The Wife He Tried to Erase

The 20th floor of the Silver & Partners office was the only suite still illuminated. Amidst the darkened law firms of the forty-story building, its occupants had long since departed for the night. ​The clock had just struck nine, but Liam Hendry remained anchored to his chair. The twenty-nine-year-old looked utterly exasperated, yet he was powerless to dismiss the reckless guest sitting gracefully before him. ​"This is my fourth draft of a divorce agreement this month, Liam. Print it. Now," Brella Volkov commanded. She sat with her legs crossed on the sofa, casually sipping the remaining wine in her glass. ​Liam rubbed the bridge of his nose, glancing at Brella as she offered him a nonchalant smile. Brella Volkov, his best friend, never failed to make his head spin with her endless scandals—and yet, there she was, smiling while he felt on the verge of a migraine. ​Liam took a steadying breath before speaking. "Brella, I’ve warned you a thousand times. According to your father’s will, if you are the one to file for divorce, you’ll be the one to suffer. You won't get a single penny." ​He tried to drive the point home one more time. "You will lose every asset left by your late mother—everything that is currently under William’s management." ​Brella didn’t respond immediately. Her fingers slowly swirled the wine in her glass, her dark eyes staring blankly at the floor-to-ceiling window that showcased the glittering, superficial glamour of New York. ​"I’m not suing him, Liam. I send these drafts every week so that William will get fed up with me. I want him to be the one to dump me. That way, the terms of the will shift in my favor." A slight, cunning smile pulled at the corners of her lips. ​Liam sighed heavily. He grabbed the tablet from the desk, swiped through the screen, and slid it toward Brella. ​The screen displayed the main headline of Page Six, which had been incinerating social media for the past few days. The most viral post featured none other than Brella’s latest scandal. ​"Billionaire William Volkov’s Wife Caught Sneaking Out of a Luxury Hotel with His Biggest Business Rival, Xavier de Beaumont!" ​The post had racked up two million views in mere days. A barrage of insults from netizens flooded the comment section, the vitriol directed at Brella intensifying by the hour. ​"The entire city is condemning you, Brella. Why aren't you asking me to clean up this trashy narrative instead of making me draft divorce papers that always end up in William’s trash can?" Brella pulled the corners of her lips into a faint smile. You wouldn't understand, Liam, she thought to herself. ​During her two-year marriage to William Volkov, Brella had made herself a troublemaker in order to provoke William's anger, hoping he would divorce her. Instead of divorcing her, William ignored her. He treated her like a display piece and let his entire family tear her self-esteem to shreds every day while he just stood by and watched. ​"The scandal is a good fire to burn his ego, Liam. I want William to kick me out as soon as possible. Print it now," she ordered again, staring intently at Liam. ​"Your husband will tear it up like before," Liam replied in a lower voice. ​Brella slowly rose from her seat. She clutched her black Dior bag in her hand, her fingers trembling slightly. ​"My husband only comes home once a year, precisely on the night of his company's anniversary. Tonight... it's time for him to return. I don't want to waste the opportunity to throw this letter in his face." ​Then, the cell phone in her hand vibrated, causing Brella to immediately shift her gaze to the screen. She raised her eyebrows when she saw the name on the screen: the head maid of her house. ​"Yes? What is it, Aunt Emma?" Brella spoke with impatience flashing in her eyes. ​"Ma'am... Mr. William has just arrived. He is waiting for you in the reading room. He is in a very bad mood, Ma'am. Please come home immediately." ​Brella couldn't help but smile mockingly. She had already guessed that her husband was home after not returning for so long. ​Brella brushed her long hair aside as she walked over to Liam. When she reached him, she looked down at him with an impatient smile. ​"He's home. Print the draft now, I can't wait." *** ​Fifth Avenue, 22:15 EST The Obsidian Manor, a neo-classical mansion, looked like a palace from a distance, standing in the Volkov family's private compound. Some people could only admire its grandeur from afar without being able to actually approach the building, as only those with special access were allowed to enter. ​Tall, magnificent pillars framed the main door. The door opened automatically when Brella stepped inside. The first sight Brella saw upon entering was the dimly lit living room... and Aunt Emma, who was walking towards her at a half-run before bowing. ​"Welcome, Ma'am. The master is waiting in the reading room. And he... forbade us to turn on the lights in the main living room." ​Brella nodded briefly, knowing William's dislike of overly bright places. Her fingers squeezed the folder containing the divorce papers for a moment before she walked down the corridor that led her to the farthest room, to a double black door that was slightly ajar. ​When she entered, she found William sitting on the sofa. ​Brella's gaze fell on her husband's back. The white shirt he was wearing was slightly wrinkled. Brella could smell the strong aroma of wine as she slowly approached him. ​When Brella arrived in front of the man, her face immediately wrinkled in distaste. Her emotions were ignited when she found William sitting with his feet propped up on the antique wooden table left by her late father. Was William deliberately mocking her father's legacy? ​"You're home too, my viral wife," William said, followed by a slight sneer at the corner of his lips. He took another sip of his wine without turning his head toward Brella. ​"You're ruining my father's table, William," Brella walked around and stopped right in front of the man. "Put your feet down before I decide to break that table