1,
Three years of marriage, all undone by just one sentence, ‘She’s back.
In that moment, Janet Brown knew. She was nothing more than a side character in this CEO’s love story.
Without hesitation, she arranged the divorce. That night, she got drunk and told her friends, ‘I never want to see Jone again.’ But less than ten days later, she bumped into him at a private party. Awkward, right? But they kept it classy—smiling and nodding like nothing ever happened. Everyone was impressed, ’Wow, they’re handling this divorce so gracefully.’
Their divorce was peaceful, almost too peaceful. Just ten minutes before Jone Smith brought it up, Janet was excitedly chatting about thanksgiving party plans. She’d prepared cakes and lots of gifts, all tailored to different tastes, and was sharing her careful arrangements with him, ‘Your mom called yesterday about it. Since it’s going to be strict, let’s visit my parents in the morning, have lunch there, and head back home in the afternoon. We can stay the night at your mom’s house.’
Janet had it all figured out. Since their marriage, she had quickly found her place in the complex social dynamics of the Smith family. Everyone praised her for being so sharp, even Jone’s picky mom, who was satisfied with her as a daughter-in-law. That’s the perk of marrying within the same social class—they both grew up in influential families and knew how to navigate relationships effortlessly.
But that day, Jone seemed distracted. Janet noticed his absent-mindedness, paused, and took a sip of tea before gently asking, ‘Is something on your mind?’
After a moment of hesitation, Jone calmly said, ‘Let’s get a divorce.’
Janet looked at him, her usual calm shattered for a split second. The shock was too great, but she quickly collected herself. She didn’t even ask if he was joking; instead, she studied his face, searching for signs that he was serious. It didn’t take long for her to realize he meant it, so she asked, ‘Why?’
Jone struggled to answer, feeling a rare sense of guilt. ‘I’m sorry. There was someone I used to really like, but my family didn’t approve… I ran into her a few days ago.’
Just like that, Janet understood everything. Her grip tightened on her teacup, her knuckles turning white. ‘So you cheated on me?’ she asked quickly.
Jone hesitated before replying, ‘No… I just met her again a couple of days ago.’
He was finding it hard to explain, but continued, ‘Janet, I didn’t know… Six years ago, when she left me, she was already pregnant.’
The cup slipped from Janet’s hand, falling silently onto the thick carpet she had personally chosen after they got married. The water soaked into the fabric, darkening it slightly. She barely heard Jone say, ‘That child… he’s five years old now.’
It took Janet a while to find her voice again. Her throat was dry as she began arranging the divorce: ‘This is your mess, so you’ll explain it to your mom. My parents might give you a hard time, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Be prepared.’
‘Our joint assets aren’t much. We own two properties together. I’ll keep this one, and you can have the one near your office.’
‘I’ll have your things packed by tonight and handed over to your assistant.’
Jone listened quietly, only interrupting to say, ‘I wronged you. You can keep both properties, and I’ll give you all our stocks and bonds too.’
Janet nodded silently. They didn’t have much in terms of joint assets, but neither of them cared about asset. Jone was just trying to ease his guilt. Janet didn’t say anything, and after a long pause, she finally said, ‘You’ll handle the divorce. Explain it to the elders yourself.’
She rubbed her temples, exhausted, and added, ‘Once they’re convinced, sign the divorce papers and send them to me. I’ll sign and return them. After we get the divorce certificate, have your assistant leave it in that condo. I’ll pick it up when I have time.’
Everything was so clear and straightforward, even simpler than Jone had imagined. He had thought he’d need to convince her, but she didn’t give him the chance.
This conversation seemed to drain her energy. She smiled faintly, distant and unfamiliar, ‘Mr. Smith, it’s getting late. You should go if you have things to do. And don’t forget to leave the house keys.’
Jone stood up, took a couple of steps, and then heard Janet call him: ‘Mr. Smith—don’t forget to take the gifts in the living room. I won’t be attending the family gathering.’
She smiled slightly, ‘I won’t be going.’
As Jone left, he glanced back at the living room. Janet was lying back on the sofa, hands covering her face, looking frail. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was crying because her body seemed to tremble slightly. But he didn’t turn back.
He convinced himself he was mistaken—after all, she had been so calm and composed. Besides, they didn’t marry out of love anyway.
