After My Miscarriage, I Divorced My Husband and Reclaimed My Billion-Dollar Empire

At my birthday party, my husband’s "girl best friend" lost a game of Truth or Dare. Her punishment was to reveal the wildest thing she had ever done.

She suddenly giggled and looked at me. "I've done a lot of crazy things... but honestly, nothing beats that quickie with Ethan in the back of his car." The entire room went dead silent.

I held my threemonth pregnant belly, feeling my lower abdomen tighten violently. She smiled sweetly at me. "Chloe, don’t take it the wrong way.

You’re pregnant and can’t satisfy him anyway. No need to thank me—I was just helping out like a good bro." I stood up abruptly, a sharp pain shooting through my stomach.

My husband, Ethan, froze for a second. Then, he casually swirled his glass. "Chloe, Hailey was just looking out for us since your pregnancy has been so hard on you.

Don’t be so dramatic." "She did it out of kindness.

Do you really have to react like this?" Inside the room, everyone was frozen in place by Hailey’s words. "When... when did this happen?" A dull pain throbbed in my stomach.

I couldn’t stop shaking. Today was my twentyninth birthday.

Looking at the lavish decorations and the carefully chosen gifts Ethan had filled the room with, I only felt a sickening irony. He slept with another woman.

And he called it "out of kindness"? I stared at him, my fingernails digging deep into my palms. Hailey stood up and warmly grabbed my arm.

Her voice was sickeningly sweet. "Chloe, you're pregnant. Don't just stand there.

Come and sit down." I took a step back, my eyes falling on her exposed arm—there was a fresh, elegant cursive tattoo. E & H. Ethan & Hailey. Their initials.

Noticing my gaze, she deliberately turned her arm, smiling with fake innocence. "Chloe, this tattoo hurt for three days.

If Ethan hadn't held my hand the whole time, I would have never made it through." I snapped my gaze to Ethan.

Panic flashed in his eyes, and he subconsciously curled his ring finger. On his wedding ring—the one engraved with our names—there was a new tattoo: H.

He had tattooed her initial on his wedding ring finger. My heart plummeted into a bottomless icy abyss. My lower belly began to tighten.

I gripped the edge of the table so hard my knuckles turned white. Hailey sat down next to me and pulled a pack of cigarettes from her purse. The lighter flicked. Click.

Seconds later, a thick, pungent smell of smoke filled my nose. I started coughing violently, my throat burning like sandpaper. My stomach churned, and my vision went dark.

Covering my mouth, I rushed into the bathroom, dropping to my knees in front of the toilet, throwing up until I was dryheaving bile. "Chloe, I'm so sorry." Hailey had followed me in at some point, still holding the cigarette, looking incredibly aggrieved. "I forgot you can't stand the smell of smoke while pregnant...

It's my fault. Should I put it out?" Ethan's voice came from the living room, laced with impatience. "It's fine, Hailey. Keep smoking.

She’s just been overly dramatic since she got pregnant. She throws up at literally everything." Dramatic? These past few months, my morning sickness had been severe.

I was dehydrated from vomiting every single day. Even a sip of water wouldn't stay down. The man who used to drag me to the hospital over a minor cold now called me dramatic.

When did he change? Or did he never actually care? It had been seven years.

I had lived in a tiny, cramped studio apartment with him, wearing fivedollar tshirts, eating instant ramen until I felt sick, supporting him from when he was a penniless nobody to the rising tech mogul he was today.

He used to say I was the only one he’d ever love. He even said we’d name our baby Hope, because I was the hope that saved his life. Now, it just seemed pathetic. I stroked my belly.

I suddenly remembered the night two weeks ago when I started spotting. My lower abdomen was cramping, and my back was aching terribly.

Ethan came home smelling of alcohol, climbed into bed, wrapped his arms around me, and slid his hand under my nightgown. I pushed him away. "Ethan, please...

I’m not feeling well today." The warmth in his eyes instantly died, turning icy cold. "Fine. Go to sleep.

I’m going drag racing with the guys." The next morning, he and his "girl best friend," Hailey, ended up in the hospital together.

Hailey had a minor leg injury, but she smiled sweetly at me from her hospital bed. "Chloe, I took the hit for Ethan. It was a close call." And I believed her.

I held her hand, crying, thanking her for saving his life. But now that I thought about it... That night, up in the mountains. Maybe they really did "race" all night long.

I wiped the bitter taste from my mouth, walked back into the living room, and stared Ethan dead in the eye. "So that night... you and Hailey really slept together in the mountains?" He looked at me, took a sip of his drink, and sighed. "Chloe." "A man has needs.

When I'm burning up, I need a woman to put out the fire."

"So you admit it?" My voice shook like a dry leaf caught in a winter storm. Hailey leaned against his shoulder and poked her tongue out at me. "Chloe, don't look at me like that.

Ethan and I are literally best friends. He just uses me as an outlet—" "Hailey," Ethan interrupted her. Hailey pouted. "We were just helping each other out.

If I didn't help him while you're pregnant, he would've gone to some random hookup." "Would you prefer him sleeping with a stranger?

At least you know I’m clean." I shook with pure rage. "Ethan, what do you take me for?" He looked at me and said defensively, "Chloe, Hailey is right. At least she's my friend.

She won't cause drama." "You should actually thank her. If it weren't for her, I would have actually cheated." It was laughably absurd.

