Divorcing My Cheating Beta Husband

003: We Should Discuss This First

~Vivian's POV~

Ten minutes later, my best friend, Natalie, called me.

The moment I heard her voice, the emotions I had been desperately holding back finally began to surface.

“Natalie…” My voice trembled. “I found out that Ethan has another family.”

There was a long silence on the other end.

“He has children with her,” I whispered, the words tearing through my heart as I said them aloud. “I can't do this anymore, Natalie. I want a divorce.”

“Damn it!”

Natalie exploded the moment she heard me. She was furious on my behalf, cursing Ethan so rapidly that I could barely get a word in.

I remained silent for a while before finally saying in a low voice, “Ethan said, I'm dirty.”

Natalie went quiet.

Then she asked cautiously, “You told him you were going overseas four years ago because you wanted to find yourself a new boyfriend. Did he somehow find out about that? But even if he did, that doesn't give him the right to cheat on you! Especially after everything you've done for him…”

Before she could finish, the ward door suddenly opened.

I immediately hung up.

“You're finally awake!”

I looked up. Ethan walked into the ward. The suit he was wearing today immediately caught my attention. I had never seen it before. It was a perfectly tailored dark-gray suit that made him look sophisticated and elegant. Ethan had always been the kindest and most gentle man in my eyes.

Even now, his face carried a mixture of worry and relief, as though he had been genuinely terrified something might have happened to me.

If I hadn't seen him with that woman and those children with my own eyes, I might have believed that he had never loved anyone else in his entire life.

I almost laughed at myself.

The Oscars really do owe Ethan an award.

“Vivian, guess who came to visit you?”

It was only then that I realized something I had never paid attention to before.

For four years of marriage, Ethan had always called me Vivian.

Never a nickname. Never a pet name. Never darling. It had always been just— “Vivian.”

My heart tightened.

“Grace, Lily, come in.”

I watched as Grace walked into the ward, holding Lily's hand. Grace looked beautiful. She was dressed in the latest spring haute couture—a royal-blue floral-print Chanel dress. I remembered mentioning that particular design to Ethan once. I had told him how much I liked it.

Her long, straight black hair framed her delicate face, making her large, sparkling eyes appear even more striking. She looked innocent. Elegant. Composed. If anyone saw her like this, they would never imagine that behind that beautiful face was a woman who would eventually have an affair with her stepbrother—a married man.

Then my gaze fell on Lily. She was wearing a pink limited-edition Disney princess dress. I had never really paid attention to her features before. But now that I look closely… She didn't look much like Marcus.

“Hello, Auntie.” Lily smiled sweetly and held out the pineapple she was carrying. “This is for you.”

I stared at the pineapple but didn't take it. I was allergic to pineapples. Of course, they didn't know that. Or perhaps they simply didn't care.

“Vivian, look how sensible and polite Lily is!” Ethan took the pineapple from Lily's hands.

Then, without hesitation, he picked up a fruit knife, carefully cut the pineapple into pieces, arranged them neatly on a plate, and placed little fruit forks beside them.

I watched him silently. His movements were practiced. I suddenly remembered all those nights during our marriage when I had prepared fruit for him after dinner. I had always cut it, arranged it, and placed it beside him. Ethan had never once helped me. I used to think he simply hated doing these kinds of tedious little things.

Now I understood. He didn't hate doing them. He just didn't think I was worth doing them for.

“My brother used to bring fruit for us all the time when we were at home,” Grace said with a sweet smile. “You're so lucky to have married him, Vivian.”

Lucky? My fingers tightened beneath the blanket. I was beginning to understand exactly how lucky I had been. As Grace reached for a piece of pineapple to feed Lily, she deliberately exposed her wrist. My gaze fell on the bracelet. My eyes narrowed. I recognized it immediately. It was a cloisonné enamel antique bracelet decorated with rubies, sapphires, and diamonds—the star piece from the Hercules auction.

There had only been one like it. And the bracelet had sold for 2.7 million. Grace couldn't possibly afford something like that on her salary. And judging from the way she deliberately displayed it, she clearly wanted me to notice. Which meant there was only one reasonable explanation.

Ethan had bought it for her. A bitter smile tugged at the corner of my lips. The ward suddenly felt strangely crowded. Ethan, Grace, and Lily chatted and laughed together as though they were a happy little family. And I…

The unwanted wife sitting quietly at the edge of their perfect little world.

“By the way, Vivian, there's something I'd like to discuss with you…”

Ethan's voice pulled me back. He called my name, but before continuing, he exchanged a glance with Grace. That single look told me everything.

“Lily is Marcus's only daughter,” he said. “You know how close we are. She's about to start her preschool-to-primary transition program, and the Ruili Preschool-to-Primary Transition Program here in Ashford City is one of the best in the country. I think it would be better for Lily to stay here.”

He cleared his throat. “While you were in a coma, I changed Grace and Lily's household registration and added them to our family.”

My heart sank. Even though I had already suspected what he was going to say, hearing it directly from his mouth still hurt. He had changed our family records without even asking me. As though I didn't matter. As though this was his house and I was merely a guest in it.

I looked at him.

“Don't you think we should discuss this first?”