Goodbye, My Regretful Ex

After my mission failed, I bound with the Perfect Spouse System and became Ethan Vance’s ideal wife. When a video of him grinding on a rising starlet at a yacht party went viral, I proactively handled the PR. He forgot about my alcohol allergy and brought home booze-infused chocolates left over from his mistress. I ate them anyway, acting touched. Even when I ran into his pregnant starlet at the hospital for her prenatal scan, I thoughtfully booked a VIP suite for her delivery. But just when I was about to complete my mission and leave this world forever, he did a complete turnaround. With bloodshot eyes, he cornered me in the hallway, his voice hoarse: "Chloe, do you love me?" I remembered how much he used to hate it when I said I loved him. So, I flashed my most polite, flawless smile and replied, "Of course. Just as you wished, I don't love you." When Ethan came home, he smelled like a mix of cedarwood and orange blossom. It was the limited-edition perfume he had gifted Hailey Bennett last month. He loosened his tie, looking down at his phone, replying to some whiny voice notes with a doting smile. "Be good, babe. I’ll take you bag shopping tomorrow." But the moment he looked up and saw me sitting on the living room couch, the smile instantly vanished from his face. "You're out of the hospital?" I didn't mind his cold tone. I simply smiled and nodded. A few days ago, Ethan had brought home half a box of chocolate truffles. They were the exact same handmade liqueur chocolates Hailey had bragged about on Ins. Giving his wife the scraps of a gift meant for his mistress showed just how little he cared. If I were my old self, I would have thrown the box in his face and screamed. But now, I was Ethan’s perfect partner. Making him happy was a program hardwired into my system. So, I gratefully took the chocolates, ate them one by one right in front of him, and ended up in the ER. At the time, he was surprised. Why would someone who loved social drinking suddenly have an alcohol allergy? But the one who actually loved drinking was Hailey, the rising starlet he was currently obsessed with. He forgot about my alcohol allergy. He also forgot that he used to shield me from every drink, downing glass after glass for me at our wedding. The first time I caught Ethan cheating, he knelt before me, begging for forgiveness. "Chloe, she’s just a distraction. You’re the only one in my heart." But as the cheating played out over and over, he stopped pretending. Not only did he openly parade other women around, but he even publicly ridiculed me as a liar who only married him for money. That was when I realized he had overheard me talking to my system shortly after our wedding. He became convinced everything I did for him was just a "mission." He refused to hear my explanations. During one argument, he even pushed me down the stairs, making me lose our first child. Seeing me silent, Ethan frowned. "If you're not feeling well, why aren't you in bed?" "Look at this," I said, pointing to the TV. On the screen, reporters were surrounding me outside the hospital, shouting questions. "Mrs. Vance, what do you think of your husband’s yacht video with Hailey Bennett?" "Is your hospitalization related to Mr. Vance’s affair?" "This is the third scandal this year. Are you considering a divorce?" While I was hospitalized for my allergy, a video of Ethan and Hailey grinding on each other on a yacht went viral. In the video, Hailey wore a tiny bikini, wrapping herself around Ethan, laughing brightly. But when we first married, Ethan threw away all of my sexy clothes. He said he didn't like his wife dressing provocatively. A wife of the Vance family had to be elegant and dignified. "Since you married into this family, you follow our rules. Throw these trashy clothes away." He also hated public displays of affection, calling them classless. In our three years of marriage, I had never even held his hand in public. Yet Hailey was wild and free, rubbing against him on the yacht while he held her tight. I had begged Ethan for three years to wear his wedding ring, but he never did. Yet in the video, on the hand gripping Hailey's waist, a diamond ring gleamed under the sun. So, it wasn't that he hated sexy clothes, or PDA, or rings. He just hated me. If this were before, I would have screamed at him hysterically. But now, I was his perfect partner. My job was to handle his messes so he had no worries. So, the version of me on TV looked elegant and composed, smiling as I deflected every sharp question. Suddenly, Ethan grabbed the remote and turned off the TV, his face dark. I didn't understand why, but I apologized anyway. "I’m sorry. I’ll handle it better next time." The last time something like this happened, a reporter had asked Ethan about flirty texts with Hailey at a brand launch. I had lost control, thrown the microphone, and stormed off. Afterward, Ethan called me immature and said I disgraced him. He even locked me out on the balcony all night during a severe thunderstorm, knowing I was terrified of thunder. I huddled in the pouring rain, freezing, feeling the endless, agonizing stretch of time. It was long enough for my burning love to turn cold, long enough for my beating heart to go numb. In the dark, the system's mechanical voice had sounded crystal clear: [Mission failed. Activating backup plan.] [Perfect Spouse System successfully bound.] The system's cold voice had no emotion: "As long as you become his ideal wife, you will get a new lease on life." And the first step of this new mission... Was to strip away all of my love for Ethan.Ethan froze, seemingly recalling something. He pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, and handed me a velvet box. "Happy birthday. I spent a long time picking this out. This blue diamond bracelet suits you best." I opened the box. Inside lay a blue diamond bracelet. A bitter taste filled my mouth. If he had paid any attention, he would have known I already had two identical ones in my jewelry box. "Spared no effort," yet he had gifted me the exact same thing three years in a row. I suddenly wanted to ask him if he thought I was too stupid to see through such lazy effort. But the system's warning flared in my head: [Warning: Behavior deviating from the Perfect Partner settings.] So, I forced a look of pleasant surprise and slipped the bracelet onto my wrist. "It's beautiful. Thank you for remembering my birthday." Ethan paused, his expression complex. