Chapter 1

When I'm paying the pension for my jobless wife, Lilith Ingram, I accidentally find out that she's had a job this whole time.

She's paid a salary of two thousand dollars, which is wired into her personal bank account. Every month, the money will be transferred elsewhere, leaving her without a single cent.

I've never seen the money before. Back when our daughter, Maisy Ingram, was severely ill, we were 200 dollars short to pay for her hospital bills. I was so poor that I had to sell my blood and beg everyone around me just to get them to lend me money.

But during that time, Lilith never thought of sharing the burden with me. She merely comforted me with empty words before transferring two thousand dollars to her first love, Hayden Grant, the next day.

Our marriage of 30 years is reduced to nothing but a laughingstock.

I place the divorce agreement that I've printed out in front of Lilith. It's a silent confrontation between us.

"Must you really resort to this method?" Lilith snaps impatiently. "It's just two thousand dollars! You have an annual salary of 200 thousand dollars! Why care so much about chum change?"

Even Maisy takes her side by calling me a petty, stingy geezer.

"Everyone has an unattainable first love when they're still young! You should be grateful that Hayden has been holding back his urges without crossing the line for so many years!"

I feel as though I got struck by lightning at that moment. It's then that I belatedly realize I'm the only outsider in this family.

"Getting a divorce is fine by me. Hayden's getting on with the years. I just want to take care of him and send him off when his time eventually arrives."

Maisy adapts a righteous tone. "As compensation for me, I get the house, the car, and the savings. You're leaving this marriage without a single cent under your name."

Chapter 1

Facing my questions, my wife, Lilith Ingram, shifted from guilty fluster at the start to a reckless abandon, then finally just admitted it flat out.

"I can't forget Hayden. I love him so much it's driving me crazy. He didn't force me to send him money. I did it willingly. If you're mad, just come at me. Don't make things hard for him."

My heart broke.

The love I fought so hard to protect turned out to be a one-man show.

My daughter, Maisy Ingram, jumped in. "Calm down, Dad. You're already so old. Why even talk about divorce? There's no such thing as a marriage that lasts forever these days. People stray.

"Besides, Mom's innocent. She and Hayden grew up together. They were childhood sweethearts. If there was anything going on, do you really think you could've married Mom?"

She spoke with such righteous conviction, her face masked in genuine bewilderment.

It was as if she truly didn't understand why I was so angry.

But did she really not get it?

Back when just feeding ourselves was a struggle, I was supporting four mouths and paying the mortgage, stretching every penny thin.

At my lowest, I even tried to get Lilith to work.

She blew up, crying and yelling, and even went to the rooftop with Maisy in her arms.

"You useless piece of trash! If you can't even make money, I might as well just die! I didn't marry you to suffer. If I'd known you were this useless, I'd have run away with Hayden long ago!"

Lilith threatened to kill herself, so I gave in.

I worked three jobs a day and risked my life in dangerous mines. I even lost two fingers just to barely keep food on the table.

But today I found out I didn't have to struggle so hard.

Lilith had a job. She was a famous comic artist, making over two thousand dollars a month for 30 years.

I loved her, but she treated me like a thief.

When I saw the bank statements, I was crushed and felt dead inside.

She felt bad for Hayden Grant but ignored my suffering.

"What's the point of bringing up the past? Yes, I secretly sent money to Hayden, but only because I didn't want you to get jealous and cause trouble. I did it for the family's peace. Besides, that was my salary. I can give it to whoever I want. You don't have the right to question me."

Lilith looked down on me, her voice cold as ice. "What are you complaining about? Weren't you the one begging me to marry you back then?"

Chapter 2

Lilith slapped me and mockingly said, "Look at yourself in the mirror. You're old, dull, and fat. I've put up with sleeping next to you for 30 years, feeling sick every day. I haven't even made a fuss, but you think you can talk about divorce?"

The pain was like a dagger to the heart. My eyes welled up before I could stop them.

"Alright. Let's both step back and move on. When Hayden moves in, I expect you to get along."

Lilith softened her tone, though she was still impatient as she tried to calm me.

"Hayden's coming back to Valoria soon. His health isn't good. He needs a place to retire. You're good at taking care of people, so you can be his caretaker."

