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He Thought Our Divorce Was A Joke
Novelix
Completed
Every April Fools' Day, my husband Harvey played "Truth or Dare" with his childhood friend Mia. Last year, they made out in a crowded bar. The year before, they bungee jumped together. This year, she dared him: "Divorce Jenny and marry me right now." He chuckled. "Why wouldn't I dare?" Then he turned to me: "Jenny, it's just a joke. Sign the papers. We'll cancel tomorrow." I told him I was pregnant. He shook his head. "You'd fake a pregnancy to stop me from winning?" My heart died in that instant. I signed. He doesn't know I'm never canceling this divorce.
Chapters (3)
第1章
Every April Fools' Day, Harvey plays a "Truth or Dare" game with his childhood friend, Mia.
Last year, they made out for three minutes in a crowded bar. The year before that, they went tandem bungee jumping.
This year, Mia spoke up again, her tone provocative: "Let's raise the stakes today. Harvey, do you dare to divorce Jenny right now and marry me?"
Cheers and whistles instantly erupted around us.
Harvey chuckled in a low voice. "Why wouldn't I dare?"
Then he turned to me. "Jenny, everyone is watching. Don't be a buzzkill."
His tone was light, as if he were organizing a party game.
"It's just an April Fools' joke. Play along with me. We'll sign the divorce papers first and cancel them tomorrow morning. I can't lose to Mia."
I had endured this for the past five years, but this time, I refused. "I'm pregnant, Harvey."
Harvey shook his head helplessly. "Jenny, you'd actually fake a pregnancy just to keep me from winning?"
He didn't believe me.
At that moment, my heart completely died for this man.
I didn't argue anymore and signed the divorce papers.
Looking at Harvey's relaxed face, he didn't know that I had no intention of ever canceling this agreement.
……
After I dropped the pregnancy bomb, Harvey froze for a split second before shaking his head helplessly and chuckling.
"Jenny, your excuses are getting more and more interesting. To stop me from winning, you'd actually fake a pregnancy? Not bad. You're better at playing April Fools' than I am this year."
Mia drawled, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Jenny, it's just a game. If you're a sore loser, just say it. Joking about pregnancy is a terrible look."
"Exactly." Harvey's hand clamped around my wrist like a vise, his grip bruising. "Let's go, hurry up. I've already contacted a lawyer. The game has begun."
He dragged me outside, taking large, rushed strides.
Five years.
Riding the coattails of my bestselling thrillers, he had built Apex Publishing from the ground up into a Wall Street darling.
Yet on this day every year, I had to endure this absurd torture from him, all for Mia.
On the way to the law firm, Harvey's sports car sped recklessly through the streets of Manhattan.
Once in the office, he snatched the divorce papers from the lawyer and slammed them right in front of me.
"Sign it, quickly. I need to take wedding photos with Mia after this." He tapped his knuckles on the desk, urging me.
I picked up the pen and stared at Harvey's flamboyant signature on the paper.
"Fine. Have it your way."
I signed my name without a moment's hesitation.
The documents were stamped, and my five-year marriage came to an absurd end just like that.
Having gotten the agreement, Harvey immediately pulled a brand-new custom suit from the trunk and changed into it, while Mia pulled out a veil and pinned it into her hair.
They had even booked a photographer in advance.
The two of them leaned in close, letting the photographer snap picture after picture, while he kept praising them for being a perfect match.
No one argued.
Sitting under the spotlight, Mia let the makeup artist meticulously work on her face.
I stood on the sidelines, watching the spectacle blankly.
Five years ago, on the day Harvey and I got married, we only had a quiet ceremony in a church. There was no grand announcement, no sweet photos like this.
Back then, Harvey said he didn't like sharing his private life with others.
Besides, he believed I would definitely become a famous author, and if people knew I was married to the boss of my publishing company, there would inevitably be gossip.
So until now, few people outside knew he was married.
But right now, Harvey was wearing a sharp suit, tightly holding Mia's waist, smiling brilliantly at the camera.
He immediately posted a photo on Instagram with the caption: Married.
Soon, countless people left likes and blessings underneath.
[What a gorgeous couple, congratulations!]
[Is this the boss of Apex Publishing? So jealous.]
Harvey waved his phone at me and explained casually, "Honey, don't worry, I'll delete it tomorrow morning. It's April Fools' Day, no one will take it seriously. Don't be mad."
My early pregnancy symptoms made my stomach churn, draining almost all the strength I had left to stand.
"Take me back to the house," I forced down the bile rising in my throat. "I need to pack my things."
I pulled open the passenger door, but before I could get in, Mia squeezed her way over.
"Jenny, if we're acting, we have to commit. Since Harvey and I are husband and wife now, this passenger seat is naturally mine." She pointed at the necklace around my neck. "And this, Harvey's wedding gift to you... it's more fitting if I wear it now, right?"
