3

##Chapter 3

I was stunned for a moment. Then I heard Jenny's suppressed voice,

"Don't do this, David... Bella will be back soon..."

"Don't worry about her, darling." David's tone was teasing as he leaned down into the nape of Jenny's neck, kissing her collarbone without any reservations.

"It's working hours. She shouldn't be back."

"Umm... Ah... Be gentle..."

I abruptly pushed open the door, and there they were, tangled together on the living room sofa.

David and Jenny had returned early from their trip.

"Bella! It's not what it looks like. Let me explain..." Jenny "discovered" me at just the right time, panicking as she jumped up from David.

She was wearing my nightgown, the one David had given me for our anniversary, and she wore matching slippers with David, almost crying in her urgency.

David quickly embraced Jenny to soothe her while coldly looking at me,

"You left work early again, Bella? Your capriciousness is truly astonishing, causing extremely adverse effects for the company."

Listening to David's righteous accusations made me laugh. When it came to shamelessness, who could be more so than David?

I remembered how he insisted on hiring Jenny into the planning department and having me personally train her,

"She's hardworking, and she has potential, worth developing. Bella, you need to learn to support me."

I obediently did so.

But Jenny didn't have much talent. Instead, she added some wild "creativity" to every plan, causing turmoil within the entire team.

I repeatedly reminded David that she wasn't suitable for this job, only to be accused time and again,

"You're too dominant, Bella. You're jealous of her talent!"

It wasn't until two projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars each collapsed consecutively that he was pressured to reassign Jenny as his personal assistant.

Yet Jenny didn’t leave planning affairs. Using David’s influence, she gradually took away important clients from me, painting me as a jealous and spiteful "wicked wife."

And David allowed it all and even encouraged it.

I tried to fight back but ended up in endless arguments and more humiliation.

Now, it doesn't matter anymore.

I was about to join a new company and start a new career. I no longer needed anyone’s recognition of my value.

David was still angry about my leaving early, ranting about deducting half a month's salary. Jenny was soothing him by deliberately showing a suggestive hickey on her neck. "Don't be so cruel, David. Bella surely didn’t mean it. Maybe she knew you'd come back early and wanted to surprise you."

Jenny’s explanation made it easy for David to believe. He even looked pleased. "If that’s the case, I might consider forgiving you."

"But you froze the accounts, causing me to make a fool of myself in front of the client and nearly lose a $30 million order. Without Jenny scrambling to raise funds, we wouldn't be able to salvage it."

David continued self-righteously, "As it happens, Jenny is having her house renovated. To thank her properly, I will let her stay in our guest bedroom for a while."

"Also, she needs a quiet, separate study. Give your studio to her and move yourself out to the terrace."

I looked at him and said lightly, "I've already sold the house."

The air seemed to stand still.

David sharply gasped, eyes widening. "What did you say?"

Jenny reacted first, hastily saying, "Bella must have wanted to get you a bigger house, right?"

David's expression softened. "It’s about time we moved. A 150-square-meter house is too small. Which one did you like? I suggest buying a house with a pool."

"This one can stay with Jenny for now. No rush to sell it."

Jenny’s face lit up with surprise as she nodded repeatedly, "I’ll pay rent."

"No, darling, I don’t mind the money," he said.

"But I insist."

They played off each other perfectly as if they owned this apartment.

How ironic.

When we were dating, if I wanted a $5,000 pair of heels, David could give me the cold shoulder for three days.

Now he waived $100,000 monthly rent for Jenny without a second thought.

It turned out he wasn’t ungenerous. He was just stingy with me.

David looked at me with a smirk. "If you agree to let Jenny move in, I might consider not divorcing you."

I looked at him calmly. "Don't bother about it."

"Bella!" he raised his voice impatiently. "You’ve been unreasonable. I won’t tolerate you anymore—"

I interrupted him by slamming a document on the coffee table.

"We are already divorced."