Chapter 5

Zack's lips twitched as he looked at me like I had lost my mind.

“Why? Are you seriously insane? Why would you want a divorce out of nowhere? And now you’re refusing to cook for the family?”

“What’s my mom supposed to eat when she gets home? She burns so much energy dancing every day. Shouldn’t you be preparing something nutritious for her? Can’t you be as considerate toward my mom as you are with yours?”

“Or is this because I haven’t been spending enough time with you? I’m already exhausted from work. How am I supposed to have time for you?”

“I told you before we got married—I don’t like clingy women. You’ve always been so easygoing. What’s changed now?”

In my previous life, Zack and I divorced two months later.

At first, he had no intention of divorcing me. He simply enjoyed the perks of having an affair.

But then, two months later, his mistress dropped a bombshell—she was four months pregnant, and the ultrasound had confirmed it was a boy.

If it had been a girl, Zack might have hesitated. But a boy? He couldn’t resist.

He immediately came clean and told me he wanted a divorce.

Knowing how much I treasured our daughter, he used her as leverage, forcing me to choose: either I kept the house and savings, or I took custody of our daughter.

I didn’t want things to escalate or let my daughter discover that the father she adored had betrayed us and was ready to abandon her for an unborn son.

I was terrified it would break her heart, ruin her focus, and derail her future.

So, I didn’t fight. I left with nothing, working tirelessly to provide for her on my own.

I knew if I left her with Zack, her future would be destroyed.

With his and his mother’s preference for sons, they wouldn’t support her piano lessons, and college would likely be out of the question.

And once the mistress gave birth to a son, they would undoubtedly neglect her further—perhaps even sell her off to support their precious boy.

“I know about your mistress,” I said bluntly.

Zack’s face paled instantly. “You—you’re making this up! Do you have proof?”

I smirked. “Something this obvious needs proof? I could ask anyone at your office and get all the confirmation I need.”

“But if you insist on evidence, fine. We’ll see each other in court.”

Panicked, Zack quickly sat beside me, trying to calm me down. “Emma, don’t be rash. Let’s sit down and talk this through…”

“There’s nothing to discuss.” My expression remained cold as I shifted farther from him.

“Let’s keep it simple. Sign the papers. The house and savings are mine, and you walk away with nothing.”

“Don’t force me to take this to court. It’ll just embarrass us both.”

Realizing persuasion wasn’t working, he adopted a harsher tone. “Emma, I suggest you think carefully.”

“If you insist on taking the assets, then our daughter’s custody goes to me!”

As expected, he resorted to the same threats he had used in the past.

But this time, he miscalculated.

Now, my daughter wasn’t the emotional anchor she once was.

Zack mistook my silence for hesitation, a triumphant grin spreading across his face as he continued his arrogant spiel.

“If you’re willing to forgo the assets, I might consider letting you keep custody of her. I’ll even give you $500 a month in child support.”

“Manage your expenses wisely—that’s more than enough for your needs.”

“But if you refuse, don’t blame me for being ruthless. She’ll stay with me. And don’t expect me to waste money on frivolous piano lessons. In fact, I’ll sell the piano.”

I shook my head. “Don’t bother. I already sold it.”

Zack froze. “What?”

“Not just that. I also stopped paying for her piano classes. From now on, she’s your responsibility, Zack.” I spoke slowly, deliberately.

Zack’s jaw dropped, stunned into silence.

He had never imagined I would so casually relinquish the daughter I once cherished above all else.

The real problem, though, was that he didn’t want her. To him, she was nothing more than an unwelcome burden.

His expression shifted rapidly as his mind scrambled for another way to control me.

But he didn’t realize that by letting go of the one thing that had made me vulnerable, I had become unshakable.

At that moment, our daughter finished eating and walked over. “What are you two talking about?”