Harvey stood by the front of the car, playing the peacemaker. "Jenny, it's just for one day. Don't be petty."
I silently unclasped the necklace and handed it over.
Mia put it on triumphantly and casually tossed my scarf and perfume from the seat onto the floor mat.
Harvey gave me a helpless look.
I turned around and walked toward the curb to hail a cab.
Harvey caught up in a few strides, yanked open the rear door, and shoved me inside without a word.
"Stop throwing a tantrum. It's hard to get a cab here. Just sit down and be good."
Sensual jazz music flowed through the car.
Mia swayed her body to the rhythm. When a lingering note hit, she reached over and hooked her arm around Harvey's neck.
"Honey, I love you..."
Then she boldly kissed him on the cheek and laughed. "Just exercising my rights as your wife, is that okay?"
Harvey shook his head, looking helpless but indulgent. "Stop messing around, I'm driving."
Then he met my gaze in the rearview mirror and explained somewhat unnaturally, "This is just..."
I didn't want to hear his "just a game" speech again and calmly looked away.
Mia turned around and raised an eyebrow at me with a smirk. "Jenny, don't mind us. We grew up together. Before you even met Harvey, we played games like this all the time."
Her words sounded more like a provocation than an explanation.
I turned to look out the window, my stomach churning once again.
I closed my eyes and placed my hand over my lower abdomen.
Let this absurd game end today.
第2章
The second we stepped into the house, Harvey's mother rushed up, grabbed Mia's hand, and hugged her happily.
She said dotingly, "Harvey told me everything. You two are so mischievous."
"Mia, I always knew you were the right one for Harvey. If it weren't for back then..." Out of the corner of her eye, Harvey's mother saw me changing my shoes and quickly pivoted, "You two are just meant to be."
Harvey walked over and stood between them. "Mom, we're just joking around. It's just an April Fools' dare."
His mother placed his hand over Mia's. "If only this weren't a joke."
I ignored them, walked past the entryway, and went straight into the bedroom to drag out my suitcase. I hadn't even packed two shirts when Harvey followed me in.
"Jenny, everyone is here. Don't ruin the mood." He lowered his voice. "Let's all have dinner tonight to celebrate."
I swatted away his hand and continued packing.
"Tomorrow is the pre-sale for the final installment of your thriller trilogy. I invited the whole team over. Just treat it as a celebration dinner."
I froze. This novel was the result of three full years of hard work, born out of countless sleepless nights.
If I completely blew up at him right now, tomorrow's pre-sale would definitely tank.
I zipped up my suitcase. "Fine. Just this one meal."
Harvey's face instantly lit up, and he turned back to the living room to arrange the dinner.
I'd just consider this my final farewell to the past.
At the dining table, the company's shareholders were all present. Mia sat next to Harvey with her head held high, looking every bit the lady of the house.
When the maid came to serve the food, she instinctively tried to hand it to me first, like she usually did. But Mia stopped her. "Hey, take a good look at who's actually sitting at the head of the table now."
The maid looked at me awkwardly, then at Harvey, who tacitly approved. She whispered an apology to me and then served the dish to Mia.
Mia smiled, satisfied.
Seeing this, the shareholders tactfully started praising Mia, gushing about how deep her bond with Harvey was and how perfect they looked together.
I just kept my head down and ate, plotting my escape.
Suddenly, Mia picked up a bowl of piping hot clam chowder and tried to hand it to me.
"Jenny, you don't look well. Have some hot soup."
My pregnancy nausea made me gag at the smell of seafood. I scowled and refused.
Harvey's face instantly darkened, assuming I was deliberately embarrassing Mia.
"Jenny, Mia is just trying to be nice." He snapped in a commanding tone. "Isn't this your favorite dish? Just drink it."
Mia approached with the bowl, a barely noticeable smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Just as she got close to me, her wrist flipped, and the entire bowl of scalding soup splashed onto her own arm.
She immediately let out a piercing scream, tears welling up in her eyes. "Ah! It's boiling!"
Harvey rushed over, pulling her into his arms, his face full of panic. "How could you be so careless?"
Mia looked at me with a wronged, hesitant expression. "It was Jenny... maybe she didn't mean it. I know she never liked how close we are..."
I had had enough. The surging emotions made me bite my lip, and my stomach began to ache faintly. "I didn't! You did it yourself..."
"Enough!" Harvey cut me off, his eyes full of absolute disgust. "You're still making excuses. I know you hate our game. You deliberately embarrassed Mia just now, and now you scalded her. I never knew you were so incredibly jealous!"
I fought back the bitterness in my throat and was about to defend myself when my phone screen suddenly lit up.
It was an email from my editor, attaching the promotional poster for tomorrow's pre-sale.
