Chapter 3: Broken Glass

After settling Emily in the living room, I headed to the master bedroom, took down our wedding photo, and kicked it in half, tossing it in the trash.

The crack of glass echoed off the bare walls, sharper than I expected. For a second, our faces were splintered into a hundred jagged pieces. The room felt empty without that photo above the dresser.

When I came back, Rachel had wiped her tears away.

She looked at me, cold and steady. "Jason, I’ve stood by you through thick and thin for over ten years. Now you treat me like this—do you have any conscience?"

Her words made my stomach churn.

I stared her down. “So what if you went through all that with me? Does that mean you’ve earned some kind of credit? Going through hard times just means you got lucky. You should be grateful you got to follow a guy like me—a rising star."

The more I talked, the angrier I got.

“Rachel. Ten years of marriage and you still can’t have a child, and you still have the nerve to claim credit? Back where I’m from, people don’t keep a dog that won’t hunt. I’ve already been kind enough to you, so why are you so shameless? Emily’s already pregnant with my child—why won’t you just divorce me?”

Rachel stared at me like I was someone she’d never met.

She was quiet for a long time, then sneered. “Jason, are you so sure the child in her belly is yours?”

I froze. It took me a second to realize she was just trying to mess with me and Emily.

Before I could explode, Emily jumped in, her voice trembling. “Rachel, Jason told me about your past… I’ve always respected you, but how can you say that about me now? I’ve never even dated before, Rachel. My folks barely let me out of the house.”

Emily’s eyes glistened with tears.

I immediately felt bad for her. Someone as kind and innocent as her, getting accused by Rachel—it was too much.

To spare Emily any more humiliation, I pulled her into the master bedroom.

As I closed the door, Rachel’s voice cut through the air, ice-cold. “Jason, as husband and wife, we’ve come to this point. I have nothing more to say. Since you insist on jumping into the fire, I’ll let you have your way.”

Those words made me feel both relieved and angry—relieved she seemed to finally accept divorce, angry she’d cursed me like that.

She acted like I’d end up miserable after leaving her. As if. She had no clue my company was about to go public. Once it was listed, my assets would be in the billions. My new family would never have to worry about anything again. I pictured myself on CNBC, Emily at my side, everyone jealous. I couldn’t wait to get Rachel out of my life for good.