She Sold Her Body for Art， So I Left Her with Nothing

Looking at the sculpture of the two of them pressed tightly against each other, I trembled with rage, my fingernails digging deep into my palms. "There are countless ways to express art, Chloe. You could have chosen any other theme to sculpt with him. Why did it have to be this?!" Facing my fury, my wife, Chloe Miller, merely gave a cold, nonchalant shrug. "This is Sebastian’s specialty—the theme of Love and Lust. What’s wrong with me sculpting this with my mentor?" "Besides, in the world of art, gender boundaries don't exist. Don’t use your dirty mind to tarnish pure art!" My eyes widened as I opened my mouth to snap back, but Sebastian Sterling cut me off. He stepped in front of me, naturally resting his hand on Chloe’s waist. "Chloe has such a perfect body; she’s practically made to sacrifice herself for art. Even if you are her husband, Mr. Vance, you shouldn’t keep her to yourself. You can't stop her from reaching the peak of the art world, can you?" The moment he finished speaking, whispers erupted around us. "Oh, so the girl in the sculpture actually has a husband!" "Art has no boundaries, sure, but letting your own wife strip naked as a model for another man? He’s incredibly generous. Or is he just a total cuckold?!" The waves of mockery made my face turn pale. When I caught the smug, mocking smirk on Sebastian’s face, I finally snapped. Without a second thought, I lunged forward and violently pushed over the sculpture that had crushed my dignity. "CRASH!" The sculpture slammed into the floor, shattering into a million pieces. A flying shard cut Sebastian’s cheek, and blood instantly trickled down. Seeing Sebastian hurt, Chloe’s face turned incredibly dark. She grabbed my arm with terrifying strength and dragged me down the hallway into an empty painting studio. "SLAP!" Before I could even find my footing, she whipped her hand across my face. "Are you insane?! Do you have any idea how much effort Sebastian and I put into that sculpture? How could you be so childish?!" "To make sure you don't throw another tantrum and ruin Sebastian's big night, you're staying in here. I'm locking you up until the exhibition is over!" Before I could say a word, she stormed out of the classroom. "Click." The sound of the lock turning echoed in the quiet room. I was locked in. I touched my swollen, burning cheek and let out a cold, bitter laugh. We had been married for five years. To make sure Chloe lived a comfortable life, I had worked myself to the bone. I had started as a struggling photographer and built my own successful photography agency. Once we got married, I told Chloe she didn't have to work. Not only did I give her an authorized black card with no spending limit, but I also paid her tuition so she could return to college and pursue her art dreams. Because I was always busy with work and couldn't spend much time with her, I tolerated her endless demands and spoiled attitude. But my unconditional love was met with utter disrespect. She had zero boundaries with her mentor. At this exact moment, I finally started to ask myself: Was my five years of unconditional devotion and pampering really worth it?The studio door remained locked all night. I sat there, watching the darkness fade into the morning light. It wasn't until the next afternoon that Chloe finally unlocked the door. When she saw me, a flicker of guilt crossed her face. "Hey, babe. After the exhibition ended last night, we all went to an afterparty with Sebastian, and... well, I totally forgot to come back and unlock the door." She walked over, wrapping her arms around my waist from behind. "Babe, I lost my temper yesterday. I shouldn't have slapped you. Sebastian and I really have nothing going on, it’s just for art." "Don’t be mad, okay? Tell you what, I promise I’ll keep my distance from him from now on." The scent of her perfume filled my nose. For a second, it reminded me of the first year we started dating. Back then, she used to hold me just like this, her eyes full of genuine love. Sensing that my stance was softening, Chloe quickly added, "Oh, by the way, babe. As the top student, I have to go on a rustic cabin trip to Woodstock with Sebastian tonight for a 24-hour sketching session. Can you come with us to shoot our promotional video? That way, we can save money on hiring a professional photographer." Hearing this, my heart turned completely cold. No wonder she was being so sweet and apologizing. She wanted something from me! I forcefully peeled her hands off my waist and turned around to look her dead in the eye. "You just promised me you would keep your distance from him!" Chloe’s warm expression instantly vanished. "Can you stop being so petty?! How many times do I have to tell you? Sebastian and I are completely platonic!" I let out a self-deprecating laugh at her usual excuse. "I’m not stupid enough to be your free photographer." Refused, Chloe glared at me, her eyes burning with rage. "Fine! Then I’ll go by myself. Don't you dare regret this!" With that threat, she spun on her heel and stormed off. I watched her leave, feeling a heavy weight in my chest. Just then, my phone rang. It was my lawyer friend, Liam. "Hey Ethan, I was reviewing some case files recently and saw your wife’s mentor. Turns out, Sebastian Sterling is a total fraud. He was involved in a massive scam a while back. You need to warn Chloe to stay far away from him." Hearing this, I took a deep breath. "Thanks, Liam. Can you do a deeper background check on him for me?" After hanging up, I fell into deep thought. Before I married Chloe, her mother, who was dying of cancer in the hospice, had held my hand and begged me to take care of her. She told me I would be Chloe’s only family, and asked me to love her. Because of that promise, I had felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility and protectiveness over Chloe, letting her walk all over me time and time again. Thinking about Liam's warning, I grabbed my coat and followed her.By the time I ran out, Chloe was just getting into Sebastian's car. I quickly opened the back door and slid into the backseat. Seeing me, a smug smile appeared on Chloe’s face. "Ha! Look who crawled back and decided to compromise!" I didn't want to argue, so I chose silence. Sebastian’s face stiffened when he saw me in the rearview mirror, but he quickly masked it with a fake smile. The entire drive to Woodstock, Chloe and Sebastian talked and laughed in the front seat. They chatted so naturally, completely ignoring my existence in the back. I couldn’t get a word in, so I closed my eyes and tuned them out. By the time we arrived at the rustic cabin in Woodstock, it was pitch black. We had a quick dinner and went to our respective rooms. In the middle of the night, I woke up to use the restroom. But when I reached out, the space beside me on the bed was cold. Chloe wasn't there. I opened the bedroom door and walked into the living room. My heart stopped. Chloe was lying completely naked on the sofa. Sebastian was sitting right next to her, casually sketching her body on his pad. In the next second, Sebastian reached out, adjusting her naked limbs into a more suggestive pose! Blood rushed to my head. I lunged forward, grabbed a throw blanket from the armchair, and flung it over Chloe’s body. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Interrupted, Chloe didn't show a single hint of guilt. Instead, her face filled with sheer annoyance. "What is your problem now?! We're just sketching! This is art! Do you have any idea how much your sudden intrusion ruins Sebastian’s inspiration?!" I was so tired of this excuse. Not only did she feel no remorse, but she also blamed everything on me. "Does sketching require you to strip completely naked?!" Chloe rolled her eyes, looking at me as if I were a piece of garbage. "Why are you so thick-headed?! I am sacrificing myself for art!" "Honestly, an uncultured layman like you will never understand the nobility of art. You’re just a basic, ignorant philistine!" Her insults pushed me over the edge. My face turned incredibly dark. "Enough, Chloe! Do you honestly think hiding behind the word 'art' makes your trashy behavior noble?!" Faced with my retort, Chloe was about to yell back, but when she saw the raw, dangerous anger in my eyes, she flinched. She swallowed her words and scoffed. "Ugh, I'm not wasting my breath on someone like you." She stood up from the sofa, wrapping the blanket around herself, and turned to Sebastian. "Sebastian, there's a clueless outsider here ruining our vibe. Let’s finish the sketch in your bedroom." With that, she grabbed Sebastian's arm, pulling him toward his room. I stepped forward to block her, but she shoved me aside with brute force. I stumbled backward, barely keeping my balance. "Get out of the way. If you know you're just a basic pleb, keep your distance!" They walked straight into Sebastian’s room. Right before the door slammed shut, Sebastian turned around, met my eyes, and mouthed two words: "Loser." The door slammed shut in my face. And in that moment, my heart went completely numb.The next morning, the bed beside me was still cold. Chloe hadn't returned all night. This time, I didn't feel jealous, and I didn't feel angry. I just let out a cold laugh. After having breakfast at the local diner, we went out to the historic center of Woodstock for outdoor sketching. Chloe and Sebastian walked side-by-side in front of me. I followed behind them like a ghost, a glorified pack mule carrying their heavy gear. When we stopped under the roof of an old, rustic building, they decided to set up their easels. Just as they were setting up their tools, I noticed the heavy slate roof tiles above Chloe’s head starting to slide. "Watch out!" My body reacted before my brain did. I lunged forward to push Chloe out of the way. But when Chloe sensed the danger, she didn't grab me. Instead, she violently shoved me aside and threw her arms around Sebastian, pulling him out of the danger zone. Because of her shove, I stumbled and fell directly under the collapsing roof. "CRASH!" A deafening roar filled my ears. The old wooden beam snapped, and dozens of heavy, sharp slate tiles rained down directly onto my back. I collapsed onto the gravel, a sharp, excruciating pain radiating through my entire body. As my consciousness started to slip away, I forced my eyes open. I saw Chloe frantically checking Sebastian from head to toe. Once she was absolutely sure Sebastian didn't have a single scratch, she burst into tears and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Looking at this scene, my eyes finally closed, and I plunged into darkness. ... When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed. Chloe was nowhere to be seen. Only Liam was sitting by my bed. Seeing me stir, Liam handed me a thick folder. "Ethan, we got the background check back. Your wife’s mentor is a complete fraud. His entire degree and credentials are fake. He’s basically a con artist who specializes in manipulating female students for money!" "He secretly takes compromising photos and videos of these girls, posts them online for profit, and eventually coerces them into becoming 'live models' for underground auctions. He pockets all the money, which is how he funds his gallery and exhibitions." I flipped through the documents. The evidence was irrefutable. Liam sighed, looking at me. "What’s your plan? He's a criminal, but your wife literally put your life in danger to save him. Please tell me you’re not going to be soft-hearted and try to save her." I smiled coldly. "I’m not that stupid anymore." Right after Liam left, the hospital room door pushed open, and Chloe walked in. She stood at the foot of my bed, giving me a quick, careless scan before speaking. "There's a major art competition next month, so I'm moving into Sebastian’s apartment for a while. It’ll make it easier for us to prepare for it together." I stared at her, feeling nothing but disgust. I was lying in a hospital bed because of her. She hadn't asked how I was feeling once. Instead, she had the audacity to tell me she was moving in with another man! At this moment, I stopped holding back. "Let’s get a divorce." Chloe froze. A moment later, rage flushed her face. "Here we go again! I am doing this for my career, for the competition! Can you please grow up and stop being so incredibly narrow-minded?!" I closed my eyes, refusing to say another word. Seeing my silence, Chloe scoffed. "Whatever. Whether you agree or not, I’m doing it. You have no right to stop me!" She turned and stormed out of the room. Once the door clicked shut, I unlocked my phone. Without hesitation, I opened my banking app and canceled the authorized black card that had funded Chloe’s luxurious life for years. Then, I dialed a number. "Hi, I’d like to speak with a divorce attorney." Looking at the folder of evidence in my hands, I muttered coldly: "Chloe, since you love your art so much..." "Go ahead and rot in it."