I clicked on the image. In the author section for the new book, right in front of my name "Jenny," there was another name prominently displayed:
"Mia."
第3章
I grabbed my phone, strode over to Harvey, and shoved the screen in his face.
"Care to explain?" I demanded, looking straight into his eyes.
Harvey was holding an ice pack against Mia's arm. He didn't even look up at me, simply saying dismissively, "Jenny, I forgot to give you a heads-up."
"I decided to give Mia co-authorship. I already promised her. You love me so much, you'll definitely do me this tiny favor, right?" He spoke in a tone that left zero room for argument.
"This is three years of my blood, sweat, and tears. Why should I hand her half the credit?"
"How can you say it's solely your achievement?" Harvey finally looked up, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "This is the result of the entire Apex team's hard work. Mia is the socialite author our group is going to heavily promote next. I've poured astronomical resources into her, but she just needs that one chance to make a splash."
"So, you're using my work to generate hype for her? Using me as her stepping stone?" My voice trembled.
Harvey completely lost his patience. "Jenny, don't be ungrateful. Which one of your past books didn't hit number one on the bestseller list because of the money I dumped into marketing? Without me, you're nothing. Now I'm asking you to use one book to lift up a newcomer. What's the big deal?"
I stood up and took a step closer to him. "The contract clearly states that the copyright belongs solely to me. You have no right to add anyone's name to the author section."
One of the shareholders tried to smooth things over. "Jenny, Harvey's decisions are for the company's best interest. After all, if the company does well, your books will sell better, right? Don't sweat the small stuff."
But I couldn't hear a single word. I just stared blankly at Harvey.
At that moment, the man I had lived with for five years felt like a complete stranger.
Mia huddled in Harvey's arms, playing the victim. Harvey patted the back of her hand to comfort her, then glared at me coldly. "We'll deal with this tomorrow."
I had seen his stalling tactics too many times.
Ignoring the entire table, I grabbed my coat and bolted out the door.
The truth was, the authorization contract between me and Apex expired today. Tomorrow was supposed to be the day we renewed it.
Originally, I figured that even if I divorced Harvey, I'd still be willing to let him publish my books.
But now, that was off the table.
I would never hand my work over to someone who didn't respect it.
Outside, the heavy rain poured down in sheets. The butler blocked my path at the door.
"Madam, sir gave strict orders. You cannot leave."
"Move."
The butler stood his ground.
I stood frozen at the door for five minutes, chilled to the bone. Harvey's "we'll deal with this tomorrow" was just an excuse to trap me here and force me to cave!
I spun around and stormed back into the living room. The shareholders had tactfully vanished.
Harvey was lounging on the sofa, Mia nestled securely in his arms.
"What gives you the right to do this!"
"That is my life's work!"
Harvey didn't even shift his posture, his tone entirely indifferent. "I'll say it again. I'm just borrowing your fame. Once Mia blows up, I'll take her name off the next edition."
Mia sobbed, "Jenny, it's all my fault. Don't be mad at Harvey. How about I just quit writing and give the book back to you... I just saw how stressed Harvey gets running the company and wanted to help him share the burden..."
"This has nothing to do with you."
But Harvey pulled her closer, shielding her like a precious treasure.
He looked up at me with the kind of gaze one gives a hysterical madwoman. "Launching Mia is a corporate strategy. Dial back the jealousy."
"I remember making myself crystal clear. Do you just not understand English?!"
"Right," he stood up slowly. "Tonight, Mia is the hostess here. Since you're acting crazy, maybe you should go outside and cool off."
I pulled the copy of the newly signed divorce papers out of my bag and hurled it straight at his face.
"I was planning to leave tonight anyway. Now, we don't even need to pretend to be civil."
The sharp edge of the paper slashed across Harvey's cheek.
"Playing hardball, are we?" He touched his cheek and sneered. "Since you don't want to be Mrs. Harvey anymore, I'm freezing all your cards and accounts right now."
He issued a direct order to the butler.
"Throw her out."
The butler stood at the door, hesitating.
Harvey pointed at me, enunciating every word. "I have already dissolved my marriage with this woman. She is trespassing and harassing my wife and me. Drag her out. Tell her to get lost."
The butler had no choice but to march over and physically drag me out.
Harvey shouted from behind me, "Jenny, without me, you won't even be able to rent a closet in Manhattan. I'll be waiting for you to come crawling back in tears tomorrow. As for that book, consider it your wedding gift to Mia."
Minutes ago I had been held hostage; now I was being shoved out into the storm. I stumbled and fell hard into a muddy puddle.
I propped myself up, clutching my agonizing stomach, and limped toward the slick street.
Just then, an out-of-control taxi careened around the corner, hydroplaning wildly as it barreled straight toward me.
