His Little Bet Cost Him His Wife

At the celebration banquet, Ethan stood on the stage, held the microphone, and said his only wish was to get a new wife.

I froze in place. Beneath the stage, a young intern giggled loudly.

See, Mr. Miller? I told you. An old woman like her would be scared out of her mind the second she hears you don't want her anymore.

"A bet's a bet, Mr. Miller! You placed the highest bet, so Venmo me that $5,200 right now!"

The crowd burst into laughter.

Ethan didn't even look at me. He walked straight down the stage.

After transferring the money on his phone, he gently ruffled the young girl's hair with pure fondness in his eyes.

Only after doing all of this did he finally turn to look at me, his tone completely casual.

"Rachel, it was just to liven up the atmosphere. She's just a kid who likes to play around. Don't take it personally."

He was absolutely sure that, just like in the past, I would swallow my pride, choke down the humiliation, and let it go.

But this time, I picked up the microphone and spoke calmly:

"What a coincidence, Ethan."

"How did you know that my wish is exactly the same as yours?"

The laughter in the room stopped instantly. Ethan's face turned incredibly pale. He was the first to speak, his voice sharp:

"Everyone was just joking. Why are you making a scene?"

Before I could even reply, he waved his hand dismissively, his tone bordering on cruel:

"Our Managing Director, Rachel, has been emotionally unstable lately. I apologize on her behalf."

Chloe tilted her head, looking at me with a sweet, mocking smile:

"Could she be going through menopause? Mr. Miller, do you smell that retirement home scent on her when you sleep at night?"

After saying that, she quickly covered her mouth, pretending to look innocent.

Ethan gave her a fake, gentle scold:

"Chloe, don't talk like that."

But looking at the warmth and indulgence in his eyes, there wasn't a single shred of real anger in his voice.

It was pure, unfiltered favoritism.

Chloe easily picked up on Ethan's protection, which only made her act more spoiled and arrogant.

People around us started whispering and snickering, throwing mocking glances at me.

A sharp pain pierced my chest, spreading through my entire body.

Ten years. I had stayed by his side, watching him go from having absolutely nothing to building a multi-million-dollar company.

And yet, all I got in return was him protecting another young girl in public, while dragging my dignity through the mud.

I pushed down the bitterness in my throat, took a deep breath, and spoke coldly:

"Chloe, for public gambling, defamation, and slanderyou should know that I can not only fire you right now, but I can also have my lawyers destroy you."

Chloe's face turned instantly white. She instinctively hid behind Ethan.

The sight of their intimacy burned my eyes.

In the next second, Ethan stepped forward.

Just like the way he used to protect me, he shielded Chloe completely behind his broad shoulders.

"Rachel, cut the boss act. Ten years ago, when you got fired over a stupid two-hundred-dollar mistake and cried your eyes out, weren't you the one begging?"

Looking at him now, I felt nothing but a hollow sense of mockery.

Yes. If Ethan hadn't beaten someone up back then, I wouldn't have been fired, and I wouldn't have almost starved to death because I couldn't afford the rent.

Back then, he had cupped my tear-stained face in his hands, his eyes fierce and dead serious as he promised:

"If anyone ever dares to disrespect you again, I'll risk my life to make them pay."

But now, the very man who swore to protect me for the rest of my life was holding up the umbrella for the person stabbing me.

How ironic.

Ethan didn't want to argue with me in public anymore. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the private VIP lounge next door.

He threw me onto the leather sofa. My high heels scraped against my ankle, drawing blood.

I gasped in pain. Ethan paused for a second, but his voice remained cold and hard:

"You can't even walk in heels, yet you insist on wearing them. You love making things hard for yourself, no wonder you're always targeting a young girl."

"If you're done throwing a tantrum, go home. I have things to take care of."

Without another glance, he turned on his heel and walked out.

I sat frozen on the sofa for a long time before finally pulling out my phone.

My Snapchat was filled with updates from the company employees. Chloe's post was right at the top.