She ordered me to pack and leave the master bedroom for Hayden, telling me to move to the basement.

"Out of sight, out of mind," she muttered. "Once Hayden's here, you're useless. Better if you just die soon, or else…"

Her words froze me, making my blood run cold.

Lilith wasn't always like this.

She used to stay up all night by my hospital bed when I had gastrointestinal bleeding.

When I worked late, the house lights stayed on. Lilith would appear at the door, half-asleep, and throw herself into my arms.

Those tiny moments of happiness now felt like the sharpest pain.

"Let's get a divorce," I said.

I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, nothing remained but cold indifference.

"Love whoever you want. I don't care anymore. This disgusting marriage should have ended long ago."

Lilith's lips turned pale. She clearly didn't expect me to say that.

"Dad, you've lost it!"

Maisy couldn't hold back anymore. She swung her arm at me.

"How could you abandon your wife and daughter?"

As the slap descended, Lilith made a purely symbolic gesture to intervene.

"Enough, Sean. I get that you're upset."

She softened her expression, grabbed her phone, and then wired me 200 dollars.

"Go buy that suit you've been eyeing. Be nice to yourself for once."

After 30 years together, she knew my tastes and remembered every little detail.

But words without action were Lilith's usual game.

She always told me that I didn't deserve it, so she never gave me gifts. This was the first time she sent money.

The living room fell silent.

Thinking she'd calmed me down, Lilith tore up the divorce agreement and went back to her room.

Maisy shot me a glare, slammed the door, and left.

Fireworks lit up the sky. The New Year had arrived.

But I felt no joy. I felt like I was soaked in ice water, the pain numbing me.

I called my lawyer friend, Reuben Webb. A brief conversation was all it took to end it all.

"I want a divorce. Yes, she cheated. Before and after our marriage."

After I hung up, Lilith was still in the bathroom, applying skincare in front of the mirror.

Through the steam, I noticed that though we were the same age, Lilith looked so much younger.

She loved going to spas and spending money on skincare. Her skin was soft and smooth, without a wrinkle.

We only had one child. Once, she got pregnant by accident, and she was furious.

To keep her figure, she had an abortion and demanded that I get a vasectomy the next day.

Time flew, leaving no trace on her. She still held onto the hopeful heart of a teenager longing for love.

Meanwhile, I had aged. My hair had turned white, and illness had made me fat.

Time spared no one. She drained my vitality to keep her youth.

Then, it hit me. I'd actually met Hayden before.

In the evening paper featuring the top ten outstanding youth, his interview held the top spot. Dressed in a pristine suit, he had an impressive presence.

Chapter 3

I pointed at the old photo and said to Lilith with some envy, "He's from our hometown. A backwater place like that actually produced an expert sent abroad.

"Studying overseas must've cost a fortune. I saw he did both his bachelor's and master's there. No way he could've done that without some serious family backing."

Lilith barely reacted, but she stared at the photo for a long time. Her eyes shone bright. She was clearly proud.

"True talent shines everywhere. He was born unlucky but lucky to have someone to help him. Comparing yourself to others just makes you bitter. Being jealous won't change anything. You just don't have the talent. When he joins the research institute, you'll still be just an average worker."

Her words hit me hard, and I never expected that the "someone" Lilith mentioned was herself.

"Are you spacing out?" A cold voice snapped me back.

Lilith caught me staring and frowned. "Don't sulk in front of me. If you don't want to sleep, get out."

Perhaps my expression was too grim. Thinking I was throwing a tantrum, Lilith lost her temper instantly.

Normally, whenever she showed signs of anger—no matter who was in the wrong—I'd pacify her and promise to never mess up again.

But now, there was no point in doing that anymore.

I lowered my head and opened WhatsApp. Reuben had sent me a bunch of divorce property division cases.

The text was a little blurry. My phone's screen was cracked like shattered glass from heavy use.

Lilith couldn't stand being ignored. She snatched my phone and threw it to the ground, furious.

"Sean Houghton, do you even want to make this marriage work? It's just two thousand dollars, not two million. That's barely enough for charity. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

Sadness washed over me.

Even now, Lilith stubbornly thought I wanted a divorce because of the money.