over your head." ​William finished his wine. He slowly lowered his feet, then stood up. His sharp gaze scanned Brella from head to toe. His face hardened as he watched Brella take off her coat, revealing a low-cut, sleeveless dress. ​"You came home just to mourn this old table, Brella? Meanwhile, out there, you're busy destroying my reputation with my sworn enemy." ​He looked directly into Brella's eyes again. "About Xavier... let's discuss him later. I have something more important to talk about." ​Brella was stunned. She had been expecting William's anger. She had prepared sharp words if William brought up her scandal with Xavier, but William seemed unconcerned? "Let's end this, Brella. Let's get a divorce," William said flatly. ​Brella was silent for a moment, digesting his words. ​Wasn't this what she had wanted for so long? Hadn't she sent him divorce papers countless times just to hear him say these words? ​"Why?" Brella tried to read the emotions on her husband's cold face. "Did my scandal with Xavier finally hurt your precious little ego?" ​William snorted at those words. His lips formed a contemptuous smile as he recalled his wife's scandal with Xavier. ​"Xavier? I don't care who you sleep with, Brella," William said calmly. ​Brella tried to find anger in the man's eyes, but contrary to her expectations, there was no emotion or anger at all. This confused Brella to no end. What was going on? If it wasn't because of Xavier... what made William suddenly ask for a divorce? ​William took his cell phone, swiped to a photo, and held it right in front of Brella's face. ​The photo showed William with a beautiful woman; both of them looked affectionate as they held hands. Brella immediately grabbed the phone to get a better look at the photo, especially at the familiar woman next to her husband. ​"Arischa?" Brella spoke the name with difficulty. She felt her lips suddenly go stiff. ​"Yes... it's Arischa... your sister. I love her, and she loves me very much too." ​William spoke calmly, while Brella felt as if her world had stopped spinning. Her heart was pounding and her hands were clenched as the image in the photo continued to swirl in her head. ​Arischa... her adoptive sister who had stolen her father and mother's love all this time. Brella hated her. She had never forgotten everything Arischa had taken from her. She was the cause of Brella's suffering and trauma since childhood. Brella clearly noticed the way William looked at Arischa in the photo... a look that the man had never given her during their two years of marriage. The divorce that Brella had been dreaming of suddenly meant nothing anymore. All that consumed her now was anger. ​"She is the woman who should bear the title of Mrs. Volkov," William's voice rang out again, snapping Brella out of her reverie. ​William stepped forward toward Brella, who was still frozen in place. He bent down to match his height to hers. ​"As you wish, let's finalize the divorce as soon as possible. I will marry Arischa after the divorce papers you brought are legalized." ​Brella tried to open her mouth, but now her voice seemed to be stuck in her throat, which had suddenly narrowed. ​"Why did you choose Arischa?" ​"She loves me sincerely, unlike that cruel woman who has lost her sense of shame, spreading scandal everywhere and trampling on her husband's dignity like trash." ​William's hand reached out, his fingers touching Brella's chin, forcing her to look up at him. "Know this, Brella." William's voice was heavy and hoarse. "Arischa... is far more deserving of standing by my side." ​Brella felt her pride trampled on even more deeply than her father's table earlier. Behind her dress, Brella's hands clenched before she pushed William's hand away from her chin. ​William stepped back and sat back down on the sofa. He grabbed the folder lying on the table. Without a word, he took a pen from his pocket, ready to sign the draft Brella had brought. ​"Thank you for bringing this draft. You've made everything easier." ​Sret! ​With a quick movement, Brella snatched the draft from William's hand and tore it into several pieces, causing scraps of paper to fall on her shoes. ​William then rose from his seat, his eyes glaring sharply at Brella. "What are you doing!" ​Brella stepped in front of William, leaving no distance between them. "I just changed my mind..." whispered Brella right in front of William's lips, so that William could feel her trembling breath. "I don't agree to the divorce..." ​William's jaw tightened, the muscles in his face tensing as his gaze darkened. "You've asked for a divorce four times this month, Brella! Don't play games with me!" ​"That was before I knew who you wanted to bring into this house." Brella tried to remain calm, but she couldn't hide the tremor in her voice. ​William couldn't hold back his sneer. "Are you like this because you don't want to lose to Arischa? After all, she's the only one who's always in my eyes." ​The word "always" that William uttered hit Brella so hard. ​"We're getting married soon," William's tone returned to normal. ​Brella tried to find doubt on William's face, but she couldn't find it. The man was serious about marrying her sister. Brella clenched her fists even tighter as she felt something inside her chest slowly crumble. ​"I... can't get a divorce yet." Brella lifted her chin slightly, forcing her body to remain upright even though her heart was racing. "I won't sign these divorce papers." ​"So you refuse to leave?" William leaned down to whisper in Brella's ear, his breath smelling of tobacco and alcohol, hot against Brella's skin. "Then I'll make sure you have no place left in this family," he whispered coldly. ​"Then you'll have to push me out," Brella whispered back. ​William straightened up again. A low, contemptuous laugh escaped his lips. "Believe me, Brella, I can do that." ​Without saying another word, William turned and disappeared behind the door, leaving Brella frozen in the silent library. Under the dim light of the room, she stood with what remained of her shattered self-respect.