We agreed to an open marriage when I tied the knot with the heir of the Pierce family three years ago. We played by our own rules. At a business gala. Carter Pierce stared at my interlocked fingers with my new toyboy, his expression unreadable. "You seem busy, honey." I scoffed, glancing at the two teary-eyed starlets flanking him. "Right back at you." Then, a video titled "Mrs. Pierce Takes Toyboy Diamond Shopping" shot to the top of the trending topics. That night, Carter pinned me against the wall. "Playing for keeps this time?" I flashed the diamond ring. "Yeah. I think I'm ready to settle down." 1 Carter’s birthday party was a lavish affair. Everyone who was anyone in New York's elite circle was there. When I arrived, he was in the middle of a passionate kiss with a trending pop star. Someone noticed me, stood up, and called out, "Hey, Chloe." Others quickly followed suit. I nodded in acknowledgment, long accustomed to Carter’s reckless behavior. "So you’re the famous Mrs. Pierce?" A girl wearing barely anything blocked my path, her tone laced with provocation. I looked at her face, which was a carbon copy of the starlet currently in Carter’s arms. "Twins?" Before she could speak, I walked straight past her to a single armchair near Carter and sat down. "You really know how to play." Carter released the starlet, his long legs spread casually. With a relaxed, rebellious air, he pulled a cigarette from his case, held it between his lips, and lit it. "Why didn't you bring your new catch?" Hearing Carter mention him. I couldn't help the corners of my mouth curving up: "He has a tournament this month." Carter found that smile deeply irritating and narrowed his eyes. I pulled a manila envelope from my bag, placed it on the table, and gave it a push. It slid to a stop right in front of him. "Happy Birthday." He took the cigarette from his lips and stubbed it out, his voice utterly flat: "Is this because I've been getting close to Sienna these past two days?" Carter came from a powerful family, was ruthless in business, and had a sharp mind. He didn't need to open the envelope to guess what was inside. Sienna was the younger of the twins, the one who had just been sitting on his lap. She was soft and fragile, like a delicate flower clinging to a tree. Since I arrived, she hadn't said a word, just sat obediently beside Carter. Lighting his cigarette, handing him the ashtray. Sensible, never overstepping. Occasionally looking at him with big, watery eyes, perfectly designed to trigger a man's protective instincts. He smiled, feigning nonchalance: "Sienna is a good girl. She won't threaten your position." I looked up, meeting his pitch-black eyes. "But you are threatening his." The words hung in the air. A bottomless, freezing glint appeared in Carter’s eyes. "What did you just say?!" The once-lively VIP room was swiftly cleared out. Carter pulled out the divorce papers and tore them to shreds right in front of me. "Has no one ever told you that using this trick too often makes a man resent you?" He quickly reverted to his usual lazy, arrogant demeanor. "I don't care who you have on the side, and you don't manage my affairs. We keep playing by our own rules. When we need to put on a show for the parents, you give me a call." He stood up, grabbed his suit jacket, and prepared to leave. At the door, he turned back: "I won't look into your guy, and you don't cause trouble for Sienna. Her career is on the rise." "Carter, I'm serious. If you don't sign, I can't get a marriage license with him." The anger Carter had just suppressed flared up again. He grabbed the heavy crystal ashtray and hurled it at the floor. "Chloe, are you out of your fucking mind?!" I don't have the best temper either. I grabbed a wine bottle and chucked it at him. He dodged it, walked over, and hoisted me over his shoulder in one swift, rough motion. At the door, he looked at Sienna, whose eyes were swollen from crying. "You go home first." 2 Ever since I brought up the divorce, Carter hadn't gone out partying for days. At a gathering with friends. I pulled my hand free from Carter’s grip. "I'm going to get some air." Carter watched my retreating figure. Next to him, Julian Vance blew a smoke ring and raised an eyebrow. "I heard Chloe asked for a divorce?" Carter narrowed his long eyes. "Someone whispered some sweet nothings in her ear, and she got hot-headed and made a rash decision, that's all." He continued dismissively, "Even if she wants a divorce, the Quinn and Pierce families won't agree so easily. It's not as simple as she thinks." Julian advised him, "You should probably dial it back lately. If Chloe is really dead set on a divorce, you'll be the one crying." "How many boyfriends has she had in the last three years? Have any of them lasted more than a month? This time is no different; the novelty just hasn't worn off yet." Carter firmly believed that no matter how much he messed around, I would never actually divorce him. At most, I was just throwing a tantrum. Julian looked concerned. "You should still rein it in. In the past, when Chloe threw a tantrum, it was at home. This time, it was public, in front of everyone. Haven't you thought about why?" Carter's gaze slowly darkened. 