It never crossed her mind, nor did she care to consider that if I were truly materialistic, why would I have tolerated her reckless spending all these years?

My heart bled as I stared into her bloodshot eyes and said firmly, "Lilith, I'm divorcing you for sure!"

At the mention of divorce, her face turned stone cold, and she slapped me hard.

"Aren't you embarrassed? What will the neighbors and friends think? How am I supposed to explain it?

"Maisy's about to get married. The engagement is right around the corner. Are you seriously starting a divorce now? Do you want to ruin her whole life?" she shouted hysterically without a hint of regret or apology.

Her mind was consumed by worry over her reputation and a paralyzing fear of the future.

No one cared about how I felt.

My heart felt like it had a giant hole torn open—empty and hollow.

As I looked at the woman I'd loved for over 30 years, I was overwhelmed with sorrow.

"Lilith, be honest with yourself. Who has really kept this family going all these years?

"I sold my family's house, used every penny I had saved before marriage, and even took on a 100-thousand-dollar loan to cover the 400 thousand dollars for your mom's liver transplant!"

"When Maisy didn't get into high school, the international tuition was 70 thousand dollars. I landed ten big deals, but I gave myself a stomach ulcer, went half a month without sleep, and almost dropped dead at work!

"Do you think money grows on trees? After all these years, haven't I patched every hole you've made with grit and teeth?"

Lilith was speechless. She started crying and woke Maisy up with her yelling.

"Dad, I'm begging you. Enough of this nonsense."

Maisy sighed deeply, her brow furrowed with frustration.

"You're a man. Providing is only natural. Don't use that to guilt-trip Mom. It's not that she's biased. You can't hold a candle to Hayden Even an idiot would know who to choose."

My fury was doused with cold water.

I looked at Maisy's face, which was so much like Lilith's.

The ache from my severed fingers flared up again.

Chapter 4

When Maisy was ten, she was hit by a car and badly injured.

We borrowed from every friend and relative we could, but we were still short 200 dollars for the surgery.

Lilith cried and started picking burial plots, but I refused to accept that fate.

I'd heard workplace injuries paid compensation. That same night, I put my hand into the machine.

In the end, Maisy survived, and I was left mildly disabled. I could never do heavy labor again.

Back then, I thought it was worth it. Now it felt like everything was for nothing.

Ignoring their anger, I slammed the door and left.

They used to threaten me by storming out. This time, I was the one who walked away.

The breeze brushed my hair.

For once, I treated myself. I bought expensive drinks and booked a five-star hotel. I slept like the dead.

In my dream, I went back to the moment I never wanted to face—the endless wailing of a child, the splatter of fresh blood, a wife who couldn't be reached, and my own utter helplessness.

When the payment notice came for the eighth time, I was so desperate that I wanted to jump off a building.

Later, my severed fingers were wrapped in gauze.

Maisy woke up, but I lost my job and barely survived.

Lilith, who claimed she was out borrowing money, finally returned empty-handed.

With a face full of guilt, she claimed the signal in the countryside was poor, and her parents were broke. She swore she had begged on her knees for hours but still couldn't get a single penny.

"Honey, as long as our family's still together, we'll earn the money someday."

I didn't blame her. I even felt sorry for her, blaming myself for being useless and failing to give them an easy life.

What I never imagined was that the woman who played the role of a helpless dependent was earning two thousand dollars a month.

She hid it well. She refused to pay to save Maisy's life, yet gave everything to support her first love.

How ironic.

30 years had passed. Even Maisy forgot the resentment. I was the only one still trapped in that night when I was destined to lose something.

My phone rang, and I answered.

The voice of Kaia Sparks, Lilith's mother, came through. "Sean, no grievance is too great for a couple to settle. Lilith spoke out of anger. I'll apologize on her behalf.

"Just let it go. Life is easier when you don't look too closely. As long as the family stays together, dignity is a small price to pay."

My chest tightened. I forced my voice steady as I asked, "You knew Lilith never cut ties with her first love, didn't you?"

Kaia gasped, her breathing turning uneven.

I suddenly laughed. I couldn't understand why sincerity always earned me lies.