It had two photos.

One was a screenshot of the $5,200 Venmo transfer, captioned:

[From the man I admire the most~]

The other was a selfie of her and Ethan, standing extremely close.

Chloe's cheeks were flushed, and Ethan was looking down at her with a gentle smile.

The comment section was filled with her friends dropping passive-aggressive hints about how I had a horrible temper and lacked any charm.

I looked down at the beautiful but painfully tight high heels on my feet, and the truth finally sank in.

Some people are meant to share your struggles, but they can never share your success.

The warmth we once shared and the vows he made were real.

But his current coldness and his betrayal were just as real.

I opened my phone. The reservation for the luxury cruise tickets for two was still sitting in my app.

I had tried countless times to piece back together this broken, ten-year relationship.

But now, with a simple tap of my finger, I canceled Ethan's ticket.

Then, I messaged my divorce lawyer.

For the rest of this journey, I would never wait for anyone again.

It was past midnight when I got home.

That night, I dreamed of the heavy blizzard from ten years ago.

In our tiny, cramped apartment, Ethan and I huddled together for warmth.

We had no parents to help us, no wealthy backgrounds, nothing but our own two hands to fight for a future.

Back then, I was always insecure because I was five years older than him.

But one day, he came home, mysteriously pulled open his shirt, and showed me his chest. It was still bleeding, but my name, Rachel, was freshly tattooed over his heart.

His eyes were incredibly bright as he wrapped his arms around me and whispered:

"Don't be scared anymore. If I ever stop loving you, Ethan Miller, my life won't have any meaning left."

Those days of struggling in the mud and keeping each other warm flashed through my dreams over and over again.

When I opened my eyes, I was brought back to the shattered reality of ten years later.

Ethan was sitting by the edge of the bed, his voice completely devoid of emotion:

"If I don't come home, you just hide under the blanket and cry? Rachel, would it kill you to just back down for once?"

I turned my back to him, refusing to say a word.

He let out a heavy sigh, leaned back against the sofa, and said casually:

"Rachel, you can't even get pregnant. Honestly, I've already done more than enough for you over the years."

"Besides, I came back to tell you that Chloe is pregnant. Don't go looking for trouble with her."

His tone was so casual, yet his words stabbed directly into my deepest wound.

I bolted up, grabbed the bedside lamp, and hurled it straight at him. My voice shook violently:

"Ethan! If I hadn't walked through a raging blizzard for two hours to secure that contract for your business, my child would be here calling me 'Mom' right now!"

"How can you even say that to me? Are you even human?!"

Perhaps the raw agony on my face was too obvious.

Looking at my bloodshot eyes, his expression finally softened slightly.

"I can't spend my entire life tied to a woman who brings nothing to the table anymore. You know how it is. Even the most loyal man gets tired."

Wiping away the tears from the corners of my eyes, I let out a mocking laugh:

"What? Do you want me to get down on my knees and thank you?"

The annoyance in his eyes flared up again.

"Are you done yet? Losing that baby was your own fault for not being careful. You brought that on yourself!"

"Chloe is so much younger than you, yet she's gentle and understanding. Look at yourself now! You're completely unreasonable!"

He slammed the door and left. I didn't sleep a wink that night.

The next morning, the moment I walked into the office, Chloe was already waiting for me.

Holding a cup of hot coffee, she gave me a smug, malicious smile:

"Rachel, Ethan told me last night to focus on prenatal care for the baby. I guess he's really sick of women like you~"

Without even looking up, I snapped back:

"Prenatal care? Teaching the kid how to be a homewrecker just like you?"

Chloe's expression turned nasty. Just as she was about to snap back, she heard Ethan's footsteps approaching from behind.

With a sudden gasp, she threw herself forward, spilling the scalding coffee all over my arm.

My skin turned instantly red and began to blister.

