Chapter 3
I was in the hospital, caring for Ethan, who was burning with a high fever, when Lin Yaqi sent me the photo.
A picture of her in bed with Zhou Zeyu.
Earlier that night, Ethan had suddenly started convulsing from the fever. I rushed him to the hospital and called Zhou Zeyu in a panic.
He sounded annoyed.
"Enough, Claire. I'm just out for work. Stop using excuses to try to drag me home."
So I stayed at the hospital alone, holding Ethan's sweaty little hand, willing his temperature to drop.
And then came the message from Lin Yaqi.A provocative photo, unmistakable in its intent.
"Mr. Zhou said even after you lost weight, you're still ugly. Not cute like me."
That was the moment I finally understood:Cheating is cheating—there's no meaningful difference between emotional and physical betrayal.
I filed for divorce again.
This time, Zhou Zeyu didn't object—as long as he got custody of Ethan.
But back then, Ethan was my whole world.He was only three years old.His tiny arms clung to me at night. Without me beside him, he wouldn't sleep a wink.
How could I leave him?
I thought about going to court. But I hadn't worked in years. I couldn't compete with Zhou Zeyu's wealth, his connections, or his lawyers.
So we remained locked in a toxic stalemate—Neither of us willing to let go of custody.Neither of us able to fully move on.
And then, time passed.
Ethan grew up.And I... got used to the brokenness.Sometimes, getting used to something is the most dangerous thing of all.
I hated Zhou Zeyu's betrayal.But I still ended up spending the better part of my life with him.
Until God gave me a second chance.
This time, I wouldn't waste it.
I pulled open the drawer, took out the divorce papers I'd already prepared, and calmly handed them to Zhou Zeyu.
The moment he saw them, he laughed mockingly.
"Claire, I thought you'd finally come to your senses. After staying quiet for so long, you're back at it again? What more do you want? Isn't the money I give you every month enough?"
"Not enough," I replied coldly.
"How much do you want?" he asked, waving his hand like a generous king.
"Half of the company's assets."
Zhou Zeyu's face darkened.
"What the hell are you thinking? Have you lost your mind?"
"We built the company together. It's marital property. I spoke with a lawyer. Half is legally mine."
"Yeah? And unless we're divorced, it's still marital property."
"Exactly," I said, pointing at the divorce papers. "So let's get divorced."
Zhou Zeyu sneered. Without even reading it, he tossed the agreement aside.
"I'm not giving you custody of my son."
"I don't want it."
He looked up, surprised.
"You've really thought this through?"
"Yes," I answered, firmly.
Zhou Zeyu picked up the papers again, this time carefully reading every word.
I didn't ask for anything more than what I was legally entitled to.I even gave up custody of Ethan—voluntarily.
He frowned, the corners of his mouth tightening.
"Claire, don't regret this. Giving up custody means you can't see your son unless I allow it."
"I know."
"Once we're divorced, there's no going back. I won't remarry you, not even for Ethan's sake," he warned.
"Just sign it," I said coldly. I had no patience for his emotional manipulation.
If I hadn't lost touch with him after my rebirth, the first thing I would've done was file for divorce.
Zhou Zeyu saw I was serious.
With a flourish, he signed his name.
"Claire, this is on you. If you hadn't been so relentless, I would've let you stay as Mrs. Zhou for life. But you never knew how to appreciate what you had."
I smiled faintly.
No, you never appreciated what you had.And now, it's too late.