"When you were dying, I paid the 400 thousand dollars for your treatment. After that, you treated me like your own son, always taking my side when we fought.

"I thought you were the only warmth I had left in this family. Turns out, you were her accomplice too."

With that, I ended the call. My phone, long past its lifespan, finally died.

I took out my wallet. Inside was money I'd saved little by little over the years, plus the 200 bucks Lilith casually tossed me yesterday.

I walked into a mall and bought the latest phone.

I should've replaced it long ago. But once, on my birthday, Maisy suddenly said she'd get me a new one.

"Dad, you're embarrassing me. Why are you still using an old phone? I'll get you a smartphone next time."

I waited year after year for that "next time". I told myself she was busy, or phones were expensive.

But now, I wouldn't make excuses for anyone anymore.

It was only 800 dollars.

So, this was the price of my suffering.

…

After being away from home for days, I finally understood how comfortable life was when I didn't have to serve anyone.

Chapter 5

I didn't have to work or wake up early to cook. I slept until I felt like getting up. Dirty clothes and messy floors were handled by housekeeping.

All I had to do was enjoy myself. I'd watch the scenery while sipping tea. Even my aching back stopped hurting.

But Lilith and Maisy couldn't sit still anymore.

When Maisy showed up, I was scrolling through short videos on my phone.

She brimmed with fury, her eyes darting like poisoned daggers across the room filled with shopping bags.

"Dad, how could you waste money like this? Why buy all this junk when you can save it for my wedding gift instead?"

I didn't miss the flash of greed in her eyes.

Maisy grabbed my arm, her chest heaving. It was clear that she was furious.

"Why live in a hotel when you have a home? Aren't you worried people will laugh at us?"

She pulled hard. I couldn't break free and had no choice but to follow her back.

As the sun dipped low, I looked at Maisy's twisted expression and suddenly remembered picking her up from school years ago.

Back then, she clung to me, and her voice was so sweet.

When the teacher in kindergarten fed her lunch, she never finished. She always saved the best bites to bring home for me.

When she was seriously ill, her vision was almost gone. Yet, she still tugged at my sleeve and whispered weakly, "Dad, if we can't afford treatment, then forget it. I don't want you to suffer."

At that moment, I broke down sobbing and swore that even if it killed me, I'd give her the best life possible.

Later, the path ahead for Maisy was indeed smooth.

She climbed higher by stepping on my shoulders. But because everything came too easily, she lost the ability to empathize.

Her values were completely warped. She became obsessed with status, driven by a volatile and superficial ambition.

In her eyes, Lilith was a refined, wealthy lady who naturally belonged with the gentle, elegant Hayden.

She had completely forgotten that without her embarrassing father, they wouldn't even qualify for a decent life.

When we got home, the first thing that hit me was the stench.

Rotting food lay piled up, trash was scattered everywhere, sticky liquid had dried onto the floor, and dirty pajamas were tossed aside.

No wonder Maisy rushed to drag me back. Without me acting as the housekeeper, everything had fallen apart.

"Sean," Lilith called out awkwardly.

Ignoring her, I went straight into the bedroom, cleared out the closet, and took my documents.

"What are you trying to do now?"

Maisy frowned and tossed me a broom. "Hurry up and clean. I'm starving."

Lilith looked as if she wanted to speak. She hovered near me, putting on a pitiful front.

"Honey, are you still angry? I know I was wrong, but you should remember the good too. Back then, I stayed with you in that old house with wind leaking in from everywhere. There wasn't even a proper bathroom. But I didn't run. I stayed with you through it all.

"Let's make up for old times' sake. I won't send him money anymore. I'll even give you my salary. Will that make you happy?"

She sobbed, her voice breaking.

I acted like I hadn't heard a word and zipped up my suitcase.

Lilith clenched her fists. The carefully chosen expression she wore finally cracked.

"Ungrateful bastard!"

She glared at me, ready to strike, when Maisy rushed in, clutching an envelope folder.

"Mom, this is bad!"

She was pale, and her body was shaking uncontrollably.

"Dad filed for divorce! He's suing you for an extramarital affair, hiding your income, and transferring marital assets! He's demanding compensation for all financial losses. That's eight million dollars in total!"