "Oh, and Chloe? Don't call me Audrey. Coming from your mouth, it makes me feel dirty." Second ChapterSuddenly, Chloe gasped, tumbling off the hospital bed. Her knees hit the hard floor with a loud thud. Ignoring the pain, she crawled over and wrapped her arms tightly around my legs, her eyes red and tearful. "Audrey, please! It's all my fault! Please don't divorce Julian. I can pack up and leave tonight!" Julian’s face darkened instantly. He rushed over and carefully lifted her up, his eyes overflowing with heart-wrenching pain. Then, he glared at me with pure hatred. "Audrey, I regret the day I married you! Chloe just gave birth, and you're forcing her to beg on her knees? Do you have any idea how much a scandal like this will tank our company’s stock price?" I almost laughed out loud. "You two did the dirty deed, and you're worried about the stock? I couldn't care less." Looking at them, a wave of nausea washed over me. I couldn't stand being in the same room with them for another second. I violently kicked my leg free from Chloe’s grasp, pulled out my phone, and dialed my lawyer. "Arthur." "About the divorce petition and the division of company shares we discussed—start the process immediately. I’ve already prepared all the documents on my end." Hearing this, Julian let out a mocking sneer. "Audrey, stop bluffing. Do you really think I believe you have the guts to divorce me? For years, you’ve done nothing but follow me around like a lost puppy. What, you think your wings are fully grown now just because you started a new project?" He took a threatening step forward, his voice dripping with arrogant certainty. "Even if you dare to file, you won't get a single share of the company! I have a thousand ways to make sure you leave this marriage completely penniless. Let's see how you survive with absolutely nothing!" *Penniless.* Hearing those words, I bit my lip so hard I almost drew blood. Flashbacks of the past flooded my mind. To secure our first major corporate project, I spent two weeks straight pulling all-nighters to revise our business proposals. I was so sleep-deprived I had to put myself on an IV drip just to keep going. To secure our key investors, I forced myself to drink at corporate dinners until I got severe alcohol poisoning and had to be rushed to the ER for emergency stomach surgery. When our cash flow was cut off by our competitors, I was the one who ran all over the city, begging for investments to save the company from bankruptcy. All my years of sacrifice, and he wanted to make sure I left penniless. I took a deep breath, forcing down the tears stinging my eyes. Since he wanted to be this ruthless, I didn't need to show him any mercy. We built this company together. If he thought he could kick me out with nothing, he was out of his mind. Without giving Julian or Chloe another look, I stormed out of the hospital room. I drove straight to the office. Pushing open my office door, I picked up my phone and began contacting my core team members and major clients one by one. Julian, since you love this company so much, you can keep it. I’ll leave you and your mistress to rot inside an empty shell. As for the multi-million dollar manufacturing equipment, the core research team, and the venture capital funding? I’ll be taking all of that with me.My new company was fully set up. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. Julian's name flashed on the screen. I frowned and pressed decline. That must have pissed him off. A second later, a text message popped up: [We can divorce. But if you don't want your latest experimental data deleted forever, you better get your ass home right now!] At the end of the text, there was an attached screenshot of the files. That data was the blood, sweat, and tears of my team, compiled over countless sleepless nights. How did he get his hands on it? Suppressing my anxiety, I typed back: [I’m coming.] The moment I pushed the front door open, my stomach turned. Julian was sitting on the living room sofa, and Chloe was practically writhing in his lap. A laptop was open on the coffee table. Ignoring the urge to throw up, I pulled the divorce agreement from my bag and slammed it onto the table. "Julian. For the sake of our past, I’ve revised the terms. Give me the data, sign the papers, and we’re done." He casually picked up the papers, flipping through them. Within seconds, his face darkened. He jumped to his feet, slamming the papers onto the floor. "You’re only leaving me this much? Audrey, you better think carefully. Without this research data, your new startup won't survive a single day!" With that, he stormed out, slamming the front door behind him. The moment the door shut, Chloe sat up on the sofa. She gave me a sly smirk, and her fingers flew across the laptop keyboard. She hit the delete button. A progress bar flashed on the screen, wiping the files at lightning speed. "What the hell are you doing?!" I lunged forward. But her smirk only grew wider. She suddenly took a sharp step backward, covered her face, and threw herself onto the floor. She intentionally slammed her forehead against the edge of the heavy oak coffee table, making a loud crack. Then, she screamed at the top of her lungs: "Audrey! Please! Even if you hate me, you shouldn't delete the company's research! That's everyone's hard work!" Hearing the commotion, Julian kicked the door open and rushed back in. The first thing he saw was Chloe crying hysterically on the floor, and me desperately reaching for the laptop to stop the deletion. His eyes flared with vicious fury. "Audrey! Do you hate Chloe so much that you've lost your mind?!" He charged at me and shoved me with all his strength. I lost my balance and crashed hard into the armrest of the sofa. Before I could even stand up, Julian’s fist slammed directly into my face. "I told you to think carefully, and you delete the data just to frame Chloe?!" "You didn't just delete the digital files, you destroyed the paper backups too!" He grabbed my arm and violently threw me aside. My head collided heavily with the sharp, solid corner of the marble coffee table. The world spun, and the next second, darkness consumed me.When I finally opened my eyes, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through the back of my head. I tried to move, but my wrists were tightly bound to the metal bedposts. "Oh, you're awake?" Julian was standing near the bed. He turned on the TV mounted on the wall. It was broadcasting a live press conference from my new company. The headline banner read: *Audrey Collins, Founder of New Tech Startup, Embezzles Millions and Flees.* On screen, Julian was standing in front of dozens of microphones, looking solemn. He announced to the reporters that he would buy out all the shares and take over the company to "atone for his wife’s criminal actions." He had successfully painted himself as the perfect, grieving, noble husband. The TV screen went black as Julian tossed the remote onto the bed. He walked over, leaning down to stare into my eyes, his face twisted with smug triumph. "Who the hell do you think you are, Audrey? Trying to play games with me?" I glared at him, tasting copper in my mouth. "You're a disgusting, pathetic coward, Julian." "A coward?" He pinched my chin hard. "You forced my hand! You wanted to leave me penniless? Well, now I’ve blocked every single escape route you have!" "Let me tell you another secret. Chloe already sold your actual research data to our biggest competitor. You have absolutely nothing left." "Very soon, I’ll hand you over to the police to satisfy the shareholders. You, my dear wife, will spend the rest of your miserable life in a federal prison!" Just then, Chloe stepped out from the shadows of the room. Seeing my bruised and bound state, she let out a mock sigh. "If you had just been obedient and handed over the shares, you wouldn't be in this mess. You brought this all on yourself, Audrey!" She then erupted into a triumphant laugh. "Oh, and Audrey? Who do you think is the father of the baby in my belly? It's Julian's! We've been together for years. If you hadn't been hogging the 'Mrs. Collins' title, we would have been public a long time ago!" Julian smiled warmly at her, his face full of pride. "Audrey, there's no point in hiding it now. You were always too controlling. I wanted a divorce years ago." "But I have to thank you. Because of you, I met Chloe. She is a thousand times more gentle than you'll ever be. She knows how to take care of a man. She's the kind of woman I actually want." Chloe leaned into Julian’s arms, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Did you really think we just wanted to leave you penniless? You're so naive, Audrey. You tried to steal the company’s core assets and ruin our future. We had to take drastic measures." She paused, a sickening smile stretching across her face. "Do you remember how my husband died? A heavy-duty truck crushed him to death." My entire body went rigid. A wave of pure terror washed over me. "What... what are you saying?" Julian spoke up, his voice utterly devoid of human warmth. "The idiot wouldn't mind his own business. He found out about Chloe and me and threatened to expose us. So, we had to make him shut up permanently. We weren't going to pin it on you, but you pushed us to the edge. When the police ask, we'll tell them you hired the truck driver because you were jealous of my relationship with Chloe." "You're insane!" I gasped, struggling against my ties. "That's murder! You're monsters!" "Murder?" Julian laughed, patronizingly patting my bruised cheek. "Once we give our statements and fabricate a little trail of evidence, who's going to believe a disgraced thief who embezzled corporate funds? You won't just go to jail for fraud; you'll rot in there as a convicted murderer." "And once we tell the world you committed suicide out of guilt... well, who's going to know the truth? Dead people don't talk." With that, he pulled a thick nylon rope from his pocket, intending to strangle me and frame it as a hanging. The rope drew closer and closer to my neck. Just as the cold fiber touched my skin, the door to the room was violently kicked open. Two armed detectives rushed in, badges out and guns raised. "State Police! Hands in the air! Julian Collins, Chloe Vance, we’ve recorded every single word of your confession. You are under arrest for first-degree murder, corporate fraud, and kidnapping!"