She grabbed my wrists, her fingernails digging deep into my flesh:

"Rachel, I truly came here to apologize. Even if you hate me, please, for the sake of the baby, just let me go!"

Ethan kicked my office door open and roared at me:

"Rachel! Don't push your luck! Do you really think you own this place?!"

"I'm telling you, if anything happens to Chloe or the baby, I will make you pay!"

With that, he scooped Chloe into his arms and walked out in front of everyone.

Employees gathered in the hallway, whispering and watching the drama. My arm throbbed with intense pain.

A wave of overwhelming despair washed over me, followed by a sudden, sharp pain in my lower abdomen.

My vision went black, and I collapsed onto the floor.

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed.

As I struggled to sit up, a nurse rushed over and gently pushed me back down.

She said:

"You're pregnant. You need to rest. Stop working yourself to death."

I froze, staring at her in complete disbelief.

Right at that moment, Ethan's voice echoed from outside the ward.

Ethan pushed the door open, his eyes completely cold.

"Rachel, you really love playing the victim, don't you? The moment Chloe gets hospitalized, you put yourself in a hospital bed too. Are you that desperate for attention?"

I looked up at him. For a split second, I wanted to tell him that I was pregnant.

But his baseless accusations made me shut my mouth. I had nothing left to say to him.

Whatever love and warmth I once had for him had already decayed in my throat after his countless acts of betrayal.

Seeing my silence, his expression grew even colder. He turned to leave.

"Whatever. Play your little games all you want. I'm not playing along."

The room fell into a dead silence. I slowly placed my hand over my still-flat stomach.

The moment I get discharged, I'm taking my baby and leaving.

Leaving Ethan, and leaving this place of heartbreak.

Overwhelmed by exhaustion, I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up again, it was pitch black outside.

Standing right beside my bed, holding my pregnancy test results, was Chloe.

Sensing that I was awake, she whipped her head toward me, her eyes filled with venom and jealousy.

"Rachel, why do you have to ruin everything for me right now?!"

I tried to sit up, but my body felt completely drained of energy.

Seeing my movement, Chloe assumed I was going to find Ethan.

She stepped forward, blocking me, her voice distorted with rage:

"You shameless bitch! You refuse to sign the divorce papers, and now you want to use this brat to keep your position?!"

I didn't want to waste my breath on her. I reached out to press the call button on the headboard.

But Chloe shrieked and threw herself at me.

"Since you won't listen, you and your little brat can go to hell!"

The sudden force of her impact knocked me off balance. I fell off the bed, my lower abdomen slamming violently against the sharp corner of the bedside table.

An excruciating pain exploded from my abdomen, radiating through my entire body.

As the room spun, I felt a warm gush of fluid between my legs.

The ward door was suddenly pushed open, and Ethan rushed in.

I saw him frown, stepping toward me.

"Ethan... save my baby..."

Before I could finish, Chloe grabbed Ethan's arm tightly.

Clutching her own stomach, she sobbed pitifully:

"Ethan, don't blame Rachel... Loving you was my fault to begin with. If punishing me makes her happy, I don't mind."

"But Ethan, my stomach hurts so bad... Is our baby going to be okay...?"

Her tears streamed down her face as she whimpered.

Ethan's face turned incredibly pale.

The slight worry in his eyes when he looked at me instantly turned into disgust.

"Rachel, just because you lost your baby years ago doesn't mean everyone has to suffer for your bitterness! You've gone too far this time!"

"I couldn't save our first child, but I will not lose this one!"

He carefully picked Chloe up in his arms and rushed out of the room.

The door slammed shut, leaving me entirely alone.

The sticky, warm blood soaked through my clothes. I slowly closed my eyes.

I knew this baby was gone too.

When I was finally woken up by my phone, it was a voice message from Ethan.

There was no apology, no worry. Just a casual, dismissive tone:

"Chloe wanted to go to the beach, so I'm taking her trip. No one is watching your little performance anymore, so stop acting."

I slowly put my phone down and placed my hand over my empty stomach.

