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Chapter 3

Ethan never knew that his law firm was funded by my father.

When he was just starting out, Ethan's business was struggling.

Once when the firm's cash flow broke down, he stayed awake all night, his eyes bloodshot, even breaking down in front of me, clutching his hair and saying that if this case failed, it would mean losing everything.

My father was wealthy. After the divorce, he went to France and built his own company.

But in my mother's heart, he was already dead. She had warned me: "Don't take a penny from that man."

But for Ethan's sake, I still took a long flight, stood alone in my father's office, endured my stepmother's cold stares and mockery, and humbly begged him to invest.

I didn't tell anyone. Because I knew Ethan's pride wouldn't allow him to admit he survived on someone else's charity. So in his eyes, he had always been a self-made lawyer who built his current firm through talent and perseverance.

And because of his outstanding abilities, he attracted countless investors.

He would never know that I had sacrificed all my pride to win him a lifeline.

I didn't sleep all night. The next day, I took Bella to kindergarten as usual. She carried her little backpack, looking back every few steps, reminding me: "Mommy, you have to come pick me up early."

I nodded with a smile, but my heart ached.

After leaving the school gate, I didn't go home. Curiosity and unease drove me to the coffee shop downstairs from Ethan's law firm. I sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, ordered a latte, and stared at that familiar entrance, sitting there all afternoon.

In the evening, Ethan finally came out. His figure was upright, his face showing post-work fatigue. But behind him, a young, beautiful woman followed, with a bright smile and adoring eyes.

I was stunned. I had seen that face in the firm's group photos. Amelia was actually his assistant.

He had brought her into his company to facilitate his affair?

My heart felt like it had been struck by a sledgehammer, numb with pain. I took a deep breath, pulled out my phone to text my mother, asking her to pick up Bella from kindergarten. I then drove to follow Ethan from a distance.

Their car drove into a secluded villa area by the river. Night was just falling, and the lights on the second floor came on. I stopped the car and pulled out binoculars.

Through the window, with white curtains half-drawn, I witnessed a sickening scene. Amelia wore a thin dress, kneeling on Ethan's lap, giggling as her hands unbuttoned his shirt one by one. His eyes burned with desire like flames as he pulled her tightly into his arms, kissing her passionately.

When was the last time I had seen such fervor and longing? With me, he had long grown impatient.

I knew our relationship was dead.

The binoculars in my hands nearly cracked from my grip. My fingertips were ice cold, my chest aching in waves. Fighting back tremors, I pulled out my phone and sent Ethan a message.

——【I agree to the divorce. But let's wait until after Bella's fourth birthday.】