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "Hailey is pregnant." Seeing no reaction from me, he irritably tugged at his tie. "I’ve decided we're keeping the baby." "Congratulations." We spoke at the same time. I genuinely meant it, but he stared at me, wide-eyed. "Good, very good, Chloe. You’re getting more and more sensible." He paced the living room in anger, then said in a patronizing tone: "Since Hailey is pregnant, my mother is hosting a family dinner. You're coming with me." Ethan rarely took me to the Vance estate because his family looked down on me. They felt a penniless orphan like me was unworthy of marrying a Vance. If Ethan hadn't threatened to ruin his own life to marry me back then, they would have never agreed. Though Hailey was from an ordinary background, she was still better off than an orphan. If it were before, I would have flatly refused. But looking at the rising "Perfection Score" on my system panel, I answered softly: "It's wonderful news that Hailey is pregnant. What gift should I prepare?" Ethan's brow furrowed deeper, and he sneered, "Do whatever you want!" With that, he slammed the study door behind him. On the day of the dinner, Ethan texted saying he had to pick up Hailey. I had to take an Uber to the Vance estate alone. When I arrived, Ethan was helping Hailey sit next to his mother, Eleanor. Eleanor was holding Hailey's hand warmly, slipping a vintage emerald bracelet onto her wrist. "This bracelet is passed down to the Vance family’s daughter-in-law. It fits you perfectly." Seeing me, Eleanor’s face hardened instantly. She scoffed: "Usually, we can't even get you to visit. Today you show up uninvited?" Hailey toyed with the emerald bracelet, giving me a smug, mocking look. Ethan also looked at me, a playful glint in his eyes, as if expecting a scene. I set down the carefully prepared gift and gave a warm, gentle smile. "I came to congratulate Hailey." "Eleanor has been hoping for a grandchild for a long time. It's a shame I wasn't blessed enough to keep my baby." "Now that Hailey is pregnant, I wanted to share the joy." The moment I finished, Ethan’s face darkened completely. Eleanor and Hailey stared at each other in shock. Everyone had expected me to make a scene and get kicked out in disgrace. After all, no wife would be happy about her husband's mistress having his baby. But seeing my Perfection Score skyrocket in the system, my smile grew even warmer. Ethan let out a cold snort, his voice laced with venom. "You sure are generous..." I took it as a compliment. A perfect spouse must always align with her husband’s wishes. I touched the draft divorce agreement in my bag, feeling a sense of relief. Once I gave up the title of Mrs. Vance to Hailey, Ethan would surely be even more satisfied.At the dinner, Hailey sat in the seat meant for the lady of the house. I sat quietly in the corner, watching Ethan carefully peel shrimp and debone fish for her. Ethan used to treat me like that, too. He once drove across the city in a snowstorm just because I said I wanted pastries from a bakery uptown. Because I was afraid of the dark, he would cover my ears during every thunderstorm, holding me tight until I fell asleep. He had knelt under a sky full of fireworks, holding out a diamond ring. "Chloe, I will never let you down in this lifetime." I felt a bit dazed. I remembered every single detail of our time together, yet I could no longer feel any of the spark. Maybe, like the system said, only by completely removing my love could I become the perfect spouse. By the end of the dinner, I still hadn't found a good time to bring up the divorce. I figured I'd talk to him at home, but Eleanor insisted they stay the night at the estate. I politely excused myself. Just as I was about to leave alone, Ethan suddenly called out. "Chloe!" I turned around, confused. Ethan's head was lowered, his expression unreadable. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he only mumbled, "Drive safe." I was slightly surprised and, for once, gave him a genuine smile. As I turned away, I heard Hailey's whiny voice calling Ethan back inside. "Chloe, what the hell are you trying to do?!" Late that night, I was startled awake by a raging Ethan. He kicked the bedroom door open and dragged me out of bed. "I thought you really changed, but you’re still just as vicious!" Looking at the sheer disgust in his eyes, I had no idea what was going on. "What happened?" Ethan threw a perfume bottle right in front of me, shattering glass everywhere. "You knew Hailey is pregnant, yet you gifted her such a strong, toxic perfume!" "You’re still the same jealous, petty bitch!" The suffocating scent filled the room, making it hard to breathe. I instinctively covered my nose and mouth. Ethan knew my respiratory system was weak. If he bothered to think, he’d realize I never used perfume. I would never buy such a gift. But the system flashed: [Rule of the Perfect Spouse: Never argue with your husband.] So, I gave up trying to explain. I struggled to sit up, then quietly knelt down right onto the shattered glass. Blood soaked my nightgown instantly, mixing with the heavy perfume scent. It was overwhelming. I lowered my head and apologized submissively. "I'm sorry, Ethan." "I can go kneel in front of Hailey and apologize. Please don't be angry." The expected roar didn't come. Instead, Ethan’s voice trembled. "Are you insane?" "Chloe, why aren't you defending yourself?!" I looked up at him, puzzled. "If I did, would you believe me?" He froze. Of course he wouldn't. In the past, I had explained myself countless times, and he had never believed me. Ethan stared at me in silence. The anger and confusion in his eyes slowly turned into an unspeakable dread. He didn't understand why I had suddenly become so submissive. He didn't understand why the compliance he had always demanded now felt so sickeningly wrong. And he definitely didn't understand why he could no longer feel an ounce of love from me. He grabbed my shoulders tightly, calling my name desperately. "Chloe..." I forced a perfect, gentle smile. "Yes, I’m here." Looking at the flawless curve of my lips and my lifeless, calm eyes, Ethan’s agony deepened. A terrifying realization hit him. So terrifying that tears pooled in his eyes. He pulled me into a fierce embrace, as if trying to merge me into his very bones. I heard his choked sobs. And I heard his trembling question: "Chloe, do you love me?" I remembered how much he used to hate it when I said I loved him. So, I flashed my most polite, flawless smile, and said every word clearly: "Of course, just as you wanted. I don't love you."