My heart didn't hurt anymore. There was only a vast, endless numbness.

I opened my contacts, found my best friend, Lily, who lived abroad, and transferred all my business shares and assets to her.

I had originally wanted to keep some dignity and get a peaceful divorce.

But now, there was no need for that.

In the days that followed, besides recovering, I focused entirely on drafting the divorce agreement and finalizing the asset transfer.

Once everything was settled, I went back to the apartment to pack my things.

The place was a mess, filled with traces of the two of them.

I ignored it all and packed quietly.

There was no nostalgia, no regret.

Halfway through packing, Ethan called.

"Chloe is pregnant and it's not convenient for her to move around. Pack your things and get out. She's moving in."

I picked up our framed wedding photo from the wall, tossed it into the trash can, and said calmly:

"Okay."

Silence fell on the other end of the line. He clearly didn't expect me to agree so easily.

After all, during our ten years together, whenever something like this happened, I would fight him tooth and nail.

Ethan's voice carried a hint of surprise:

"This is our wedding house. Have you forgotten?"

My hand paused for a second. A bone-chilling coldness swept through me.

So he did remember what this home meant to me.

Yet, he still chose to trample over my boundaries in the most humiliating way possible.

I took a deep breath and said softly:

"It's fine. Do whatever you want."

My compliance seemed to anger him even more.

"Fine! Great! Since you don't care about anything anymore, then hand over your Managing Director position to Chloe too!"

I didn't say another word. I hung up, labeled my boxes, and called the moving company. My cruise was leaving in five hours.

Just as I was about to walk out the door, a group of workers pushed their way in and started smashing the place up.

I blocked them, frowning:

"Who gave you permission to break into my apartment?"

One of the workers replied without looking up:

"Mr. Miller's orders. We're tearing this place down to remodel it exactly how Ms. Chloe wants it."

Right then, Chloe appeared at the doorway with a smug smile on her face:

"Rachel, no matter how hard you try, Ethan still chose me in the end. Just give up."

Looking at her arrogant face, I found it hilarious.

I didn't bother arguing with her and walked toward the elevator.

But as soon as the doors opened, I ran straight into Ethan.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

"Business trip."

Hearing my reply, he relaxed his grip on my arm and said arrogantly:

"Don't think you can skip Chloe's promotion ceremony by using a business trip as an excuse. You have to be there!"

I didn't even spare him a glance as I stepped into the elevator.

After all, how could he know that I would be boarding a luxury cruise this afternoon?

And once the cruise trip ended, I would fly straight to the country where Lily lived.

I was never coming back.

Ethan stared at my retreating figure, his voice filled with threats and spite:

"Rachel, you better not regret this! Even if you come back crying and begging me on your knees, I won't take you back!"

The elevator doors closed, heading down.

I completely shut out the place that held all my youth and agony.

Ethan thought I was just throwing another tantrum and decided to play a game of chicken with me.

By the time Chloe's promotion meeting started, all the company executives had arrived.

Chloe clutched her stomach, looking weakly at Ethan:

"Ethan, is Rachel not coming because of me? It's all my fault. I shouldn't have accepted this promotion..."

Ethan's brows furrowed deeply, his face dark with anger.

"She's crossed the line this time, bringing her personal tantrums into a board meeting. When she gets back, I'll make sure she apologizes to you."

He spoke with absolute certainty, as if I would walk through that door in the next second, crying and admitting my mistakes.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.

The receptionist walked in holding a package.

"Mr. Miller, a courier just delivered this. They said it's a special gift for you and must be signed by you personally."

Ethan's eyes lit up slightly, and a smirk played on his lips.

He was sure this was my way of begging for forgiveness.

Once again, he thought he had won.

With a hint of anticipation in his voice, he said:

"Open it."

The assistant opened the package, but in the next second, her expression froze.

Inside, there were no flowers, no apology note. Just two documents.

A signed divorce agreement, and a share transfer document.