3 I stood on the terrace, leaning against the railing, looking out over the glittering Manhattan skyline. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my waist. "I didn't see you get this mad when I was playing around with other women before. Sienna is just like the rest of them. Don't take it to heart." I sneered. If she were really like the rest of them, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to let me know. I loosened his tie and pulled out the jade pendant he was wearing. "Didn't you say you hated wearing this kind of stuff?" For his birthday last year, I specifically went to a temple to get a blessed jade pendant for him, meant to ward off evil and bring peace. He said he didn't like wearing it and told me to put it away safely at home. Carter's fingers stiffened slightly. "It's just a trinket little girls like. If you don't like it, I won't wear it." I looked up at the moon. "Carter, I'm not throwing a tantrum. I really want a divorce." He looked stunned, unable to believe it. "What exactly are you throwing a fit about?! I told you, you will always be Mrs. Pierce. Sienna won't threaten your position, and I've even made time to be with you. You're still hung up on the divorce thing, aren't you?" He bit down on a cigarette and lit it, a hint of hostility between his brows. Carter was about to say something else when his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID, hesitated, and then answered. I don't know what Sienna said, but the usually composed man showed a rare expression of panic: "I'll be right there." "Sienna fell down the stairs, I..." Sienna again. "Go ahead. I'll drive myself back later." "I'll have the driver wait for you." "No need." With that, I turned and walked away. 4 On the drive back. At a red light, a car failed to brake and rear-ended me hard. With a loud crash, I instinctively raised my arms to protect my head. It took me a minute to recover. I opened my eyes, looked in the rearview mirror, and saw a man stumble out of the car behind me, reeking of alcohol and pointing at me. "Do you know how to fucking drive?!" I frowned, pulled out my phone, and started recording. "You're driving under the influence?" "You're the one under the influence! I'm not drunk." "..." Seeing how wasted he was, I didn't bother arguing. I called the traffic police and then dialed 911 for myself. If my guess was right, I probably had a mild concussion. After the police arrived and determined fault, I was taken to the hospital. The doctor examined me and said, "Mild concussion. We need to keep you for observation overnight." A nurse handed me my phone. "I couldn't reach your husband at first, and then he just started declining the calls. I called over a dozen times. I have to say, your husband has some nerve, not even worrying that something serious might have happened to you." The nurse's words felt like a knife twisting in my heart. I pretended not to care and took the phone. "It's fine. I can handle it myself." She wanted to say more but seemed to realize it wasn't her place, so she just said "get some rest" and left. In the next bed was a young couple, giggling and playing around, completely oblivious to whether other patients were trying to rest. "Miss, didn't your boyfriend come to stay with you?" The girl looked over, blinking her big eyes at me. I thought for a moment, then just before pulling the covers up, I said, "He's dead." The girl instantly felt terrible and stuck her tongue out. "I'm so sorry." After that, she went back to messing around with her boyfriend. Chattering all night long. The next morning, after the doctor cleared me, I was discharged. The Pierce family estate. As soon as I walked in, I heard laughter coming from the living room. Carter's parents were fussing over Sienna. Grace Pierce: "Sienna, your belly is truly a blessing. This is the eldest grandson of the Pierce family. You must take good care of yourself. Falling down the stairs like that can never happen again." Sienna is pregnant? My hands, hanging by my sides, unconsciously clenched my clothes. Sienna was the first to see me. She called