Chapter 3

That evening, when I opened the door to our house, I was greeted by the scent of roses.

Brandon, wearing an apron, carried the last dish from the kitchen, a wide smile on his face.

"Honey, you're back? Come wash up and eat, tonight it's all your favorite dishes."

The scene felt like a lifetime ago.

The last time he cooked for me was when we first moved into this house.

He said he wanted me to always be the happiest princess in this home.

Now, it felt like a bitter irony.

Lily had already been tucked into bed by the nanny.

At the dining table, candlelight flickered, and red wine offered a soft glow.

Brandon constantly served me food, showering me with sweet words.

"Honey, I heard about what happened today. Chloe was out of line, but don't let her bother you. I've already reprimanded her."

"You've worked so hard for the company, you must be exhausted."

I sneered inwardly, but my face remained impassive as I quietly ate my dinner.

After a few rounds of drinks, he finally cut to the chase.

"Honey, about our house… should we sell it?"

Here it comes.

I put down my forks and looked at him.

He immediately explained: "Don't misunderstand! I just think this house is a bit far from the elementary school Lily will attend. We could get a spacious apartment in a better school district, as… compensation for you and Lily."

His reasons were high-sounding and seemingly sincere.

If I hadn't just seen those illicit transaction records, I might have been moved for a moment.

Chloe's idiotic brother had suffered a margin call in his overseas cryptocurrency investments, losing a staggering thirty million dollars.

Brandon's embezzlement of company funds was a mere drop in the bucket. He desperately needed a massive cash flow to fill this bottomless pit.

And our house, bought outright before our marriage and now appreciated almost fivefold, was his last resort.

I looked into his hopeful eyes, a churning, sickening feeling rising in my stomach.

I watched him silently for a few seconds. Then, my eyes slowly reddened.

"Brandon…"

My voice carried a hint of a tremor and feigned emotion.

"I thought… you no longer cared about Lily and me."

"You're finally considering our daughter's future."

Brandon sighed, a look of faux regret on his face.

"How could you think that? You and Lily are all I want to protect."

He pulled a pre-prepared "Letter of Intent to Sell" from his briefcase.

"Honey, look, I've already found a buyer. The price is a bit lower than market value, but the advantage is a quick sale, and we can move into our new home sooner."

I took the letter of intent.

The buyer's name was unfamiliar, but I knew the company listed below it very well.

It was one of the domestic affiliates of those three overseas shell companies.

He was trying to use a shady internal transfer, a left-hand-to-right-hand scheme, to quickly convert this marital asset into cash he could freely control.

To cash out, he was even willing to sell for twenty percent below market price.

He truly… was insane.

"Nicole, sign it."

Brandon pressed the pen into my hand.

"For our daughter, for our future mansion."

I let him hold my hand, leaning into his embrace, and pleaded coquettishly with a tearful voice.

"Brandon, you're so good to me… I'll sign, of course I'll sign."

"But…" I abruptly changed my tone.

"Brandon, I heard from finance that property transaction taxes are very high right now. This direct transaction might not be very cost-effective for us."

I looked up.

"Let's sign a supplementary agreement to do some tax planning; we could save millions."

As I spoke, I pulled another document from my bag.

The document was filled with complex financial jargon and regulatory clauses, enough to make any layman dizzy.

But at its core, there was only one condition:

The sale proceeds must be deposited into a joint escrow account I designated, and he would bear unlimited joint liability.

Brandon's mind was fixated on the thirty million dollars he was about to get; he wouldn't bother to scrutinize these unintelligible terms.

He quickly flipped through a couple of pages, and seeing my sincere expression, he didn't suspect a thing.

"My wife always thinks of everything!"

He picked up the pen and, with a grand flourish, signed his name at the end of the supplementary agreement.

That night, Brandon was so excited he barely slept.

He stood on the balcony, speaking in hushed tones, calling Chloe over and over again on his phone.

"Baby, she signed it!"

"Soon, we'll have the money! You won't have to suffer anymore!"

"Once this money hits my account, I'll split with her amicably."

I lay in bed, quietly listening to the dirty sweet nothings drifting in from the balcony. My heart sneered.