So cheating with your best friend didn't count as cheating? "You both disgust me." Ethan's face darkened. "Chloe, I won't let you disrespect Hailey." Hailey’s eyes welled with tears. "Chloe, I really just didn't want Ethan to be frustrated...

If you're that mad, just hit me. Don't blame him..." She stepped toward me, putting on a show. The moment I raised my hand to push her away, Ethan grabbed my wrist.

His grip was so tight it felt like he was going to crush my bones. "Chloe, that's enough!" He panted, his voice dangerously low. "Do you know who saved me when my first startup failed, and I was standing on the edge of the office rooftop, ready to jump?" I froze. "It was Hailey," he yelled. "She sold the house her late mother left her.

Two million dollars.

She transferred every single cent to my account without hesitation." "If it wasn't for that money saving the company, do you think I'd be here today?" I stood there, paralyzed.

Hailey lowered her head, wiping a tear. "Chloe, that was the only thing my mom left me...

But I just thought Ethan was more important than a house." Ethan looked at her with a tenderness I hadn't seen in years.

Then he turned to me, his gaze freezing over. "And what about you? All you've done over the years is whine, cry, and make scenes at home." My face drained of all color.

For the past seven years... To fund his tech startup dream, I worked three jobs a day.

I delivered milk at 4 AM, rode a scooter delivering food at noon, and hauled heavy boxes at a warehouse at night. In the dead of winter, my fingers bleed from cardboard cuts.

And I transferred every single penny I saved into his bank account. Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through my abdomen.

Seeing my pale face, a flash of hesitation crossed Ethan's eyes. He took off his coat and stepped forward to drape it over my shoulders.

His tone softened slightly. "Alright, let's stop fighting." "I made a mistake, okay? It was a heatofthemoment thing. I promise it won't happen again.

You're pregnant, don't get cold. Let's go home, and I'll make you your favorite pasta, okay?" I looked at him.

Under the dim lights, he still had the face I fell in love with at first sight. I had fallen so hard for him back then.

Even when my father threatened to disown me, I packed my bags and ran away with him without looking back. In those early years, he would wake up at 5 AM to make me breakfast.

Once, I casually mentioned I wanted a bagel from a specific shop, and he waited in line for four hours just to get it for me.

He was the one who ruined me with love, and now, he was the one throwing me into hell. He reached out to wrap his arm around my waist. I took a step back, dodging his touch.

His hand froze in midair, his face twisting with frustration. "Chloe, I've already humbled myself.

What more do you want?" Right then, a soft, intimate moaning sound echoed from behind us. On the white wall, the projector screen had suddenly turned on.

On the screen, under a starry night sky, an SUV was rocking violently. Two shadows were tangled together in the moonlight.

The entire birthday party seemed to hit a pause button.

Inside the VIP lounge, Ethan’s friends were silent for a second before someone let out a loud whistle. "Holy shit, Ethan is a beast." It was Jax, Ethan’s childhood best friend. "Am I seeing things, or is that the new Range Rover?

The back seat is huge, but still, Ethan managed to rock a threeton SUV like that?" Another guy laughed and joined in. "And damn, Hailey’s voice is wild." They clinked their glasses, laughing as if they were watching an action movie.

Jax turned to look at me. "Chloe, don't take it personally. Ethan was probably just starved for action.

Just think of it as a joke between friends." My heart felt like it had been violently ripped open, leaving a gaping void for the cold wind to howl through.

Watching the rocking car on the screen, my stomach turned, and acid rushed up my throat.

Hailey suddenly stood up from the sofa, her eyes red. "Chloe, I didn't know someone was recording this... I didn't mean to...

If you're really that mad, I'll never show my face near Ethan again." She rushed past me, stumbling, and intentionally threw herself against me.

Instinctively, I pushed her off. "Ahhh!!" She shrieked, crashing hard against the sharp edge of the coffee table. She hit her knee and collapsed onto the floor. "Ow...

Chloe, my old leg injury... it hurts so bad..." She clutched her shin, where a small scrape was bleeding, trying hard to squeeze out tears.

The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Jax, who was always closest to Hailey, rushed over to check her leg. He glared up at me. "Chloe, it was just a joke!

Do you have to act like a psycho and assault her?" The others chimed in, frowning. "Chloe is out of line.

She's so petty." "Ethan was pushed to his limit, that's why he turned to Hailey. You need to be understanding." "Exactly. We all know how Ethan stayed faithful to you for years.

It was just a slipup. Is it really worth making a scene?" Ethan’s face went completely black. His voice was pure ice. "Chloe, have you lost your mind?

Hailey hasn't even fully recovered from her previous injury, and you dare to hurt her?" "I am so disappointed in you." Disappointed?

He and his "girl best friend" betrayed our sevenyear relationship. And he was disappointed in me. Hailey sat on the floor, holding her knee. "It’s fine...

Ethan, don't blame Chloe... It's all my fault..." Before I could even speak, a violent, ripping pain tore through my lower abdomen.

It felt like something was tearing apart inside me. A warm, thick liquid began to rush down my inner thighs. I looked down.

Blood was pouring down my legs, soaking my white dress, dripping onto the floor, pooling into a dark red puddle.

I opened my mouth to say something, but my body felt incredibly heavy. I couldn't hold on anymore. Like a puppet with its strings cut, I collapsed.

As I fell, the last thing I saw was the anger on Ethan’s face turning into pure terror. He screamed my name. "Chloe!" "Why are you bleeding—"