out "Chloe," then quickly lowered her head. Carter looked over, his pitch-black eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, including apology. Grace, who had long been dissatisfied with me—a daughter-in-law who hadn't produced an heir in three years of marriage—took the opportunity to humiliate me: "Good timing, you're back. I have something to tell you. You haven't given the Pierce family a child in three years, and now Sienna is pregnant. She's a hero to our family. I've decided she'll stay here to rest during her pregnancy. You don't have a problem with that, do you?" "Not that it matters if you do. Considering how much your Quinn family has benefited from the Pierce family these past few years, you don't have the right to object." Carter interjected: "That's enough!" Grace was actually quite intimidated by her son. She glared at me and shut her mouth. Sienna timidly tugged at his sleeve: "Mr. Pierce... please don't argue because of me. I can just go home to rest." Carter pinched the bridge of his nose and glanced at her. Sienna obediently sat down. "Go back to the bedroom. I'll give you a proper explanation." He reached out to take my hand. I took a step back, leaving Carter's hand hovering in mid-air. I said expressionlessly: "No need. Just sign the divorce papers. I don't care who lives here." Hearing that I wanted a divorce, Grace looked incredulous: "What did you say?! You want to divorce my son? Do you even know what you're saying? If anyone brings up divorce, it should be us. It's not your place!" I astutely noticed that when I said "divorce," a glint of calculation flashed in Sienna's eyes. It seems she wasn't as innocent as she portrayed herself to be. "Enough, everyone shut up!" Carter forcefully grabbed my wrist and dragged me back to the bedroom. He took off his jacket, sat on the sofa, and was silent for a moment before speaking: "I'm sorry about Sienna getting pregnant. After she has the baby, I'll make her leave the Pierce estate. Your dad has always wanted that East Side development project. I'll have my assistant sign the contract tomorrow." Hearing Carter's words, I couldn't suppress my anger: "Are you trying to use a project to compensate me?! Carter, you always know exactly how to humiliate me." Carter frowned slightly: "That's not what I meant. I just want to do something." "Then sign the divorce papers." I was completely and utterly disappointed in this man. Carter kicked the coffee table: "Chloe, you've really got some nerve!" He had been spoiled since childhood, everything had always gone his way. Hearing me repeatedly bring up divorce, his tone became laced with anger. "What's wrong with you lately? It's not like this hasn't happened before, so why are you making such a huge deal out of it just because it's Sienna!" From last night until now, the rationality I had been forcing myself to maintain completely shattered. "Why?! Why didn't you answer any of the dozen calls I made to you last night? Do you know I got rear-ended?! I was alone at the hospital getting scans! I had a mild concussion and still had to go to the police station to handle the accident report! Tell me why!" I felt so sick I couldn't stand straight and swayed on my feet. Carter moved quickly to catch me, but I dodged him. Hearing this, his heart clenched: "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I thought you..." I thought it wasn't anything important. "I ended up in the hospital from a car crash, and you were keeping Sienna company. I'm tired. I just want a divorce!" Carter's gaze fell on me, mixed with too many emotions. He pulled a cigarette from his case, lit it, and didn't speak for a long time. He smoked one cigarette after another... After a long while, his hoarse voice broke the silence in the room: "Have you really decided to get a divorce?" I pulled out a spare copy of the divorce agreement and signed it with a flourish. "The fault in our marriage lies with your infidelity. I want 15% of Pierce Enterprise's shares and two hundred million in cash." Carter nodded: "Your post-marital income is more than two hundred million. I'll have the lawyers prepare your share and transfer it to your name." I packed my things. As I walked to the door, Carter suddenly asked: "Is that man good to you?" "Very good. He's like you when we first started dating. His heart and eyes are full of only me." Carter smiled: "That's good." We went downstairs together. As I was leaving, I heard Sienna's happy laughter from behind: "Mr. Pierce, why aren't you wearing the jade pendant I gave you? I went out of my way to get it blessed to keep you safe."
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