He Cheated, I Made Him Penniless

Chapter 4

The wedding was a grand, glittering affair, with the hall packed full of guests.

Scornful glances kept darting my way, sharp as tiny needles pricking at my skin.

"Can you believe the official wife is actually planning her husband's wedding to his mistress? How pathetic can you get?"

"I heard Zora's already showing. She's got his kid in her belly, and that woman's still clinging to the title of Mrs. Ford for dear life."

"Why would she get a divorce? Where would she even go? She's been leeching off Jude for years. You think she's actually being magnanimous? She just can't survive without a man, so she's putting on this holier-than-thou act to make herself look good."

"Look at her running around bustling about so eagerly. Tch, anyone who didn't know better would think she's the one about to pop out a kid for the Ford family."

I listened to every word in silence, not giving them the satisfaction of a response.

Backstage in the wedding dressing room, Zora sat perfectly made up, every feature flawlessly done.

She twirled a one-of-a-kind million-yuan diamond ring around her finger, waiting for the ceremony to start.

When she spotted me, a sneer tugged at the corner of her mouth, sharp and mean.

"Hey, Mia, what kind of ring did you wear when you married Jude all those years ago?"

I stared straight back at her calmly, my expression unreadable.

Back when we'd gotten our marriage license, the Ford family was in the middle of a brutal power struggle.

He had no real authority back then, so broke he couldn't even afford a decent bouquet of flowers.

He'd plucked a foxtail weed from the ground right outside the civil affairs bureau, twisted it into a crudely made ring, and slipped it onto my finger.

He'd said that since the grass grew right by the marriage registry, it symbolized that the newlyweds would be together for their whole lives.

When I didn't answer, she let out a sharp, amused little laugh.

"Oh, I know even if you don't say it. He told me he just grabbed some random foxtail weed for your ring. That's all you're worth, right? What's the point of hanging onto that empty title? Jude drops a fortune on me without blinking, but all he gave you back then was a random weed. Face it, you're the third wheel here. Oh, and one more thing."

She paused, her eyes lighting up with smug, triumphant glee.

"I never had a s*x addiction. That was all just a lie Jude and I made up to make things easier for us. You actually fell for it for three whole years."

She clearly thought I'd break down the second I heard the truth, that I'd tear up and start screaming and demanding answers.

But my face stayed completely calm. I even curled the corner of my mouth up in a tiny, cold smile.

She had no idea that by the end of the day, her stupid dream of being a rich, pampered socialite wife would be crushed into dust.

I lifted my eyes and saw her gaze flick past my shoulder. A small, calculating smirk spread across her face.

Sure enough, the next second, Zora suddenly stumbled sideways and collapsed onto the floor with a soft thud.

She clutched her stomach tight, her voice shaking and thick with sobs.

"Mia, if you want to hit me or yell at me, go ahead! Just please, please don't hurt my baby!"

Jude was standing right behind me, out of nowhere.

"Mia! How dare you lay a hand on a pregnant woman?"

He lashed out, and his palm slammed hard across my face with a sharp c***k.

The sharp edge of his wedding ring scraped against my cheekbone, and the entire side of my face went numb instantly.

"Apologize to Zora."

Zora was sobbing pitifully next to him, her face streaked with tears. "That's it? Jude, our baby almost died! I want her to kneel down and lick the heel of my shoe."

He stared right at me, his voice cold as ice. "Do what Zora says. Now."

I looked at the two of them, tugged the corner of my mouth up in a sharp smile, and slapped Jude right across the face as hard as I could.

Zora froze on the spot for a beat, then shrieked at the top of her lungs, "You dare hit Jude? Are you out of your damn mind?"

Jude stared at me, icy and unreadable, clearly caught off guard that I'd ever fight back.

Zora reared her arm back, ready to slap me across the face. I didn't even spare her a glance, just jammed my thumb down on the prepped fire alarm remote in my hand.

Jude scooped Zora up into his arms in a heartbeat and bolted straight for the exit.

He was moving so fast he slammed right into me, knocking me flat on the floor. His shoe ground hard into my palm as he ran past, and he didn't even notice.

Sharp, searing pain spread all the way through my bones, but a sharp, thrilling rush of satisfaction unfurled in my chest.

They didn't realize there was no actual fire until they'd already burst out of the dressing room.

Only then did I push myself slowly off the floor and toss the fire alarm remote into the trash like it was just a used tissue.

Jude, this is the big gift I've been saving for you.

I set this whole thing up to make this your hundredth time abandoning me.

Now you get to take your precious little lover and walk away from this marriage with nothing.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Clay Voss, my voice steady as still water.

"Initiate the liquidation per the agreement we signed earlier. Compile records of every single instance of his infidelity and abandonment of me, and transfer all equity and assets under Jude's name to me, in full."

Clay agreed immediately on the other end of the line and got started on all the asset transfer formalities immediately.